At a number of recent exhibition industry conferences, there was some interesting top level research shown to the delegates.
The first is probably fairly well known, if not a little higher than we might have thought:
96% of exhibitors rate generating sales leads as their number one reason for exhibiting
and
68% wanting to make new contacts.
So probably not too different to what you already imagined. However, the next one could create a bit of a shock:
78% of visitors rate their number one reason for attending an event is to look for education, ideas and inspiration.
Not leads or new contacts… DOH!
So, there is quite a disconnect between what an exhibitor and a visitor wants isn’t there?
Or actually, is there?
Perhaps it’s not such a major issue after all. People can find inspiration in many ways, so maybe we need to use that statistic as a positive.
For example, a person doesn’t just get inspired by a speaker do they? People gain inspiration from a new company, an old proven model that works, a design, music, a shape, a light, some people even use space to get inspired…whatever, my point is inspiration and education don’t just come from speaker sessions. So maybe there isn’t a disconnect, or rather, there shouldn’t be as exhibitors often will share the latest products or the latest insight from their industry – all of which can be very inspiring for a delegate.
Though maybe what we should be doing is helping our exhibitors more. More you say? I know right… the people that invest so much into our industry need even more in return, so perhaps we should be doing more to retain them.
Maybe we need to show that statistic to exhibitors?
We need them to see that visitors aren’t just looking for the latest sales brochure. They’re looking for inspiration, for ideas and to be educated. Ok, so we don’t want every exhibitor space to be a seminar theatre (or do we? hmmm), but we should be inspiring exhibitors to not just do the same thing year after year.
Hands up those of you who exhibit? And how often is your stand exactly the same as the year before? All be it with a slightly updated product or logo? Or hands up if you’ve visited a show recently and it appears to be the same old tosh as the year before?
Yea, not that inspiring is it?
Here’s another way to look at it.
Myself and a colleague are involved in a speaking session at an event in the new year in Canada and as speakers, we’ve already had about 3 scheduled calls helping us to shape the content we’re delivering to their very specific audience. They’re not just relying on us to create our 1 hour session on our own and hope their audience engages with it. Imagine if the same thing happened to your exhibitors. And they’re the ones paying to be at your event and the number / quality of visitors interacting, will help keep driving your exhibitors back to you year after year.
A little bit more engagement, can help drive retention.
Happy visitors = Happier Exhibitors.
So, what do you do?
Well… that’s up to you…