We all know the importance of face-to-face meetings, and how they result in building meaningful relationships with prospects. This is why trade shows have been an integral component of B2B marketing plans, including hotel industry. By exhibiting at trade shows like AIME (Asia Pacific Incentives Meetings Event), Travel Xpo Melbourne etc., hoteliers can meet qualified buyers (meeting planners) from across the region and generate business.
As easy as it may sound, attending trade shows can be challenging. The biggest challenge that most hoteliers face is to increase their return on investment (ROI) from these exhibitions. Let’s face it, trade shows cost a lot of money and if the returns are not enough to support the overall investment, then it’d nullify all the efforts invested.
In this blog post, we’ll give you four tips that can help you increase return on investment from trade show exhibitions. Keep on reading!
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Identify your buyers in advance
Try to source the attendee list of the trade show and get in touch with those who seem like a qualified lead. You can use this opportunity to give them a brief overview of your hotel and its MICE facilities, and further ask them if they’d like to schedule a meeting at your trade show stand. If attendees have their calendars blocked, they are more likely to appear at your stand.
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Engagement at the stand
Offer an unforgettable experience to your guests at the stand. Keep it interactive and fun. It can be as simple as a ‘Spin the Wheel’ or an intense experience like a virtual reality. You can also use giveaways to boost engagement at your stand. But remember you don’t want to collect a random crowd. Make sure you’re targeting your buyers and while you entice them with attractive giveaways, get their contact information in return.
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Attract your buyers before they enter the exhibition hall
Catch your buyers’ attention even before they move into the exhibition hall. Appoint a team which can wow attendees outside of the convention centre. An exclusive offer, a contest, or an upgraded swag item are a few ways to drive attendees to your stand. This will not only make your brand stand out from the competitors, but also excite the attendees to visit your stand.
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Don’t just follow up, nurture your leads
It’s crucial that you create and schedule your nurture marketing emails in advance so they’re ready to go immediately after you acquire the new leads. You can use an automated program which will systematically send follow-up emails. Don’t be afraid to do A/B tests on different components of your campaign, ranging from subject lines, email format to send timings and signatures.
