Client description: Global trade show management company

Practice area: Market Research and Analysis

Geographic scope: US and Europe

Industries involved: Chemical, Pharmaceutical

Services applied: Voice of the Customer; Competitive Intelligence, Brand Perception & Awareness

Business challenge: Tradeshows were experiencing a decline in exhibitors and attendees. Management company needed customer insights on how to increase attendance

Methodologies: In addition to buyer-exhibitor focus groups, Geo Strategy Partners conducted intercept IDIs at trade show premises and telephone IDI post trade show. Additional online surveys were sent out after trade show to test exhibitor and buyer attendance conditions.

The result: A full report with comprehensive findings, based exhibitor and buyer insights, identifying key reasons for lack of interest in attending, dislikes and what the ideal trade show would be. Competitor insights gathered suggested a dramatic change to tradeshow format and business model. Recommendations were made to client to take urgent actions on incorporating technological tools, better marketing, communication and educational offerings. Geo Strategy Partners assisted with the development of a new model that included a merger between North American and European shows and then tested this concept quantitatively.