In the wrap-up meeting people like to ask how many visitors the show drew and how many booths it sold. The better question is how many of those exhibitors have signed for the next edition. That number shows whether they found the show worth the money, and it arrives sooner than any revenue report.
The exhibitor rebooking rate is the first measure an organizer of an aquaculture trade show should track, because this sector lives on a core of exhibitors who return regularly and pull others after them. This article covers the definition, the calculation, how to run booking on site, and how to read the number when it is low. The process comes from the CEM guides on booth sales and marketing.
A short definition of the exhibitor rebooking rate
The rebooking rate equals the number of this edition's exhibitors who have booked for the next edition, divided by the total number of exhibitors this edition. A hypothetical example: this edition has 100 exhibitors and 62 companies book for the next edition during the three show days, so the on-site rebooking rate is 62%. By 90 days later, 16 more have signed, making 78, and the closed rate is 78%. Record both figures because they say different things: the first measures satisfaction in the moment, and the second measures commitment after they have worked out their budgets.
Do not mix it with the area retention rate. A company that rebooks but drops from 36 m² to 18 m² still counts as rebooked, and the lost area should be tracked in a separate metric.
How to split the numbers so they help
A single total is nearly useless. Split it at least four ways.
- First-timers and returning exhibitors. The CEM guides note that first-time exhibitors who have a successful show are much more likely to buy space for the next one, so the first-timer rebooking rate tells you whether the welcome program works. See the article on the first-time exhibitor program.
- By product group: feed, seed, medicines, equipment, technology, processing, per the article on segmenting exhibitors. If the equipment group rebooks much lower, the problem may lie in the floor, power or position, not in visitors.
- By area: held, grown or shrunk from this edition.
- By position or booth module: do exhibitors in far corners rebook less?
Run booking on site
The CEM guides describe selling space for the next edition during the current one. The organizer assigns certain staff to run this process while others look after the show. Exhibitors are given appointments to choose space, usually following a points schedule that favors past exhibitors. Some shows hold a space draw beforehand, requiring a contract, three position choices and a deposit before a cut-off date. For the organizer the advantage is compressing space sales and assignment to the start of the cycle, freeing the sales team to concentrate on new exhibitors, former clients not yet signed, and sponsorship. The priority points system is discussed in the article on the booth selection priority points system, and early-booking prices are in the article on booth pricing strategy.
The condition for this to work is that the exhibitor is in the middle of the show and happy. Put the rebooking desk somewhere visible, hang next edition's plan, and make sure the seller knows whether each client has just received good or poor leads.
Leading indicators
The rebooking rate is a result. To predict it before the show ends, watch leading indicators.
- The number of qualified leads exhibitors receive, per the article on lead retrieval.
- The number of matching meetings they had and their quality, per the article on measuring business matching.
- Survey satisfaction right after the show, split by group.
- Incidents during build-up, power, network and shipping. An exhibitor who lost power for two hours will remember it longer than any opening speech.
When the rate is low
Do not guess the reason. Within two weeks of the show, call every exhibitor who has not rebooked and ask one open question: what is stopping you from signing? Group the answers: cost against results, poor leads, change of marketing strategy, change of the person in charge, another show, operating problems. Each group has a different remedy. Poor leads is a visitor quality problem, and the article on classifying visitors can help. A change of person is a relationship problem, requiring an introduction to the show for the newcomer. And "cost against results" must be answered with a table of figures, not promises.
The marketing guide notes that a post-event report is the first step of renewal, since it recalls what was delivered. The post-show evaluation process is in the article on post-show evaluation.
Set targets with your own numbers
Do not borrow another show's rate as a benchmark, since each sector and each cycle differs. Use last edition as the baseline, set the target the SMART way as in the roadmap for organizing an aquaculture trade show, and report the same way every edition so you can compare.
Need a rebooking tracking system built?
If you want to track the exhibitor rebooking rate for an aquaculture trade show and need someone to build the split table, an on-site booking process and a call script for exhibitors who have not signed, you can send a request through the quote page or book a call with Nguyen Anh Trung. Send last edition's exhibitor list and a sample contract.
The company that signs for next year is voting with money, and that vote is more trustworthy than any survey.