The Value of Exhibiting at NAMM Trade Shows

| September 23, 2009

NAMM recently put together a white paper to assist Members in evaluating the benefits of trade show exhibiting. After researching numbers, surveys and feedback from Members themselves, NAMM posted the report, "The Decision to Exhibit," online. From that paper, here are some facts to consider:

• The cost of making a first face-to-face contact with a potential customer cost $215 with an exhibition lead, compared with $1,039 without one. These show visitors present many opportunities to capture qualified leads without the cost of contacting and identifying a prospect.
  
  
• The cost of a closing sale takes into account the above-mentioned cost of making contact and adds the cost of calls, totaling $2,307 to close a sale with an exhibition lead—$795 less than without a lead, which on average totals $3,102 to close a sale.
  
  
• 67% of respondents agree or strongly agree that exhibitions increase corporate and/or brand recognition.
  
  
• 63% agree or strongly agree that exhibitions help in gaining or retaining market share. 
  
  
• 66% agree or strongly agree that fewer sales calls are need to close a sale with an exhibition lead because of the buyer’s face-to-face meeting with staff at the exhibition. 
  
  
• 68% agree or strongly agree that fewer sales calls are necessary to close a sale with an exhibition lead because they have seen the product on the exhibit floor. 
  
  
• 54% of sales that started with a lead from an exhibition are closed after three or fewer sales calls, as opposed to 61% without an exhibition lead that require more than three sales calls to close.  
  

In addition, Trade Show Magazine supports this data in the September issue article titled “CEIR: Exhibitors Save on Closing Costs with Leads Generated from Exhibitions.” Take a look at this article to see their thoughts on the value of trade shows.