B2B Cannabis Event Exhibitors: Make Hay on the Second Day
Even at great B2B cannabis conventions, the 2nd day is almost always slower and all too often less productive. While there’s not much exhibitors can do about about the first part (less traffic), there are lots of tried and true strategies that can be executed that actually leverage the slower floor pace to greatly improve the event’s productivity and ROI. In no particular order, here are some of the best practices for making the second day of a trade show as productive as the first:
Reel ’em back in
On Day One, ask your relevant booth visitors if they are there for just one day, or if they will be back. At the end of the first day (or early the next morning), reach out to the prospects who are attending the 2nd day and invite them to come visit you again (or meet for a coffee, lunch, sesh, etc) and what events they will be going to after-show hours. It’s a great chance to get that initial “nice to meet you/see you at the show” follow-up conversation out of the way BEFORE you get back to the office so you are ready to talk business right out the gate when you follow up. It definitely helps to have an incentive to bring them back – snack, product ample, giveaway, show discount, etc.
Release the hounds
Categorize the day one leads and distribute them to the team immediately. This lets you work through any issues, talk strategy, etc. during any day two slow/down time so you can resolve any issues while the team is all together. You can also double check lead data, confirm if you have leads from every relevant exhibitor, eliminate redundancies, and assign new targets. Again, the idea here is getting as much lead progress done as possible onsite while it’s fresh and letting everyone hit the ground running after the show. And since you handed out all the leads…
Encourage immediate follow ups
If there’s an excess of staff on that final day, designate a space (away from the booth, or at least at the back of it) for people to take turns sending out their follow up emails, make calls to prospects who might be walking the floor, and anything else that can be done internally to move the sales process along. You can make it more interesting by making a contest, with prizes based on a metric in your CRM system.
Just rope ‘n tie ‘n brand em: “Rawhide!”
Anyone who has walked a 2nd day convention floor knows that the line between an effectively welcoming sales rep and an overly eager starving dog can become blurry, but as attendance gets lighter, skilled “aisle wranglers” become even more important! If you have people on your team who excel at this, incentivize them to lead, and teach the skill. Also – Most booths have treats and giveaways on opening day but lots of people run out – beat the competition by saving some of your best aisle lures and giveaways for the final day, when you really need them.
Visit, and bring a buddy!
Not enough day 2 attendees coming to you? Don’t make your booth less appealing by having 4-5 people staring longingly at passersby. Go get them. If the final day is slow for you, chances are it is for your potential customers who are exhibiting and attending as well. On the exhibitor side, save the majority of your your booth visits for the final day, and make it a double team. Bringing a product expert, company influencer, or another person that plays a role in the buying cycle can be a huge help. Don’t forget attendees – on a slower 2nd day, people walking the floor tend to make more breaks, and are more welcoming to casual conversations, creating an almost ‘after-party/mixer’ feel right at the show. Send staff people to visit and socialize in the lounge spaces, food courts, smoking sections, etc. Remember it’s important to recognize and respect these spaces: relax and engage in genuine socializing. Ask questions, listen. If a business conversation develops organically, great. If not, better to politely move along than to try to force it.
For more observations & information about B2B events in the cannabis industry, check out the “Virtual Notes On Live Events” newsletter on LinkedIn.
About NECANN: Since first launching in 2014, NECANN has taken a different route than traditional B2B conventions. Rather than focusing on what each new cannabis market can do for us, NECANN has taken a collaborative approach with the local industries and communities for our events. This includes investing in and promoting the local work being done before entering a market, and a commitment to donating 10% of our exhibit hall space to social equity licensees and advocacy groups. The result has been consistently high returns for exhibitors, sponsors, attendees, and the local cannabis market as a whole, allowing everyone to benefit and grow. To see our upcoming convention schedule and learn if attending or exhibiting is a fit for you, visit us at necann.com