Show management says "The show must go on." Exhibitor management says "The show must go." WTF? (What's The Formula - for success)

The Forumla for success is Education. Exhibitors need education.

Exhibitors + Education = ROI

Last week at the IAEE conference, in Miami, everything but smoke signals, a blimp, sky writing and air-raid sirens were SCREAMING that exhibitors need "Measurement Metrics" to prove the ROI from shows to their management.

Yesterday, I was a guest speaker at Steve Miller's telesummit Webinar, and after my presentation on an industry proven way to get 100% lead follow-up after a show, I displayed my e-mail address in my Power Point presentation and got 17 e-mails from listeners/attendees asking for more information. HELLO!!! ??? Is anyone listening or connecting the dots in that action?

FACT - Less than 20% of leads get follow-ed up after a show. Everybody's heard that. Everybody knows it. But it's the 800# Gorilla in the living room that no one wants to admit is there, while exhibitors simply want to LEARN how to get rid of it without their management knowing. And they can by getting all of their leads followed-up after the show.

In my worldwide business travel, educating exhibitors, I see the disconnect between exhibitor companies' marketing department lead "generation", and their sales department's lack of lead "follow-up." (Which BTW is for good reason.)

Having recently joined the IAEE, I now see a similar disconnect between show management's focus on trade show "activity" and exhibitors focus on need for measurable "results." WTF?

In my fact based opinion, the formula for success and solution to both problems is relatively simple and goes wayyy beyond emerging social media, or the proliferation of sophisticated and expensive CRM software. Because social media or software doesn't "follow-up" leads after a show... people do! And the easier show management and exhibitors can make it to improve lead follow-up, the easier it will be for exhibitors to measure and prove show ROI based on "results" and not "activity."

Some more dots to connect... It's the "activity" of trade shows that costs money. It's the "results" that make money.

One show organizer in the IAEE conference last week stated... "We advertise exhibitor education and no one signs up." Again in my opinion, there is a "perfectly" logical reason why they don't, but unfortunately I have to catch a plane now and can't elaborate. But if you follow this blog, or contact me, I'll be glad to tell you, if you agree to stop feeding that damn Gorilla.

Therrrrrrre's no business like show business..........