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January 10, 2019
Trade Show Planning: 6 Important Post-Show To-Dos
Don Harder

Congratulations on making it through pre-show planning and the trade show itself! However, just because the expo hours are over and your booth has been taken down doesn’t mean that your work is done. Taking a look back at data gathered from the event can help you truly receive the most value from the show and make all of your hard work worthwhile.

It can be helpful to create a post-show checklist that includes the following:

Strategy and Budgets

1. Recap all relevant results.

To give yourself a holistic look at the show and how your marketing efforts performed, create a recap of all your important key performance indicators, or KPIs. This could include traffic to your booth, number of media interviews, secured leads, visits to landing pages, click-thru rates from emails sent out before and during the show, and more.

2. Compare to your original goals.

Think back to the goals you set prior to the show (find tips on pre-show goal setting here) and use your recap report as a way to track the success of those goals. Take a look at any KPIs you measured before the show and compare them to during and post-show metrics to help determine the value of your investment and the success of your marketing efforts.

Design and Production

3. Hold an internal review.

Schedule time to get together with your internal team to review your trade show booth design and all other booth elements. Talk about what worked really well and what didn’t quite go as you originally planned. Reviewing both the good and the bad can help you strategize for future shows. For instance, maybe there wasn’t enough room in the booth for media interviews.   Or the video content did not engage the attendees. Document all the learnings so you remember what aspects of your booth to adjust for the next show.

Promotional PR & Social Media Planning

4. Follow up with media.

Review all the notes you took during media interviews in your booth (find media interview tips here). You can use those notes to email each editor individually and include a brief overview of your conversation as a reminder. For example, one editor may have requested specific details on a product, or a couple high-res images. This is your opportunity to provide them with those assets in a timely manner in order to secure post-show coverage.

5. Continue the conversation on social.

The show might be over, but that doesn’t mean the conversation has to stop! There are several ways you can keep the buzz of the show going on your social platforms. Consider the following strategies to keep your target audience involved and maintain that post-show momentum:

  • Post a Facebook album of your best photos from the show. This is a great way to target individuals who weren’t able to attend the show and gives them a short visual tour. Include a call to action along with your Facebook album where people can learn more information about your booth presence and find details about products you showcased.
  • Make your own Twitter poll. The best way to figure out what booth attendees liked and didn’t like… is to ask! Create a Twitter poll asking what their favorite part of the show was, or even what their favorite part of your booth was. Use this data to help shape your strategy for next year.

 

And most importantly …

6. CELEBRATE!

You’ve just executed an entire trade show strategy, including managing your budget, creating a beautiful booth, and conducting PR and social media campaigns. Give yourself a pat on the back and plan some time to celebrate your successes with your team.

If you’re anything like us, you’re already thinking about your next trade show! It’s never too early to start planning. Get way ahead of the game by downloading our extensive trade show planning guide that takes you from pre-show all the way to post-show. It contains easy-to-follow checklists to transform you from trade show novice to expert.