How to...improve your expo through member profiling
Annual conferences are crucial for most associations, generating substantial revenues that pay for their activities throughout the year. A significant proportion of attendees are members, and it is this group who are key to unlocking a conference's full financial potential. However, early signs from a survey I’m carrying out with ABPCO, suggest many associations are failing to capitalise on the unique profile of their membership base when it comes to organising a successful exhibition that benefits suppliers and delegates alike.
“Do you really know your audience?”
Revealing insights have emerged from the survey.
Firstly, we discovered a glaring absence of knowledge regarding delegate purchasing responsibilities. Few teams demonstrated a clear grasp of this. Secondly, a lack of emphasis was placed on facilitating meaningful interactions between members and sponsors and exhibitors. These two revelations alone indicate why a successful expo element is rarely achieved - it goes into the “too difficult to crack” bucket.
But why is that?
Unveiling delegate purchasing responsibilities is the cornerstone of showcasing the event's value to sponsors and exhibitors. This information is often prominently displayed on registration pages, serving as an organiser's secret weapon. It's the first question any potential sponsor/exhibitor seeks, making it a critical element in every media pack.
Sponsors seek in-depth insights into the audience's profile, the challenges they encounter in their daily work, and the motivations driving their attendance. Essentially, they want to assess whether the event's audience aligns with their ideal client profile. This information should go beyond the basic membership profile, encompassing a deeper understanding of their pain points, aspirations, and decision-making processes.
Associations have highly engaged members who attend events to gain insights and debate the key issues facing the industry. The education and networking they enjoy reenforces the value of being a member and justifies their attendance. However, the sponsorship side of events is often seen as a distraction from the wonderful content that is being delivered.
Sponsors and exhibitors are looking for a return on their spend, they need a level of certainty that the event will deliver the right interactions with the right people. Too often this information is not conveyed in a clear manner, with sales packs still offering bronze, silver and gold packages that rarely align with the needs of their target sponsors.
Associations often overlook the potential of expos, assuming that their members are solely interested in content and will shun exhibitors seeking leads...
Why do associations find this difficult to get this right?
Associations often overlook the potential of expos, mistakenly assuming that their members are solely interested in session content and will shun exhibitors seeking leads. This perspective often overlooks the value that sponsors bring to the event and creates a misguided perception of them as "leeching" off the association's membership base.
Unlike associations, which have the luxury of a captive audience, commercial event organisers must work tirelessly to craft a value proposition that resonates with their attendees, who are not bound by membership loyalty. They strive to transform the expo into a delegate solution showcase, seamlessly blending thought-provoking thematic debates with practical workshops. To achieve this, they delve deeply into the day-to-day challenges faced by their attendees, considering both industry-wide trends and individual pain points.
When associations allocate resources to the expo component of their events, it often falls short, due to their primary focus on the member-attendee experience. Often, in-house teams lack the commercial event expertise required to effectively identify and sell event opportunities. This lack of expertise can lead to missed opportunities for revenue generation and engagement with sponsors and exhibitors.
Commercial event organisers, on the other hand, possess a wealth of commercial expertise and experience. Their senior leaders often have a track record of dealing with demanding sponsors and disillusioned exhibitors, ensuring that profit remains at the heart of the event planning process. Additionally, savvy commercial event organisers have the advantage of a broader perspective, drawing insights from diverse industries to refine their event strategies and replicate successful concepts across different event landscapes.
What can be done easily to put you on that road to success?
Reshaping the expo element of your events doesn't demand an army of resources or expertise that may be hard to come by. By following these simple strategies, you can elevate your expos for your members, sponsors, and exhibitors:
1. Deepen your understanding of your audience: don't just focus on their membership status; immerse yourself in their attendee experiences. Evaluate registration data, seek insights from sponsors and exhibitors, and conduct surveys to gain a comprehensive understanding of their motivations, challenges, and areas of interest.
2. Engage with sponsors and exhibitors: actively seek to understand the solutions and value propositions that your sponsors and exhibitors bring to the table. Schedule one-on-one meetings or form a steering group to facilitate open communication and collaboration. Avoid creating a comfort zone; engage with a diverse range of partners to gain valuable perspectives.
3. Position sponsors and exhibitors as integral partners: recognise the contributions of your sponsors and exhibitors, emphasising their role in providing valuable solutions and insights to your members. Avoid using generic labels like "café sponsor" or "gold sponsor;" instead, refer to them as "event partners," "knowledge partners," or "content partners" to demonstrate their integral role in the event's success.