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The Post-Show Debriefing Meeting
How to conduct a productive post-mortem with your staff
volume #1, article #9
The show is over and you’re back at the office, following up on the valuable leads your staff collected. Now is the perfect time to get everyone together to discuss what went well, and what didn’t. Memories fade over time, and the sooner you can hold your post-show debriefing, the better. Follow these tips to make the most of your postmortem.
Create An Agenda
Asking for feedback in specific areas will help keep the meeting focused and promote productive discussion. Be specific about the topics you want to cover in the meeting. To avoid running overtime, allocate a certain number of minutes to each discussion item on your agenda. Examples of potential topics for your agenda include: exhibit graphics, booth layout, contest feedback, lead system, trade show literature, giveaways and entertainment.
Have Your Results Ready
Post-show meetings provide an ideal forum for sharing results with both staff and management. Your exhibit marketing program should incorporate quantifiable performance measures. Evaluate your performance against these measures in advance of the post-mortem so you can share as much detail as possible with the group.
Recognize Over-Achievers
If someone on your staff went above and beyond the call of duty, either at the pre-show planning stage or at the event itself, be sure to acknowledge their contribution. We all like to feel appreciated for our efforts and, by recognizing your over-achievers in front of other staff, you are reinforcing the value you place on individual initiative. Presented in a positive light, performance commendations can also help motivate other staff to improve. Failure to recognize individual accomplishment could lead to marginal effort from the same people in future.
Plan For Next Show
It’s not too early to start planning for the next show, particularly if you are addressing specific problem areas or have decided that you want take a new approach with your exhibit marketing program. Use the post-show meeting to establish what needs to change, put in place a timeline and assign responsibility for an action plan.
Decide On Future Attendance
Is this an important show to keep on your calendar for next year? Rather than making that decision yourself, let your team present a recommendation, and ask them to justify the expenditure. The people who work a trade show have an inside track and can help you sell management on participation. If it’s definitely a keeper, the sooner you book your participation, the better your selection of booth space. You may also qualify for early booking discounts. Involving your staff in post-show meetings gives them a voice and makes trade shows more than just "part of the job". Employees who feel a sense of ownership will have a vested interest in the success and growth of your
exhibit marketing program.
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