Exhibitor Success & ROI Center
IAAPA’s Exhibitor Success & ROI Center is your FREE, on-demand, 24/7 exhibiting knowledge resource. You’ll find expert guidance to help you make sure every dollar and every hour you invest in exhibiting at IAAPA
supports your core business objectives and delivers measurable, financial value beyond cost.
Follow this proven-effective 5-step exhibitor success program to revitalize your exhibiting experience.

STEP 1. Download FREE Planning, Cost Control & Measurement Tools:
1. Tradeshow Planning & Productivity Management Tool
2. Exhibit Budgeting & Cost Control Tool
3. Exhibit & Financial Performance Metrics Tool

STEP 2. Complete 5 Strategic Planning Exercises at Target Timeframes:
1. Define Your Outcomes – 16 weeks prior
2. Identify & Attract Your Ideal Visitors – 12 weeks prior
3. Manage Your Visitor’s Experience – 10 weeks prior
4. Manage Your Leads – 8 weeks prior
5. Measure Your Performance & ROI - 6 weeks prior and update after show

STEP 3. Watch, Learn and Succeed With Live and On-Demand Webinars.
- ON-DEMAND WEBINAR: Re-evaluate your Exhibiting Program to Improve Your ROI
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Click here to listen to the webinar recording from 16 May 2023.
Are you ready to make strategic improvements to your exhibiting program to deliver a better value and a return on your investment? We know you invest a lot of time and money into exhibiting, and with increased costs and more pressures from senior leadership to improve your ROI, we invite you to join tradeshow productivity expert, Jefferson Davis, for a high impact session to help you re-evaluate your exhibiting program to deliver better results.
Topics include:
- Two outcomes senior management want from your exhibiting program
- How to align your exhibiting objectives with your corporate objectives
- Moving from reasons to well defined exhibiting outcomes
- Managing and benchmarking your exhibiting spend
- Defining your ideal visitor profile
- Guiding salespeople, dealers or distributors on helping generate high-quality booth traffic
- Getting more value from event sponsorships
- How to get more bang for your buck with your hanging signage
- The importance of exhibit navigation
- How to improve the impact of your in-booth presentations or demonstrations
- How to prepare your booth staff for peak performance
- Managing hospitality events for greater impact
- Improving lead quality and sales conversion
- How to measure exhibiting performance, value, and ROI…Even if you cannot close the loop on leads and trace sales back to your exhibiting program.
Target audience: Experienced exhibiting companies, companies with large booths.
Speaker:
Jefferson Davis, Competitive Edge
The company was founded in 1991 in San Bruno, CA by Jefferson Davis. From 1985 through 1990, Jefferson exhibited at over 200 tradeshows. In 1988, he began an intensive study on how to make tradeshows more productive and profitable by assembling the complete body of accessible exhibiting knowledge that existed. In 1991, he wrote his first seminar “The Seven Secrets of Successful Tradeshow Selling” and marketed it to tradeshow organizers as a way to help exhibitors get better results.Since 1991, Competitive Edge has become the most prolific and successful exhibitor educational and training firm in North America. Competitive Edge’s exhibitor educational programs have been delivered to over 270 association and for-profit show organizers, including over 50 of the TSNN Top 250 Tradeshows.
- ON-DEMAND WEBINAR: Handy Tips and How To's for First Time Exhibitors at IAAPA Expo Europe 2023
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Click here to listen to the webinar recording from 20 June 2023.
Are you a first-time exhibitor at IAAPA Expo Europe 2023 in Vienna? Or perhaps you want to learn more about the practical side of exhibiting at IAAPA Expo Europe? Join the IAAPA team for this dedicated webinar.
- ON-DEMAND WEBINAR: Get Your Fair Share of Traffic and Improve Your ROI
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Click here to listen to the webinar recording from 18 July 2023.
Download the participant workbook here.
Don’t get lost in the crowd! Make sure each element of your exhibiting program is well-designed, well-executed, and will generate value and a return on your investment. You may not have a large budget, and you don’t haven’t to. Join tradeshow productivity expert, Jefferson Davis, to help you re-evaluate your exhibiting program to make changes and improvements designed to deliver better value and results!
Topics include:
- Why small does not have to mean second rate
- How to use formulas to set clearly defined exhibiting outcomes
- How to make your small booth standout in a large exhibit hall
- Why pre- and at show marketing are critical for smaller booths and how to improve the effectiveness of your marketing efforts
- How to increase your footprint and imprint by partnering with other exhibitors
- Keys to effectively designing a small booth
- How to turn your booth staff into a competitive advantage
- How to improve lead quality and sales conversion
Target audience: First time exhibitors, companies that don't exhibit frequently, exhibitors with smaller booths and budgets.
Speakers:
Jefferson Davis, Competitive Edge
The company was founded in 1991 in San Bruno, CA by Jefferson Davis. From 1985 through 1990, Jefferson exhibited at over 200 tradeshows. In 1988, he began an intensive study on how to make tradeshows more productive and profitable by assembling the complete body of accessible exhibiting knowledge that existed. In 1991, he wrote his first seminar “The Seven Secrets of Successful Tradeshow Selling” and marketed it to tradeshow organizers as a way to help exhibitors get better results.Since 1991, Competitive Edge has become the most prolific and successful exhibitor educational and training firm in North America. Competitive Edge’s exhibitor educational programs have been delivered to over 270 association and for-profit show organizers, including over 50 of the TSNN Top 250 Tradeshows.
Nicole Hutchinson, Strategic Exhibitor Services Manager, Convention Data Services
Nicole has over 22 years’ experience working with exhibitors to perfect the event experience. Nicole is recognized as a leader in her field, with superior interpersonal communication and customer service skills resulting in positive relationships with staff, clients, and colleagues at all organizational levels. She has worked in many areas of the tradeshow industry including registration, marketing, logistics, and exhibitor lead retrieval. She works closely with many of CDS’ clients and uses her strong communication skills to develop relationships with their exhibiting companies.
- ON-DEMAND WEBINAR: How To Successfully Prepare to Exhibit at IAAPA Expo
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Click here to listen to the webinar recording from 22 Aug 2023.
Make the most of your exhibit investment! The show floor is where key decision-makers and senior industry leaders come together to source the latest products and services to move their business forward. To tap into these qualified leads there is significant pre-planning and preparation. Join us for the live presentation to learn from our experts on how to make planning for IAAPA Expo an effortless process.
Webinar Topics Include:
Important Planning Tools
- How to use the Exhibitor Services Guide
- What all exhibitors must submit
- Booth display guidelines
- Official vendors and Exhibitor Appointed Contractors
- Delivering Your Materials to the Expo
What is material handling
- New per pound pricing
- What can be hand-carried
- Registration, Tracking Leads, and Inviting Guests to Attend
New features of the exhibitor registration site
- How to invite customers and prospects to attend for free
- Feathr referral program
- Lead Retrieval services
Ways to Make Your Company Stand Out from the Rest
- Exhibitor Awards
- Sponsorship and Advertising
- Exhibitor Success & ROI Center
- Connect+
- Media Exposure
Speakers:
Stacey Mills, CMP, CEM
Senior Director of Conference & Trade Show Operations
IAAPA North AmericaErica L. Musick, CEM, CMP, DES
Client Solutions Director
FreemanAnita Bertmeyer
Registration Manager
Convention Data Systems (CDS) - ON-DEMAND WEBINAR: Leveraging IAAPA Connect+ to Enhance Your Exhibiting Experience
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Click here to watch the recorded webinar from Aug. 31.
Learn to leverage the tools within IAAPA Connect+, the official mobile app and digital platform for IAAPA Expos, to maximize your event experience. This webinar will guide you through the essential features of the app, equipping you with the tools you need to connect virtually with potential buyers, showcase your brand and customize your profile, export valuable data, and more. Plus, learn more about IAAPA’s new Hosted Buyer Program and the benefits to your business.
Webinar Topics Include:
- Learn about IAAPA Connect+ and how it can enhance your Expo experience.
- Get an overview of the mobile app.
- Learn how to set up your personal profile, your company profile, and connect with attendees and potential buyers.
- Learn to export data that will help you continue connecting with buyers all year long.
- Hear about IAAPA’s new Hosted Buyer Program and the benefits for you.
Speakers:
Alice Mathu
Vice President Business Development and Partnerships
IAAPAAndrea Di Benedetto
Team Lead North America
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STEP 4. READ & LEARN: Topical Articles Provide Additional Insights and Ideas:
Plan for Success:
- How to Prepare to Re-Enter Live Exhibiting Better Than Before
- Two Important Outcomes Your Exhibit Should Deliver
- Plan to Win: Exhibiting by Objectives
Promote Your Participation:
- Ensuring Your Exhibit Gets Enough Traffic, Even if Attendance is Down a Little
- Discover & Deliver Your Attendee-Focused Value Proposition
- How to Rewrite Your Exhibitor Listing to Drive Booth Traffic
- High Impact Pre-Show Marketing
- Making Sponsorships Support Business Objectives and Deliver More Value
Create an Effective Exhibit:
- Planning for Staff and Visitor Safety in Your Booth
- So Why Should an Attendee Visit YOUR Booth?
- A Worthy Destination – How to Design a More Effective Booth
Prepare Your Staff:
- Preparing Your Staff for Interacting With Visitors in the Wake of a Pandemic
- How Many People Should Staff Your Booth?
- Staffing for Success
- Tradeshow Attendee Rules of Engagement
Manage Your Leads:
- CEIR Insight Report: How Exhibitors Can Improve Lead Quality & Sales Conversion
- Improving Lead Quality by Asking the Right Questions and Capturing More Information
- Closed-Loop Lead Management
Measure Your Performance & ROI:

STEP 5. ASK Our Team of Tradeshow Experts - Free Q&A
IAAPA has made special arrangements with tradeshow productivity expert, Jefferson Davis of Competitive Edge, to answer any exhibiting questions you have. This is a free service to get quick expert answers to your most pressing productivity questions and challenges. Submit your question now!