Data-Driven Insights to Drive Leads and Exhibitor ROI at Trade Shows

What is the link between lead gen, exhibitor ROI, and event engagement, and why are lead gen and exhibitor ROI key objectives for trade show organizers? 

Here are key findings from a comprehensive study of over 2,000 events and 2.5 million attendees that you can apply to elevate your trade show.

40% of Lead Generation Happens Before the Event Starts

Did you know that 40% of all lead generation occurs before the event even begins, with most leads being captured around seven days in advance?

To capitalize on this early engagement window, it is essential to give exhibitors enough time to set up their virtual booths and for attendees to explore content and initiate networking. 

Event organizers should prioritize onboarding and training exhibitors well before the event, ensuring they can start making meaningful connections as soon as possible.

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Attendees Interact With 7 Exhibitors Per Event 

The number of attendee interactions is a key metric for show organizers, as it directly correlates to exhibitor success which contributes to the overall health of an event. 

On average, attendees interact with seven exhibitors per event. However, at smaller events, we observe more frequent interactions.

How many of these interactions convert to leads? At smaller trade shows (Tier 3), 44% of the overall audience converts to leads. At mid-sized, Tier 2 trade shows, 32% of the audience converts to leads. At the largest trade shows (Tier 1), 21% of the audience becomes leads.

This data allows exhibitors to better gauge the potential value and ROI they can expect based on the specific scale of your trade show.

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Only 25% of Leads Are Generated Through Badge Scanning

Traditional thinking is that badge scanning (also known as Lead Capture) is the primary means of generating leads. Interestingly, our research proves this assumption to be untrue. In fact, only about 25% of all leads are generated through badge scanning.

In fact, online booth visits are the largest driver of leads and over 50% of all leads generated come from online booth visits and registering for or watching a sponsored session. 

Based on the size of your event, here are the activities you should focus on to maximize lead generation efficiency:

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• Tier 3 (small) trade show exhibitors should focus on online booths, sponsored sessions, and badge scanning to capture 82% of existing demand
• Tier 2 (medium-sized) trade show exhibitors should focus on online booths, sponsored seminars, and badge scanning to capture 83% of the existing demand
• Tier 1 (large) trade show exhibitors should focus on online booths and badge scanning to capture 78% of existing demand

Sponsorship boosts lead gen by up to 750%

Exhibitors who sponsor events consistently (and significantly) outperform their non-sponsor counterparts. Whether it is at a smaller trade show (Tier 3) or at a larger trade show (Tier 1), exhibitors who purchase a sponsorship package grow their leads from anywhere between 115% and a whopping 750%.

Exhibitors will naturally be skeptical of any data an event shares with them, and rightfully so:  their expectation is that an event sales team will only share with them the most positive data to ensure the sale closes.

Use this unbiased third-party data collected from thousands of events and millions of attendees worldwide for increased credibility when discussing the benefits of sponsorship with your exhibitors.

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Nearly 10% of Lead Generation Occurs After the Event Ends

As highlighted in a previous section, 40% of all lead generation occurs before the event even begins. However, of the remaining 60%, a significant 8% of leads are generated after the physical event has ended.

Ensure your platform is still accessible and, more importantly, that your exhibitors are still active so they are not missing out on these leads.

Continuing to be engaged affords exhibitors a valuable opportunity for increased lead gen with very little effort (which leads to a higher event ROI). 

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CLOSING

It is no secret that lead gen is the top priority at trade shows. More leads results in higher exhibitor ROI which results in exhibitors wanting to rebook more often. 

Guarantee your exhibitors leave your event with a positive experience and a positive ROI by  working with them to ensure they have a plan to:

1. Engage with attendees prior to event kickoff
2. Use multiple methods to collect leads
3. Stay active after the events

For a full breakdown of all the findings from this landmark study, download the State of Event Engagement - Vol 1.