The answer we have found is yes, providing that the target audience is researched and exhibitors have prepared thier promotion to fit this audience. If anyone would like to receive more information about this subject, about drastically reducing costs by sharing stands, receiving free exhibition training or finding out about events in your area or sharing any other advice with members on our events network, please email fiona@vital-impact.co.uk
fiona taylor
2 Responses
It depends….
I have limited experience of this, having only attended the CIPD organised events such as HRD Week in April and the annual conference and exhibition in October, and more recently the ASTD conference and exposition in Orlando. I have usually been a ‘visitor’ though on one occassion I was an ‘exhibitor’ and for various reasons paid very little for the privelidge.
I think factors that affect how much business you might get from such exhibitions include:
* Presentation of stand
* Clarity of proposition – so people know quickly whether you might be what they are looking for or not
* Whether you ‘pester’ people to come and visit your stand, and equally, whether you as an individual appear to be interested in them and what is going on in general
* Follow-up – do what you say you will, and follow everybody up anyway, within a couple of weeks of the event
* The audience is ‘in the market’ – The event I was an exhibitor at seemed to be the annual day out for the office juniors – not much in the way of key decision makers – the ASTD exhibition was ‘chokka’ with training manager or higher level decision makers.
Cheers
Martin
I disagree
Unless you have very specific objectives and a particular style of marketplace. eg launching a new car at a motorshow.
For the vast majority of businesses the most effective ways of generating leads today are telephone, Google and e-mail strategies.
Exhibitions generally benefit the organisers not their customers.
Carl Duncker
http://www.traininaday.co.uk