Trade Show Goal Ideas
- Capture new prospective customer leads
- Introduce new products and services to existing customers
- Close or move existing sales opportunities forward
- Meet new potential strategic partners
- Advance relationships with existing strategic partners
- Commission a research survey
- Increase your email contact list
- Gauge market interest for your products or services in a new market
There are some exciting things on this list. Wouldn't it be great to accomplish all of them at your next trade show?
Typically, achieving two to three goals per show is realistic. More than that will dilute your efforts and lead to frustrating results. Success outside of your formal goals is great and will likely happen, but purposefully aiming for more than two or three goals is not suggested.
Your established goals will guide how you approach your efforts before, during and after the show. For example, if your goals are to capture new prospective customer leads, commission a research study and increase your email contact list, your reach before the show needs to be broader. You'll want bold and eye-catching booth graphics. You may need more booth personnel to talk to higher volumes of booth traffic. You'll also want swag to give out at the show. Your follow up will likely need to be in multiple stages to assess the true opportunity within the large number of leads you captured.
On the other hand, if introducing new products and services to existing customers or advancing relationships with strategic partners are your goals, you will want to consider a more intimate booth set up conducive to in-depth conversations. Your booth graphics will speak to people who have some familiarity with your solutions, meeting tables and chairs are likely a good idea and extra thick carpet padding encourages longer booth conversations. Your post-show follow up will be specific and customized depending on the outcome of each conversation.
Setting and Reaching Goals at Your Next Trade Show
To spark some planning ideas, we created the following chart demonstrating how to align goals, goal metrics and planning activities.
| Goal | Goal Metric | Pre-Show | At-Show | Post-Show |
| New prospective customer leads |
200 leads/booth scans |
Emails to your CRM and trade show attendee list from show organizer Promote swag Social media campaign |
Bold, interesting booth graphics High-impact swag Plenty of booth personnel In-booth presentation or other activity Social media campaign |
Multi-stage follow up Social media campaign |
| Meet new potential strategic partners |
15 new potential partners |
Emails to your CRM and trade show attendee list from show organizer Social media campaign |
Bold, interesting booth graphics High-impact swag In-booth presentation or other activity Social media campaign Host a cocktail party |
Specific and tailored follow up for each potential partner Social media campaign |
| Commission a research survey |
150 survey completes |
Emails to your CRM and trade show attendee list from show organizer Promote the high-end swag survey that respondents will get Social media campaign |
Bold, interesting booth graphics High-impact swag Plenty of booth personnel In-booth presentation or other activity Social media campaign |
Share the survey results with participants to thank them for participating Multi-stage follow up |
| Increase your email contact list |
300 new emails |
Promote shareable content via your social media channels before show Create a "spread the word campaign" that rewards attendees for bringing new contacts to your booth |
Bold, interesting booth graphics High-impact swag Plenty of booth personnel In-booth presentation or other activity Social media campaign |
Multi-stage follow up to assess true opportunities Social media campaign |
| Gauge market interest/get feedback for your products or services for a new market |
50 conversations |
Emails to trade show attendee list from show organizer promoting your in-booth presentation/activities Teaser messaging within email campaign Promote high-impact swag Social media inviting people to weigh in on the exciting new technology |
Bold, interesting booth graphics High-impact swag Padded carpeting to encourage longer conversations |
Keep contacts up to date on the progress of your technology in the market Multi-stage follow up Social media campaign |
| Close or move existing sales opportunities forward |
Move 10 existing opportunities forward |
Personal emails from sales team prior to the show to set up meetings |
Specific value messaging within your booth graphics High-impact swag Meeting tables and chairs Padded carpet Cocktail party or dinner |
Personal follow up from appropriate members of the sales team |
| Advance relationships with existing strategic partners |
Advance 10 existing relationships |
Personal emails from management team prior to the show to set meetings |
Specific value messaging within your booth graphics Meeting tables and chairs Padded carpet Cocktail party or dinner |
Personal follow up from appropriate members of the management team |
| Introduce new products and services to existing customers |
30 meetings with existing customers |
Emails to CRM and trade show list prior to the show to set meetings "Product unveil" teaser social media campaign Promote high-impact swag |
Booth graphics that focus on new product In-booth presentations that demo new product High-impact swag Meeting tables and chairs Padded carpet Cocktail party or dinner |
Personal follow up from appropriate members of the sales team |
Do you have a trade show goal-setting solution? Struggling to define your trade show goals? Start a conversation in the Comments below. If you need specific help, our experts are on hand to help. Contact us at 888-777-0223 or visit our website: www.aceexhibits.com
