Samenvatting

Trade shows offer a platform for exploring new markets, discussing problems, spotting trends and increasing brand awareness. They are an essential part for the communication mix, the product mix, and the distribution mix. After a trade show, the company’s leads are often not managed effectively. This results in few new customers and therefore a low or even negative return on investment. An uncoordinated trade show follow-up campaign does not harvest all the opportunities that are generated during the show. It is therefore important to organize the follow-up campaign in the most effective manner. The following research question has been constructed: “How can a trade show follow-up campaign be organized in the most effective manner?” This research question will be answered with the help of the following sub questions: 1) What are the costs for a company to participate in a trade show? 2) What are the benefits for a company to participate in a trade show? 3) What are the possible methods to organize a trade show follow-up campaign? 4) How can the evaluation process help to turn leads into customers? The research has been conducted during two phases. During the first phase secondary data which was obtained through desk research was used to explore the phenomenon “Trade Shows”. Phase one helped to design the variables for phase two. During phase two, the survey was implemented in order to complement the results of the first phase. The survey results helped to test and complete the qualitative data results. Both qualitative and quantitative results were used for the interpretation and they generated the required information that helped to design recommendation for improving the trade show follow-up campaign. The population (N) of this study was an aggregate of 3200 companies that participated in a Trade show on the European continent that was organized between 28 November 2017 and the 12th of April 2018 and of which the company’s contact data was publicly available. The sample size (n) of this research is 99. The results show that participating at trade shows can be costly. If a trade show is implemented and followed-up correctly, the benefits often out-way the costs. The results show that trade shows are a cost-effective way to acquire new customers. By introducing automated marketing software and linking it to CRM, it becomes possible to create a personal follow-up plan for each individual lead. The follow up message should be personal, offer a two to three options for further engagement and should include an incentive to increase motivation, it should be easy to engage in all of the offered options and follow up message need a trigger in order to set things in motion. Measuring the effectiveness of a trade show can be done by measuring return on investment and return on objectives.

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