Six Tips to Maximize Your ACRP 2024 Expo Investment

At a conference or trade show, it’s up to you and your team to ensure your exhibition booth stands out and attendees feel encouraged to learn about your services. Your company can have a valuable product but if you don’t have ample opportunities to discuss it, your investment will not be maximized.

Here are six strategic ways to improve your exhibiting experience and create a favorable impression.

1: Determine Your Booth Goals

Setting a goal and knowing what you want to achieve with your booth is vital to maximizing your exhibiting experience. Everything that you do pre-show, during the show, and post-show should center around your booth goals.  

A few goals for companies that exhibit at conferences or trade shows include: 

• Boosting brand awareness 

• Generate sales leads 

• Strengthen existing client relationships 

• Build new relationships 

2: Show Attendees How You Can Help Them

At conferences, creating a strong first impression is crucial. From the design and structure of your booth to engaging staff and interactive displays, every detail has a role in alluring potential customers. Some attendees may not know who you are and the services you offer. That’s why it is important to take the time to plan your exhibit booth layout, graphics, and handouts. They should clearly illustrate your services and consistently communicate your unique selling points.

3: Prepare Your Staff

Don’t forget to plan ahead and prepare the team. Your staff should be approachable, friendly, and energetic. It’s important to step out into the aisle and gently engage with passersby—if you remain seated in your booth, attendees won’t feel encouraged to step inside and initiate a conversation.  

Before the conference, make sure your staff prepares a unique elevator pitch, practices answering potential questions, and remembers that attendees should not be approached aggressively. It will be helpful if your staff are aware of the ACRP Attendee Profiles to better understand the audience. 

When you’re onsite, ask open-ended questions like: What are you hoping to get out of the show? Are you familiar with our service/product? If you can learn about what they need, you can highlight specific product benefits and explain how it can be a solution for their challenges.  

Be sure to staff your booth during all Expo Hall hours so you don’t miss opportunities to meet with potential customers during the scheduled networking events, meals, and breaks. 

4: Create Positive Experiences

If you want to attract visitors, your booth should clearly express your brand and create a memorable experience. Use promotions—whether through interactive activities, entertainment, or giveaways—to draw attendees in. They will engage with you longer and remember you after the show ends. Giveaways that are relevant to the expo audience are another branding opportunity to capitalize on. 

Enticing attendees through interactive games, product demos, and touchscreen technology can increase booth traffic, create deeper opportunities for booth staff to converse with visitors, and drive more leads and sales.

5: Amplify Your Presence Via Social Media

The Association of Clinical Research Professionals has created a social media and marketing toolkit to help you amplify your presence before and during the conference. We encourage you to use the tools enclosed to help promote your #ACRP2024 participation. 

If you would like to engage with attendees beyond your booth, you may want to consider an ACRP 2024 Sponsorship Opportunity. 

6: Execute Your Follow-Up Plan

Plan how you’re going to follow up after ACRP 2024. You’re encouraged to use the lead retrieval system to capture your booth attendees. Be sure to add extra notes about each visitor as this additional information is very valuable. Things like, ‘interested in X and Y product’ or ‘wants pricing’ or ‘urgent lead, follow up with a call immediately’ can really help your sales team. They will know what you promised to execute a detailed and effective follow-up. It will also make a good impression on your prospects if you remember their needs and don’t have to answer the same questions again.

It’s good to set up a standard follow-up email to thank all attendees for visiting your booth. Make sure all are contacted soon after the show. They may need your products or services in the future or know someone else who does, so it’s important that you engage with every lead.

Careful planning, clear communication, and immediate follow-up are key to increasing your return on investment and maximizing your exhibiting experience.

ACRP 2024 Contacts

Exhibit & Sponsor Sales 
Tammy B. Myers, CEM 
+1.703.254.8112 
tammy.myers@acrpnet.org 

Exhibit & Sponsor Operations
Mark K. Lamont
+1.703.253.6272
mark.lamont@acrpnet.org