Assessing The Value Of Tradeshows

For the most part, determining the true return on investment of attending or presenting at a tradeshow can be challenging. However, this information is also important.

A company's management wants to know if money was well spent by participating in a tradeshow, and those numbers can take time to discern. However, there is also an unwritten side of tradeshow ROI that needs to be evaluated each time as well. This is where the marketing department comes in, and that unwritten ROI can sometimes be more powerful than the numbers being released by the accounting department.

In business, what matters most are the things that turn into bottom line profit dollars. An executive understand that not every marketing campaign or every company activity can be quantified in dollars, at least not immediately. When you spend time presenting and attending tradeshows, you are also building items such as brand name recognition and your status within your industry. If you want to show the consumer world that your company is an industry leader, then you must do so at the biggest tradeshow in the industry in order for it to be relevant.

One factor that marketing directors clamor for during tradeshows is media coverage. If your company can receive more media coverage than competition, then you can win the hearts and minds of the marketplace. It is something that is an ongoing battle that takes place on many fronts. Tradeshows are that part of the industry that provides a company credibility with certain customers. It can be where a technology company establishes itself as having the most advanced products, or where an athletic apparel company receives the reputation for having the next wave in protective sports equipment technology.

There is no way to put a price tag on a good reputation, however executives also understand that public perception is important. The more time and money that you spend at tradeshows interacting with consumers and others in your industry, the more you begin to establish yourself as a player in your marketplace. People are more inclined to do business with companies that they have heard of because that familiarity breeds confidence.