How how much should you spend at a conference?

I got this question from a client today:

"How do we determine how much to spend sponsoring/attending a vertical conference?"

At Scorpion, we did 100 conferences a year, so I've thought about this quite a lot.

Rule of thumb: spend 10% of the revenue you expect to generate at the show.

Revenue can come from:

• New clients

• Deepening relationships with current clients (retention)

• Even from referral partners you meet at the show

Here's a simplified example:

100 qualified businesses are going to the conference.

Each new client = $50k in LTV.

You expect to close 2, equal to $100,000 in revenue for your firm.

Aim to spend $10k ($100k x 10%)

Here's the thing:

Most people don't have a specific revenue expectation from conferences and tradeshows, so it's no surprise they come home empty-handed.

Instead, develop a specific revenue target that you expect from the show.

It will change how you approach the show before, during, and after.

CQ