Exhibiting at ad:tech in New York for the past three years, the Searchfeed.com team knows exactly what to expect. Each new show brings a growing number of exhibitors, attendees and greater potential to establish new business relationships. Particularly dramatic is the rise in attendance – 4,000 people attended in 2004, up 2,000 from 2003. With attendance projected at 6,000 this year, ad:tech can be noted as one of the largest events in the pay-per-click search engine marketing category.
We also have observed a maturation of the online advertising market and, correspondingly, a redefining of the “typical attendee” at this show. For example, a few years ago, the typical question asked at the booth was “What is pay-per-click?” While this question still circulates on the show floor, this year a more likely question will be “In what ways are you different from Google, Yahoo Search Marketing or Miva?”
How does this affect Searchfeed.com’s exhibiting strategies for 2005? We know that we are targeting more qualified leads and are prepared to discuss recent developments, such as geo-targeted search ads and other new products to continue differentiating our offering.
A redesigned trade show booth was strategically prepared to welcome back seasoned ad:tech attendees and greet new ones. The new design spotlights our logo to emphasize our branding among clients and industry peers. This lets us focus on the core aspects of our business model, while maintaining a uniform marketing message and meeting the demands of a maturing market audience.
While we expect to gain more experienced customer leads from ad:tech this year, these leads will come at higher cost. Budgeting according to attendance, in the past year we have seen a 33 percent increase in costs associated with this show through increases in promotional materials ordered – booth supplies and services, etc. Measured against conversions, we are still profiting from the targeted leads and great exposure this show provides. The benefits of exhibiting at ad:tech New York are evident.
Reach Bryan Brickley at [email protected].
