Key topics covered in this article (for time-pressed readers):
Picture this: it's the end of the summer season, when you are now approaching the new student recruitment season. With it, comes the familiar sound of finance teams questioning every penny spent on booth space and travel expenses, the glossy new brochures artwork discussions, the pricelists meetings, and bags of energy needed for the marathon of industry events scheduled for the upcoming months, and most importantly, the expectations on sales targets and results.
What if I told you that the schools seeing real ROI from conferences (also known as "workshops", "fairs", "events", etc) aren't just throwing money at events and hoping for the best?
Rather than struggling to arrive at some overly complex measure of success, it would be more useful to consider measures of productivity. What are the strategies, tactics and plans that sales teams should be putting forward? Let's dive in.
After trying and testing dozens of conference strategies over the past years attending international education events worldwide, I defined a smart conference strategy that actually works!
The secret is: Follow the 80/20 rule! That means you should keep 80% of your meeting schedule for new partners and 20% for existing ones. Although this formula may not suit every school's situation (and goals), it maximises brand awareness and exposure to as many quality prospects as possible during event attendance, giving you the highest return on your conference investment.
Now, if you're a school that's been in the market for years and has a mature database of contacts, consider adjusting the ratio according to your reality (i.e. 70/30 or even 60/40) to secure more quality time with existing partners.
Sure, you can have interns researching competitor prices online, and that tells you something, but conferences give you insider intelligence worth thousands in strategic advantage.
We're talking about information you can't find on Google. This is about the real secrets that drive business decisions: which executives are leaving (potential hires for you), which schools are looking to make major changes in their business (acquisition opportunities), and which institutions are expanding into new countries or launching new programmes (market trends), schools that are closing or opening, who is up for sale and who is looking to buy. The list goes a long way with endless conversations.
Regardless of opportunities that you can encounter during fairs, running a simple yet powerful competitor analysis heat map before each event you plan to attend is highly recommended.
There are few environments better suited to gleaning news on who is looking to move on, develop their careers or change path. The post-speed dating events are an unparalleled opportunity to talk to potential hires in a way that is far superior to the traditional face to face interviews in the office.
Conferences are perfect to explore strategic partnership opportunities and engage in discussions with the right people at the right time.
The real magic happens during evening networking sessions and coffee breaks. You'll uncover which adult language schools want to add junior programs, which universities are seeking pathway partners, or which institutions are looking for new accommodation providers. These conversations reveal collaboration possibilities that formal business meetings rarely expose.
The relaxed (yet very convenient) atmosphere breaks down barriers and opens discussions about joint ventures, resource sharing, and strategic alliances that multiply your reach and benefit everyone involved.
The smartest schools know that competition doesn't have to be a zero-sum game. Conferences let you see what others are doing and spark ideas for mutually beneficial partnerships that expand everyone's market reach.
Think beyond direct rivalry. That school focusing on the adult market could partner with your junior programmes for family packages. The school with strong Asian connections might share market intelligence in exchange for your European expertise. These collaborations often generate more revenue than competing head-to-head for the same students.
Let's not forget the Service Providers. They are not at their booths just trying to sell you something. They work with your competitors daily and have insights into industry trends, pricing strategies, and market gaps you might be missing. Their perspective could spark ideas for improving your own initiatives (and it can also help you realise you may actually benefit from their services too).
Ultimately, the goal isn't to copy competitors, but to find ways to work together that benefit everyone while strengthening your position in the market.
Here's where schools tend to fail very often. They invest thousands in attending industry events, have great conversations, then waste it all with poor or zero follow-up. The brutal reality of sales is that they will never work as expected without a proper follow-up plan in place.
The Five-Day Rule: Follow up within the first five days after the event. Not immediately (looks automated) and not longer than a week later (you may lose momentum).
The Personal Touch Formula:
Before and during the event:
After the event:
Instead of trying to calculate impossible ROI figures that satisfy finance teams, focus on productivity metrics:
With the above in mind, it is perfectly reasonable to see fairs as fair, but they are not a simple panacea to your sales issues. They are a platform for you to demonstrate your care, integrity and intelligence, and remember, the real work takes place before and after the event itself.
Industry events aren't magic solutions for enrolment challenges. They're platforms to demonstrate your professionalism, build trust, and create opportunities when you approach them strategically by making a clear measurable plan.
The real work happens in the planning phase and the follow-up period. The event itself is just where you execute your strategy.
If you are ready to make your next conferences investment pay off, you can start by auditing your current approach against these strategies and evaluate which areas need the most improvement.
Looking to boost your international student enrolments beyond industry events? Our commercial strategy consulting services are tailored for your needs. Get in touch today to learn how we can help your institution grow.