How to measure the success of an exhibition: ROI and ROO
Some companies judge an exhibition by gut feeling: it went well or it didn’t. But to decide which show to attend next year and how much to spend on it, you need numbers. Two classic indicators help.
What are ROI and ROO?
- ROI (return on investment) — the return on the money you put into the exhibition, the tangible result.
- ROO (return on objective) — how far your participation goals were met, the intangible result.
Together they give the full picture: even if the show brought no money right away, you may have met an important partner there.
How is ROI calculated?
Subtract the cost of goods sold and the participation costs from sales generated by the exhibition. Divide the resulting net profit by the participation costs and multiply by 100%.
Example:
- sales generated by the exhibition — 725,000,000 UZS;
- cost of goods sold — 358,700,000 UZS;
- participation costs — 146,410,000 UZS;
- net profit — 725,000,000 − 358,700,000 − 146,410,000 = 219,890,000 UZS;
- ROI = 219,890,000 / 146,410,000 × 100% ≈ 150%.
In other words, every sum invested in the exhibition brought 1.5 sums of net profit.
When should you calculate the results?
No earlier than three months after the show: contacts need time to turn into contracts. In industries with long sales cycles, results are calculated after six months or a year.
Which criteria measure ROO?
- Plan vs. actual — planned and actual number of contacts with target visitors.
- Contact quality — how important and how interested each client is.
- Share of new versus existing customers.
- Share of relevant visitors — how many of those who came to your stand belong to your target audience.
- Share of contacts that led to a sale.
Should you count the time saved?
Yes. Meetings that take 3–4 days at an exhibition would take months in everyday business. Saving the time and money it takes to meet clients and maintain relationships is also a return on the show.
How do you account for long-term value?
The effect of an exhibition does not end when it closes. Count deferred demand and customer lifetime value — the revenue a customer found at the show will bring in the years ahead.
How to choose a show, prepare and work during it — see our guide to exhibiting at a trade show.