Step 1. GET CONTROL: Download FREE Planning & Management Tools

Use our free and proven-effective tools to plan and manage your exhibit program, control your costs, and measure your performance, value and ROI.

• 16 Week Trade Show Planning & Management TOOL (Excel Spreadsheet)
• Exhibit Budgeting & Cost Control TOOL (Excel Spreadsheet)
• Exhibiting & Financial Performance Metrics TOOL (Excel Spreadsheet)

Step 2. PLAN TO WIN: Complete Strategic Planning Exercises at Target Time Frames

The five strategic planning exercises below are proven to help position your exhibit program for optimum performance and results. Gather your exhibit team, block 90 minutes, and complete each exercise on or around the target dates before the show.

• Define Your Outcomes – 16 weeks prior to the show
• Identify and Attract Your Ideal Visitors - 12 weeks prior to the show
• Manage Your Visitor Experience - 10 weeks prior to the show
• Manage Your Leads - 6 to 8 weeks prior to the show
• Measure Your Performance, Results & ROI - 4 weeks prior & update after the show

Step 3. WATCH & LEARN: Topical Webinars Help You Address Critical Success Factors  

Gather your team and watch these in-depth educational webinars on/or around the target dates.

NEW: Countdown to Exhibitor Success at CattleCon REGISTER NOW!
Thursday, December 12, 2024               2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Eastern
With just 8 weeks to go until CattleCon, what are the critical success factors you should be thinking about and acting on right now and over the coming weeks?  This will be the major question the NCBA team and tradeshow productivity expert Jefferson Davis will help you answer as you prepare for more a productive and profitable exhibiting experience. 

How to Increase Brand Awareness, Lead Quantity and Quality at CattleCon
Thursday, October 3, 2024            2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Eastern
The CattleCon post-show exhibitor survey found that brand awareness and lead generation are the top two reasons why companies at exhibit at CattleCon. It also found that exhibitor satisfaction in both of these areas shows room for improvement.

How to Tackle the Top Challenges Facing Exhibitors Right Now 
Recorded: November 2022            Length: 60 mins.          View by Date: 24 weeks before the show
Purpose: To help exhibitors address increased costs of exhibiting, better plan to get more value, drive booth traffic and measure results. 

Inside the Exhibiting Numbers: Budgeting, Managing Costs, Measuring & Reporting Exhibiting Performance, Value & ROI
Recorded: January 2018          Length: 45 mins.          View by Date: 16 weeks before the show
Purpose: To teach exhibitors the what, why, and how of controlling costs and measuring exhibiting performance, value and ROI, so they can cost-justify, achieve and report exhibiting ROI.

How to Make YOUR NCBA Exhibit Stand Out from the Crowd
Recorded: October 2019            Length: 45 mins.          View by Date: 14 weeks before the show
Purpose: To teach exhibitors through a visual journey about the key principles of how to create an exhibit that grabs attention, communicates clear messaging, encourages attendees to stop and engage and generates more qualified leads.

Building Brand Awareness & Driving Qualified NCBA Booth Traffic
Recorded: November 2016         Length: 45 mins.       View by Date:  12 weeks before the show
Purpose: To teach exhibitors the why’s of pre-marketing their exhibit and provide direction for development and execution of an integrated pre/at-show marketing plan to drive more attendees to their NCBA exhibit.

Integrating Social Media Into Your Exhibit Program
Recorded: November 2019             Length: 45 mins.        View by Date: 10 weeks before the show
Purpose: Social media can be an extremely effective media for building your brand, engaging attendees and driving qualified booth traffic. However, research finds most exhibitors are not taking full advantage of this powerful and free marketing opportunity.  View this educational webinar to see the latest research on exhibitor social media practices and learn best tradeshow practices for using Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram more effectively.   

Secrets of the Aisles: Interaction Skills Every Booth Staffer Needs to Know
Recorded: December 2017        Length: 45 mins.         View by Date: 8 weeks before the show
Purpose: To provide exhibitors with an online exhibit staff training session to help them prepare their staff for peak performance.

Improving Tradeshow Lead Management for Higher Sales Conversion
Recorded: November 2019            Length: 45 mins.         View by Date: 6 weeks before the show
Purpose:  To get exhibitors to focus on the connection between lead management and exhibiting ROI and provide direction for improving their lead management process.

Step 4.  READ FOR MORE: Topical articles provide more insights and ideas 

How-To Exhibiting Article Series Quick-read, informative and loaded with useful information and practical knowledge. Our exhibiting success article series addresses the critical topics important to your success as an exhibitor today. Just click the topic below and start reading. Be sure to forward to your entire exhibiting team.

PLANNING & COST CONTROL 

• What Role Should Show Location Play in Your Decision to Exhibit?
• Booth Location Blues
• The Most Overlooked Key to Exhibiting Success
• Planning to Win: Exhibiting by Objectives/How to Set Achievable Exhibiting Goals
• Exhibiting Cost Control
• 32 Ways to Save Money

DESIGNING YOUR EXHIBIT & VISITOR EXPERIENCE

• 9 Steps to Standout & Be Remembered 
• So Why Should an Attendee Visit Your Booth
• CattleCon 2024 Best of Show Winners Report
• CattleCon 2024 Standout Exhibits Report
  

PROMOTING YOUR PARTICIPATION

• How to Use Event Marketing Sponsorships to Support Business Objectives and Deliver Value
• The Single Most Important Factor Impacting Exhibiting ROI - Pre-Show Marketing
• Discover & Deliver Your Attendee-Focused Value Proposition
• How to Rewrite your Exhibitor Listing to Drive Booth Traffic
• High-Impact Pre-show Marketing – How to Identify and Attract Enough of the Right Attendees to Your Exhibit 
  

PREPARING YOUR STAFF

• Conducting an Effective Pre-Show Staff Meeting 
• Staffing for Success
• Rules of Engagement, Win at Exhibiting

MANAGING YOUR LEADS

• CEIR Industry Insight Report: How Exhibitors Can Improve Lead Quality and Sales Conversion
• Preparing for Lead Follow-up Before the Show
• How to Capture Higher Quality Leads by Customizing Your Lead Capture Device
• Improving Trade Show Lead Management

Measuring Your Performance, Value & ROI

• Two Key Outcomes Your Exhibit Program Should Deliver
• Exhibit Measurement Made Easy – How to Measure Exhibiting Results and Return on Investment 

View the reports  

View all standout reports, Best of Show reports, and webinar recordings on the Exhibitor Communications page.

Step 5. CONNECT & ASK: Join LinkedIn exhibitor group/Ask Trade show Experts  

NCBA has set-up a LinkedIn group for you and your staff to connect and make arrangements with tradeshow productivity expert, Jefferson Davis and his team of CTSM experts, to answer any exhibiting productivity questions you may have. Please take advantage of these free resources to get quick answers to your most pressing questions and challenges.  Email your questions to [email protected]