Exhibitor Success Guide

AFP 2023 is your opportunity to find new leads, power your brand and propel your business. We've provided resources and suggestions to help you have an impactful presence and meet your goals.

Before AFP 2023
During AFP 2023
After AFP 2023

BEST FOOT FORWARD: BEFORE THE SHOW

Set Goals

You’ll want to start by identifying your goals for the show: Why are you attending AFP 2023? Here are a few examples:

Hold x number of demos
Generate x number of new leads
Meet with x number of current partners or clients

Insider Tip: A main objective for AFP 2023 Attendees is education, so building this into your strategy is essential.

Create a Marketing Plan

Establish a marketing plan to ensure traffic at your booth: “76% of attendees arrive with an agenda of exhibitors they plan to visit.”

Announce your attendance to current and prospective clients, and share what they can learn or experience at your booth. Over 200 exhibitors will be there, so make sure attendees know your booth number and where you’ll be on the floor.

Schedule as many meetings as you can. Many attendees view this event as an opportunity to meet with current clients and research new products and services.

Utilize the AFP 2023 pre-event attendee list. Reach out to your current and prospective clients who are attending and schedule check-ins.
Remember to be strategic about who from your team is reaching out to attendees. You don’t want multiple people from your company reaching out to the same person.

Determine how you'll engage with attendees. It takes a little work to get attendees to check out your company. Create some buzz to draw them to your booth. Here are some ideas:

Have a fun activation or raffle drawing for any attendees who visit your booth.
Give a gift card to attendees who schedule a meeting.
Post on social media using the #AFP2023 hashtag and announce a contest or unique giveaway during the event.
Utilize AFP advertising opportunities to amplify your message.
Check the pre-conference attendee list; if you have these contacts in your database, email out a special message or offer

Plan your follow-up strategy. How will you connect with attendees after AFP 2023 - social media connection, email, phone call? Pre-planning can help you dive right in after the event.

Make a Communication Plan

Who will be working your booth? Choosing the right person is crucial; it may be the first and last time your company makes an impression on a potential customer.

Focus on a few key items so attendees aren’t overwhelmed. It’s better to promote three key concepts multiple times rather than introduce 10 different concepts and only cover them once.

Never send someone in “cold". Plan time before the conference to conduct a run-through that incorporates training on interaction skills, products, offers and lead capture.

Test your pitches on other coworkers; assess what areas feel comfortable or uncomfortable for you to remember — are you running long? are you demonstrating any unconscious body ticks or word fillers (e.g., um, ah) that could be distracting?

MAKING A GOOD IMPRESSION: DURING THE SHOW

Implement that strategy! You've already schedule meetings and created a few booth drivers. Put that planning to work.

Make sure your team is actively engaging attendees - verbally and non-verbally.

Do: Smile and greet attendees, use open body posture, look helpful.
Don’t: Sit, text or eat — these all make you look preoccupied. If you need a break, head somewhere else for a few minutes.

Be prepared with knowledgeable staff to answer any questions and product literature and information attendees an take with them.

MEASURE YOUR SUCCESS: AFTER THE SHOW

Follow up! You made a good impression in person, but AFP 2023 has thousands of attendees. Turn that good impression into a lasting one and connect with people you met onsite as soon as you arrive home.

Break down your performance. When assessing how your plan and execution went, it’s best to break down the assessment into two categories: qualitative and quantitative.

Quantitative: Begin looking at the number of leads and sales that occurred.
Qualitative: Go back through the notes you took during the show and start assessing what went well, what went just okay, or where you need improvement.

Execute your post-show, follow-up strategy (we touched on this above!). Connecting quickly and following up on a conversation in a timely manner is crucial, especially since the speed of response has been proven to impact conversion rate.

When connecting on social media, don't just "connect,” reach out with a personal message to refresh their memory of your exchange and establish a bridge of communication.

Maintaining relationships is key to success. If a lead does not buy on your first sell, don’t end the relationship. A great way of thinking about maintaining relationships is, "Be there when the buyer is ready to buy, not just when you’re ready to sell!"