Trade fair ROI (return on investment) compares the benefit of exhibiting with its cost. It shows whether the spending on space, stand construction, travel, staff and marketing has paid off.
The basic formula is simple: benefit minus cost, divided by cost. In practice the calculation is harder, because many effects of a trade fair do not show up in revenue immediately. Orders often come months later, customer relationships are strengthened, and press coverage and brand awareness work over the long term.
Costs include space rental, stand (booth) construction, transport, travel and accommodation, staff time, hospitality, promotional material and service providers such as photographers and videographers. Benefits include orders and quotes from show contacts, new dealers, new employees, press coverage and the material you keep using after the show.
If you want to determine trade fair ROI, you have to decide before the show what will be measured. Without clear objectives and proper lead capture, it is hard to say later which order goes back to the fair.
Link the captured leads to your sales system and tag them as show contacts. After a few months you can then evaluate how many quotes and orders resulted. Allow realistic timeframes, because decisions take a long time in many industries.
Also consider values that are hard to express in euros: conversations with existing customers, insights into the competition, contacts with the press. And include the material you take home from the show. Photos and videos replace your own productions for website, social media and sales for months.
Professional photo and video material is one of the few items that keeps working after the show. While the stand and the catering are used up by the last day, you use images and films for a long time, often until the next edition.
Our packages have fixed prices, so this item can be planned in the show budget from the start. Usage rights are unlimited, and we deliver all photos and videos within 24 hours after the show ends.
The guide Measuring trade fair content ROI explains how to measure the contribution of show content. The guide on planning a trade fair budget helps with the costs.
Benefit minus cost, divided by cost. It is important to capture leads properly and evaluate them over a realistic period, because orders often come months later.
Yes. They are a cost, but they create material you use for a long time. That benefit belongs in the evaluation.
Tell us what your show needs to achieve. We plan photos and videos so you can use the material straight away for sales, press and social media.
We reply within 24 hours. During a show week, WhatsApp is fastest.
