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Lisa Shepherd

Depending on the show, the number of attendees, and your
booth size, having a mix of staff from the technical, business
development, and senior management teams is important. It
enables you to have a variety of staff to connect with attendees
who are in similar functions.

4. Do Post-Show Follow Up.

Once the trade show has ended and your booth is packed
up, the real work begins. Input new contacts into your CRM
or contact database, and personally follow-up with the most
serious prospects as quickly as you can; do this within 96
hours.

Depending on the contacts collected, begin the lead nurturing
process. Follow up and initiate a meeting to discuss their
project, send them an invitation to an upcoming webinar, or
send them a case study that will interest them—whatever you
need to nurture the relationship.

It’s vital to make this connection as soon as possible so that
the discussion you had at the trade show is still fresh in your
prospects’ minds.

5. Learn and Improve

Every trade show is different so take notes on learnings (i.e.:
booth location, additional information to develop for attendees,
etc.)

Take time to walk the show floor—this can be valuable for
identifying best practices by other companies and reviewing
other locations that may better serve you for future shows.

As trade shows decrease in B2B marketing budgets, it’s even
more critical for companies to maximize their presence at the
shows they do attend. Define the resources you have available
as an exhibitor, and always debrief with booth staff following a

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© 2012 Lisa Shepherd