Cannibalism in the Marketplace

Abstract

tain quantitative and qualitative data must be collected and analyzed. The show audit should verify the projected target audience. Sales personnel should have maintained accurate records of sales leads, if that was an objective, by name, title, etc. to verify what percent of the projected target audience and actual target audience were contacted at the exhibit. A simple analysis can be conducted of the dollar cost per contact by dividing the actual total cost of participation at the show by the total number of the target audience contacted. Management can also evaluate their sales personnel's effectiveness at the show by determining the percent of the projected target audience actually contacted. If sales were an objective of the show, then an evaluation of the effectiveness will be an on-going project. Dollar cost per contact can be translated into a dollar cost per sales result if an intensive follow-up of every show contact is conducted. Costs can be readjusted every three months, or longer if the sales cycle is long, to reflect the return-on-investment to date. Follow-up of contacts should be emphasized to sales personnel even if sales were not an objective. Otherwise, show attendees may feel that their expressed interest was of no concern to the company. For a complete evaluation of the show, the company needs qualitative information such as show attendees' reaction to meetings and exhibits, average time spent in the company's booth by a target audience member, and competition's activity at the show. This is subjective information and can best be obtained by surveying a sample of the target audience, the show attendees and the company's sales personnel. Other types of subjective information can also assist management in the final evaluation: an analysis of sales personnel effort and teamwork, an analysis of the quality of the message as determined by requests for information and inquiries after the show, the functional and aesthetic attributes of the exhibit structure, and the publicity effort of other collateral materials. The trade show exhibit can be a highly efficient and effective media for communicating a message to a target audience of current or potential customers at a relatively low cost. The success of any trade show depends on the careful planning and setting of objectives in order to best match the message and the audience. It is imperative to evaluate the effectiveness of the trade show as well, since management is demanding and deserves precise measurements to determine the return on the trade show investment.