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Making your survey a success

Post-show surveys can be a highly effective method for evaluating your performance at a show. Industrial Systems used a post-show survey to measure the memorability of its product/marketing messages and to determine why visitors stopped at its booth at the Instrument Society of America show. The company received an impressive 54 percent response. Here are some tips for ensuring a high response rate.

Keep the survey short. Industrial Systems limited the length of its survey to a page (one side only).
Offer an incentive for completing the survey. Industrial Systems promised respondents a "surprise gift" (a mouse pad).
Include a postage-paid, pre-addressed envelope as well as a fax number to make it easy to respond.

No time for market research?

Unless you work for a huge company with lots of resources, the only way to make market research work for you is to keep it manageable. Start small. Take small projects and complete them successfully. Try to find out one or two specific things about your customers at each trade show. Or, learn everything you can about one industry segment your company wants to target. Focus. Decide on a focus and stick with it. Brainstorm with the sales department to pick the focus. Hire students. If you really can’t find the time, call the marketing department of your local university. Many have students who’ll do research to fulfill internship requirements.

Using mentors

They say the best education is experience. Unfortunately, this takes time, which is something a lot of exhibit managers don’t have. Often exhibit managers struggle on their own to learn new tasks when they could be benefiting from the experience of others. Next time you’re given an unfamiliar new task (such as budgeting for a multidivisional show or planning for an international show), try to find a peer mentor. Some places to look for mentors: industry shows, associations, even trade publications. Most people are more than willing to help (and often very flattered to be asked).