Post-Event Marketing – A Valuable Tool for Next Year’s Show

January 25, 2015

You’ve just wrapped up your show and it was a huge success: your attendance numbers were up, your attendees gave you positive feedback, several of your exhibitors have already re-signed for next year and your staff is enthused. Now what?

The critical time to start garnering interest for next year’s event is during and immediately following your current event while the enthusiasm is fresh. The key is to create ways to connect with attendees throughout the year to extend the life of the interest generated by the show.

Here are 5 marketing tactics to include in the creation of your successful post-event marketing plan:

1.  Provide Attendees with a Post-Event Exhibit Tracker

  • Send a post-event email to all attendees who visited exhibitor’s booths on the show floor and had their badge scanned.
  • Include in the email: a complete listing of each exhibitor name and booth where the attendee’s badge was scanned, the exhibitor’s contact information, and a link to the exhibitor’s website.

Today’s empowered consumers also want an opportunity to influence future product enhancements and offerings. They want to meet with staff, designers or management who can listen to needs and influence the process that translates feedback into future offerings.

(Source:  CEIR Report: Exhibition Floor Interaction: What Attendees Want)

2.  Design a Post-Registration Site for Exhibitors

  • Provide your exhibitors with their own post-registration site to look up which registrants they invited that were verified and attended the show.
  • This resource provides exhibitors with the ability to follow up, and also gives them the opportunity to market to attendees who used the exhibitor’s online invitation link but did not visit their booth. 

3.  Utilize QR Codes

  • Post QR Codes on your current event’s signage and follow-up materials with a link for attendees to sign up to receive an email when registration for the next year’s event opens.

4.  Update Social Media

  • Keep the conversation going about your show by engaging your attendees in a discussion about the educational sessions, speakers and show floor.
  • Share event content. Highlight speakers and sessions. The more content you have, the more interaction you generate.

Attendees want information they can digest later. There is always so much to see and do at an exhibition that a constant challenge for attendees is simply keeping up with what they learned. Collecting information for later reading is still an important aspect of exhibitions.

(Source:  CEIR Report: Exhibition Floor Interaction: What Attendees Want)

5.  Create Videos

  • Don’t underestimate the power of videos. Create and post videos of the show on your website to continue and extend the excitement surrounding your event.
  • Use customer testimonials in your videos to promote the value of your show.

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Overview: The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality. In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way. “We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.” Amenities: The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.  The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need. Gold Key Members The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events. OCCC Events: This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.  The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:  AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023 200,000 Attendees $257 Million in Economic Impact MEGACON 2023 160,000 Attendees $205 Million in Economic Impact Open Championship Series 2023 69,500 Attendees $89 Million in Economic Impact Sunshine Classic 2023 42,000 Attendees $54 Million in Economic Impact Premiere Orlando 2023 42,000 Attendees $108 Million in Economic Impact