If you’re like most event managers, you’re probably eager to find an event management platform that supports a smarter way to streamline your efforts, while saving time and money, without sacrificing the quality and content of your event.
After all, to quote Rehan Waris, “You can’t be a good manager if you are doing everything yourself.”
Good news — you don’t have to!
As an event manager, you have the opportunity to empower your exhibitors with an event management platform that streamlines everyone’s efforts for a better event experience.
Expo Logic’s comprehensive GoExpo software has been carefully curated to solve all your logistical event challenges, including exhibitor management.
There are several ways that both exhibitors and event managers benefit from an event management platform, which we’ll share, along with a few strategies to help event managers present these perks to their exhibitors.
Ultimately, by integrating event technology, you can make exhibitor management easier while boosting ROI from your event in the process.
The following five tips can help ease the complex task of exhibitor management and each one starts with the right exhibitor and floorplan management platform.
What can an exhibitor management solution offer my event management team?
In this section, we’ll provide answers to some commonly asked questions about Expo Logic’s exhibitor management solutions, including:
- How can event planners allow exhibitors to self-select booth space?
- How do event management platforms make it easy to create digital packages?
- Is it possible to increase ROI by selling digital marketing opportunities on this platform?
By way of answering and before we dive into what expo management can offer your exhibitors, let’s take a quick look at some key features that ease and expedite your efforts in event management:
An impactful exhibitor management platform makes it possible to:
- Create an interactive floor plan
- Sell sponsorships and updates
- Communicate with attendees and exhibitors
- Facilitate matchmaking and appointments
- Access an exhibitor portal
Additionally, event managers can access a tracking feature to gain insight into exhibitor asset status for outstanding items, including payments, purchases, or content submissions.
Our clients capture our capabilities the best, so we’ll let Lauren Gicas, Senior Director of USA Science & Engineering Festival, take it from here:
“Expo Logic has been instrumental in taking our event to the next level. The exhibition management platform not only streamlined our internal processes, but now gives our 600+ exhibitors and sponsors the VIP experience with easy registration and the added benefits of enhanced profile listings and other opportunities for branding. The interactive floor map and scheduling features have also elevated the experience for our 350K attendees. It has been a win-win all around for our team and our customers!”
While these capabilities make your job easier, as Lauren evidenced, they also provide invaluable benefits on the exhibitor’s side.
How will the right exhibitor management tool empower my event’s exhibitors?
Ideally, you want to present exhibitors with a customized experience right from the start, along with some capabilities that actually give them greater control over their event experience.
For instance, Go Expo’s Exhibitor Management not only increases efficiency and organization, it actually gives your exhibitors more flexibility, courtesy of a “self-service” model that allows them to manage their own content on the platform.
In fact, Go Expo simplifies the purchasing process for booth spaces, as well as listing upgrades and promotional or sponsorship opportunities. Why not monetize logo listings and floor plan logos, in addition to newsletter ads and banners?
With GoExpo’s comprehensive software, you can do all this and more, including easy layout and manage the event hall, watch your revenue grow, bolstered by our powerful e-commerce platform, and leverage robust email features, which allow you to send e-blasts, reminders, newsletters, and real-time updates to segmented lists quickly and precisely.
The organization is key, so having a central space to manage these features and all of your event content is critical.
By implementing the right expo management solutions, you can empower your exhibitor management with the following features:
- Exhibitor portal
- Appointment
- Live floor plan
- Online payments and invoicing
- Email marketing
- Exhibitor directory
- Matchmaking
- Sponsorship selling
- Event planning features
Packed within one robust platform, these features afford exhibitors the following benefits:
1. A central location for all event content
By having a dedicated space to organize all aspects of your event, event stakeholders know exactly where to access important event details, like times and locations, as well as any additional event resources you want to build into the platform.
2. Communication that is easy, clear, and impactful
Leverage the ability to share email updates, set reminders, create and distribute newsletters, and send targeted messages before, during, and after the event. This eliminates the unnecessary avalanche of emails that can quickly clutter up everyone’s inbox, leading to missed information and, often, miscommunication. Having a single space for event communication makes it easier to keep everyone involved on track and moving forward in the right direction.
3. Noticeable time savings, which can then be spent elsewhere
The beauty of an all-in-one exhibitor management tool is that critical processes are simplified and streamlined, and not just managerial tasks, but also purchasing for exhibitors, an invoicing tool, as well as an interactive floor plan.
4. Networking and scheduling are taken to the next level
The power of a single space for all communication and event content means that exhibitors can better engage with attendees and manage a more targeted approach to networking.
5. Elevate exhibitor management with innovative lead retrieval
The exhibitors at your event are there to connect with new leads and realize a strong return on investment. That’s why it’s so important to present your exhibitors with advanced lead retrieval solutions that will enhance their opportunities to make more meaningful connections with qualified leads. Lead retrieval solutions like LeadPod Pro and LeadKey put the following perks directly into the hands of your exhibitors:
- Multiple lead retrieval options
- The ability to gather real-time registration data
- An easy way to add notes to scanned leads
- Quick access to leads online
- The opportunity to create custom surveys
- Immediate follow-up with qualified leads
We can’t overstate the importance of smart lead retrieval solutions when it comes to a successful event.
It’s not only important, but it’s what your exhibitors expect from participating in and supporting your event.
Author of Wealth of Words, Amit Kalantri, cites “The purpose of event management is to create a client who creates other clients.”
Current lead retrieval statistics show that 68% of marketers credit events as generating the most leads.
In order to meet — or better yet, exceed — that expectation, integrating expo management solutions that strengthen your exhibitor management is a smart strategy.
“Using GoExpo increased revenue by 169% for the first year we used it and has steadily scaled since then.” — National Shooting Sports Foundation/ConvExx
