This first week is where the real work of tradeshow success happens. The buzz of the show floor fades fast, so your prompt and personalized actions are key to staying top-of-mind.
Day 1 & 2: Data & Direct Outreach
By Monday and Tuesday, your team should have been deep into lead management. All those business cards, scanner data, and scribbled notes needed to be centralized and inputted into your CRM immediately. The absolute hottest leads – those folks who asked for specific quotes, demos, or had an immediate need – should have received direct, personalized calls or emails by now. Think of it as striking while the iron’s hot; they’re still remembering your booth and the conversation.
Day 3 & 4: Nurturing & Initial Debriefs
As the week progressed, it was time to activate your nurturing sequences for the “warm” leads. These aren’t generic blasts; they’re tailored emails offering value based on their interests, perhaps linking to a product sheet or a relevant blog post. Social media also played a role here, with “Thank You” and “Recap” posts hitting your channels, reinforcing your presence at Floriexpo. Internally, a preliminary team debrief should have happened. What worked well? What were the immediate challenges? This isn’t about deep dives yet, but getting initial feedback is crucial.
Day 5 & 6: Refinement & Deeper Connections
Towards the end of the week, the focus shifted to refining your approach. Based on initial engagement metrics, you might have tweaked nurturing content or prepared for more in-depth follow-ups. Personalized LinkedIn connections from your sales and leadership teams, referencing the show, are powerful for reinforcing those professional relationships. This is also when the sales team should be actively scheduling follow-up demos or virtual meetings with the most promising contacts.
Day 7: Recharge & Look Ahead
By the weekend, the initial follow-up sprint should be largely complete. While your automated sequences continue their work, your team needs a chance to recharge. This doesn’t mean stopping completely, but the frantic pace of the first few days should ease. Internally, it’s also a good time to start documenting key learnings for next year’s show planning – what did you learn about your audience, your messaging, and your booth’s effectiveness?
If you’ve followed these steps, you’re not just hoping for business; you’re actively building on the momentum of Floriexpo. The connections made on the show floor are now being nurtured, and the groundwork for future sales is firmly in place. The next few weeks will be about continuing that targeted nurturing and converting those promising leads into loyal customers.