Calculating Event ROI

By: Kate Stec
​It’s easy to measure your exhibit performance, especially when you create benchmarks based on realistic expectations prior to your event. After spending the last two years seesaw social distancing, events and tradeshows have slowly remerged. People have started to dip their toe into the tradeshow waters over the last several months with strong results.

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Reviews from the suppliers at the early 2022 ASI Shows have been over-whelming positive, and as a result ASI Show Chicago, scheduled for July 20-21, is experiencing strong sales with the show floor filling up quickly.

Why were suppliers happy with the results coming out of these shows? One of the main reasons stems from the realization that quality interactions truly pay off.  Even though attendance was down compared to pre-pandemic events, no one noticed. What they did notice was that distributors spent more time in their booths, asking more questions, learning how to sell products, and discovering new ways to apply them to projects.  Time spent in their booths more than doubled.
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Longer interactions create quality leads which are more likely to convert to customers. Two customers who purchase from you after the event, cover your ASI Show 10’ x 10’ exhibit space.  Supplier are using the qualified leads resulting from longer booth interactions as a ROI benchmark.

There are so many ways you can measure ROI from your exhibiting efforts. Before you attend your event set some benchmarks of your own and then create tactics that will help you and your team reach them. Here are a few examples:

Whatever your objectives are for exhibiting, make sure they are established and agreed to by your show team before you arrive at the event. Getting buy-in prior to the event creates a focused and motivated effort that will help ensure success. It also allows you to review performance during the event, giving you the chance to amend or re-direct your efforts to stay on track.