The 10 commandments for maximizing return from a trade show

Advertising, social media, webinars… many B2B marketing strategies can help you reach your goals. But have you ever considered attending a trade show? Seen by many organizations as the most effective tactic for generating leads and boosting sales, it can be a real business accelerator.

B2B trade shows: indispensable

According to our B2B marketing study in Quebec (French only), trade shows rank among the most effective marketing strategies. They even outperform Google Ads and SEO in results. In fact, 86% of surveyed companies use trade shows to generate leads, and 68% leverage them to increase sales with existing customers.

How can you make the most of a trade show? Here are our 10 commandments for a successful experience!

1. Thou shalt plan thy budget

These events represent a significant—yet necessary—investment to ensure a high-quality presence. Our study, conducted in collaboration with the research firm Fino, reveals that 46% of marketing budgets are allocated to trade shows.

What should be included in your budget forecast? Here’s a handy checklist to guide your estimates:

• Booth rental
• Booth setup: furniture, lighting, display walls… all essential to showcase your brand
• Marketing materials (brochures, business cards, flyers…)
• Booth installation fees
• Promotional items to hand out to prospects
• Travel, accommodation, and meal expenses for all team members on-site
• A contingency fund for unexpected costs

2. Thy goals thou shalt define

To claim that a trade show was successful, it’s essential to define your objectives ahead of time. These goals can be both quantitative and qualitative.

Quantitative examples:

• Number of leads collected
• Sales completed
• Meetings booked
• New social media or newsletter subscribers

Qualitative examples:

• Feedback from visitors on your products/services
• Engagement messages received during the show

3. The right trade shows thou shalt choose

With hundreds of B2B trade shows taking place each year, it’s essential to choose the ones that are most relevant to your organization. Here are some examples of interesting trade shows by industry sector.

• SIAL Canada for the agri‑food sector
• ITSec for cybersecurity professionals in Quebec
• EV & Charging Expo for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure

4. Thy clients thou shalt invite

Trade shows are also an excellent opportunity to spotlight key clients. Offer them tickets, travel support, or lodging.

Need to close a deal with a qualified prospect? Invite them.

Need to secure a contract with an executive? Invite them too.

5. Thy social media thou shalt keep alive

If there’s one thing you shouldn’t overlook when preparing for a trade show, it’s communication. Keeping your social media active is key to sharing your journey.

Before the show
Use your channels to announce your presence, invite your followers to stop by your booth, and build excitement around the event. For a major show, you could even run a ticket giveaway!

During the show
Share real-time updates from your booth (talks, activities, giveaways…) to attract even more visitors your way!

After the show
Thank your clients and prospects for coming, and post a recap of the event: photos, videos, testimonials… anything goes!

6. An attractive booth thou shalt create

Simply showing up at a B2B trade show won’t be enough to transform your business. The real challenge is getting attendees to stop by your booth and discover your products or services.
These events are often exhausting for visitors: walking, talking, staying alert… a break is always welcome in that context. Create a booth where your clients and prospects can chat with your team while recharging their batteries.
Not only will this encourage people to stop by, but a relaxed atmosphere will make them stay longer in your space. After all, who wants to leave a spot where they can sit, chat, eat, and drink?
And the more time they spend with your sales team, the more likely they are to remember you!
So, how do you create an inviting booth? Here are our secrets:

Design with care
Keep your booth design simple and aligned with your brand personality. Use colors and visuals that reflect your identity.

Offer a place to sit
At a trade show, people walk miles every day. Setting up a space to take a break is an excellent way for your team to start meaningful conversations with prospects.

Provide food and drinks
A full buffet might be over the top (and attract too many freeloaders), but nothing is stopping you from offering snacks or drinks to highly qualified prospects (just make sure you follow the event’s rules). Once again, they’ll stick around longer—and remember you more easily.

7. Thy sales team thou shalt mobilize

Bring in skilled, friendly staff to engage with visitors. They should be knowledgeable, approachable, and ready to establish follow-up points of contact (social media, newsletter sign-ups, etc.): a trade show is the perfect setting for B2B prospecting.

To maximize your chances of conversion, prepare a sales guide ahead of the event for your team to use during their pitch.

This document should outline the tone your salespeople should adopt (expert, friendly, and accessible) and the types of follow-up they should encourage (following you on social media, signing up for the newsletter…).

Be careful not to overstaff your booth—too many people can overwhelm visitors and discourage them from stopping by.

A well-sized, trained, and prepared team ensures quality interactions with each visitor, increasing your chances of turning those conversations into real business opportunities.

8. The attendees thou shalt thank

A trade show shouldn’t end when the doors close. On the contrary, it marks the start of a new conversion phase. The first step after the event is to thank the visitors who took the time to engage with your team.

Here are a few ways to do that:

• Post a photo recap highlighting the event’s key moments to keep participants engaged
• Send a newsletter specifically for event attendees. Thank them for stopping by, and include additional information about your products or services
• Reach out to visitors by phone or LinkedIn messaging to thank them personally. It’s also the perfect opportunity to schedule a follow-up meeting

9. Satisfaction thou shalt measure

Whether it’s after a client service or a trade show, a satisfaction survey is always a good idea. It shows your clients that their opinions matter—and even more importantly, their answers can guide improvements for your future events.

Here are a few tips for crafting a solid survey:

• Keep it short—no more than 2 minutes to complete. A good rule of thumb: one question equals 10 seconds, so aim for no more than 12 questions
• Make your questions clear and concise. Use multiple-choice formats to streamline responses
• To encourage honesty, keep the survey anonymous

10. Thy ROI thou shalt calculate

Now it’s time to assess whether the goals you set at the beginning of the trade show were achieved.

To do so, it’s quite simple: you need to calculate your return on investment (ROI).

Here are a few key elements to consider in your evaluation:

• Lead quality: Were the prospects you met highly qualified or not very qualified?
• Actual participation cost: Including any unexpected expenses
• Revenue generated from the event: Did you sign contracts or send out proposals?
• Conversion rate: How many visitors came in as loosely qualified prospects and left as clients or highly qualified leads?
• Engagement: How many new subscribers did you gain for your newsletter or social media channels?

To calculate ROI, use the following formula:
ROI = (Revenue generated − Total participation cost) / Total participation cost × 100

A trade show can be a high‑return investment.

Participating isn’t enough to transform your sales. But with a proper strategy, a trade show can significantly support your objectives.

Need help planning THE perfect trade show? Our experts are ready to support!