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Feature Story
On Display

schedule without any idea whether you’re throwing the baby out with the bathwater, it becomes really difficult.”

Why ROI Matters
 Trade shows can be expensive — there are show fees, airfare in many cases, hotel stays, meals and wages, not to mention the actual display. But we don’t need to tell you that trade shows can also be hugely successful in generating revenue, either on the spot or down the line. While the attitude right now may be to cut, cut, cut, that can be dangerous. If you can help your clients understand what return they’re getting on their investment of going to the shows (and give them the tools to justify these expenses to the higher-ups), you can continue to make the kind of sales you need to make.

The good news is that now may be the best time for your customers to stand out from the crowd by continuing their marketing efforts — but they need to be strategic about where they’re spending their dollars. “If you don’t

know where you’re going, any bus will get you there; you’ve got to know what you want out of the trade show,” says Susan Friedmann, aka The Tradeshow Coach. “ROI is your benchmark, your yardstick, your way to decide whether or not the show’s been worthwhile to you.”

She says to think of it this way: When you go to college, you go with the aim of earning a degree. To accomplish that, you choose a major, plan the classes you’ll take, and make sure you have enough credits to graduate on time. Sure, you can switch majors five times, be a super senior, and play a lot more beer pong than everyone else, but then your ROI on all that money you (or your parents) are sending to your school won’t be as great (unless, of course, your goal is to become a beer pong champion, in which case, your ROI will likely be very good). Your entire college experience is planned with that end goal in mind, and so should your client’s trade show program.
Basic Leads Analysis

To get the ROI on leads collected at a show, Linda Musgrove, the TradeShow Teacher, recommends the following calculations:

Total Leeds Collected [Enter # of Total Leads]
Total Qualified Leads [Enter # of Qualified Leads]
Cost Per Total Leads [Divide Total Cost by Total Leads Collected]
Cost Per Qualified Lead [Divide Total Cost by Total Qualified Leads Collected]
Cost Per Total Attendees [Divide Total Costs by Total Number of Trade Show Attendees]