Presentation Metrics

exhibitor q & a

	ILLO: MARK FISHER
	HELP WANTED Send your tough questions about exhibiting to Linda Armstrong, larmstrong@exhibitor magazine.com

presentation metrics

Trade show leads and sales can easily be measured and analyzed, but when it comes to presentations, there doesn't seem to be anything tangible to assess or measure. How can I analyze the effectiveness of our in-booth presentations?

Besides a simple head count of presentation participants, there are several different ways to measure the effectiveness of your in-booth presentations. Here are a few suggestions to get you started.

One of the easiest and most effective ways to assess presentation success is via evaluation cards. After the presentation, distribute notecards featuring questions about everything from the value of the content to the professionalism of the presenter.

But limit the number of questions to five to assure that attendees will actually fill out the questionnaire rather than bolting out of the booth after the presentation is over. You could use an electronic audience-response system (ARS) to perform this post-presentation evaluation.

You can also complete customer interviews immediately following the presentation to test attendees' retention of your messages. Assign staffers to interview customers who viewed the presentation. Find out what they learned and how they felt about the experience, and document their comments in writing or via some kind of electronic data-input device.

Also note various presentation-related information on your lead forms. Include a separate question on the form that asks whether attendees viewed a presentation, and record their comments and perceptions regarding everything from message retention to their opinions about the length and quality of the session.

During the show, also consider videotaping the presentation. Then send a copy of it to management after the show. This way, they can see with their own eyes how the presentation was received and roughly how many people the average presentation drew to your booth.

Finally, assess your presentation after the show as well. Follow up with leads via a simple phone call or e-mail to find out what percentage of presentation attendees ultimately purchased your products as a result of the presentation.

- EXHIBITOR Staff