Tradeshows remain invaluable opportunities for MedTech and medical device companies to showcase innovation and expertise while building connections with prospects, leads, and clients. But to maximize impact, navigating these events requires a strategic approach. Here are our key strategies to ensure that your participation in tradeshows is not a mere appearance, but a powerful statement of your brand’s commitment to advancement and excellence.
Pre-Event Planning
Strategic pre-event planning is the foundation of a successful trade show strategy. It is crucial to define a clear objective (or objectives), whether it be demoing cutting-edge products, strengthening brand visibility, or generating new leads. You should also leverage targeted pre-event marketing across platforms frequented by your B2B audience, such as LinkedIn. This can be especially fruitful if the event or event host has an established LinkedIn group, as LinkedIn allows targeting to users based on group membership. Utilize paid and organic social media posts, email campaigns, and optimized website content to generate anticipation and to draw attendees to your booth.
Booth Presence and Engagement
At the conference, your booth allows you to quickly showcase who you are, who you help, and how you operate. An effective booth makes a stellar first impression and draws people in to learn more, so be sure to design a booth that aligns with your brand and your offerings. Consider implementing interactive elements (live product demonstrations, augmented reality showcases, hands-on experiences, etc.) in order to capture attention and to show visitors the tangible impact of your solutions.
Team Training and Lead Management
Everyone in your booth should be well-versed in the technical details of your products and capable of articulating your value propositions convincingly. Equip your team with content that will help them tell your story, such as videos and hand-outs.
A picture is worth 1,000 words – have team members take photos of the booth and of each other at the event. Provide coaching in advance on how to stage the photos and who to include (or not include) so that the photos can be shared on social media or used in other materials.
Plan ahead on how you will capture the contact information of anyone who visits your booth, whether it’s by using provided technology (i.e. scanning visitors’ badges), or by designating someone in the booth to document this information manually. This will lay the groundwork for meaningful post-event follow-up and lead-nurturing.
Post-Event Actions and Evaluation
The last day of a tradeshow is not a finish line, but rather a launchpad for post-event actions. Swift and personalized follow-ups with leads are imperative. Coordinate with your sales team before the event to determine who will follow up with whom and when. Utilize automated email sends to scanned-leads to fill in communication gaps and/or to warm up new leads before direct sales follow-ups. When possible, tailor your communications to address specific pain points or queries raised during the event.
Beyond immediate follow-up, conduct a review of your canvassing efforts and their return. Measure your promotional tactics by looking at things like engagement and clicks, visits to event landing pages, and requests to schedule 1:1 meetings. Gauging overall event success may include assessing key metrics like lead quality, deals closed, and brand resonance. Marketers should also look to gather insights from attending team members to refine strategies for upcoming events, ensuring continuous improvement in your approach to tradeshows.
Making the Most of Your Tradeshow Presence
For MedTech and medical device companies, trade shows can be pivotal opportunities to elevate brand visibility, connect with new prospects, and drive innovation. By embracing a strategic approach that encompasses pre-event planning, booth engagement, team readiness, and post-event actions, marketers can pave the way for impactful tradeshow experiences.
