Trade shows can represent a significant share of a marketing budget, but deciding which events deserve continued investment is not always straightforward. Lead counts tell part of the story. A useful evaluation also considers whether the event reached the right audience and whether the strategy supported the business’s goals.
Before you cut, expand, or reallocate your trade show budget, look at the connection between your goals, the event, and the experience you created. At Root3, we use four questions to guide that evaluation.
To shape the booth strategy, we looked at how each of the four evaluation points applied to Symmetry:
Together, these questions help distinguish an event that is a poor fit from one that needs a stronger strategy. They also provide a clearer basis for deciding what to repeat, change, or stop.
Symmetry Anesthesia, an anesthesia management company serving hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers primarily in North Texas, put this approach into practice at an AANA conference.
As a newer company, Symmetry wanted to build awareness, stand alongside national competitors, and connect with potential recruits. The company invested in a 20-by-20-foot booth and needed an experience that would give attendees a reason to stop, stay, and get to know the team.
To shape the booth strategy, we looked at how each of the four evaluation points applied to Symmetry:
These factors pointed to a booth experience that combined fun with professional development, giving attendees a reason to engage while supporting Symmetry’s recruiting goals.
Symmetry paired a dance arcade machine with a giveaway for three Maverick Medical Education regional anesthesia courses. The machine attracted participants and spectators, giving the recruitment team opportunities to connect with people waiting to play or stopping to watch. The giveaway encouraged attendees to share their contact information and reinforced Symmetry’s commitment to professional growth.
Symmetry exceeded its expectations for recruiting contacts and used the booth experience to demonstrate its people-first culture. The activity also drew attention from other exhibitors and the conference video crew.
“The dance machine has been a big hit. The AANA video crew keeps coming by to capture the fun. It is great to see so many people kicking off their heels and jumping up to dance. We’ve made great connections and the whole show is talking about it.”
Drew Lanham
VP of Recruitment Operations, Symmetry Anesthesia
Symmetry’s experience shows how an event strategy can connect attendee interests with a specific business goal. For a recruiting-focused event, contacts collected are an initial measure of success. Follow-up conversations, qualified candidates, and eventual hires help establish the longer-term value of that investment.
Use the same approach when reviewing your own events. Assess audience fit, access, attendee motivation, and business goals, then pair that evaluation with outcomes and total event costs. That gives your team a stronger basis for deciding where to invest next.
Looking to connect your trade show strategy with your business goals? Contact Root3 to discuss your next event.
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