In recent weeks, myself and two partners in crime have gone through what’s politely referred to as an “external evaluation.” Let’s face it folks, it’s an audit. During this process, we were subjected to an interview. I don’t know about you, but I haven’t been interviewed for about 3 years now and it felt a little threatening at first. I’m usually the one on the other end of the microphone, asking someone else to talk. After I had a chance to mull over the conversation, something was still plaguing me.

Tradeshows.

I was asked: How do you measure the success of a tradeshow?

My answer: Well, we do a drawing/giveaway at every show, and it’s based on personal contact, so if you figure up the “cost per impression” you’re looking at about $100 per impression. You have the booth cost, travel, lost time per employee, food, lodging, items to hand out at the booth …

Ouch.

As a PR professional, I find measurement of tradeshows to be the hardest task when it comes to justifying what’s in my job description so that they keep me working year-to-year. The appropriate answer to the question above is that our absence speaks louder than our presence at some shows. But how do you measure that? I can feel the mom coming out in me: BECAUSE I SAID SO, THAT’S WHY!

So what I’m asking of my colleagues is this: How do you effectively measure tradeshow participation when you just have to be there, just because someone said so?

We are now open for comments.

Until we walk again…