{"id":4364,"date":"2015-05-19T07:44:00","date_gmt":"2015-05-19T11:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/?p=4364"},"modified":"2018-03-21T18:31:10","modified_gmt":"2018-03-21T18:31:10","slug":"getting-the-most-from-events","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/getting-the-most-from-events\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting the Most Out of Your Live Events"},"content":{"rendered":"

The more things change, the more things stay the same.<\/p>\n

When we conducted our inaugural communication benchmarking study in 2011, we were surprised that association leaders rated live events No. 1 among two dozen association communication channels that we asked about. Young people don\u2019t like face-to-face interaction, right? Everyone\u2019s cutting back on travel budgets, right? With staff shortages everywhere, no one can afford to spend time out of the office, right? Not so fast.<\/p>\n

The 700 association execs who took part in our early research effort gave live events an average rating of 4.39 out of a possible 5. To put that number in perspectives, member magazines and eNewsletter were the only other channels to weigh in close to a 4.<\/p>\n

\"Tweetables\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Engagement between an association, vendors and attendees\u00a0shouldn\u2019t stop when an\u00a0event concludes.\u00a0\"RealLilTweetables\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The gap between attendee and exhibitor satisfaction is widening. You need to find out why\u2014before a competitor does.\u00a0\"RealLilTweetables\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Still selling gold\/silver\/bronze sponsorships? You’re leaving money on the table.\u00a0\"RealLilTweetables\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Live events are\u00a0an ideal forum for obtaining valuable feedback from members and other stakeholders.\u00a0\"RealLilTweetables\"<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Fast forward to 2015. There have been incredible advances in webinar technology, virtual conferences and Skype. There\u2019s now on-demand video coverage of most major professional conferences and trade shows in North America. And guess what? Live events remain No. 1 on the association communication channel food chain. In fact, events weighed in with an average score of 4.61 out of a possible 5 in 2015\u2014up nearly 5 percent from 2011.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t believe we will ever get away from face-to-face marketing,\u201d observed John Gallagher<\/strong>, group vice president, Naylor Event Solutions. \u201cPeople still want\u00a0to see the product work, shake your hand and look you in the eye.”<\/p>\n

Makes sense. The word \u201cassociation\u201d comes from the Latin root associare<\/em>, which means to connect or involve with a cause, group or partner. \u201cIt’s relationship selling, and it is powerful,\u201d noted Gallagher. \u201cEducation is still key and business-to-business on the trade show floor is still important. But, it is the networking aspect of live events that really can’t be duplicated.\u201d<\/p>\n

At a time when associations large and small are pulling out the stops to remain the authoritative voice of their respective industries, hosting a high profile event can pay huge dividends. \u201cRelevancy is about knowing what\u2019s really going on in the marketplace,\u201d said Skip Cox<\/strong>, CEO of Exhibit Surveys Inc.<\/a>, who will be co-hosting our upcoming webinar, 7 Ways to Improve Exhibitor ROI<\/em><\/a> with Naylor\u2019s John Gallagher. \u201cWhat are the trends and issues? You really have to know what\u2019s key for your attendees and the Top 25 exhibitors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul McLaughlin<\/strong>, president of Norwalk, CT-based App Technologies, LLC<\/a>, exhibits at insurance and risk management shows throughout the year. \u201cIt\u2019s all about the contacts we make\u2014sales prospects, potential partners or other individuals who have the potential to connect us to new business.\u00a0The quantifiable piece is direct sales prospects obtained from the booth and follow-up meetings where we can look at the potential sale size.\u00a0The intangible piece of a show\u2019s success is the new relationships we develop that may be valuable down the road.\u201d<\/p>\n

So why do so many studies show such a big gap between attendee satisfaction and exhibitor satisfaction?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

According to Cox, the investment of time and money is much greater for an exhibitor than it is for an attendee. Also, many exhibitors do not come to shows as well prepared as they should. \u201cYou see booth staff reading the paper and ignoring customers. Meanwhile attendees are showing up better and better prepared. Our research shows 49 percent of attendees at any show are planning to buy. They\u2019re already much further along the purchase consideration phase and exhibitors need to be ready when they show up at their booth,\u201d added Cox.<\/p>\n

But, exhibitor McLaughlin said, \u201cI understand that to remain credible, associations have to focus on educational content and that\u2019s a good thing.\u00a0But the average exhibitor seems to be taken for granted in recent years.\u00a0[Show organizers] give special treatment to their big exhibitors and take traffic out of the expo.\u00a0They penalize our early access to booth selection if we don\u2019t buy hotel rooms through their housing block.\u00a0The \u2018exclusive hall hours\u2019 seem to occur only during mealtimes when everyone is interested in eating, not walking the floor.\u00a0So putting some focus back on the exhibitors and helping to drive traffic and interest in the expo would be a great thing. The lack of interest in the expo by attendees is often reflected in the lack of interest by the exhibitors.\u201d<\/p>\n

The industry buzzword is exhibitor ROI, observed Gallagher. \u201cNo longer can\u00a0companies\u00a0participate in a trade show\u00a0without demonstrating\u00a0what they will receive for their\u00a0participation. Many times it is a conflict of goals. What the association feels is important, may not be what the exhibitor or attendee is\u00a0looking for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just keep in mind, that if an exhibitor or attendee doesn\u2019t return the following year, it\u2019s not necessarily because they had a bad experience at your show. McLaughlin, whose six-person company develops claims and risk management software, said his firm has a few core shows at which they exhibit every year and then they attend others (typically as an attendee rather than an exhibitor) to \u201cscout those events as possible exhibit venues in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/div>\n

Importance of pre-show marketing<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Mark Migliore<\/strong>, director of business development\u00a0for\u00a0Naylor Association Solutions, said show organizers and event planners need to build pre-show momentum. Reaching out to the exhibitors prior to the show will allow for more meaningful and fulfilling interaction between exhibitors and attendees. \u201cConsider offering exhibitor training webinars that cover such topics as how to be successful in a booth, how to save money at the event and how to follow up with attendees after the event. All of these tips share the ultimate goal of creating ROI for exhibitors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beth Chitnis<\/strong>, vice president, Meeting Expectations<\/a>, said it\u2019s crucial\u00a0<\/strong>to understand your attendee and exhibitor target markets. \u201cWhat social networks are they on? How do they want to be communicated with? Do they still want that postcard flyer that they can tack on their corkboard as a reminder, or do they only want to receive that over email? Are they going to be on social networks where you need to be promoting the event? Create those online communities to engage the members before they get to that event, and then following the event, continue that conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Importance of customization and listening<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Our research shows that only 53 percent of associations consistently ask their advertisers and sponsors if they\u2019re getting their money\u2019s worth. And when they do, only 60 percent take the feedback they\u2019re given and incorporate it into their pricing and proposals. What\u2019s more, our research reveals that only 10 percent of associations sell advertising and sponsorships on a fully customized basis, and less than half do any customization at all.
\n
\n<\/strong>Chitnis acknowledged that it does <\/em>require extra time to customize proposals, but in the end it\u2019s worth the extra effort to fulfill those additional requests if they can lead to successful, long-term partnerships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Do you ask advertisers and sponsors if they\u2019re getting their money\u2019s worth?<\/td>\n52.6%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fully customize our advertising and sponsorships<\/td>\n10.1%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Partially customize our advertising and sponsorhips<\/td>\n32.7%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Incorporate advertisers\/sponsor feedback into pricing and proposals<\/td>\n59.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Association Adviser & Naylor, LLC 2014-2015<\/em><\/p>\n

As Naylor\u2019s Tara Ericson explains in today\u2019s issue<\/a><\/u>\u00a0many associations still work under the gold, silver and bronze tiered sponsorship model. But, if you\u2019re in a competitive marketplace, you\u2019ll need to be flexible, especially for your platinum sponsors.<\/p>\n

Cox said associations should be willing to customize sponsorships for each<\/strong> exhibitor and sponsor. That includes creating off-floor opportunities for their most valued partners. For example, if you want to do business with HP, you should know they like to create their own pavilion off the main show floor.<\/p>\n

Think outside the box<\/strong><\/h3>\n

With travel and entertainment budgets still tight at many organizations, <\/strong>Chitnis said non-dues revenue for events increasingly comes from sponsorships. \u00a0\u201cA best practice is being creative, being flexible, and working with those sponsorship partners to identify what they need in order to be a strong contributor for that association’s event,” she dais. “It could be trivia night as a fundraising event for an association. You could sell a sponsorship for the right to ask those trivia questions. Sell a joke-a-round. If the team of trivia participants needs a second guess on a question, they can use that joke-a-round token. It’s like a mulligan in golf.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Cox, the exhibit itself may be the least\u2010valued element of a sponsor\u2019s participation. Some may be looking for speaking, even keynote opportunities, to enhance their thought leadership position. Others may want off\u2010floor meeting rooms for product demos or customer meetings. Others may want to co\u2010locate private customer events with the show.<\/p>\n

Just don\u2019t take your other exhibitors for granted, cautioned McLaughlin. \u201cAt the recent industry conference we attended, some of the large players literally had their own exhibit hall separate from the main expo.\u00a0In the old days, when attendees were between sessions, they might pop down to the exhibit hall to chat with a few exhibitors. But with one-vendor halls separated from the expo, they encourage attendees to retreat there in their downtime rather than spend time in the main hall.\u00a0These halls have completely separate entrances, so I think traffic on the show floor has suffered noticeably.\u201d<\/p>\n

Post show follow-up<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Chitnis said, “Follow-up with sponsors after the show to see if they got [what they were hoping for]. If they didn’t, work with them to understand why.\u201d<\/p>\n

Migliore agreed that follow-up is critical and often neglected or done too lightly by the show organizers. \u201cEngagement does not stop at the event\u2019s conclusion. Make sure your exhibitors have the opportunity to provide feedback, such as meeting at the close of the show and providing focus groups throughout the year. Reports are a great way to highlight value through live events metrics, such as statistics on sponsorships and marketing and advertising impressions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Start the feedback loop while the show is still live<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Our annual communication benchmarking study<\/a> found that live events are one of the best forums available for obtaining feedback from your members and other stakeholders. Annette Homan<\/strong>, deputy executive director, Risk and Insurance Management Society, Inc. (RIMS)<\/a>, agreed. “With face-to-face, you can ask a question and it’ll lead you to something else that you want to discuss,” she said. “We just find that we get more in-depth responses. Sometimes, when you’re talking to someone, you get more honest responses from them, versus putting it in writing, even though it’s all anonymous. If we’re not providing something that the member is looking for, I want to know about it. I want to know what they\u2019re looking for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h3>\n

As Mahatma Gandhi famously said last century, \u201cIf you don\u2019t ask, you don\u2019t get.\u201d And that\u2019s not likely to change any time soon.
\n<\/p>\n

<\/div>
\"\"<\/div>

About The Author<\/h3>\n\t\t\tHank Berkowitz<\/a> is the moderator-in-chief of <\/em>Association Adviser eNews.\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Experts share tips and best practices from the trenches.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":31,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,31,3],"tags":[741,742,743,734,744,697,745,98,746,747,748,550,729,749],"class_list":["post-4364","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","category-features","category-revenue","tag-annette-homan","tag-app-technologies","tag-beth-chitnis","tag-event-sponsorships","tag-exhibit-surveys","tag-exhibitor-marketing","tag-exhibitor-roi","tag-inc","tag-john-gallagher","tag-meeting-expectations","tag-paul-mclaughlin","tag-risk-and-insurance-management-society","tag-skip-cox","tag-sponorships"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nGetting the Most Out of Your Live Events - Association Adviser<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Experts share tips and best practices from the trenches of association live events.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/getting-the-most-from-events\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Getting the Most Out of Your Live Events - 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