Fernando Fischer (pictured), RX president of the Americas is the Keynote for the upcoming Exhibition and Convention Executives Forum (ECEF) 2023 in Washington, DC on 31 May. Passionate about ROE, Return on Expectation, he will share RX’s new system for quantitatively helping clients improve their exhibition experiences. It’s about using talent and technology/data to prove and improve exhibitor ROI at RX’s shows, reports Stephanie Selesnick.
Moving from a transactional sales experience to a consultative one isn’t easy, Fischer says, noting: “It involves retraining in-house talent [sales teams] and customers. People don’t want to be statistics. Clients want to know that they matter and have their specific needs met. This new process helps our sales people understand what the client wants and expects from their exhibition experience.”
These changes are reflected in a changed compensation package. Instead of compensation being solely based on exhibit space or sponsorships sold, it now incorporates how many meetings are had with the client to further the sales process. Fischer adds: “It may be two, three, four or more meetings before a sale is closed. We believe that each of these conversations deepen the relationship and help the sales person drill down on what the client wants out of the show.”
On the data side, using the RX Exhibitor Dashboard, Fischer will share how exhibitors can track leads, show website hits, and see how their engagement compares year over year. “What information are clients sharing online? A client may share with their sales person that they plan to launch ten new products at a show but have an incomplete online profile. The Exhibitor Dashboard provides their sales person the opportunity to remind the client to upload that information so buyers may see what’s being exhibited at the show and connect. It’s a positive engagement and deepens relationships.”
The biggest challenge of return on expectation? “Changing the behaviour of our talent and customers,” says Fischer.
Fernando Fischer’s Keynote takes place live at ECEF on 31 May at 9:20am Eastern.
