Enhance Your Event Appeal in a Snap
Friday, January 30th, 2009
With the current state of the economy, it’s no surprise that business & government professionals are much more discerning about investing money in exhibits and events. As such, conference hosters must do everything possible to fine-tune and enhance the value they promise and deliver to both exhibitors and attendees.
Research can provide the timely insights necessary to maximize the marketing appeal and actual success of events. Often such studies can be conducted with email surveys, since event organizers typically have email addresses of exhibitors and attendees from the most recent and prior events. Response rates for event research can vary greatly depending on a variety of factors, so it’s important to send the survey to as many people as possible within the target population.
Of course, the survey instrument for exhibitors will be different from that for attendees. In addition to seeking open-ended responses on specific event offerings and improvements, exhibitor questionnaires should probe desires and satisfaction levels in specific areas. To learn more about these areas…
event location, venue, and time of year
exhibitor fees
availability of private meeting rooms
sponsors’ planned marketing activities to drive attendance
exhibit hall days and hours within overall event agenda
promised vs. actual attendance numbers as well as specific audience profile data
co-sponsorship and other promotional opportunities prior to and at the event
exhibit floor configuration and booth size options
planned opportunities for socializing with attendees
set-up, storage, and tear-down processes and support services
expectation levels for and actual success in meeting specific business objectives, such as lead generation, identification of potential partners and vendors, face time with key customers, general industry networking, and so forth
Events sponsors should survey past and potential attendees on their desires and satisfaction levels in areas such as:
the event location, venue, and time of year
the registration cost and process
the relevance of exhibitors to their product and service needs
hotel accommodations and transportation services
social/networking/entertainment opportunities, schedule, locations, and quality
topics, depth of content, format/structure, and speakers for plenary sessions and workshops
Expectation levels for and actual success in meeting specific business objectives, such as vendor information and demos, education and professional development, identification of potential partners, general industry networking, and so forth
Sometimes the reasons behind event participation and satisfaction can be more complex, particularly where futureenhancements are concerned. Based on your unique circumstances, Market Connections can help you determine if, in addition to email surveys, you’d benefit from conducting in-depth interviews, focus groups, and other roundtable discussions on-site at your events to gather attendees’ and exhibitors’ real-time insights for future improvements.
