Did you Exhibit at IPC APEX EXPO 2024?

What now? After the show

You had a great time last week at IPC APEX EXPO 2024, and now you’re back home and ready to go on to other things, right? Oh no, that’s not right. Au contraire, mon frere, the work gets started. Now is the time to start capitalizing on all your good work last week. Now is the time to follow up on all those connections you made, all those leads you created and all of those partnerships and relationships you developed.

Now, you have to start following up and making sure you earn the best ROI from all the money you invested by attending the show in the first place.

Here are what you need to do right after the show:

1. Immediately follow-up: Get in touch with everyone you met and follow up on what you agreed you would do for them. You should have taken good notes after every meeting you had. So armed with that information, you have to reach out to these people and solidify the relationship if they are already your customers. Or better yet, if they are new potential accounts, reach out to them and start the relationship for real. This follow-up has to be done right away. Actually, in most cases, it should have been done within twenty-four hours of meeting and talking to them. Get these companies in your social media databases and on your tech newsletter lists. Do not let these leads get cold.
2. Reconcile expenses against the original budget. Figure out exactly what you spend right down to the last cent. Consider everything from travel, meals, rental cars, Uber, hotels, booths, graphics, shipments, and the actual time spent at the show. This is important as this will be the basis against which you will determine your true ROI.
3. Make adjustments for next time. Perform a post-show evaluation to determine what you could have done better. This should consider everything from what you needed and did not bring and had to buy. Things like extension cords and light bulbs and scissors and tape and Velcro. What you could have done better in terms of booth management, better scheduling, better and more effective times spent on dinners and lunches and breakfasts and drinks with your customers.
4. Study what else you learned by being at the show. Study the intangibles. Those things did not directly lead to business but improved you and your company. It can be webinars you attended and learned from. Or survey all the latest industry innovations in technology; or equipment. That special show deal you made on the new LDI you wanted to buy. Or the salespeople, reps, or directs, not to mention other key people you met and eventually hired after the show. Consider all these things when determining the true value of attending that show.
5. Decide whether to do the show next year: This is especially important. Was the show worth it? Did you get out of it what you expected? What did you want? Are you ready to go back next year? In some cases, like IPC APEX Expo 2024, you will have to decide before you even leave the show since they will ask you to sign up and get involved in the booth selection process on the last day of the show.
6. Track the business you’ll get from the show: This is critical! You need to create a database of all the potential customers you met at the show and then track the amount of business you get from each customer. This is critically important since this will make up your true ROI. This is something you should get in the habit of doing for all your customers. You should always keep track of where they come from and how they brought them to your table, Whether it be from your advertising, cold calling, social media, or, in this case, a trade show. Keeping track of where your customers are coming from will give you an excellent understanding of what works and what does not and a true return on investment for each lead generation sales channel.
7. Start preparing for next year. If you thought the IPC APEX EXPO was worthwhile for you and plan to exhibit at the 2025 version, start planning now. Create a calendar of what you must do to properly prepare for the show next time. Following these simple guidelines will give you a particularly good ROI and a great show. It’s only common sense.

EXTRA bonus: Steps for preparing for IPC APEX EXPO 2025

a. 52 weeks before the show:

??????????i. Reserve the space. Get the best space possible

ii. Reserve hotel space

??????????iii. Sign up to lead seminars

b. 16 weeks before the show:

????????? i.?Budget and planning meeting

??????????ii. Set goals

????????? iii. Assign responsibilities

??????????iv. Finalize budget

??????????v. Develop message and theme

??????????vi. Develop a show strategy

????????? vii. Review show kit to understand deadlines

viii. Decide who is going to the show

c. 14 weeks before the show:

???????? i. Plan exhibit layout and design

????????? ii. Develop graphics design requirements

??????????iii. Develop a media kit and promotion strategy

??????????iv. Develop seminars

????????? v. Develop literature

??????????vi. Plan staff training session

d. 12 weeks before the show:

??????????i. Get details to show the directory

??????????ii. Send pre-show media releases

??????????iii. Update newsletters/websites and advertising to let people know you are going to the show 10 weeks before the show

??????????iv. Order promotional items

e. 6-8 weeks before the show:

????????? i. Confirm staff

??????????ii. Confirm graphics and new literature are on schedule

??????????iii. Check travel arrangements

??????????iv. Plan travel book tickets

????????? v. Order on-site show services

??????????vi. Request visitor information package from the convention center

????????? vii. Make sure seminars are ready

f. 4 weeks before the show:

?????????? i. Create lead form and database template

???????????ii. Create a follow-up package

???????????iii. Write and test follow-up letters

???????????iv. Complete seminar handout materials

???????????v. Check on all schedules

???????????vi. Mail pre-show promotional materials

???????????vii. Schedule in-bound and out-bound freight

g. 2 weeks before the show:

???????????i. Confirm travel arrangements

???????????ii. Package and ship materials

h. 1 week to one day before:

???????????i. Final meeting and training

???????????ii. Show plan

???????????iii. Badges

???????????iv.?Conduct daily meetings

???????????v.?Process leads daily

i. 1 week after the show:

i. Conduct after-show review

ii. What went well and did not

iii. Send thank you notes

iv. Send follow-up packages

v. Follow-up leads

vi. Close sales