Trade Show Marketing Efforts

is the traditional B2B roadshow dead? no, but it needs life support. over the past decade, I've watched companies pour millions into events with diminishing returns. the problem isn't face-to-face connection. it's using yesterday's playbook in today's multi-channel world. the highest-performing B2B companies follow this three-phase framework: before: build momentum through strategic targeting and multi-channel outreach before anyone walks through the door. during: create experiences that extend far beyond the physical venue through hybrid design and real-time content. after: convert momentum into revenue with sophisticated follow-up systems that actually drive pipeline. our clients implementing this approach have transformed their results. with one single campaign: ↳ pilot generated 100+ high-quality leads and saw 132% LinkedIn engagement surge ↳ elation lighting achieved 500% increase in impressions and won a prestigious industry award all in one trade show ↳ aeroflow healthcare achieved 47% higher acquisition at 34% lower cost bottom line: the companies gaining market share are treating roadshows as integrated campaigns rather than isolated moments. remember: face-to-face still matters, but only when it's part of a seamless journey that matches how today's B2B buyers actually make decisions. #b2bmarketing #b2bpr #gtm #eventmarketing #roadshow #cmoinsights

I’ve changed my mind about trade shows. 6 months ago, I talked about how ineffective they were as a marketing tactic. - Booths cost £1000s - No one gets new business. - You get ignored by attendees. - Everyone is just pitching at you. - There are 100s of competitors there. - You get drowned out by other vendors. They’re a massive waste of time. Or at least that’s what I thought… Then I got sent the photos (below) from one of our clients’ booths at a recent trade show. That’s when I realised trade shows aren’t the issue. ↳ It’s how companies approach them that’s broken. The key: Create a campaign around your booth. Here’s the playbook for getting noticed at trade shows: 1/ Don’t Make Yourself The Attraction Our client hired Kaleb from Clarkson’s Farm to be at their booth. Crowds flocked for a chat, photo, or simply to see what all the fuss was about. They came for Kaleb. ↳ But then they’d chat to our client. —— 2/ Turning a Booth Into an Experience They ditched the usual trade show freebies and brought in a VR welding setup. Kaleb set a time. ↳ People tried to beat it. ↳ If they did they won a prize. This meant visitors weren’t just walking by—they were staying, engaging, and talking about it. —— 3/ Force Them To Remember You Here’s where it got clever: Our client offered a hefty reward for the person who won the VR welding game. But they wouldn’t find out if they won until the end of the day. That meant the last booth people went to was there. ↳ Keeping them top of mind on the way home. —— Don’t get me wrong, most trade shows are a waste of money. But if you go into them: - With a clear strategy. - An approach to get noticed. - A campaign around your booth. They can really make an impact. Definitely going to be doing more of this with clients. P.S. Follow me to learn how to get your company noticed Niall Ratcliffe 📚

I went to the Auckland Food show yesterday and it was so good! So many innovative small businesses creating delicious food, experimenting with new ways and new ingredients to create things we love. There was a big focus on plant based as you would expect and sustainability (lots of claims, didn't necessarily see any solid evidence). But it was hard to see a lot of what was going on as there was so many people there (which is good, but means you need to dress your stall accordingly). I thought some tips on what made stalls the most appealing and impactful might be useful for exhibitors. 1. Go high. The place was packed and I am 5'6'' (okay fine with heels on🙄) so a lot of the time all I could see was the backs of shoulders and necks. So think about height. So many stalls didn’t use their walls above a certain height - it’s wasted real estate! If I can't see what you're selling easily, I'm not very likely to fight my way over there to find out. Put your signage (or similar) high! 2. Explain what you do. While we're talking about signage, along with hanging it higher, also make sure it's clear what you do. A lot of business names (and taglines) don't say what the business does. And if I don't know what your business does, I'm definitely not battling my way across the river of people to find out. 3. Make it easy. Some stalls unintentionally made it difficult to buy stuff. Whether it was because they didn't have easily accessible pricing, no clarity on what was actually for sale or in one case, no actual product in sight - just samples. Some of the best stalls were those that had packs made up to grab, or a bestseller suggestion. And of course samples - but don't over sample to the detriment of sales! Also as you all know of course, make it easy for them to give you their email. 4. Make it fun. The stalls I spent the most time at were those that clearly demonstrated their brand story and intrigued me enough to hang around. Some other stalls had mystery bags (shout out to KiwiHarvest for theirs), Wonky Box had a fun fair style game that lured people in; there was wheels to spin and raffles and competitions. There are sooo many stalls and so many people at these things, how are you going to stand out? Some of my fave brands in the photos below and if you haven’t heard of APPLETASTIC, Butterluxe, Forty Thieves Nut Butters, or Vince New Zealand you must go check them out. And great to see the team at Fair Food NZ there too. Thanks for the truly horrendous picture 🤦🏻♀️ I look forward to attending next year - with an Incrediballs stand! I’m hoping we’ll have a vending machine and a giant stuffed ball, but we’ll see… #tradeshow #foodshow

Over the next 3 months, I’m hosting 4 major events in France, UK, USA and KSA. Beforehand, I want to share my top tips on how to get the best out of networking. 1. Set Clear Targets Action: Make a hit list of the top 10 companies or people you need to meet. Research what they care about—know their wins, pain points, & what they’re hunting for before you walk through the door. Outcome: These conversations won’t just happen by chance. By doing your homework, you’ll turn a five-minute chat into a deal-building moment. Schedule meetings in advance, & after the event, send a tailored follow-up email that shows you were listening. 2. Take the Stage (Literally) Action: Get on the agenda. Whether it’s a keynote, panel, or fireside chat, nothing says “I’m the one to watch” like holding the mic. Use this time to address the industry’s biggest challenges & position yourself—& your company—as the answer. Outcome: Speaking builds instant credibility. It’s not just exposure; it’s authority. Post-event, share the highlights on LinkedIn & invite attendees to continue the conversation, turning an audience into a lead pipeline. 3. Own the Floor Action: Don’t just lurk—work the room. Engage with key exhibitors, ask questions, & position yourself as a resource, not just another pitch. Be direct but curious: “What’s your biggest challenge this year?” and “How can I help?” are powerful openers. Outcome: You’ll stand out as someone who listens. Take notes during conversations, & follow up within 48 hours with a personalised message. Not a generic “great meeting you”—send actionable insights or specific ideas that move the ball forward. 4. Host the Inner Circle Action: People bond better in a more relaxed setting than over Wi-Fi. Organise an exclusive dinner, roundtable, or cocktail event for a curated group of heavy hitters. Keep it intimate—this is about building relationships, not just showing off. Go easy on the heavy sell. Outcome: People remember who brought them value & connections, not who handed out free pens. Post-event, share any key takeaways & book one-on-one follow-ups to solidify what you started over drinks. 5. Hack the Tech Action: Use every tool at your disposal—event apps, LinkedIn, QR codes. Pre-event, reach out to attendees & book meetings. At the event, swap contacts digitally to keep things seamless, & use a CRM to track every interaction. Outcome: You’ll leave the event with an organised roadmap of leads, not just a stack of business cards destined for a desk drawer. Follow up strategically with segmented, value-driven emails & keep the momentum alive. The Bottom Line: Trade fairs & exhibitions aren’t just networking. Preparation, presence, & follow-up separate those who close deals from those who just collect swag bags. Be human. Don’t think of this as just a branding exercise but an opportunity for long term partnerships. Be genuine - your new contacts will become close contacts, if not friends. Make it count! #revenuegrowth

I’ve been having lots of conversations about LinkedIn for events from organisers wanting to drive visibility and engagement, to exhibitors heading to upcoming tradeshows, and everyone in between. Whether you’re hosting, exhibiting, or attending LinkedIn can help you get more out of every event: ✨ More visibility 🤝 More connections 📈 More business outcomes Yet LinkedIn is often underused in the event space. A one-and-done post. A quick thank you. A flurry of activity... then silence. But here’s the thing: the event isn’t the beginning and it shouldn’t be the end. To get the most value, LinkedIn should be part of your strategy before, during and after the event. Here’s how to make the most of it: 🌠 1. Be LinkedIn Event Ready Your profile and company page shape your first impression often before anyone meets you. They should tell a clear, credible story that aligns with your event involvement. Organiser Tip: Create a LinkedIn Brand Kit for your speakers, exhibitors, and team – banners, hashtags, talking points, and example posts. Exhibitor Tip: Use an event-themed banner to show your stand details or branding. 🌠 2. Build Relationships Before the Event The most valuable connections rarely start cold on event day. The lead-up to the event is prime time to increase visibility, build familiarity, and position yourself as someone worth connecting with or visiting at the stand. Organiser Tip: Spotlight speakers, exhibitors, and sessions early and use tags to amplify. Exhibitor Tip: Shortlist people you want to meet - clients, prospects, collaborators, media and start connecting early. 🌠 3. Maximise the Event Experience Use LinkedIn to take people behind the scenes, amplify moments as they happen, and make your presence visible to those who couldn’t attend. Organiser Tip: Have someone live post from the floor, tagging participants and sharing session soundbites. Exhibitor Tip: Make it easy for people to connect with you it creates immediate pathways to keep the conversation going. 🌠 4. Keep the Momentum Going This is the stage where most people go quiet, but this is when the real relationship-building begins. Use LinkedIn to keep the conversation going. Share your takeaways. Follow up with new connections. Repurpose content into future posts. Organiser Tip: Share a highlight post and set the stage for what’s next even a “Save the Date” works. Exhibitor Tip: Send a personalised follow-up message referencing your chat. 🌟 Key Takeaways LinkedIn is one of the most powerful tools you have to extend your event beyond the room. It allows you to build relationships before the first handshake, stay visible throughout the event and strengthen credibility and connection long after the banners are packed away. And if you'd like support to develop your own LinkedIn event strategy that's more than one and done, I’d love to help. Because showing up is just the beginning. #linkedin #events #eventmarketing

Investing in an exhibition stand? LinkedIn® needs to be part of your marketing before the doors open. That was our conclusion during a recent Disruptive Business Leadership event exploring LinkedIn’s True Role in the Age of AI. Roy Kowarski, exhibition specialist and Lynnaire Johnston, LinkedIn and AI visibility strategist, identified a significant missed opportunity. Companies invest heavily in exhibition space, displays, collateral and staff time, yet many fail to use LinkedIn to build interest, demonstrate expertise and encourage people to visit them before the event begins. Simply turning up at an exhibition is not enough. Before an event, an organisation and everyone representing the company need to know what it wants to achieve and how their activity contributes to it. LinkedIn can then support the strategy before, during and after the exhibition. Before the event, organisations should use LinkedIn to explain: 🔷 Why they are exhibiting 🔷 What they will be doing there 🔷 Why people should visit them As Roy puts it, “The trick is before the event to tell people on LinkedIn what you’re going to do and why they should visit you.” That requires more than a solitary “Come and see us” post. The marketing options include posts from the personal profiles of those exhibiting and from the company page. The organisation could also create a LinkedIn Event, publish an article demonstrating its expertise or feature the exhibition in its company newsletter. People can also be invited through the LinkedIn Event page, but the aim is not simply to increase attendance. Sharing genuinely useful information can position the company as the go-to organisation in its industry. That content might answer questions attendees are likely to have, share insights connected with the event theme or give people a compelling reason to seek the team out once they arrive. During the exhibition, personal profiles and the company page can continue working together to share expertise, conversations and insights from the event. Afterwards, LinkedIn can extend the relationships and visibility created, instead of allowing the entire investment to end with a celebratory photograph and a “What a great event” post. There may also be an AI discoverability benefit. When personal profiles, company pages and published content clearly associate people and organisations with an event and its subject matter, they create evidence of that involvement and expertise. That could increase the likelihood of those people or organisations being surfaced when someone asks AI about the event, its exhibitors or the specialist topics it covers. But this requires a coherent body of evidence created before, during and after the event. We explored this and more during the panel discussion which you can watch at the @LinkAbilityNZ YouTube channel. #LinkedInStrategy #EventMarketing #AIDiscoverability

Here’s a mistake I see a lot of companies make before a trade show.  They try to be everything to everyone. They walk into a show with a generic elevator pitch.  They hope people will just “get” what they do.  They use broad language to sound more flexible.  And then they wonder why no one remembers them. Let me tell you what works instead.  Pick one clear ICP for that show.  One message.  One problem you solve that matters most to that audience. If your ideal client at this event is operations leaders at mid-market manufacturers,  everything you say should speak directly to what keeps them up at night.  If your target is packaging decision-makers, your talk track should make them feel like you’ve been sitting in on their team meetings. The goal is not to prove you can help anyone.  It’s to become unforgettable to the right ones. You want someone to leave your booth and say,  “That’s the team that gets us. That’s who we need to talk to.” Not,  “What did they do again?” This is how you move from being seen… to being remembered.  From talking… to converting. Start with your ICP.  Then shape your message.  Then train your team to deliver it with clarity and confidence. That’s how you make a trade show worth it. If your team is prepping for a fall show and the messaging still feels fuzzy, this is something I help sales leaders tighten.    Getting crystal clear on who you’re speaking to and what you’re saying can change everything. 

5 Must-Know Tips for Setting Up Booths at Major Expos! Having attended two major food expos—Gulfood & AAHAR—in the past few weeks, setting up our own stalls at AAHAR for 2 years, and recently having the opportunity to be at TiEcon, I’ve learned that visibility & engagement make all the difference. Here’s what truly matters: 1️⃣ LED Signs Are a Game-Changer – Peak crowd comes after 5 PM, and good lighting ensures your stall stands out. 2️⃣ Carry a Big Diary (or Digital Notes) – Capture leads, insights & feedback in one place. 3️⃣ Pick the Right Spot – Near food zones, entry points, or main walkways = maximum footfall. 4️⃣ Reliable Vendors Are Lifesavers – Ensure smooth sourcing for standees, displays & setup materials. 5️⃣ Branding & Engagement Win – Crisp messaging, live demos, or giveaways can draw in the crowd. 💡 Bonus Tip: Follow up within 48 hours before leads go cold! We’ve applied these at Joyspoon with great success. What’s worked for you? Share your insights! 👇 #ExpoTips #EventMarketing #StartupTips #TiEcon #AAHAR #Gulfood #BrandBuilding

You paid for the booth, wore the polo, and smiled for 3 days straight. And then you got home, opened 400 emails, and followed up 10 days later with "Great meeting you at [show]!" They had no idea who you were. The show isn't where you lose the ROI. The week after is. Here's what actually works: 1. Your follow-up starts before you arrive 👉 The directory is published weeks in advance. Your competitors aren't reading it. 2. Not every lead deserves the same follow-up 👉 Someone who spent 20 minutes with you is not the same as someone who grabbed a pen and walked on. 3. Tag leads hot / warm / cold before you leave the floor 👉 Hot lead: personal note, specific callback, clear next step. Warm lead: relevant resource, light ask, nurture sequence. 4. Include a photo of your booth in your follow-up email 👉 Faces blur after a full day on the floor. A photo jogs the memory before they read a word. 5. Record a 30-second testimonial on the floor 👉 Almost nobody does this. It's the most powerful content you'll make all year. 6. Make it about them, not about you 👉 Nobody asked how long you've been in business. They want to know if you can solve their problem. 7. Send a 60-second video instead of an email 👉 No script. No editing. The most memorable follow-up they'll get from anyone at the show. 8. Always end with a clear next step 👉 "Let me know if you have questions" is not a next step. It's a wish. 9. Follow up more than once, no reply isn't no 👉 Most buyers are busy, not disinterested. 3–5 touches over 3 weeks. 10. Connect on LinkedIn while you're still at the show 👉 One connection from the floor beats 10 cold emails sent a week later. 11. Post a "what we heard" within 48 hours 👉 Not about your product. About their problems. These posts travel. 12. The best content from a show isn't about your booth 👉 One sharp observation from 3 days on the floor will outperform any product post you write all year. The booth opens the door. What you do next determines if it was worth it. What's your favorite way to follow up? 👇 _________ Ready for more leads? Sign up for my free weekly newsletter here → https://lnkd.in/eRXtjQ_C

Trade shows don’t build pipeline. What you do before and after them does. Booth duty and badge scans aren’t enough. If you’re not prepping like a pro, you’re just along for the ride. Here’s the blueprint top reps use to turn trade shows into revenue: 01.) Before the Event: Frontload the Work Pipeline starts before your plane takes off. You need to: ⇢ Lock in meetings ahead of time ⇢ Build a hit list of target accounts ⇢ Craft a 10-second hook that cuts through the noise Execution tips: • Coordinate with SDRs to hit key contacts • Use LinkedIn, email, and calendar links to secure time • RSVP early to VIP events and happy hours • Research where your buyers will actually be 02.) On the Floor: Don’t Just “Man the Booth” Booth duty is not the job. ⇢ Stand out front ⇢ Engage like a human, not a pitch robot ⇢ Capture leads fast and clean Execution tips: • Walk the floor - hit partners, competitors, and customers • Bring a customer advocate to back you up • Skip internal chit chat - stay locked on buyers 03.) After Hours: Where Deals Actually Start The best conversations don’t happen during exhibit hours. ⇢ Ditch the pitch ⇢ Go deep with 2–3 high-value convos ⇢ Be a real person, not a walking demo Execution tips: • Know which events matter and show up early • Stay sharp - people remember how you carry yourself • Listen more than you talk 04.) Meetings: Don’t Demo, Discover This is not a Zoom call. ⇢ Ask about pain, urgency, priorities ⇢ Skip the fluff ⇢ Nail your notes Execution tips: • Show up early, end on time • Get alignment on next steps • Use the meeting to open doors, not close deals 05.) Follow-Up: Be the Rep Who Closes Loops Ghosting kills momentum. ⇢ Follow up within 48 hours ⇢ Personalize based on what they said ⇢ Share useful next steps, not generic decks Example: “Great chat after the RevOps panel - sounds like onboarding pain is a big blocker. Here’s that case study I mentioned. Let’s reconnect next week?” Remember: ↳ Trade shows are a sales sprint, not a team retreat ↳ No plan = no pipeline ↳ The reps who prep are the ones who win Want the full Trade show Guide as a one-pager as PDF? Get it here: https://buff.ly/AFnvUUt