Through live event research with event marketers and exhibit and sponsorship sales and service professionals, this document presents statistics on attendee pricing, social media planning, marketing and sales staffing, and exhibit sales. Organizations who produce conventions can use this presentation for benchmarking statistics, trend insights and peer-to-peer learning.

2. Key Findings from
Attendee Acquisition and
Exhibit Sales Roundtables
Sam Lippman
President, Lippman Connects

3. Agenda
• Introduction
• About Attendee Acquisition Roundtable (AAR)
& Exhibit Sales Roundtable (ESR)
• Attendee Acquisition Roundtable Key Findings
• Exhibit Sales Roundtable Key Findings
• Questions

4. About AAR and ESR
Established 2011 2012
Attendance 18 attendees
3 times a year
18 attendees
3 times a year
Purpose • Event marketers focus
on ways to find, attract,
and retain quality
attendees
• Tracks lifecycle of
attendees
• Identifies new prospects
and rebuilds lists
• Boosts conversion rates
• Exhibit/sponsorship
sales & service
professionals share best
practices
• Benchmarks exhibit
pricing, space
assignment, and
sponsorships

5. Key Findings

6. Attendance
6/2012 1/2013 4/2013
Increased 67% 50% 67%
Same 17% 27% 25%
Decreased 16% 23% 8%
AAR Surveys

7. Pricing
6/2012 1/2013 4/2013
Full Conference
Increased 45 38 27
Same 55 62 64
Decreased 0 0 9
Expo Only
Increased 10 0 20
Same 90 82 80
Decreased 0 18 0
AAR Surveys

8. Marketing Budget
• 67% of marketing spend same 2012 to 2013
• 16% of event budget for attendee marketing
• Spent per new attendee $56 – 200
• Spent per attendee $27 - 140
• Breakdown of marketing budget
– 25% direct mail
– 16% email marketing
– 16% social media and technology
Data from Attendee Acquisition Best Practices Survey by JJK

9. Collaboration
• Empower “multipliers”
– Cooperate with competitors
– Exhibitors and speakers
– Convention Bureaus
– Media, bloggers
– LinkedIn Group Managers

10. We have annual marketing strategic
planning meetings with staff and
suppliers/contractors:
• Yes – 29%
• No – 64%
• Starting one this year – 7%

11. Break Down Silos
• Strategic Planning Meetings
– Annual
– Sign non-disclosure agreements
– Marketing agency, registration/mobile app
companies, general service contractor and bureau
to brainstorm
– 25% bring staff/suppliers together to discuss
marketing plans
Data from AAR 2012 and 2013

12. Social Media and Technology
• Use technology to improve experience
– 74% mobile apps
– 67% social media
– 67% in-house video production staff
– 52% full time dedicated staff for social media
– 40% train exhibitors to use social media
– 16% marketing budget for social media and
technology
Data from Attendee Acquisition Best Practices Survey (2013)
by JJK and AAR 2012 and 2013

13. We have a full time staff person dedicated
to attendee recruitment/sales:
• Yes – 20%
• No – 75%
• Planning to add this position – 4%

14. Attendee Recruitment
• Similar level/responsibility as exhibit sales
• Travel budget
• Staff rewarded for attendee prospecting/sales
• Pay reps to sell registrations

15. Key Findings

16. NSF and Companies
2/2012 9/2012 3/2013
Net Square Feet
Increased 45% 45% 50%
Same 15% 25% 33%
Decreased 40% 30% 17%
Exhibiting Companies
Increased 55% 55% 70%
Same 20% 10% 15%
Decreased 25% 35% 15%
ESR Surveys

17. Sponsorships Sales
Total Sales
61% Increasing
27% Same
12% Decreasing
Data from Attendee Acquisition Best Practices Survey by JJK

18. Exhibit Sales
• Awareness of Reed’s Choice Exhibit Pricing
• Sell multiple price points - smaller than 8’x10’
• Applying/qualifying to exhibit
• Space application
– Who not next to = hot lead
– Who do you want to see for attendee marketing
– What do want to accomplish to measure ROI

19. Exhibit Sales
• Prospecting vs Selling (Hunters & Farmers)
• Proactive servicing of exhibitors
• Packages
– Reveal cost of everything
– Include marketing services
– Multiple packages at various price points

20. Sponsorship /Sales Trends
• Pattern interrupt – free burritos & Godiva
• Increase retention with service/education
• Time-limited special pricing/discounts
• Offer sponsorships same time exhibit is sold
• Incentivizing entire staff for leads
• Reveal who bought sponsorships

21. Do you offer a match-
making/appointment setting service:
• Yes – 29%
• No – 44%
• Considering it – 12%

22. Match-making / Appointments
Data from Attendee Acquisition Best Practices Survey by JJK
Offer Services Yes No
2011 36% 64%
2012 47% 53%
2013 58% 42%

23. Match-making / Appointments
Data from Attendee Acquisition Best Practices Survey by JJK
Very / somewhat effective for exhibitors
2011 51%
2012 34%

24. Sponsorship Successes
• Customized offer to their target audience(s)
• Exclusive top-to-top networking
• Digital, video, apps and technology
• Semi and non-endemic sponsors
• Sponsor keynote, track and/or sessions
• New inventory & multiple low cost options

25. Sales Successes
• Product categorize exhibit floor
• Pavilions – international, technology, etc.
• Educate exhibitors = increased ROI + retention
• Targeted proposals from sales – data heavy
• Work other shows with your editor
• Theaters, pavilions, web sites &video walls
featuring new products and first time exhibitors