Page 81 - Lighting Magazine December 2017

“The smaller venues that the regional events are hosted in provide us with a be er opportunity to make direct speci er contact.
In addition, our agents tend to be more motivated to bring clients to see their manufacturers due to the locale. Shows such as LEDucation are especially preferable as the format places all manufacturers
on an equal playing eld with one 6-foot table per brand so the conglomerates can’t dominate the landscape.” —Marie Paris, CEO, Targe i USA
It’s a valid question — and one that should be asked every year. Armed with a variety of measurements and metrics, many companies struggle with identify- ing the ROI and managing/controlling expenses as well as identifying which non-residential shows they need to participate in.
aT WHaT cosT?
Trade show displays are expensive. The investment a manufacturer makes in exhibiting at trade shows is based on numerous variables. Companies are mini- mally required to invest in the display, the show space, transportation, labor, literature, airfare, hotels, meals, and o en client entertainment. These numerous ex- penditures can add up quickly.
Let’s say a manufacturer purchased an $18,000 inline display (10' x 20') booth, and then assume the company participates in four trade shows a year. Now, take the average cost per event including show space, literature, airfare, hotels, meals, entertainment, transportation, and labor. If the company is somewhat frugal, it will still minimally spend around $25,000 per show for that 10x20 space. Multiply this by four shows annually and the investment is $100,000. But the costs don’t stop there — these expenses are considered the “cost to exhibit” and do not take mar- keting expenses into consideration such as pre-show promotions, client entertainment, and lead follow up.
In surveying an array of lighting manufacturers and sales agencies, the top non-residential shows that made these companies’ priority list included the following for a variety of reasons. The list comprises everything from one of the commercial lighting in- dustry’s oldest and largest shows to smaller regional shows that are hosted by independent design asso- ciations or local sales representatives.
➼ Lightfair International
➼ LEDucation
➼ LED Speci er Summit
➼ Boston Lights
➼ IES Events (local chapter events)
➼ LightShow West
➼ Local Representative Agency Shows
➼ Healthcare Design
➼ Design Connections
HoW does a company deTermIne
WHIcH Is besT?
The Traditional Format
Lightfair is the industry’s oldest and longest-running show in North America. Over the course of its 27-year
so MaNy shows, so little time
december 2017 | enLIGHTenment magazine 79