If you want to be a freediver, it’s safe to assume that you’ll need to be good at holding your breath. Likewise, being a successful B2B event planner requires a specific set of skills--some that are learned, and others that are rooted in someone’s character or personality. Through our collaboration on over 150 events annually, we’ve been able to deduce the five personality traits that help planners to produce the most thriving trade shows, conferences, and seminars. In addition to outlining these traits, we’ve also provided a handful of statistics and inspirational ideas to assist in planning your next event. We’d love to hear how we did! Is there a trait you think should have made our list?

1. “ You Know You’re a Great
B2B Event Planner When...”
The 5 Traits That Separate the Best
B2B Event Planners From The Rest
Facts, stats, and ideas for the Events Industry
information = power

2. 1. You See Things Before They Happen
Some call it your “spidey sense”, others view it as your
borderline-creepy knack for predicting the future; as an
amazing event planner, you have an uncanny sense of the
big picture. You understand that even small decisions have
far-reaching consequences, and as a result, you strive to
make informed choices with the best long-term payoff.
Trade show attendance has increased for
9 straight quarters (as of q4 2012), with the
Most growth seen in the following industries:
• Finance/Legal/Real Estate
• Transportation
• Communication/Information Technology
• Food
Source: Metro Exhibits (via CEIR), 2013
9

3. 2. You understand why
and not just how
It’s easy to get into a rut with certain events, especially those that
recur from year to year. Many planners will follow a timeworn
formula simply because it’s familiar. You, on the other hand, know
that your job isn’t just to gather a bunch of people in a room. Your
task is to impact business at the bottom line. Before starting work
on any event, you succeed in defining the desired outcome. Is the
intent to drive sales of new products, to increase the performance
of particular product lines, or to capture business from the
competition? Maybe all of the above? You ask, answer, and
proceed accordingly.
45% of attendees visit only one convention annually.
This statistic highlights how important it is for companies—especially new
companies—to exhibit at events. Taking advantage of the rare opportunity to
connect with an audience face-to-face could mean the difference between
success and failure.
45%
Source: EXHIBITOR Magazine, 2013

4. 3. You practice
“kissinger-esque” diplomacy
Being an event planner means existing at the center of everything
and everyone. Where Henry Kissinger negotiated with presidents
and policy makers, you work to unite exhibitors and attendees,
decorators and electricians, venue coordinators and city contacts,
marketers and media reps. Not only that, you may also have an
executive management team to appease. It’s no easy feat, but you
thrive because you seek solutions that benefit every contingency.
Google your own show.
To find out who’s talking about your event before and after it happens, do
a quick search online. Articles, blogs, and reviews can help you discover
what attendees are excited about, what they took away, and what areas
you may need to improve.
Source: ExpoWeb, 2013

5. 4. You create value
Everyone aims to get something meaningful out of an event.
But what an exhibitor wants is likely different than what an
attendee wants, and what your executive team wants may be
different than what their sales reps want. You understand that
each group is crucial to the success of an event, so you strive to
deliver solutions that help them each realize their own version
of success.
Sell using smell. Yes, really.
Used by retail brands including Samsung (not to mention many real estate
agents), scent marketing is a tactic most event planners and marketers
probably haven’t considered. Scent can help attendees connect with brand
and may also influence loyalty. Use certain scents elicit results in different
buying scenarios:
• Openness to buying expensive furniture: Leather, cedar
• Openness to buying a home: Fresh baked goods
• Willingness to browse longer and spend more: Tailored fl oral and citrus
Source: Epic Displays (via Scent Marketing Institute & ScentTrends), 2012

6. 5. You make things oh so easy
To get attendees to show up and then interact with exhibitors in ways
that will help to achieve the desired outcome for an event, you realize
that simplicity is key. You make it uncomplicated to register and
gather information prior to the event, and then ensure that check-in is
quick on site. You make it easy to navigate the show with maps and
attendee-specific reports, and confirm that the times and locations of
seminars are clearly indicated. After the event, you provide reporting to
department stakeholders so that orders are fulfilled, leads are pursued,
and prospective accounts are converted. You make events foolproof.
81% of trade show attendees have
buying authority.
On average, 4 out of every 5 attendees at a show are decision
makers capable of making purchases. Access to a high ratio of
potential customers is a powerful value proposition for exhibitors
debating whether or not to participate in an event.
Source: Skyline Trade Show Tips (via CEIR), 2013
81%

7. Basically, You rock.

8. We’re Data Connect Corporation and we provide
event software and data management systems to
companies big and not so big. We strive to make
data more accessible, meaningful, and actionable.
We’d love to connect with you!
Visit our website at www.dataconnectcorp.com for more info,
as well as our social links.
WE EVENT PLANNERS
hello.
Thanks!