3 Rules of Conference Sponsorship for MSPs: Maximizing Your Trade Show ROI
Attending and sponsoring trade shows or conferences is a key marketing strategy for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) like Ridgeview Advisors, but simply showing up with a booth and some giveaways isn’t enough to guarantee success. Trade shows are not just about visibility; they are about building relationships, demonstrating expertise, and engaging with your ideal client profile (ICP) in meaningful ways. To truly get the most out of your investment, there are three crucial rules every MSP should follow when sponsoring or attending a conference or trade show. We call them the 3 L’s – Location, Lists and Live Speaking.
1. Never Pay for a Booth Without Securing a Speaking Spot
A booth might give you visibility, but a speaking spot gives you authority. Securing a spot as a speaker at the event allows you to position yourself as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in front of your target audience. When you’re up on stage, offering valuable insights and actionable advice, you’re not just another booth in the exhibit hall—you’re someone worth listening to.
Why is this important?
Building Trust with Your ICP: A speaking opportunity establishes you as a respected voice in your industry. When attendees hear you speak, they see that your expertise is trusted by the event organizers. This trust is critical for lead generation and nurturing relationships that will carry over to operations when it’s time to deliver on the promises you’ve made.
Creating Content: Your speaking session isn’t just a one-time thing. You can record it, turn it into a blog post or video content, and leverage it across multiple platforms to expand your reach. Whether it’s on YouTube, your website, or social media, you’ll have high-value content that positions you as an industry leader long after the event has ended.
Driving Booth Traffic: The reality is, many attendees may walk past your booth without much thought. However, when you invite them to hear you speak, you’re giving them a reason to engage with you on a deeper level. After your session, you can invite them to visit your booth to continue the conversation, turning passive attendees into potential clients.
In short, don’t sponsor a trade show or conference unless you can speak. Your booth alone won’t cut it—you need to be seen and heard.
2. Never Attend Without Full Access to the Attendee List (Preferably Before the Show)
Imagine going into a trade show and relying solely on people wandering by your booth. It’s a gamble. You have no idea who’s attending or how to strategically target them. This is why having access to the attendee list beforehand is a non-negotiable.
With access to the list, you can do several things to ensure your time at the show is maximized:
Pre-Event Outreach: Reach out to key prospects before the event. Let them know you’ll be there and suggest a one-on-one meeting during the conference. This personalized outreach makes you more than just another vendor trying to grab attention; it positions you as someone who genuinely values the prospect’s time and business.
Engage with Creative Campaigns: The attendee list opens up unique opportunities to run creative campaigns. For example, one company sent attendees paper airplanes before the event and encouraged them to stop by their booth to participate in a fun game for prizes. It was memorable, built anticipation, and ultimately drove more foot traffic to their booth. Creative campaigns like this also generate buzz on social media, increasing your brand visibility.
Plan Your Time Strategically: Knowing who’s attending helps you plan how to spend your time. Prioritize high-value prospects and key decision-makers, and plan out meetings accordingly. This approach ensures you’re not wasting time chatting with people who may never become clients while missing out on high-potential leads.
Ultimately, don’t walk into a show blind. Access to the attendee list allows you to proactively drive engagement and make the most out of every minute at the event.
3. Never Settle for a Bad Booth Location
Booth location can make or break your trade show success. Location is everything. A booth hidden in the back of the hall, stuck near the bathrooms or behind a large structure, isn’t going to get the same foot traffic or attention as one in a prime location. Yes, better spots usually come at a premium, but it’s an investment that pays off in visibility, leads, and brand perception.
Why does booth location matter?
Maximize Foot Traffic: Attendees naturally gravitate towards certain areas of the event hall, usually near the main entrances, food courts, or high-traffic sponsor areas. Being close to these hotspots ensures more people pass by your booth, increasing your chances of making connections and generating leads.
Avoid Getting Lost in the Crowd: If you’re placed in a back corner or an area with minimal foot traffic, even the best booth setup won’t save you. Worse, you could end up next to companies with boring or poorly executed setups (think generic pipe and drape booths with minimal effort), which can diminish the perception of your brand by association.
Increased Visibility: A prime location means more people see your brand. Even if they don’t stop by your booth, the visual exposure alone can increase brand awareness, leading to post-show engagement.
To put it simply: don’t compromise on booth location. Paying a bit more for a strategic spot can drastically improve your overall ROI from the show.
Beyond the Booth: Planning for Trade Show Success
While these three rules are essential for any successful trade show or conference sponsorship, there’s more to consider when planning for success. Trade shows are about more than just having a booth and showing up; they require careful planning, strategic marketing, and targeted engagement to truly maximize your investment.
From pre-show campaigns and targeted outreach to post-event follow-ups and using content generated at the event, your trade show strategy should be multifaceted. Keep in mind that the real value of a trade show is in the relationships you build and the expertise you demonstrate—not just in handing out branded swag.
Conclusion
Trade shows and conferences can be a powerful tool for MSPs like Ridgeview Advisors, but only if you play by the right rules. Always secure a speaking spot to position yourself as an SME, demand access to the attendee list to plan and target your efforts, and never settle for a bad booth location that leaves you hidden away from valuable prospects.
These principles will ensure that every trade show you sponsor delivers maximum ROI, driving leads, building trust, and strengthening your position as a leader in the MSP space.
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