[Must-read for Exhibition Personnel] 3 Keys to Success to Maximize Lead Acquisition

Exhibitions, where you can directly promote products or services at a venue where customers gather, are the perfect opportunity to promote your services offline and acquire valuable leads. Especially for BtoB companies, there are few chances to meet many customers directly, so success in exhibition participation is highly anticipated.

However, for marketing staff in charge of exhibitions for the first time or those considering their first participation, there is often a lot of anxiety about how to proceed with preparation and how to increase the number of leads acquired.

In this article, we will briefly explain the "3 Keys to Success" for effectively increasing lead acquisition for those who want to make their exhibition participation a success. Whether you are struggling with results at exhibitions or considering your first time participating, please make use of the tips introduced here and work toward making your exhibition a success.

First, what is the purpose of our company exhibiting at an exhibition, and has the purpose been clarified for participation?
The purpose is diverse for each company, but I will raise a few representative examples.

1. Promotion of awareness of products or services: Introduce new products or services and increase awareness.
2. Lead acquisition: Collect information on visitors to the booth and gather potential customers.
3. Market research: Directly confirm visitor reactions and grasp market trends and customer needs.
4. Competitor analysis: Observe other exhibitors' products or services and evaluate your company's positioning.

Above all, "lead acquisition" is the KPI (Key Performance Indicator) for exhibitions, and many companies set concrete target values for the number of people, making it an especially important objective.

Offline, you can acquire more leads than online lead acquisition measures.
However, it is not just about collecting a large number of leads.
Even if you are offering a service for which the person in charge of the manufacturing department is the target, holding a massive number of leads for personnel from the human resources department will not easily lead to service usage.
The important thing is to acquire leads that are likely to become prospective customers for your products or services.
In other words, gathering high-quality leads is the secret to a successful exhibition!
To acquire high-quality = promising leads, it is necessary to make a solid plan.

First, you must understand your target well, such as what kind of leads are promising for your company's products or services.
Then, choose the exhibitions to participate in from the perspective of which exhibitions such targets would attend.
You can check attendee attributes and other information from past attendee data provided by exhibition organizers.

Also, grasp the target's needs and interests, and sketch out a concrete target profile.
Then, determine the direction of your message so that you can capture their interest and curiosity when communicating to that target.

For example, let's think about a case where your company provides a "cloud storage" service.
Suppose there are two main targets for this service: individual users and corporate users.

By changing the way messages are delivered to match the target in this way, you can concretely show solutions to each of their needs. Let's refine messages that are easier to approach promising leads by considering communication that makes it easy for the target to understand the value of the product or service.

Next, it is necessary to prepare an attractive booth that makes your targeted audience want to stop by.
No matter how accurate your message is, you cannot acquire leads if you cannot get visitors to stop at your booth and create an opportunity for interaction.

・Increase accessibility with a bright and open space
・Use eye-catching colors even among rows of many booths
・Place clear signage and copy
・Set up eye-catching displays based on visitor traffic flow

Incorporate various devices into your booth to attract the interest of targeted visitors.

What kind of exhibition booth is good? What kind of booth is effective?
Specifically, please check out Exhibition Booth Success Design Techniques | Key Points for Creating a Booth That Attracts Visitors!

Even if many target customers visit your booth and you acquire business cards, there is no guarantee that customers who were interested in multiple products or services at the exhibition will remember you or wait for you.

Suppose a person considering the introduction of a service visits the booths of two companies, A and B, at the venue.

・They were interested in Company A's service at the venue, but the business meeting with Company A was scheduled for 5 days later.
・Since they received an immediate approach from the competing company, B, they held a business meeting with them.
・The person in charge, who needed to solve the problem quickly, decided to look into Company B's service, which responded quickly, in detail.

Like this Company A, you can lose high-quality leads that you worked hard to acquire due to a slight delay in response.

It is important to plan how to approach the leads you have acquired, and your follow-up plan after the exhibition should be made before the exhibition is held. Manage the lead information acquired at the exhibition appropriately using business card management tools or MA tools, and prepare so that you can start following up immediately.
While the impression of the exhibition is still fresh, send a message to the lead and provide content or information that will interest them.
At that time, it is important to approach them individually based on the leads' interests, needs, and issues confirmed during customer service at the booth..

Building on "Key to Successful Exhibition Participation 1: Understand your target and decide on an approach,"
we introduce a case study that succeeded in increasing lead acquisition through the incorporation of various measures.

Case Study: LayerX Inc. - Exhibition lead acquisition increased by approximately 1.5 times

LayerX, which provides "Bakuraku" to streamline corporate tasks centered on accounting via DX.
BEEATS has been in charge of booth construction and human resources (service staff) support since 2021.

We have provided continuous support since 2022, making various improvements with the goal of "achieving a better exhibition than last time!"
As a result, exhibition lead acquisition improved by approximately 1.5 times!

So, what kind of measures were implemented? This time, we will introduce some of those efforts focused on improving the quality of service.

【Example of measures for increased lead acquisition: Service Staff Training Edition】

① Hire the same staff and accumulate experience
Whether service staff is provided by your own company or hired as personnel, it can be said that experience is accumulated by having the same staff continue to be in charge.
By continuing to hire the same individuals for the LayerX booth, booth operation and approaches to visitors became more effective. The fact that the staff themselves became well-versed in the exhibition flow and communication with visitors became smoother is one factor in the results.

② Implement approaches based on "type of admission pass"
In many cases, the types of admission passes at exhibitions are divided according to the content of advance registration.
By anticipating what attributes and issues each pass holder has and preparing different approaches, we provided information tailored to each visitor. The key is to prepare conversation scripts that are easy to pique the interest of those visiting the booth.

③ Brush up greeting words
We reviewed the words used to address visitors and keywords that lead to conversions, and implemented more effective approaches.
By using topics and words that visitors are likely to be interested in, opportunities for them to stop by and stay at the booth increase.

④ Changing novelties
We changed the novelties and switched to products that would gain more interest.
Popular items and novelties that match the booth's messaging are also effective as triggers for generating interest and attracting visitors.

Let's look back at the keys to successful exhibition participation.

In all these cases, preparation before the event was very important content.
You may have endless worries about whether you can operate well on the day of the exhibition, but it is no exaggeration to say that the success of the exhibition depends on advance preparation. While proceeding with preparations with leeway, consult with partner companies that know various exhibition know-how, and pave the way toward a successful exhibition.

▶ A manual on the fundamentals of exhibiting at trade shows to ensure your event is a success.

BEEATS, with its extensive experience in supporting exhibitions, will introduce eight essential preparations you should keep in mind!
Successful first-time exhibitors! A manual for the basics of exhibiting at trade shows. Please check it out!

BEEATS has extensive experience providing support at trade shows across a wide range of industries.
We help you clarify your objectives and provide comprehensive support for lead generation, including booth construction, customer attraction strategies, and operational planning.
If you're looking to increase your lead generation compared to your last exhibition, or if you want to further boost your lead generation, please feel free to contact us.

We will introduce various support case studies and offer appropriate suggestions tailored to your specific challenges and concerns.

▶Download our exhibition case study collection here!

▶Feel free to contact us for inquiries and consultations!

Q1. What is the primary purpose of exhibiting at an exhibition?

A1. The main objectives of exhibiting at an exhibition include promoting awareness of new products or services, acquiring potential customers (leads), market research, and competitor analysis. In particular, "lead acquisition" is regarded as an important goal, and gathering high-quality leads that are promising for your service is the secret to a successful exhibition.

Q2. What kind of preparation is needed to acquire high-quality leads?

A2. First, it is important to deeply understand your target and choose an exhibition that your potential customers will attend. On top of that, you need to grasp the attributes and interests of your target and prepare specific approaches and messages tailored to their needs in advance.

Q3. What are the points for creating an exhibition booth that is easy for visitors to stop by?

A3. The point of booth creation is to increase accessibility with a bright and open space. Also, devices that attract the visitor's interest such as eye-catching colors among many booths, placement of easy-to-understand signs/copy, and setting up eye-catching displays that consider traffic flow are effective.

Q4. What should I do to ensure I don't miss leads acquired at an exhibition?

A4. Rapid follow-up after the exhibition is essential. Create a follow-up plan before the exhibition and manage information appropriately using business card management tools or MA tools. It is important to start approaching them individually based on the interests and issues confirmed at the booth while the visitor's memory is fresh.