Having a strategic approach to a trade show is critical, even for the smallest exhibitor. Shea & McMurdie Retirement, a Dallas-based 401(k) plan consultants and advisors, they had to make the most of their showing at the HR Southwest trade show and conference.
For Shea & McMurdie, it wasn’t just about showing up, it was about starting, managing and capitalizing on relationships that could lead to business. Sounds ambitious, but with a clear plan and the initiative to stick with it, you can attain these goals. Just going doesn’t cut it: you have to have a purpose when you go to a show. And it isn’t just about a booth.
Setting clear goals. Scott McMurdie, one of the partners in the firm and the lead on the project, wanted to have an impact and come away with several new accounts. Since the show is in October we began work on it in May. First we set goals:
- Make contact with and build our database with most of the 900 attendees to the show.
- Make appointments with 2 to 4 qualified prospects at or just following the show.
- Book business with 1 or 2 new accounts.
Knowing your target audience. Scott’s clients are small- to medium-sized businesses in either the service, manufacturing or distribution segments in North Texas and adjacent states, with 5 to 2000 employes and a retirement plan with assets from $2 million to $20 million. Usually, he and his partners want to talk with business owners or HR managers of these companies, the ones who are responsible for these plans.
Making a plan. Knowing what we wanted to accomplish and who we had to connect directed us to the tactics we needed to employee. We choose the following:
- A direct-mail and calling program to reach out to each attendee we’d targeted.
- An exhibit in the hall.
- A reception in a adjacent hotel one evening during the run of the show.
- A follow-up program to the show.
We chose the theme of “Shine a light on your plan” because we had recently engaged BrightScope, a 401(k) plan assessment firm. Their BrightScope score approach was a way to engage prospects and get their attention at the show.
The direct-mail program was targeted to two lists (one of the larger group attending the whole conference and the second of just those invited to the reception) and used several steps:
- An initial email blast through iContact to both lists a week before the show opened.
- A mailing sent in an overnight envelope (UPS, in this case), timed to land on the recipients’ desks the Wednesday before the Sunday opening of the show. In it, a custom invitation to the event and a one-third page description both companies.
- A follow-up telephone call to the reception invitees on the Friday before the opening of the show. We used a professional caller from a market research company to make these scripted reminder calls.
The exhibit was built around the theme with bannerstand graphics with the matching graphics and messages. Using a smartphone as a hotspot, we were able to access the internet to bring up BrightScope scores on iPads for each visitor we engaged. As a bonus, we could also throw the image from each iPad onto the 55-inch monitor in the booth and had the option of printing the image out for them.
The reception was held on the Monday evening of the two-day show which opened Monday morning. The event was timed to be before the dinner hour and after the conference and trade show closed (5:00 to 6:30pm) at the Omni across the street from the convention center, walking distance away. Finger foods and a cash bar (which we later changed to an open bar) and tables arrayed for confortable conversation set the stage. Every 15 minutes a short announcement was of who was hosting and a drawing was held at 6:15 for a $200 gift card (business cards were collected from visitors at the door and they had to be present to win).
Following up with each contact at the reception and the exhibit was based upon their “classification” as a lead: an “A” led was immediate, “B” less so and “C” leads were almost back burner. Hand-written and addressed thank you cards went to most “A” leads; “B” leads got a personal letter and “C” leads were added to the newsletter list (well, everybody was).
Results. Of the 900 or so attendees, 700+ were deemed targets, with 150 or so qualified enough to be on the reception list. The reception process netted 26 attendees to the reception, and the whole show resulted in 10 “hot” leads and an additional 700+ new additions to the newsletter.
Costs. Reception, mailings, exhibit and other support costs were in the $5K range. Shared with a partner (Daniel LaBroad‘s Ovation Health & Life Services) helped defray costs and extended the staffing and network reach.
This program design is simple, direct and clear. The mapped goals were nearly met and the costs contained. And, above all, they had a clear reason and results to show for attending a trade show.
Relentless
