Show Evaluation Techniques

Find out how well your show did, and why

By Rayna Skolnik

"A show is a living thing " says Cathy Laieta, Group Show Director for National Expositions Company in New York City. "It must stay in touch with the changes in the marketplace, and be responsive to them." Laieta, who manages Lighting World and the Restaurant Hotel International Design Exposition & Conference, keeps her finger on the pulse of those living entities by surveying exhibitors both on-site and with a follow-up mailing. She also surveys attendees during seminars and with a post-show mailing. The information she obtains helps her to determine "if we met our objectives of creating an effective marketplace for exhibitors to do business, and for an exchange of ideas in our seminars."

Another view is offered by Daniel Weber, Director of Marketing/Meetings for the Institute of Food Technologists in Chicago. "The basis of all sales is market research," he says. "If a show is to produce sales for its exhibitors, you must know your exhibitors and your audience. That means you must do market research." Weber's research includes not only audience and exhibitor surveys, but also post-show meetings with his own staff.

Randy Black, meanwhile, says his number one concern is audience satisfaction. Black, Director of Sales and Marketing for the Toronto International Auto Show, explains, "We're not in the business of producing an auto show; we're in the business of presenting entertainment. We must get the audience that's looking for a car, and the audience that's looking for an event. And if we're to keep that audience, they must leave with the perception that their money was well spent." Thus, questions about attendees' perceptions are a major part of the exit interviews conducted at the auto show.

Why evaluate shows?
Evaluation is a key component of any marketing technique. No marketer worth his -- or her -- salt would run an ad campaign or a promotion, or try a new selling technique, without evaluating it to see if objectives were met, and what did and didn't work. Similarly, managers who recognize that shows are a marketing medium, and want them to be successful and rewarding for exhibitors and attendees alike, continually track their progress through both formal and informal techniques.

Skip Cox, Vice President of Exhibit Surveys in Red Bank, NJ, which is well into its third decade of conducting attendee and exhibitor surveys, points to several benefits of such surveys: "They document the quality of the audience. And that can help managers sell their shows, whether they're competing against other shows, or competing for the exhibitor's budget. Surveys can help to evaluate specific aspects of a show, revealing the strengths and weaknesses. And they can also be used to test ideas for future shows, such as a change in hours."

Savvy show managers recognize that the information gleaned from surveys can be invaluable in planning a show, selling it and upgrading it. J&D Expo Productions, Inc., for example, makes extensive use of the survey results from both its Travel Marketplace trade shows and its public ski shows.

Travel Marketplace exhibitors are travel suppliers such as hotels, airlines, cruise lines and tour operators; attendees are travel agents. Mitchell Keller, Vice President of Operations for the Canoga Park, CA, company, says that information from exhibitor surveys is used to determine everything from the cities and facilities used for the shows, to the location of food and beverage stands. Audience surveys track, among other things, agents' titles because "exhibitors want to know if we are attracting decision makers," Keller points out.

Attendee surveys at J&D's ski shows also yield valuable data. Within two weeks after each exposition, exhibitors receive a post-show report detailing final results, says Jeffrey Kaplan, Director of Sales and Marketing for J&D's Special Events and Services Division. In addition to copies of press releases that were issued and articles that appeared in print as a result of J&D's efforts, the report contains a comprehensive demographic analysis of the attendees, including age, gender, marital status, education and income levels, skiing interest and buying plans.

That analysis is intended to prove to exhibitors that the appropriate audience attended. But it is also used in teaser mailings for the next show, both to help J&D sell space and to help exhibitors gear their products to the appropriate audience.

Similarly, Joseph Maurer, President of Tower Conference Management Company in Glen Ellyn, IL, says that "much of the information from attendee surveys finds its way into the show prospectus." The prospectus for HazMat International '91, Tower's hazardous materials management show, indicates the percentage of attendees at the 1990 show that represented each of 11 basic industries, their job titles and what percentage were interested in each of the product categories represented at the show.

Weber, at IFT, uses exhibitor surveys to gauge reaction to planned or actual changes. For example, because he's considering an international expo, he just conducted a survey to determine exhibitors' interest in overseas markets. And the first time his show was held in McCormick Place, he did both pre- and post-show surveys to get exhibitors' opinions on Chicago and the labor situation. "It's important for exhibitors to know we care," he says. Fortunately, the results were positive: post-show perceptions were much higher than those on the way in.

Show managers also use survey results to give them leverage with exposition suppliers. According to Laieta, "If I get low grades on the facilities, I talk with the convention center about it."

Attendee feedback on the conference sessions is also important, and is often solicited on post-show surveys as well as on forms at the sessions themselves. "This is very useful information," says Maurer. "A number of people who are suggested by attendees wind up on our conference program."

What data do you need?
What kinds of information about attendees and exhibitors do you need, and can you get, to accomplish these desirable goals? Evaluating audience quality, company size and job title or classification are basic beginnings. Although that information is often on the registration form, Cox of Exhibit Surveys says, "We ask those same questions on our survey to see if our results are representative of the attendees." That's especially important as a check to ensure that on-site interviewers selected subjects correctly -- by badge designation, over the course of the show, and so on.

Cox also suggests asking about areas of interest, buying influence and buying plans. (See Asking the right questions.)

Managers of public shows, rather than asking about job title, need to know age, gender, marital status and educational level. "Buying influence" might translate into individual or household income. Purchases made, and buying plans are, of course, key indicators both for this group and for trade show attendees.

"We also recommend questions regarding audience activity," says Cox. "For example, the number of hours spent on the show floor each day gives a comparison with other shows, and also indicates the traffic density on the show floor.

"We ask about previous attendance to find out about the health of the show," he continues. "Repeat attendance can reveal the satisfaction level. And exhibitors must know if repeat attendance is high, because it means they must make their booths look different -- especially if the show is always held in the same city."

Other information show managers might find useful is how attendees found out about the show, to help evaluate publicity; how far they traveled, or what city or region they came from, to determine the geographic distribution of the audience; what they did or didn't like about the show, and what they'd like to see in the future -- including specific companies or product categories they'd like to see represented -- to determine the effectiveness of the show and get ideas for improvements.

Although an attendee survey documents the quality of the audience, it's also important to ask about exhibitors' perceptions of that quality. Cox points out that if there's a discrepancy between exhibitors' perceptions and the actual audience quality, "you must do something, perhaps in your promotion, such as sending them the facts. You also want feedback on the types of people exhibitors expect to see at the show. If there's not a match between who they expect and who they get, again, it's a real problem."

You might also ask exhibitors about their satisfaction with the show contractors and related services, their reasons for exhibiting -- you can use that information to sell the next show -- whether or not they intend to exhibit next time, and if so whether they plan to take more space, less or the same amount. Key questions on Laieta's survey are the number of leads produced, and what percentage of those leads represent new business -- information she uses to promote the show. Her survey asks exhibitors which magazines they advertise in, to determine what audiences are being targeted, and in what cities they would like to see future shows. "We even ask them about show hours, and shift them if necessary," she says.

How do you get it?
Some show managers consider formal, printed surveys unnecessary, which leads to the question of which methods work best for both audience and exhibitor surveys. A survey during the show or after it? By personal interview, a mailed questionnaire, a polling machine or by phone? Mail to everyone, or to a sample? Do it yourself, or hire an outside firm?

Several show managers prefer to survey exhibitors using the well-known technique of "management by walking around." According to Maurer, "Speaking with exhibitors is an important part of our evaluation process." There are about 600 booths at the HazMat show, and 15 or more Tower staff members on-site. Those people, and Maurer himself, "are out walking the aisles, getting exhibitors' impressions and evaluations. We ask what kind of people they're seeing, the level of people, and if the industry is in a buying mode or a wait-and-see mode. We ask about the quality of the audience -- their titles and buying authority, what exhibitors think of the number of people stopping by, about the set-up of the show, the courtesy of our own personnel and about their dealings with the various unions."

Maurer believes that "if managers are not hiding in the show office, if they're out on the floor, they know what's going on unless they're kidding themselves." Thus, he doesn't see the need to conduct formal exhibitor surveys on a regular basis. But he would do so "if we thought the magic was missing at the show and we needed something to spark it. Then we might send out a questionnaire because people might answer more frankly." A survey might also be necessary, he says, if the show is so big that you can't possibly talk to everyone.

Russell Flagg shares Maurer's opinion. "My shows are small enough so that I don't need to send out a survey," says Flagg, who is President of Flagg Management in New York City. The FTM/Financial Investment Management Exposition and Conference has 150 exhibitors, and "I just talk to them. The bellwethers are the people I try to talk to. Exhibitors are quick to tell me if the show was right on target or if there's something we didn't do."

Although Dan Weber uses exhibitor surveys to evaluate proposed or actual changes, he has not done one specifically for the expo in a couple of years. He maintains that it's not necessary because "our salespeople are in contact with exhibitors all the time, so we get that feedback." Show management also gets exhibitor comments at the annual booth assignment meeting. Those two channels are adequate says Weber. "We like to believe we have always responded to our exhibitors' interests." He offers as evidence his 95 percent exhibitor renewal rate.

Black meets with Toronto Auto Show exhibitors each year in what he calls "board room fashion," and uses that opportunity to get their input for improving the next show. He tried post-show surveys in the past, but found them to be an exercise in futility: "We'd be delighted if they sent in their deposits on time," he says, let alone return survey forms.

Acknowledging that problem, Laieta uses a fail-safe method: an on-site exhibitor survey plus a follow-up mailing. The survey, a business reply card with just over a dozen questions, is handed out at the show along with exhibitor bulletins. Exhibitors are asked to return the completed form during the show, which some people do, and there's a trickle of returns afterward. But some exhibitors lose the card; hence the follow-up mailing. That dual approach, plus the fact that the survey is short and easily completed, yields an 80 percent response, she says.

Telephone surveys are another option. Cox uses them principally for sales conversion information, and likes being able to probe if people resist giving the actual dollar volume of sales; the interviewer can ask the exhibitor to indicate a dollar range instead. And J&D, which mails surveys to all exhibitors after the Travel Marketplace shows, may follow up by phone with any exhibitors who have made negative comments.

Cox mentions several points to consider when choosing between on-site interviews and post-show mailings. "The main advantage of personal interviews is the turnaround time," he says. "You walk away from the show with the results. It also allows you to ask questions where probing is needed. But a mail survey is better if your questions require the person to have seen the whole show, or if you're asking how many hours they spent at the show. A mail survey can also be more detailed -- for a personal interview, you have to keep the list of questions pretty short. And mail is less expensive."

Most show managers seem to favor mail surveys. Maurer, for example, says that "after the show, you get a more objective, seasoned opinion." He mails to all attendees -- there were 7,467 at the last HazMat show -- and gets a 30 percent response if no premium is enclosed. But he can boost that to better than 50 percent with a premium -- usually a dollar bill. Most of the questions are multiple choice, which he says is the easiest, most efficient way to find out what he wants to know.

Weber's attendance survey this year was mailed to a sample of 1,000 attendees from the total 13,000. It, too, consisted almost entirely of multiple-choice questions. "The response rate is always above 25 percent," he says, "and can be as high as 50 percent."

Multiple-choice questions do result in greater responses and are also much easier to tabulate than open-ended questions. They should not be used, however, if they might bias the response. Open-ended questions are preferable for unaided recall, and for eliciting suggestions and comments.

Cash premiums and forms that are easy to complete increase the response. But it's important, too, to appeal to the interest that respondents have already demonstrated. Says Cox, "These are all people who took the time and spent the money to attend. They were interested, and we appeal to that in the cover letter." For example, the letter might include a statement like: "This survey will help show management provide you with the type of exhibits that you want to see in the future."

Another aid: personally address all letters, send them first class, and enclose a return envelope.

For a public show, mail surveys are not really an option. The numbers are enormous -- there were 229,000 audited attendees at the Toronto International Auto Show this year -- there is no registration list and attendees have little to gain by responding. Thus, the usual technique is on-site interviews.

But at J&D's three ski shows, attended by 15,000 to 40,000 people, management gets an astonishing 90 percent return of completed surveys asking for a name, address, and answers to 11 questions. What's the secret? The survey is on the reverse side of the admission ticket, so it has to be turned in. And only if the form is completed is the individual entered in a sweepstakes that offers a free ski vacation for two. A response level that high gives exhibitors an extremely accurate picture of the audience.

Do you need help?
Deciding whether to do a survey on your own or hire an outside company, depends partially on the complexity of the survey. Maurer, Laieta and Flagg each find it quite easy to handle their one-page surveys in-house.

But there is another consideration. Although Weber admits that they could do their own, he nevertheless prefers to use an outside company to conduct the research once he has prepared the questionnaire. The reason: "You need an outside firm for credibility. Not that we would cheat, but it would be viewed with a jaundiced eye." Moreover, the company he uses, Exhibit Surveys, is, he says, "the Cadillac in the industry."

If you do use an outside company, however, it's important to specify your requirements and have some idea of what the results should be. One manager spotted some "obvious errors" in the results of an on-site audience survey. In checking back, he learned that the questioners had done all the interviews on a single day, rather than over the course of the show, thus skewing the results.In addition to the mailed survey, Weber tried something new this vear -- "Point of View" polling machines placed near the show entrance -- which he calls a "rousing success." He walked away from the show with completed surveys from 2,600 of the 13,000 attendees, and within a week had received from the marketer of the machines a complete analysis of the data: responses to nine questions about the technical program.

One set of responses was especially useful. "We always have an industry speaker at the opening session," Weber says. "But the research shows that people want a motivational speaker -- and that would have been the farthest thing from my mind." Needless to say, next year's opening session will feature a motivational speaker.

Weber believes that the actual name of the survey encouraged participation. "People like to give their opinions," he says, so a sign above the machines announced the "IFT Opinion Poll."

But the design of the machine was also a factor, says Stratford Stepan, President of Viewpoint Systems in Denver, which markets Point of View. The simple plastic box with 10 "big, funky buttons" was designed to look "non-computer-y," he says. "We didn't want any instructions, anything that would stop people." So the non-intimidating sign above the machines reads simply, "To start, push 'On.'"

As much as managers can learn from exhibitors and attendees, they don't stop there. Flagg says that like other "enlightened show managers," he also stays close to editors and publishers in the field, to associations and their membership, and to industry leaders speaking at the conference, to find out what they think is happening and is important to the show. "This is perhaps the most critical thing I do."

And Weber looks close to home, with a post-show staff meeting at which everyone gives a formal report on their activity, and what could be done better.

As Maurer says, "There's always something in which you can make adjustments." And that constant adjusting, upgrading and fine-tuning, to produce the best possible show, is what it's all about.