TSNN Show Organizer Survey Reveals 7 Tactics to Drive Earlier Attendee Registration

February 23, 2023

Are attendees at your trade show registering later than they did pre-pandemic? Don’t panic. You are not alone. According to a TSNN study conducted in February, 98 percent of show organizers reported that attendees are registering later for trade shows, compared with pre-pandemic times. 

Show organizers have always dealt with attendees who registered late, but the pandemic seems to have pushed back timelines even more. After dealing with cancellations and postponements for 2-plus years, many show organizers have told us anecdotally they continue to be challenged with this lingering pandemic after-effect.

To get a clearer picture, we put together an online survey that was emailed to TSNN’s database and posted on our social channels in February 2023. We asked show organizers about the current state of attendee registration, and we received 60 responses. While the sample size is small, the list of respondents includes shows of all sizes, produced by associations, independents and corporations.

In addition to the survey results, we asked leaders at marketing agencies to weigh in on what’s working for their diverse mix of trade show clients. 

“Consider leaning into the trend, instead of trying to change it,” said Paige Cardwell, president of CSG Creative, an agency that’s a division of NTP. “With some clients, we are limiting early touch points and marketing investments when we know people aren’t registering and shifting budget to deploy tactics later in the campaign to make a bigger impact when attendees are ready to make decisions. This strategy has been very effective and a better use of marketing resources, too.”

What else is working when it comes to attendee marketing in 2023? We asked Cardwell and Kimberly Hardcastle, president of mdg, a Freeman Company, to weigh in and share their experience in working with some of the largest U.S. trade shows — including SHOT Show, WEFTEC and IAAPA for CSG and IBIE, NAB and SuperZoo for Freeman. Here’s what we learned.

7 Tactics Trade Shows Are Deploying

Besides early-bird discounts, what tactics are show organizers using to entice attendees to register further out from their shows. According to our survey, the top seven tactics in order are:

1. More email marketing (68% of show organizers indicated they are using this tactic)

Deeper Dive: “Email marketing is an essential channel for every attendance campaign but can often be overused,” said Cardwell. “We like to limit our email sends to keep unsubscribes low and target messages to make the content valuable and relevant.” 

She continued: “If you think about your own email consumption habits, less is typically more, so think carefully about your subject line and the primary call to action and make it easy for your prospects to respond. Another strategy is to incorporate ‘countdowns’ in your email headers and messaging to remind attendees the show dates are closing in and decisions need to be made.”

2. Leveraging social campaigns for speakers, attendees, exhibitors, sponsors to share their attending (59% of show organizers indicated they are using this tactic)

Deeper Dive: “When we talk to event organizers about the power of content marketing, they often immediately assume it’s a daunting task that has to start by conducting research, writing an original article, designing an infographic, shooting a video, etc.,” said Hardcastle.

“But the reality is that event marketers have so many tools at their fingertips — speaker-generated session teasers, exhibitor product previews, blogs written by board members, attendee testimonials and more.”

IAAPA

 

Cardwell added: “For IAAPA, we did a promo via LinkedIn and email for 10 free registrations and asked the audience to respond to the question: How will IAAPA Expo Help You Achieve Your Goals? Not only did the comments generate personal testimony to the value of the show, but also it generated the most comments for all LinkedIn posts in 2022.”

3. More partner marketing with associations, exhibitors, sponsors (53% of show organizers indicated they are using this tactic)

Deeper Dive: “For partner groups or affiliate organizations, create a time-sensitive offer to encourage groups of 10+ and 20+ to register with a significant discount,” said Cardwell. “This helps boost numbers early on and can help with exhibit and sponsor sales. Also, consider comping well-known thought leaders and influencers early in the campaign cycle to highlight their participation in your marketing messages.”

4.  Adding more call-to-action touchpoints on your web site like pop-up ads for registration, banner ads on home page, countdowns to the show/discounts (49% of show organizers indicated they are using this tactic)

5. Influencer marketing, which may include discount codes for their networks (44% of show organizers indicated they are using this tactic)

Deeper Dive: “As consumers, we look for peer validation online in the form of user reviews, personal recommendations, rankings, etc., and event attendees are no different – they are socially linked and highly influenced by their networks,” said Hardcastle. “At mdg, we believe that growth opportunities arise from understanding attendee online behavior and infusing ‘social proof’ throughout our marketing campaigns. From leveraging the star power of celebrities like Buddy ‘The Cake Boss” Valastro for IBIE to simply using tools such as Gleanin or InGo for facilitating peer-to-peer referrals, influencer marketing is becoming an increasingly important attendee acquisition tool in our toolbox.”

6. Advertising with Google or other web sites (44%)

7. Telemarketing campaigns (42%)

Deeper Dive: “Telemarketing campaigns remain a great way to amplify registration deadlines, special offers and recruit VIP groups,” said Cardwell. “Don’t forget about voicemail drops — this low-cost tactic can make an impact on numbers, especially if you use an influencer or celebrity to record the message along with a special offer code.”

What’s working best? We asked show organizers to fill in the blank in response to this question: What’s working the best in terms of motivating your attendees to register early? Here are a few of the best verbatim responses.

Mind Map

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Partner Voices
Less than six months ago, Lisa Messina joined the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) as the first-ever chief sales officer after leading the sales team at Caesars Entertainment. A 12-year Las Vegas resident, Messina is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and serves on MPI International’s board of directors. TSNN had a chance to catch up with this dynamic leader and talk to her about her vision for the new role, current shifts in the trade show industry, creating more diversity and equity within the organization, and advice to future female leaders. Lisa Messina, Chief Sales Officer, LVCVA With Las Vegas becoming The Greatest Arena on EarthTM, what are some of the things you’re most excited about in your role? Our team was at The Big Game’s handoff ceremony earlier this month, and I couldn’t help but think, “We’re going to crush it next year!”  These high-profile events and venues not only drive excitement, but also provide unmatched opportunities for event planners. Allegiant Stadium hosts events from 10 to 65,000 people and offers on-field experiences. Formula 1 Grand Prix will take place in Las Vegas in November, after the year-one F1 race, the four-story paddock building will be available for buyouts and will also offer daily ride-along experiences that will be available for groups. And, of course, the MSG Sphere officially announced that it will open in September, ahead of schedule, with a U2 residency. It’s going to be the most technologically advanced venue as far as lighting, sound, feel, and even scent, and it will be available for buyouts and next-level sponsorships inside and outside. There’s no ceiling to what you can do when you’re doing events in Las Vegas.  Allegiant Stadium As the trade show and convention business returns to the pre-pandemic levels, what shifts are you noticing and how do you think they will impact the industry going forward? Our trade show organizers are very focused on driving customer experience. Most of our organizers are reporting stronger exhibitor numbers and increased numbers of new exhibitors, with trade shows proving to be almost or above 2019 levels. Now our organizers are really doubling down on driving attendance and focusing on the data to provide that individualized, customized experience to help attendees meet their goals and get the best value. Some companies continue to be cautiously optimistic with their organizational spend when it comes to sending attendees, but I think it will continue to improve. As the U.S. Travel Association makes more progress on the U.S. visa situation, we also expect a growing influx of international attendees. What are some innovative ways the LVCVA helps trade show and convention organizers deliver the most value for their events? We focus on customer experience in the same way that trade show organizers are thinking about it. We got rave reviews with the West Hall Expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), so over the next two years, we will be renovating the North and the Central halls, which will include not just the same look and feel, but also the digital experiences that can be leveraged for branding and sponsorship opportunities.  Vegas Loop, the underground transportation system designed by The Boring Company, is also a way we have enhanced the customer experience. Vegas Loop at the LVCC has transported more than 900,000 convention attendees across the campus since its 2021 launch. Last summer, Resorts World and The Boring Company opened the first resort stop at the Resorts World Las Vegas , with plans to expand throughout the resort corridor, including downtown Las Vegas, Allegiant Stadium and Harry Reid International Airport. The LVCVA also purchased the Las Vegas Monorail in 2020, the 3.9-mile-long elevated transportation system that connects eight resorts directly to the convention center campus. This is the only rail system in the world that integrates fares directly into show badges and registration. For trade show organizers, these transportation options mean saving time, money and effort when it comes to moving groups from the hotels to LVCC and around the city. Also, the more we can focus on building the infrastructure around the convention center, the more it supports the customer experience and ultimately supports our trade show organizers. Scheduled to debut in Q4, Fontainebleau Las Vegas will offer 3,700 hotel rooms and 550,000 square feet of meeting and convention space next to LVCC.  What are some of the plans for advancing DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) within your organization? We’re currently partnering with instead of working with a leading consulting firm, to lay the foundation and create a solid DEI plan and be the leader when it comes to DEI initiatives. The heart of that journey with the consulting firm is also talking to our customers about their strategic approaches to DEI and driving innovation in this space.  What are your favorite ways to recharge? My husband and I have an RV and we’re outdoorsy people. So, while we have over 150,000 world-class hotel rooms and renowned restaurants right outside our doorstep, one of my favorite things to do is get out to Red Rock Canyon, the Valley of Fire, and Lake Mead. Five of the top national parks are within a three-hour drive from Las Vegas, so there’s a lot you can do. We love balancing the energy of Las Vegas with nature, and we’re noticing that a lot of attendees add activities off the Strip when they come here.  Valley of Fire What advice would you give to women following leadership paths in destination marketing? I think it’s about being laser-focused on what you want to accomplish; building a team around you that lifts you and helps you achieve your goals; and being humble and realizing that you do it as a group. No one gets this done alone. Thankfully, there are a lot of women in leadership in this organization, in our customers’ organizations, and in this city that we can be really proud of. We’re a formidable force that is making things happen.   This interview has been edited and condensed. This article is exclusively sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. For more information, visit HERE.