Exhibitions are critical for companies, particularly startups wanting to establish a presence for themselves. However, brands don’t usually understand them. They believe they are just another marketing tactic, but that’s not entirely true.
So, why don’t businesses understand exhibitions? Let’s take a look:
They Don’t Have Clear Objectives
One issue is that many businesses go into exhibitions as a bit of fun or something they feel they should do. They don’t have a clear objective in their mind for what they want to achieve.
Exhibitions aren’t free. In fact, attending one is an expensive form of marketing for most brands. But, unfortunately, many companies don’t see it this way, viewing them more as an obligation or “something to do” than an opportunity.
Successful companies avoid this thought pattern by creating objectives for their exhibitions. They know why they’re attending and what they want to achieve.
They Ignore Their Audience
Another reason businesses don’t understand exhibitions is that they ignore their audience. Many companies attend the wrong shows and their prospective customers are absent. They never get to interact in person with their most promising leads.
Therefore, successful companies always research attendee profiles before booking exhibition stands. They figure out who is going and whether it is worth it for them to attend as well.
They Don’t Follow Up
Businesses also reveal they don’t understand exhibitions when they don’t follow up with attendees. Viewing it as a one-shot event instead of part of a wider marketing drive is a lethal mistake.
Exhibitions are the high point, but they are part of a process that can rumble on for weeks and months. Many exhibitors have six-month marketing cycles around events to squeeze every last bit of value from them.
Businesses that understand exhibitions know this. That’s why they begin their email campaigns well beforehand and continue them after the event ends, constantly reminding people of the value they offer.
They Underestimate Preparation
Another reason businesses don’t understand exhibitions is their underestimation of the preparation involved. Exhibitions don’t happen automatically–it takes time to put everything together.
For example, designing booths and pop up displays requires deliberate effort. It’s not something that will happen automatically.
The same goes for crafting pitches (if selling) and training staff. Team members need to know what to do on the day to achieve the highest possible value. If they don’t, interested customers could walk away.
Top businesses understand this dynamic, which is why they spend a lot of their time and energy on understanding exhibitions. They know that they need to get the preparation right from all angles so that they are ready to thrive on the day itself.
They Misjudge ROI
Finally, businesses don’t understand exhibitions because they often misjudge the ROI. Many fail to contemplate the fees, travel expenses and costs of materials they need to acquire, seeing them as expenses rather than investments.
By contrast, top brands know that exhibitions cost money, but that the return is almost always worth it. Often, it is better to spend a little money upfront if it means a higher payback later on.
