July 30th – August 1st, 2013
McCormick Place, Chicago, IL
Measurement - How to Start!
Candance Johnson, CTSM
Sr. Account Executive
ExhibitForce.com
Jeff Stanley
Executive Director
Exhibit Surveys, Inc.
Red Diamond Congress
July 31, 2013
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OVERVIEW: WHY MEASURE
 Empower yourself with actionable decision-making information for
event marketing justification and accountability, show selection
and investment-level decisions, and overall strategic direction.
 Both Event Vendors and Corporate Event Marketers are being
mandated to measure event programs, sometimes without
direction, tools or even budget
 Increase ROI and ROO by reallocating resources and budgets from
ineffective events to more rewarding events.
 Drive results! Smart spending and positive purchasing patterns will
result in the ability to prove value to all sides of the Event and
Trade Show industry.
 Create Best Practices! Well planned goals and objectives, tracked
strategies, effective use of resources, efficient budget spending
and measurement of event programs will result in positive impact
to our industry – and your job.
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Measurement – How to Start
Agenda
 EASY as 1, 2, 3 and 4!
 1. Document and quantify the role and value of your
event programs with internal stakeholders (Executive,
Sales and Marketing)
 2. Set realistic and measureable objectives to make
better informed investment decisions (Based on
Stakeholder feedback)
 3. Build strategies aligned with stakeholder vision,
goals and objectives
 4. Measure, Measure, Measure
Step 1.
Document and quantify the role and value of your event programs with
internal stakeholders. (Executive, Sales and Marketing)
Create list of stakeholders
Executives/Leadership
Marketing
Sales
Product Managers
Sponsors
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1. Stakeholders
Involvement of the Stakeholders is KEY.
A strategic and successful event requires that you start with the
end in mind.
Asking your team … “What is the purpose of this event” allows you to
align your strategy and set your self up for achieving specific goals.
Asking your team … “What does success of this event look like” allows
you to see, or perhaps redirect their vision.
“How will you measure the success of this event” is another direct
approach to creating strategies and tactics to meet the desired
results.
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2. Set realistic and measureable objectives to make
better informed investment decisions.
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2. Set realistic and measureable objectives to make
better informed investment decisions.
 Management is telling you measure, but not how
to measure it.
 And if not, measure anyway!
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2. Set realistic and measureable objectives to make
better informed investment decisions.
 How Do You Measure Exhibit Performance?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Number of Leads/Badge Scans
Sales
Surveys
RFID
Observations
I do not measure exhibit performance
Other
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2. Set realistic and measureable objectives to make
better informed investment decisions.
Clear picture of expectations
provides a spring board for
effective strategy!
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2. Set realistic and measureable objectives to make
better informed investment decisions.
Marketing (ROO)
Sales (ROI)
Product Relevancy
Lead Quantity
Brand Awareness
Lead Quality
Message Communication
Purchase Intent
Perception of Company/Products
Sales Meetings
Effectiveness of Booth & Tactics
Cost-per-Visitor & Cost-per-Lead
Booth Staff
Actual Orders
Create a Buzz
Sales Conversion
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3. Build strategies aligned with stakeholder vision,
goals and objectives.
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3. Build strategies aligned with stakeholder vision,
goals and objectives.
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3. Build strategies aligned with stakeholder vision,
goals and objectives.
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Know your options and benefits.
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Know your options and benefits.
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Know your options and benefits.
LEADS
How satisfied are you with your lead collection process?
Thumbs UP; Thumbs DOWN
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2. Know your options and benefits.
LEADS
 Develop a lead strategy
 Lead Quality
•
Simple standardized qualification questions
•
Ask those questions
•
Make notes to refer to later
•
Import into CRM
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Know your options and benefits.
LEADS
 Tracking Sales
•
Account for leads after events
•
Go beyond an email blast
•
Actually nurture leads
•
Track progress and sales
•
Identify other sources that aided the sale
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Know your options and benefits.
LEADS
SIMPLE
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TIP - Standardizing Lead Qualification
1.
2.
3.
Select products/solutions are of
4. What is anticipated budget?
interest?
 Less than $100,000
 List major categories or brands
 $100,000 to $500,000
What is your purchasing role?
 Greater than $500,000
 Final say
 Specify Supplier
5. (Optional) custom question (i.e.,…)
 Recommend Supplier
 Current customer?
 No Role
 Preference to receive
What is your purchase timeframe?
information?
 <1 month
 Biggest challenge?
 1-3 months
 3-6 months
 NOTES: _______________
 More than 6 months
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Know your options and benefits.
Good data in is GOOD data out!
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Know your options and benefits.
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Know your options and benefits.
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WHAT’S NEXT…
 WHAT NEXT?





Adjust future shows based upon knowledge gained
Show examples of different reporting results
Report Product Interest Trends
Report Audience Perception Before and After
Report Good Show Results vs. Bad Show Results
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Measure, Measure, Measure
SURVEYS
Measure, Measure, Measure
SURVEYS
 Develop Measurement Strategy and Plan
•
PLAN! Give yourself enough time
 At least 3-4 weeks
 Determine sample source/size
 Determine methodology
 Define objectives
 Questionnaire based on objectives
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Know your measurement options and benefits
SURVEYS
 Determine best methodology and sample source
 On-site booth exit survey
Visitors
 Pre/Post attendee survey
Attendee registration database
 Post-show lead survey
Leads/Badge swipes
 Sales conversion survey
Leads/Badge swipes
 Determine reporting and analysis options
 How will results be used?
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Know your measurement options and benefits
SURVEYS
TACTICAL VERSUS STRATEGIC THINKING
STRATEGY
TACTIC
Enhance Brand; Increase Product Interest
Demos/Theater Effectiveness
Align & Communicate with Targets
Graphics & Messaging
Accelerate Sales/Feed Pipeline
Leads Collection & Qualification
Create a Buzz
Giveaways, Coffee Bar, “Edutainer”
Selective Attraction of Target Audience
Booth Traffic & Lead Collection
Educate or Entertain
Crowd Gatherer; Entertainer; Interactives
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Know your measurement options and benefits
SURVEYS
 Pre-event Survey Metrics
•
Reasons for attending
•
Issues/challenges your organization is facing
•
Products interested in seeing
•
Likelihood to purchase
•
Awareness and association of products, brands, and messages
•
Demographics (job title, industry, buying role)
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2. Know your measurement options and benefits
SURVEYS
 Post-event Survey
•
Similar plan as the Pre- survey (plan, obtain sample source,
think through developing a great survey)
•
Ask same questions as on pre-event survey (if doing pre/post)
•
Ask about event and exhibit experience
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Know your measurement options and benefits
SURVEYS
 Post-event Survey Metrics
•
Exhibit Performance
 Staff helpfulness and accessibility
 Quality and usefulness of information obtained
 What’s new/different
 Will help visitors do their job better
 Differentiated from the competition
 Buy more? Buy sooner?
 Net Promoter Score®
 Effectiveness of promotion
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Know your measurement options and benefits
SURVEYS
 Post-event Survey Metrics
•
Attendee Activity and Profile
 Time spent on show floor
 Other shows attended
 Other exhibit visited and actions taken
 Social media usage
 Media readership & viewership
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Know your measurement options and benefits
SURVEYS
 On-site Survey
 Focus on booth experience & marketing communications
(messaging, areas visited, satisfaction, perception)
 Kiosk (self-administered)
 Personal interview (use professional interviewers)
 Paper, tablet, Web-based, mobile
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Know your measurement options and benefits
SURVEYS
 Sales Conversion Survey
 Survey leads x months after show
 Email with link to online survey asking if they have:
 Received follow-up from rep
 Purchased since the show? How much spent?
 From who?
 How much did show influence purchase?
 Other factors that influenced purchase?
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Know your measurement options and benefits
RFID & NFC
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Know your measurement options and benefits
RFID
 Radio Frequency Identification
 Behavioral analysis of visitors
 Virtually follow visitors throughout event
•
Where they are going
•
Amount of time spent at booth areas
•
Identify who they are
 Requires partnering with RFID company or developing your own
system
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Know your measurement options and benefits
RFID
Area A
8% visited
32.7 mins each
Area B3% visited
6.0 mins each
Area D
19% visited
9.4 mins each
Area U
16% visited
12.7 mins each
Area V
36% visited
17.5 mins each
Area C
4% visited
9.5 mins each
Area W
26% visited
12.7 mins each
IR
12% visited
14.8 mins each
Area Y
14% visited
20.8 mins each
Area Z
6% visited
6.8 mins each
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Know your measurement options and benefits
RFID
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Know your measurement options and benefits
NFC




Near Field Communications
Touching smartphones together to establish radio communication
Social aspects: sharing music, pictures, contact info
Event aspects: checking in to sessions, requesting info at your
booth
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Know your measurement options and benefits
NFC
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Know your measurement options and benefits
 Online Tools and Calculators
http://roitoolkit.exhibitsurveys.net
www.exhibitforce.com
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Know your measurement options and benefits
 Online Tools and Calculators
http://roitoolkit.exhibitsurveys.net
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Quantitative versus Qualitative Measurement
 Qualitative research involves analysis of data
such as words (e.g., from interviews), pictures
(e.g., video), or objects (e.g., an artifact).
 Quantitative research involves analysis of
numerical data.
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Choose the Right Measurement Approach




There is no “one-size fits all” approach
Determine what’s most important to you
What will your budget allow?
What resources and bandwidth do you have available?
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Audit versus Survey
Audit: An objective review by an independent (and certified) auditor
of registration data to objectively confirm the number of Exhibit
Only and paid Conference Delegates who actually attended an
event or trade show. The report by the auditor summarizes the
data.
Source: The Exhibition and Event Industry Audit Commission (EEIAC)
www.exhibitionaudits.org
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Audit versus Survey
Survey: Method used to collect in a systematic
way information from a sample of individuals. A
survey may focus on different topics such as
preferences, behavior, or factual information,
depending on its purpose. Since survey research
is always based on a sample of the population,
the success of the research is dependent on the
representativeness of the population of concern
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Sample Sources
 Sample Source


Visitors: Those who spend quality time in your
booth. Does not matter if they swipe their badge
Leads: Keep in mind, not every visitor swipes their
badge.
 Are your leads really representative of your visitors?

Attendees: Randomly selecting from all registered
attendees, regardless of if they visited your booth
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Sample Source – Response Rate
 Sample Size
 Reliable: statistically reliable and projectable
 A larger sample size leads to increased precision
 Response Rates
 Surveys typically yield 5% to 25% response rates.
Varies by industry and source.
 Work backwards to ensure you have enough
completed surveys
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Confidence Interval
 Confidence Interval & Level


The confidence interval is the plus-or-minus figure
usually reported in newspaper or television opinion
poll results.
The confidence level tells you how sure you can be.
It is expressed as a percentage and represents how
often the true percentage of the population who
would pick an answer lies within the confidence
interval. The 95% confidence level means you can be
95% certain; the 99% confidence level means you can
be 99% certain. Most researchers use the 95%
confidence level.
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Pull it all together to measure!
 What will you do differently to measure your event success?
 How will you go about it?
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Use Metrics In Your Everyday Strategy
What are the
buying plans of
your visitors in the
next 12 months?
2012: 49%
Question: Which products do you plan to purchase in the next
12 months? (list your generic types of products; not brands)
You should be able
to answer this
question after
every show.
Compare your
results to industry
benchmarks.
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Use Metrics In Your Everyday Strategy
What is the quality
of your visitors?
Are they decisionmakers?
Recommenders?
2012: 84%
Question: What is your purchasing role? Final Say; Specify
Supplier; Recommend Supplier
FINAL SAY: 32%
SPECIFY: 29%
RECOMMEND: 52%
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Use Metrics In Your Everyday Strategy
2012: 9.1 hrs
Question: How many hours did you spend on the exhibit floor
each day? [list show days]
If attendees are
only spending an
avg of 8.3 hrs on
the showfloor,
how much of
their time do you
get? Your
competitors?
How many of
your competitors
are on the show
floor?
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Use Metrics In Your Everyday Strategy
2012: 38%
First-time
attendees
represent new
opportunities for
you. They’re also
not likely not to
have seen your
exhibit before.
Get more life out
of it.
Flip-side: How
many are repeat
attendees?
Question: Select all years that you have attended this event
[list last 4 years; first-time]
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Use Metrics In Your Everyday Strategy
Exhibitors do a
great job in
selectively
attracting the
RIGHT people to
their exhibit.
2012: 81%
How successful
are you in
attracting the
right people to
your exhibit?
Formula: % with product interest x % visited your exhibit
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Use Metrics In Your Everyday Strategy
Only about ½ of
the visitors to an
exhibit actually
engage with staff.
2012: 48%
What is your staff
doing to qualify
and have a
meaningful
engagement?
Formula: % with product interest x % spoke with staff
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Use Metrics In Your Everyday Strategy
On average,
based on
potential
audience, in
2012 it costs:
$191 to attract
the right people
to your exhibit
$300 to have
staff engage with
quality visitors
Based on Attraction and Efficiency scores x budget
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BOOTH EXIT SURVEY
BENCHMARKS
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Use Metrics In Your Everyday Strategy
Question: Overall, rate your experience at the booth today?
(5-point scale, where 5 is excellent and 1 is poor)
81% rate 4 or 5
3% rate 1 or 2
Avg rating: 4.2
Booth Exit Survey Benchmarks
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Use Metrics In Your Everyday Strategy
Question: What were your main reasons for visiting the
exhibit today?
To learn more about a product/brand
53%
To evaluate and compare products
26%
To find a solution
7%
To attend a pre-arranged meeting
6%
Just Curious/Was passing by
29%
Booth Exit Survey Benchmarks
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Use Metrics In Your Everyday Strategy
Question: Rate the booth staff based on the following criteria:
(5-point scale, where 5 is excellent and 1 is poor)
Knowledge of products
Ability to answer my questions
Interested in understanding my needs
Accessibility
4.4
4.3
4.3
4.3
Booth Exit Survey Benchmarks
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Use Metrics In Your Everyday Strategy
Question: Rate the exhibit based on the following criteria:
(5-point scale, where 5 is excellent and 1 is poor)
Overall appearance
4.4
Booth layout/Ease of finding what looking for
4.1
Information that’s relevant to your job
3.9
Amount of new info received
3.8
Booth Exit Survey Benchmarks
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Use Metrics In Your Everyday Strategy
Question: How likely are you to recommend this exhibit to
business friend or colleague?
(11-point scale, where 10 is Extremely Likely and 0 is Not At All Likely)
NPS
+48%
Booth Exit Survey Benchmarks
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•
Post-show Attendee Survey Benchmarks & Norms:
•
Based on over 20,000 responses from random samples of
attendees (not leads) from over 35 exhibits and events in
2012
•
“Blind” surveys – respondent does not which exhibitor(s)
the surveys are for
•
Web-based and 1st class mail surveys
•
Across various major industry segments

On-site Booth Exit Surveys
•
Conducted via personal interview
•
Comprised of over 5000 interviews conducted in 2012 at
over 25 shows
•
Across major industry segments (mainly high-tech, pharma,
medical device mfgr, beverage mfgr)
•
Based on 200-400 visitor responses per exhibit per study
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Sample
Onsite Booth Exit Survey

Additional resources:

Microsite Measurement and Info:
 http://visualrevenue.com/media/pdf/microsite-analytics.pdf
 http://blogs.webtrends.com/2009/12/microsites-are-not-the-worth-theeffort-for-small-marketing-departments/
 http://sensing.konicaminolta.us/infocomm-2012-test-tradeshow-microsite/

Create
events
 http://www.facebook.com/help/events/create

Promoting events on LinkedIn
 http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/10-tips-for-promoting-your-eventswith-the-new-linkedin-events-tool-2/

Twitter for your event
 http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/17465/5-Must-HaveMarketing-Event-Success-Metrics.aspx#ixzz24NQUy5Fp

Sample Size & Error Interval Calculator:
http://www.surveysystem.com/sscalc.htm
Thank you!
Jeff Stanley
ExhibitSurveys
Candance Johnson, CTSM
ExhibitForce.com
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