Trade fair performance: Analyzed, evaluated, scaled.

What’s driving success – and how do we scale it?

1) Understanding trade fairs as a strategic investment

Why is measurability indispensable today?

Trade fairs are one of the most effective B2B marketing tools - if they are strategically planned and evaluated.

The analyses by the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry (AUMA) clearly show:

Trade fairs combine brand impact, lead generation, and personal relationships like no other format. At the same time, budgets, expectations, and internal pressure to justify their existence are increasing.

Those who fail to measure trade fair success cannot justify their trade fair presence internally – and cannot optimize it externally. For these reasons, the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry (AUMA) – of which meplan is a member – has generated two preparatory data sheets to provide valuable support for trade fair preparation.

meplan perspective

We are happy to support you end-to-end, from trade fair preparation to evaluation, as your expert consultants.

Other external sources:

2) Clear goals instead of vague expectations

What is the foundation of any reliable measurement of success?

Trade fair ROI is not generated at the end - but even before the first concept meeting.

After thorough preparation, the next step is internal goal setting. What are the expectations for participation in or execution of the event? What message do I want to convey?

 What is my positioning? How can I develop a strategy using all the available data? The findings from the market research institute Forrester provide a clear example.

 Successful B2B companies define clear, prioritized trade fair objectives, e.g.:

• Pipeline Contribution & Revenue Impact
• Account & Relationship Building (ABM)
• Thought Leadership & Markenwahrnehmung
• Product feedback & market insights

Without a target system, there is no measurability, and without measurability, there is no scaling.

meplan perspective

We translate marketing, sales and management goals into concrete trade fair KPIs.

Other external sources:

3) Calculate trade fair costs transparently and classify them correctly.

What does success really cost?

Many trade fair evaluations fail because costs are incomplete or incorrectly allocated.

As experts in brand spaces, we support both trade fairs and exhibition stands in creating clear transparency. The first step in this process is generating an overview of all costs.

Only with these values can you subsequently evaluate performance and ROI. We, as well as external service providers, have configured helpful tools to assist you. To give you a preview, a comprehensive evaluation includes, among other things:

• Stand construction & area
• Personnel & Training
• Logistics, Service & Technology
• Communication before, during & after the trade fair
• Opportunity costs
• Travel expenses, etc.

Only complete cost transparency enables a realistic ROI assessment.

meplan perspective

We make trade fair success visible.

Other external sources:

4) Measuring trade fair success: Connecting KPIs, data & systems

How do you transform leads into reliable insights?

Countable leads alone are no longer enough.

Trade fair success becomes measurable when the data generated before, during and after the trade fair is integrated into the internal system landscape, evaluated and analyzed.

The market research institute Forrester, as well as numerous other experts, recommend building a B2B Event Center of Excellence:

• Uniform KPIs across all events
• Linking trade fair, marketing & sales data
• Comparability across time & locations

Typical KPIs:

• Lead Quality & Conversion Rates
• Pipline Velocity
• Cost per Lead/ Cost per Opportunity
• Contribution to existing customer development

meplan added value

We don't think of trade fairs in isolation, but as part of your overall go-to-market architecture.

Other external sources:

5) From analysis to optimization - trade fair as growth drivers

What do successful companies do differently when it comes to customer retention?

Measurability is not an end in itself. How are concrete decision-making bases created?

• Which trade fairs are really worth it?
• Which formats, areas, and content perform better?
• Where will we invest more or less in our next performance?

Companies that systematically measure trade fair success scale their impact, reduce wastage and sustainably increase their ROI.

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