STEP 1: Download Management & Measurement Tools

1. 16 Week Trade Show Planning Tool (Excel spreadsheet)
2. Exhibiting Cost Control Tool (Excel spreadsheet)
3. Exhibit & Financial Performance Metrics Tool (Excel spreadsheet)

STEP 2: Do 5 Strategic Planning Exercises at Target Dates

1. Define Your Outcomes – 13 weeks prior
2. Identify & Attract Your Ideal Visitor – 11 weeks prior
3. Managing Your Visitor’s Experience – 10  weeks prior
4. Lead Management – 8 weeks prior
5. Measure Your Performance & ROI -  6 weeks prior

STEP 3: Learn and Fill Knowledge Gaps by Watching On-Demand Webinars

How to Tackle the Top Challenges Facing Exhibitors Right Now

As trade shows fully re-open in the wake of the pandemic and inflation, what are the top concerns and challenges exhibitors are voicing right now?  Based on polling exhibitors in live webinars and conducting LinkedIn research, trade  show productivity expert Jefferson Davis is keeping the pulse on the top challenges exhibitors are voicing with regard to live expos. Watch this insightful webinar to learn practical strategies and techniques you can apply and pick up information from the VMX team to help you prepare for success at VMX 2024

Countdown to Exhibitor Success at VMX

What are the critical issues exhibitors need to be thinking about and acting on right now and in the coming weeks?  This will be the major question the VMX team and trade  show productivity expert Jefferson Davis will help you answer as you prepare for a productive and profitable exhibit.

VMX NEW Exhibitor Web-Briefing: How to Have a Positive and Productive Exhibiting Experience

*This webinar was recorded in 2018 prior to VMX 2019, but the information is still very relevant to your VMX 2024 exhibiting experience.

NAVC wants to make sure all new exhibiting companies have a positive and productive experience.  As part of our new exhibitor on-boarding program, we encourage all new exhibiting companies to view this informative educational web-briefing.  NAVC staff and trade show productivity expert, Jefferson Davis of Competitive Edge, share important show and attendee information, “ins and outs” of exhibiting at VMX, and useful knowledge and exhibiting tools and resources critical to your company’s exhibiting success.

Thrive Live: How to Re-Enter the Live Exhibiting Arena Better Than Ever Before

If your company did not exhibit at VMX 2022 or 2023's live event, chances are your exhibiting strategies may be a little rusty and could use a tune-up. Now is the perfect time for ALL exhibitors to re-evaluate, re-imagine and improve their exhibiting strategies with safety and improved productivity as top priorities.  In this strategic exhibitor educational session, 30+ year expo veteran and North America’s leading exhibiting productivity expert, Jefferson Davis of Competitive Edge, will introduce you to his Exhibit Marketing Process. This proven-effective process will help you assess your current/previous level of satisfaction and execution and identify specific areas to focus on as you prepare for VMX.

Improving Visibility & Driving Qualified Booth Traffic:  How to Attract Enough of the Right Attendees to Your VMX Exhibit

*This webinar was recorded in 2018 prior to VMX 2019, but the information is still very relevant to your VMX 2024 exhibiting experience.

Competition for attendees’ time in the exhibit hall is fierce.  The battle is won in the days and weeks leading up to show time. Today, no exhibitor of any size can afford to just show up and hope the right attendees find their exhibit.  Effectively pre-marketing your exhibit is a “must do” to build your brand and get your fair share of qualified booth traffic.  Preeminent trade show expert, Jefferson Davis of Competitive Edge, will walk you through an eight-step pre-show marketing planning process that will put your company “in the mind” and “on the agenda” of enough of the right VMX attendees.

Improving Trade Show Lead Management for Higher Sales Conversion

*This webinar was recorded in 2019 prior to VMX 2020, but the information is still very relevant to your VMX 2024 exhibiting experience.

“If exhibiting ROI is the name of your game, lead management is your playbook”, says leading trade show productivity expert, Jefferson Davis. Exhibit Survey’s Trade show Trend study reveals an alarming disconnect between exhibitor lead capture and attendee satisfaction with exhibitor follow-up.  Failure to effectively manage leads may negatively impact your company’s brand in the marketplace and may be quietly costing your company hundreds of thousands of dollars in unrealized sales revenue. View this highly-informative live webinar to learn insider secrets and best practices for quickly improving lead capture and follow-up practices to achieve better ROI for your company.

Inside YOUR Exhibiting Numbers:  Practical Metrics to Measure Exhibiting Performance, Value and ROI

*This webinar was recorded in 2019 prior to VMX 2020, but the information is still very relevant to your VMX 2024 exhibiting experience.

“It’s hard to improve what you don’t measure”, says Jefferson Davis, leading trade show productivity expert.  If you’re under pressure to justify your trade show spend and/or looking for ways to improve your performance, value and ROI, you will not want to miss this all new exhibitor webinar. You’ll learn easy-to-apply metrics you can use for your next show and receive a FRE measurement tool that will help you quickly apply the metrics for VMX.

How to Optimize Your VMX Virtual Expo Booth

A VMX Virtual Expo Booth is a powerful way to expand your company’s presence beyond the live exhibit floor, and give you a state-of-the-art booth that is accessible for prospects and customers 24/7/365. However, creating a virtual booth that captivates the attention of your target audience and compels them to visit and interact with your digital content requires careful thought. You must analyze each virtual booth component and make sure they are fully optimized to provide an interactive attendee experience that is worthy of their time. View this webinar to learn best practices to help you quickly and easily optimize your virtual booth.

Driving Traffic To and Successfully Working Your VMX Virtual Expo Booth

The old saying “build it and they will come” does not hold true in the virtual world. In this virtual exhibiting webinar, Mr. Davis and VMX staff will walk you through how to put together a targeted integrated marketing plan to drive the right people to your digital booth. Once they arrive, your staff must be ready to professionally interact, meet visitors’ information needs, and capture information rich leads with committed next action steps. This webinar will also address measuring performance and value.

STEP 4: Learn & Fill Knowledge Gaps by Reading Critical Success Tips & Topical White Papers

Planning:

1. NEW!  33 Ways to Save Money and Stretch Your Exhibiting Dollar
2. How to Prepare to Re-Enter the Live Exhibiting Arena Better Than Ever Before
3. Planning to Win: Exhibiting by Objectives
4. Improving Exhibiting Effectiveness E-Book
5. Glossary of Exhibiting Terms

Promoting Your Exhibit:

1. NEW!  Why Exhibitors Do Not Need to Be Worried About Potentially Reduced Attendance
2. NEW!  Why Pre-Marketing Your Participation is More Important Than Ever
3. The Most Overlooked Key to Exhibiting Success
4. Discover and Deliver Your Attendee-Focused Value Proposition
5. How to Rewrite Your Exhibitor Listing to Drive Booth Traffic
6. Making Sponsorships Support Business Objectives and Deliver Value
7. Integrating Social Media Into Your Exhibiting Program
8. High-Impact Pre-Show Marketing
9. Exhibiting Partner Toolkit

Virtual Exhibit

1. How to Drive Traffic to Your VMX Virtual Booth
2. How to Extend the Reach of Your Live Exhibit Through VMX Virtual Expo

Exhibit:

1. Planning for Staff & Visitor Safety In Your Booth
2. Booth Location Blues
3. 9 Steps to Stand Out and Be Remembered at Your Next Show
4. A Worthy Destination – How to Design a More Effective Exhibit

Staffing:

1. How Many Booth Staff Should You Have?
2. 27 Rules of Trade Show Attendee Engagement
3. Staffing for Success

Lead Management:

1. Lead Persistence – The Key to Trade Show Lead Conversion
2. CEIR Insight Report: How Exhibitors Can Improve Lead Quality and Sales Conversion
3. Improving Lead Quality by Asking the Right Questions and Capturing More Information
4. Closed-Loop Lead Management

Measurement:

1. 3 Important Questions Your Boss Might Ask You… Are you ready to answer?
2. Exhibit Measurement Made Easy

STEP 5.  Use the “Ask the Trade Show Experts” email Q&A

NAVC made special arrangements with Jefferson Davis, America’s leading exhibiting productivity expert. You can submit questions on any exhibiting topic. Mr. Davis and/or his team of trade show experts will respond personally within 24 hours. Submit your question now!