Trade show displays offer immense potential for building relationships and generating leads—but without a solid measurement strategy, that potential is often left on the show floor. Proving ROI isn’t just about collecting business cards—it requires defined metrics, purposeful tools and a clear plan that spans before, during and after the event.
G&S Business Communications (GSBC) recently surveyed 327 business executives to explore how they measure trade show performance. While 84% of respondents reported attending at least one trade show annually, only 46% say they use defined KPIs to measure their trade show ROI. That means more than half of companies are investing in trade shows without a strong framework for determining success.
Set Your Sights: Define What Success Looks Like
Before the booth is built or the demos are designed, align your team on what you’re trying to achieve. Is it net new leads? Converted leads? Influential customer meetings? Pipeline acceleration? Return on objectives (ROO)? Tracking trade show booth traffic or badge scans can offer surface-level insight—but deeper value comes from knowing how those interactions ladder up to business impact.
In our survey, the top reported methods used to gauge trade show success included:
- Booth traffic tracking technology (49%)
- General event attendance numbers (44%)
- Lead generation tools (40%)
But these tactics are only effective if they’re tied to clear goals. Without them, it’s easy to confuse activity with results.
“Many brands enter trade show season without a clear idea of how they’ll measure success,” says Steve Halsey, principal and chief growth officer at GSBC. “Our role is to help clients define what matters—whether that’s high-quality leads, customer connections, or brand engagement—and ensure their tools and strategy are set up to capture that data.”
Mind the Gaps: Common ROI Pitfalls
Despite their potential, trade show booths remain one of the most expensive line items in a marketer’s budget. Executives cited high costs, limited ROI, and internal resource constraints as the biggest challenges in making trade shows work harder.
To bridge this gap, companies must:
- Equip their booth teams with tools for real-time lead capture
- Create compelling on-site moments that encourage opt-ins
- Leverage pre-show promotion and social media to boost awareness
- Establish a clear post-show follow-up strategy to convert interest into opportunity
Extend the Impact: Engage Before, During and After
One of the most overlooked levers for lead generation is pre-show communication. Promoting your booth, sponsorships and events ahead of the show —whether via email, targeted digital ads or social media—can drive traffic and prime attendees for meaningful interactions. Clearly communicating what’s in it for them (think: engaging experiences, giveaways or valuable insights) increases the likelihood they’ll seek you out on the show floor.
Social media also plays a vital role across the event lifecycle:
- Pre-show: Tease your booth experience, share your location, and promote activities or giveaways to build anticipation.
- During the show: Share live content, amplify booth activity, and encourage attendees to tag your brand.
- Post-show: Extend the conversation, highlight top moments, and nurture new leads through retargeting or follow-up content.
When coordinated with your on-site strategy, this omnichannel approach helps turn brief booth visits into lasting connections while also providing metrics for you to understand impact.
Download our Trade Show Strategy Pack for guidance on integrating lead capture activities into your booth plan—from choosing the right platform to training your team on booth best practices.
Case In Point
For a recent trade show, one of our clients leaned into this strategy by using a multi-touch approach to maximize booth engagement and leads. Pre-show communication invited attendees to visit the booth and participate in a trivia experience designed to educate and entertain. Scores determined the level of prize each participant received—with top scorers earning a voucher for a Hat Bar in a sponsored hospitality tent.
The activation was then cross-promoted at the hospitality tent to encourage additional booth traffic, creating a loop of engagement between the two locations. This strategy not only boosted foot traffic—it tied each interaction back to lead capture and post-show follow-up.
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Make Measurement Matter
Trade shows can deliver unmatched value—but only if you’re measuring the right things. By defining KPIs, embracing smart tools and focusing on meaningful engagement and lead capture, your booth presence can go from passive display to powerful driver of results.
Need help setting your trade show strategy? Let’s talk. Our team of measurement-minded creatives and strategists is ready to help you show the impact behind the experience.
Susan Harper is an accomplished event planner and experiential designer known for creating inspirational events, memorable activations and energized meetings across the globe. Her work spans the pharmaceutical, agribusiness, entertainment and franchise industries.