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Trade Show Tips & Articles
Every article on planning, budgeting, staffing, marketing and measuring your trade shows.
10x10 Booth Layout Ideas That Pull People In
Keep the front of a 10x10 open.
How to Measure Trade Show ROI When Your Sales Cycle Is Long
Measure in stages. Set objectives and a cost per qualified lead target before the show, tag every show lead in your CRM, then report at 30, 90 and 180 days: qualified leads and meetings first, pipeline created next, and closed revenue last.
Exhibitor logistics 101: drayage, targeted move-in, advance warehouse and forced freight
How exhibitor logistics work in most U.S. convention center buildings: advance warehouse vs. direct to show, drayage, targeted move-in, forced freight and more.
Your Exhibitor Manual's Money Deadlines: Where Ordering Early Saves the Most in 2027
The deadlines that save the most are the advance-order (discount) dates for show services and venue utilities, the EAC notice, and your freight windows. One 2026 show manual says ordering early "can save you up to 30%."
Pre-Show Emails That Actually Book Booth Meetings (With Templates)
Send three or four short emails over the six weeks before the show: a save-the-date with your booth number, a reason to stop by, a specific meeting request with two time options, and a final reminder.
How to Choose Which Trade Shows to Exhibit at in 2027
To choose which trade shows to exhibit at in 2027, score each one on audience fit, full cost, timing and proof.
How to Reduce Trade Show Energy Use and Waste
Cutting energy use and waste saves money, and a well lit booth without clutter looks better on the show floor. These are the places I'd start.
3 things to measure at trade shows if you are not measuring anything else
I've heard it many times, "Trade show measurement is impossible", "I wouldn't know where to start measuring" and "Trade show measurement is a waste of time." That's right, metrics give us information to make informed decisions.
How should executives measure trade show results?
It's not uncommon for a CFO to review the balance sheet and see trade show expenses as #1 or #2 category on the marketing budget. This usually raises the "red flags" and leads to marketing teams scrambling for answers to the question that follows, "What are we getting out of our trade shows?"
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Planning & Objectives
Set clear goals, pick the right shows and build a timeline that keeps you ahead of every deadline.
Budgeting
Understand where the money goes, cut waste and treat every dollar as an investment in results.
Booth Design & Graphics
Booth design, exhibits, lighting and graphics that stop people in the aisle and tell your story in seconds.
Staffing
Choose, train and coach a booth team that starts conversations and qualifies leads.
Marketing
Pre-show promotion and in-booth engagement that bring the right people to your booth.
Measurement
Set the right goals, track ROI and ROO, and show your executives what every show is worth.
Logistics
Keep shipping, drayage, install & dismantle and show services on schedule and on budget.
Lead Follow-Up
Capture, qualify and follow up fast, so the leads you worked for turn into customers.