Exhibitor Outreach Success

It's not as easy as it once was to sell out the annual tradeshow. And while there are important considerations, such as creating innovative experiences on the show floor, identifying a compelling value proposition (for both attendees and exhibitors), and deploying an effective marketing and communications plan, following are the most fundamental 10 steps I recommend every organization consider in successful exhibitor outreach.

Step 1: Identify expo champions
Identify volunteers interested in serving as expo champions, including but not limited to staff, board members, committee members, volunteers, exhibitors, speakers, sponsors and attendees.

Step 2: Identify prospective expo leads
Create a master database that includes:

• Exhibitors from the past three to five years.
• Prospective exhibitors within the membership (who have yet to exhibit in the show).
• Prospective exhibitors within the greater industry.
• Prospective exhibitors from local, regional, national and/or related organizations.

Step 3: Remove current exhibitors from the master database
Review the master database and remove exhibitors signed up for the current year show, as well as any exhibitors already identified as not interested/available to participate in the current year show.

Step 4: Divvy up the expo leads
Divvy up the remaining leads in the master database among the list of expo champions.

Step 5: Call and email expo leads weekly
On a weekly basis, expo champions call and email each of their expo leads. Weekly calls and emails continue until:

• The prospective exhibitor has signed up for the show.
• The prospective exhibitor has identified they will not be participating in the current year show and have provided a brief reason for non-participation.

Step 6: Record all call/email information
Expo champions record in their respective spreadsheets the following:

• The date and time of their call, as well as who they spoke to or that they left a voicemail.
• The date and time of their email and who it was addressed to.
• The response of the prospective exhibitor – either yes or no.

Step 7: Immediately forward a “yes” response 
Should the expo champion get a prospective exhibitor who is ready to sign up for the show:

• Thank them for their commitment to both the organization and the industry.
• Direct them to register online.
• Immediately inform the organization of both the company name and contact for follow-up.

Step 8: Seek understanding for all “no” responses
If the expo champion received a “no” response:

• Thank the contact for considering the opportunity.
• Ask for a brief reason from the prospective exhibitor for non-participation.

Step 9: Share your weekly progress
When the expo champion completes his or her weekly calls/emails, updated spreadsheets are shared with the organization.

Step 10: Complete weekly follow-up
The organization will then:

• Follow up directly with all “yes” responses to ensure they completed registration.
• Ensure data is returned from each expo champion.
• Aggregate that week’s call/email data in the master database.
• Review data submitted by each expo champion and determine if specific follow-up is needed.

Finally, a well structured call or email can make or break an exhibitor conversion. Following is a sample template expo champions should consider using when contacting prospective exhibitors.

Begin with a salutation	Hello!
Introduce yourself	My name is ____.
Provide context	I’m calling/emailing on behalf of ____.
Gain attention	Did you know that our annual convention and expo is adapting this year in response to member needs?
Build interest	If you accept our invitation to exhibit, you can expect an audience of approximately ____ potential customers for your products and services.
Reduce resistance	When you break down the cost of a 10 x 10 inline booth, your investment is less than $____ per attendee. That’s less than most promotional products!
Motivate action	For more information or to register for this year’s show via our online portal, log on to ____.
Leave a call-back number	Should you have any questions about the show, scheduled for ____ in ____, please don’t hesitate to call me at ____.
Thank your prospect	Thank you for your time. Have a great day!

Blog post image courtesy of Pexels.