You always get better results at a trade show when working with an experienced trade show company. But how do you know those results will actually help your business? Here are four metrics you should think about measuring to see whether your trade show venture was a success.

Costs Per Lead

One of the most important metrics you can use to evaluate a trade show’s success is your cost per lead. This is just some basic math. Evaluate how many leads you feel are solid or successful, and divide that by the expense you invested in your trade show. This will give you an approximate idea of where you stand.

Sales Conversion Rate

This is another metric that you can only apply after some time. How many of the solid leads generated from a trade show eventually resulted in sales or other signs of success? The CPL and the SCR form the basis for deciding whether or not you’re getting a decent return on investment for what you spend on a trade show company and the trade show itself.

Return On Investment

This is, for many, the final arbiter of the success of a trade show. In the simplest terms, it’s a comparison of the cost of the trade show itself versus the amount of business you feel can be attributed to your participation in a trade show. Obviously, if you generated a lot of solid leads, and those resulted in a significant bump in products or services sold, you can safely say a trade show was a success. However, calculating your ROI combined with more exact metrics like CPL and SCR can help you to be smarter about how your money was made, where it was spent, and how to invest in the future.

Estimated Revenue & Projected Business Value

Sometimes referred to as the PBV, this is a forward-thinking metric that looks at the numbers you currently have and uses them to extrapolate future revenue and goals reasonably. The best way to enjoy today’s success is to bankroll it for future endeavors strategically. Being smart about your PBV means that you can actually plan for the future with a solid management and financial structure. All of this helps you to make decisions because those decisions follow a consistent plan. PBV is a great way to take your goals and distill them into numbers that can be reasonably formulated into future plans.

If you want to work with an experienced trade show company, contact Lighthouse Exhibits. We can help.