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Another Conference Sponsorship? Maximizing the Time, Talent and Financial Investment

Presenter: Brenda Stewart, President of Stewart Marketing & Consulting
Date: July 11, 2012

• Business Development and Marketing team members can add real value to staffing a booth. They can make warm introductions and often are the first to identify which contacts at the event are the best prospects for lawyers. When having a non-lawyer attend, make sure to have a lawyer on site to hand-off to once the initial introduction is made.
• Look for cross-selling opportunities that are outside of the main sponsorship topic, but that make sense. For example, most companies have employment-related legal needs.
• Lawyers will often schedule client meetings during exhibit hours which doesn't maximize your investment in the sponsorship. Encourage lawyers to schedule meetings outside of exhibit hours and create a schedule that everyone sticks to so there is no confusion as to who is staffing the booth.
• Document post-sponsorship follow-up so that you have an accurate measurement of the ROI to refer to when you are approached to renew. 

The Conference/Trade Show Checklist

Exhibit Space:

• Table skirt with firm logo
• Banner - floor model
• Plastic stands for brochures
• Plastic stands for business cards
• Promo items as "give-aways"
• Bowl of candy
• Sign in clear plastic picture frame announcing "drawing prize"
• Bowl to collect business cards

Preconference/Show Activities:

• Be sure everyone attending from your firm has a list of each other's cell phone numbers
• Review list of exhibitors and their locations
• Identify those relevant to your practice and visit them
• Finalize plans for entertaining clients or prospective clients
• Place order for any AV needs and other supplies from convention staff
• Arrange for extra space as needed - hospitality suite, etc.
• Ship firm materials and booth items to location

At the Show:

The Right Way:

• Set up table with easy access to drawing bowl and firm information
• Stand to the side or in front of the booth or table
• Be warm and inviting (approachable)
• Engage in conversation with attendees
• Get to know the exhibitors next to you
• Experience the show like they do - walk the floor to meet others and get new ideas
• Invite people to enter the drawing for the selected prize
• Get business cards - for drawing and development of relationships with potential clients
• Make notes on the back of business cards to help you remember specifics about the person and follow-up with activities
• Work as a team, engaging in conversation with everyone who approaches your booth
• Keep conversations short but include a follow up connection when appropriate

The Wrong Way:

• Over-crowd the table with too much collateral and other information
• Make it difficult to see or get to the drawing bowl
• Sit or stand behind your booth
• Work on computer or talk on cell phone during exhibit space hours - demonstrates indifference to being there
• Spend too much time with one person
• Have a "rigged" drawing for the door prize

Post Conference/ Show:

• Have attorney who attended contact winner of drawing (if not done on site)
• Try to take relationship to next level when appropriate
• Review collected business cards and flag those who are good connections
• Enter contact information into firm's CRM database
• Follow up with good connections no more than two business days after show
• Conduct debrief meeting with firm attendees and marketing department to assess overall value of event as compared to expectations

Please click here to view the presentation slides.