- Invite Open Communication: Exhibitors and potential exhibitors should always know how to reach you.
An easily navigable website is a must for all businesses, but imperative for show organizers. Consider having direct links to frequently asked questions, easily found contact options, and even ‘live help’ via e-mail chat for the crunch time just before the show. - Create Discussion Forums: Discussion forums, whether they’re constructed as a bulletin board or group format, offer a great opportunity to invite feedback, ask your exhibitors questions, and brainstorm new show features.
Any group should be constructed with an RSS and XML feed so that it can be easily picked up by news aggregators, ensuring the widest possible audience is invited to participate in the discussion. You’ll need an employee to monitor the group on a regular basis, which includes filtering out spam and inappropriate messages, but the data gathered will be well worth the result. - Explore Other Communities: You’re in the exhibiting business, but your customer’s aren’t. Take the time to visit their internet hangouts -- industry specific bulliten boards, discussion groups, and e-mail lists.
You can either actively participate or simply passively read what’s going on -- this is known as ‘lurking’, and is frowned upon in some communities, accepted in others. Either way, you’ll be presented with a front row seat of what’s going on in your customer’s industry, and gain a deeper understanding of their needs. Occassionally the talk will turn to industry conventions and shows, and that can be a very valuable learning experience. - Provide Content Rich Incentives: Attendees will only visit your website or participate in polls if you offer them something of value in exchange for their time.
This could be educational -- content rich articles outlining some of the how-to’s of effective exhibiting, for example -- or social. The new generation of exhibitors fully expects there to be a social element to their web interactions, be it a busy discussion list or a forum always filled with heated debate. It will cost you little, if anything, to provide these items, yet will help you keep exhibitors engaged with and committed to your show.
Of course, these techniques work best when they augment traditional market research methods. Nothing can replace actually getting out on the show floor and talking face to face with your exhibitors. People may divulge a great deal of information over the net, but often don’t feel like they know someone until they meet them IRL - In Real Life.
