Full guide to growing pre-booked exhibitor meetings
Pre-booked exhibitor meetings wield a significant impact for tradeshow ROI- it’s something that can’t be underestimated.
So here’s your complete guide packed with marketing tips and event tech solutions to help you grow high-quality appointments for your shows. Here’s what we will cover:
- What are exhibitor meetings?
- Importance of pre-booked exhibitor meetings in tradeshows
- Challenges tradeshow organisers face while setting up pre-booked exhibitor meetings
- Marketing tactics to grow pre-booked exhibitor meetings
- How event tech can simplify pre-booked exhibitor meetings
Maximising show visibility is the first step to making more meetings. Learn it the easy way with our ➡️ Events Amplified ebook. Download it now.
What are exhibitor meetings? ?
Exhibitor meetings are scheduled meetups between vendors and potential customers or industry professionals.
They provide an opportunity to showcase products or services to prospects in a more focused and personalised setting.
These one-on-one interactions help them understand the needs and pain points of their targets and tailor their pitches accordingly.
This leads to more successful tradeshow outcomes, such as generating qualified leads and closing deals.
Learn how tech-driven meetings can drive better connections for your top targets ⤵️
Importance of pre-booked exhibitor meetings in tradeshows ?
There are many parts to scheduling exhibitor meetings in advance. Pre-booking is crucial to streamline the process of organising meetings and minimising time spent on logistics.
Businesses seeking to maximise their ROI and generate quality leads can get multiple advantages through scheduled meetups, such as:
Streamlining tasks ?️
Exhibitors can optimise their time and ensure they meet with the right people.
This helps eliminate wasted hours wandering the tradeshow floor and increases the chances of connecting with potential customers.
Increase sales opportunities ↗️
Pre-booked meetings allow exhibitors to have focused conversations with qualified leads.
These targeted interactions enhance the opportunity to build relationships, showcase products or services and ultimately close deals.
Enhance brand visibility ✨
Exhibitors who schedule meetings ahead of time can promote these appointments as part of their marketing efforts.
This generates buzz and raises awareness among tradeshow attendees, increasing the likelihood of booth visits and engagement.
Save costs ?
Meeting potential customers at tradeshows in advance is more cost-effective than connecting with them without a planned schedule.
Pre-bookings enable efficient resource allocation, avoiding unnecessary expenses, optimise booth space usage and streamline logistics.
Challenges tradeshow organisers face while setting up pre-booked exhibitor meetings ?
Setting up pre-booked exhibitor meetings at tradeshows come with its share of challenges, including:
1. Coordinating schedules: It can be challenging to coordinate the schedules of multiple exhibitors and attendees, especially if they have conflicting availability or different time zones.
Matching available time slots for meetings can be time-consuming and require effective communication.
2. Limited meeting spaces: Tradeshow venues often have limited meeting spaces for exhibitors to conduct their meetings.
This can result in high demand for these spaces, making it difficult to secure a suitable spot for each pre-booked meeting.
3. No-shows or last-minute cancellations: Despite pre-booking meetings, some attendees or exhibitors may fail to show up or cancel at the last minute.
This leads to wasted time, missed opportunities and logistical challenges if the meeting space was reserved for a specific time slot.
4. Language and cultural barriers: Tradeshows attract participants from various countries and cultures.
It can cause communication challenges, especially if there are language barriers or cultural differences in the way meetings are conducted or expectations for punctuality.
5. Follow-up and post-meeting actions: After a pre-booked meeting, follow-up actions such as sending meeting summaries, sharing resources, or nurturing leads are crucial.
It can be challenging to ensure prompt and effective follow-up, especially if there is a large number of meetings to manage.
7. Maintaining a balanced schedule: It is necessary to ensure a balanced and optimised schedule with appropriate breaks between meetings to avoid exhaustion and decreased engagement.
Addressing these pain points requires careful planning and communication.
Using event tech solutions can greatly smoothen this process. For instance, learn how Exhibitor Manuals can help make tradeshow onboarding easy.
Marketing tactics to grow pre-booked exhibitor meetings ?
Targeted marketing tactics can create awareness, highlight the benefits and incentivise participation – resulting in more pre-bookings. Here are some strategies you can use:
Pre-event communication
Promote the availability and benefits of pre-booked exhibitor meetings well in advance of the event.
Use different channels such as email marketing, social media, and event website to create awareness and generate interest among potential attendees and exhibitors.
Clearly communicate the advantages of pre-booking such as guaranteed time slots and tailored consultations to motivate participation.
Dedicated landing page
Create a dedicated landing page on the event website that provides detailed information about pre-booked exhibitor meetings.
Highlight the value proposition and advantages for both attendees and exhibitors.
Include testimonials or case studies from previous successful meetings to build trust and demonstrate the positive outcomes through pre-bookings.
Personalised email campaigns
Segment your email list based on attendee and exhibitor profiles and preferences.
Craft personalised email campaigns that emphasise the benefits of pre-booked exhibitor meetings tailored to specific target groups.
Use persuasive language, engaging visuals and compelling subject lines to capture attention and drive registrations.
Online messaging and meeting scheduling
Use an online messaging and meeting scheduling tool to enable attendees and exhibitors to easily book meetings.
This will allow users to browse exhibitor profiles, view availability and schedule meetings conveniently.
Promote the availability and simplicity of this tool to encourage attendees and exhibitors to take advantage of pre-booked meetings.
Networking and matchmaking
Use AI-powered algorithms to suggest potential matches based on attendee and exhibitor profiles, interests and objectives.
Facilitate virtual introductions and provide opportunities for attendees and exhibitors to engage in meaningful conversations even before the event begins.
Early bird discounts or exclusive offers
Incentivise attendees to book pre-booked exhibitor meetings by offering early bird discounts or exclusive perks.
Provide limited-time promotions or premium access to exhibitors who secure meetings in advance. This creates a sense of urgency and exclusivity, driving increased participation in the pre-booking process.
Analytics and reporting
Use data analytics and reporting tools to track the success and impact of pre-booked exhibitor meetings.
Monitor metrics such as meeting bookings, attendee satisfaction and conversion rates.
Analyse the date to identify trends, refine strategies and make informed decisions for future events.
Highlight success stories and testimonials from exhibitors who have achieved positive results through pre-booked meetings.
Get expert insights and research to make your event stand out ? Download Events Amplified ebook
How event tech can simplify pre-booked exhibitor meetings ?
Conventional marketing tools and tactics can help attendees and exhibitors connect at tradeshow but their scope and function is limited.
Logistical issues persist and the desired success rate might be lower than expected.
Using smart event tools is a great way to smoothen the process, reduce time and save yourselves a lot of headaches.
There are several event tech solutions that make it easier to pre-book high-quality exhibitor meetings and make targeted connections to drive business growth. Here are a few notable ones:
What is it? A hosted buyer programme is a curated initiative that brings together qualified buyers and exhibitors in a pre-booked meeting setting.
It serves as a strategic platform to facilitate meaningful interactions and connections between key industry players.
The programme works by pre-qualifying buyers based on specific criteria, such as their purchasing power, industry influence and relevance to the exhibitors’ target market.
These qualified buyers are then offered a range of tailored benefits, including complimentary event access, travel and accommodation arrangements and exclusive networking opportunities.
How it works: An online Hosted Buyer solution such as the one offered by ExpoPlatform creates a personalised concierge meeting experience to power pre-bookings. Here’s an overview of the process:
Step 1 -> Buyer registration and approval – roll out invitations to buyers and handpick those best suited for your show.
Step 2 -> Benefits setup – get the required documentation done for benefits and allowances.
Step 3 -> Curated matchmaking – organisers create meeting zones and tables while concierge teams set up appointments using AI matchmaking and scoring. The networking window is opened six to eight weeks before the event so conversations are done and expectations are set.
Step 4 -> Create the meeting plan – Meeting schedules are created and sent to the buyers after an optimum seating arrangement is finalised.
Step 5 -> Meetings happen in person – Special meeting zones and rooms are booked at the event so the pre-booked exhibitor meetings can happen smoothly.
Get more details ? Download the Hosted Buyer Playbook to create ROI-driven events.
What is it? AI-powered matchmaking uses intelligence algorithms and data analysis to drive precise and personalised connections between exhibitors and potential attendees at tradeshows.
The tool analyses attendee profiles and matches them with relevant exhibitors, products, and event-related content.
This ensures an improved networking experience and meetings with desired exhibitor profiles – resulting in better overall outcomes for both exhibitors and attendees.
How it works: The process begins by collecting and analysing data from various sources, such as attendee profiles, interests, preferences and past interactions.
Advanced algorithms use this data to identify potential matches between exhibitors and attendees based on compatibility factors, such as industry relevance, product interests, or business objectives.
The AI system continuously refines its recommendations as it learns from user behaviour and feedback.
The benefits are plenty – AI matchmaking simplifies the process by automating and streamlining the search, saving valuable time and effort for exhibitors.
Exhibitors don’t have to rely on chance encounters or manual research to identify potential leads; instead, they are presented with curated recommendations tailored to their specific needs.
Read more about AI and its role in shaping future events ? Download the AI Blueprint
What is it? Exhibitor Events are custom events created by exhibitors at tradeshows.
The purpose of these events is to invite and connect with as many relevant buyers as possible and set up personal interactions with them.
These events can be onsite, virtual or hybrid – made up of product demos, workshops or training sessions, networking sessions, one-on-one meetings or panel discussions.
How it works: First, the Exhibitor Event feature must be enabled in the event management platform.
Exhibitors can then add relevant entities to their event to provide more details – such as speakers, moderators and contact persons.
They can view the participants who have added these events to their schedule and can also send private invites to boost engagement.
This gives them access to a targeted audience in a more intimate setting as well as greater opportunities for brand exposure and higher ROI.
Also read ➡️ How Exhibitor Events can help maximise value at your tradeshows
What is it? 365 online marketplaces are virtual platforms that operate year-round and provide a digital space for exhibitors and attendees to connect, interact and conduct business beyond the physical tradeshow.
These marketplaces serve as convenient spaces to set up pre-booked exhibitor meetings, offering a range of benefits that enhance the trade show experience.
How it works: 365 online marketplaces extend the reach and duration of tradeshow interactions.
Exhibitors can maintain an online presence throughout the year instead of being limited to the time constrains of physical shows.
This allows them to engage with potential attendees and nurture relationships round the year – increasing the likelihood of setting up pre-booked meetings that align with everyone’s schedules.
They also provide a convenient and accessible platform for exhibitors and attendees to connect.
Through supplier tools, micro-communities and meeting and messaging scheduling tools, exhibitors can easily arrange pre-booked meetings with interested attendees.
This eliminates the geographical constraints and time limitations that often hinder in-person meetings and make it easier for both parties to connect.
Learn how you can create a successful online marketplace for your events ➡️ Download the Marketplace Blueprint
Case study – IMEX Frankfurt 2023
The IMEX Group partnered with ExpoPlatform to launch a new platform for its flagship show at Frankfurt.
This platform featured advanced tools and solutions to drive buyer-exhibitor connections – including Hosted Buyer Management, Exhibitor Events, AI Matchmaking and Smart Event App.
More than 57,000 confirmed meetings were made during the event, with almost 48,000 being pre-booked one-on-one meetings. Read the complete case study.
We hope you enjoyed reading this article and found it useful. At ExpoPlatform, we want to help you build better events and communities. Please get in touch and ask for a demo here. Thank you ?
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