The Postmortem

It really isn't as final as it sounds. But it is one of the final things you do after you return from a show.

You need to look back and assess the show so you have some lessons learned for future shows.

The basic elements of a postmortem to consider are:

1. Call a meeting of key participants in the process: the marketing manager, the sales manager, the key tech guy, possibly your exhibit supplier.
2. Make it a one-hour meeting.
3. Plan on reporting performance (expenses versus plan, lead count, key events)
4. Before the meeting (which should be within a week of the ending of the show; no more than two weeks), set an agenda and ask some key questions, including:

• What worked?
• What didn't?
• Would you go again?
• Did you meet any key customers?

Roll this up at the end of the meeting with action items (if any) for the participants.

Apply the lessons to the next show on the schedule or the next year's show.

TTSG

Starting the Postmortem Discussion

It starts at the show--usually during set up: the "what-worked-what didn't" list.

This list is comprised of the items that you need to improve or fix but also the things that did work. For example, on the NACS show we are in the midst of today, there are a number of fixes we had to make on show site, but there are long-term things, too. I have three categories of fixes:

• Immediate
• Must-have when we return
• Nice-to-have when we return

Immediate are things like lights, broken or damaged things that can be fixed on site that impair demos or keep business from being conducted. A broken monitor, missing panel or damaged carpet.

Must haves are similar but can't be fixed on site, but need to be repaired for long-term use of the exhibit. Think a door that doesn't have to be used.

In the nice-to-have category are things like: can this counter be higher? do we need that structure? Customer interaction would improve if we had an enclosed conference room or storage needs to be added.

And don't just limit it to exhibit structural things. Consider strategic ideas as well as tactical considerations.

At any rate, start the list now and complete it by the end of the show. At your postmortem meeting, you'll have a talking paper.

What's that? What's a postmortem meeting? We'll talk about that in another post.

TTSG

After the show

The real work begins when the show closes. Yes, the exhibit has to be torn down, packed and shipped back to wherever it is stored. But there are a number of things that must be attended to besides the crates and equipment:

1. Be sure to collect and pay all bills associated with the show in a timely fashion.
2. Collect and followup all leads from the show.
3. Debrief the staff and brief management on what worked and what didn’t work with regard to execution of the show.

Bills. We don’t like to hear that word in our personal lives, but it is a reality. If all of your purchase orders and pre-show estimates are in place, paying the bills should be fairly easy. If you didn’t do any planning, however, this could be tough. However, I’m sure you prepared. It is good to make sure your exhibit house and all of your service providers are paid in a timely fashion (chances are you paid in advance with either a credit card or check, so you’ll just be dealing with overages at this point). Suppliers who are paid on time are happy suppliers.

Leads. Isn’t this why you went to the show in the first place? If you used an electronic lead device, make sure you turn it in on time and get the download (usually either a disk or USB drive). How you process leads internally depends on what your organization has in place: do you have a central data base that these data need to be integrated into? Or is it you (as the trade show manager) who has to follow up with calls or distribute the leads to the sales force? Whatever you do, don’t forget these important links to the customers you worked so hard to find at the show.

Debriefings. Postmortems or post-show reviews always should be done, even in the smallest of organizations. Poll your booth staff and executives (or anyone else who attended the show from your organization) and get their comments. Circulate a questionnaire if need be. Ask your suppliers what worked and what didn’t with them. Get your own thoughts down while they are still fresh. Then use it all to explain to management how the show went and how they profited from their marketing expenditure. Use this report and data collection to help you plan next year’s show and the rest of the program.

TTSG