When it comes to measuring the ROI of a trade show, you may be feeling left in the dark. That’s a dangerous place to be when Dan from accounting is looking for answers about the cost breakdown of event marketing efforts. To make every dollar of your trade show budget count, you need to know what drives a return and where to invest your marketing spend.
Top Drivers of Trade Show ROI
Half of the work is picking the right shows and show promotion to generate interaction with prospective and existing clients. The rest of it is putting on a great performance through in-person interactions, charismatic team members, and an impressive booth that reinforces your marketing message.
Once you’ve selected the right shows to attend, it’s time to pick a creative custom exhibit builder to talk concept and strategy. Clearly communicate your mission and vision, and don’t be afraid to push the limits when it comes to design.
Where to Spend Your Event Marketing Budget
Exhibiting at a trade show is where many companies spend the bulk of their annual marketing spend. Why? Because it’s a proven method of accomplishing goals when done right.
According to a recent survey by Exhibitor, here is how companies are allocating their event marketing budgets:
- Booth Space – 35% of the budget, on average, goes towards securing your company’s space on the show floor. Factors such as the size of the show and the location of the booth space will also affect your budget allocation.
- Exhibit Design & Graphics – 17% of the budget goes towards the booth’s design and construction. Surprisingly, this number has shrunk in recent years and is largely due to the increase in popularity of rental spaces.
- Show Services – 13% goes to show services. This all-encompassing category covers everything from rental needs like lighting hookups to internet connections and overall booth maintenance while at the show.
- Shipping – Roughly 10% of event marketing spend should be earmarked for shipping-related expenses. To keep costs down, plan ahead as much as possible. If you are traveling to a city for a show, consider having boxes sent to the hotel instead of the conference hall where additional handling and storage fees can add up quickly.
- Promotions – 6% of the overall budget goes towards getting the word out about event attendance as well as any in-booth giveaways or experiences.
- Travel & Lodging – 14% goes towards covering lodging and travel. This includes meals and any other miscellaneous expenses such as wifi on the plane.
- Miscellaneous – Save 5% of your budget to cover the things you forgot.
Turn Heads at Your Next Event
Knowing how to make your trade show budget count is one thing but actually implementing a winning strategy is totally different. This is where having a trade show service company, such as Rockway Exhibits + Events, can make all the difference. Our team of designers and strategists have years of experience and knows exactly what it takes to make your show a success. Contact us today to find out what we can do for you.