As experienced trade show and conference planners know, the bar has been set higher for the marketing return on investment (ROI) their events deliver. A great venue in a great city no longer suffices. Now, the expectation is that event sponsors and exhibitors will be able to measure performance and improve attendee engagement in order to gain a measurable ROI on generated leads to justify show spends. One way they are achieving this outcome is through the application of sophisticated attendance tracking solutions, such as self-monitored scanners and now beacon technology.

Capturing Actionable Data

Event planners are helping their shows’ exhibitors capture leads and then convert them into potential sales by offering them lead retrieval solutions. This same technology can be offered to speakers to gain detailed reports on who attended their sessions. Using these sophisticated solutions, associations can easily capture, process, and distribute lead information so that it can be transformed into actionable data. This data can be imported into an individual’s Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system (e.g., Salesforce). Additionally, the data can report back to the association’s registration system for quick and easy access to scanned session data.

Among the features of these solutions that further advance the mission of capturing and converting leads into sales are:

·         Real-time lead access and management

·         Data captures by scanning attendees’ badges with NFC

·         In/Out Scanning for accurate CEU Reporting Session counts to justify food and beverage charges

·         Comprehensive reporting through downloadable reports from any web-enabled device delivered in Excel spreadsheets

Maximizing the ROI

Along with the benefits derived by their event exhibitors, meeting planners applying lead retrieval and attendee tracking technology can capture attendee data in real-time, which can be used to direct attendees to sessions targeted to their interests, for surveying purposes, and to control event traffic flow. There is also the important benefit of knowing that their exhibitors are being helped and are likely to have a favorable impression of the event – a boost to their participation in future events.

The ground beneath the trade show world is shifting, and the turbulence is coming from data capture and application made possible by attendance tracking and lead retrieval technologies. While there are still many event planners who have yet to leverage these vital solutions, both for their associations’ and exhibitors’ benefit as well as their own, awareness is building and more trade show planners are recognizing the outstanding value proposition these leading-edge solutions offer.