How to Choose a Trade Show: Criteria, Questions and a Scorecard

Choosing a trade show is a buying decision, and it deserves the same discipline as any other purchase of the same size. The booth is only part of the cost: services, the exhibit, shipping, travel and staff time usually add up to more. Before comparing shows, write down who you need to meet. Every other criterion depends on it.

• Which job titles and buying roles do you sell to, and which of them influence the decision
• Which industries, company sizes and regions are your best customers in
• Are you looking for new prospects, existing customers, distributors or partners, or press
• What does a qualified lead look like for your sales team
• How long is your sales cycle, and when in the year do your buyers set budgets

If you are new to exhibiting, our guide to what a trade show is explains how organizers, contractors and exhibitors fit together, and how to exhibit at a trade show covers everything after you book.

Build a long list before you narrow it. Most exhibitors find their best shows through people, not search results.

• Ask your best customers which shows they attend and which ones they skip
• Check the events pages of competitors and companies that sell alongside you
• Look at the industry associations your buyers belong to, many of which run an annual show
• Read the event calendars in your industry's trade publications
• Ask your sales team where they meet buyers today, and which regions they want to grow in
• Check convention center and expo hall calendars in the cities where your buyers are

Then cut the list to the three to six shows worth a proper look. Drop anything whose attendee profile clearly does not match your buyers, however large it is.

These are the trade show selection criteria most exhibitors use. Audience fit matters most, because no booth design or giveaway can fix a show where your buyers are not walking the aisles.

Attendance figures are the most quoted and least comparable number in a prospectus. One show counts everyone who registered, another counts unique people who came through the doors, and another counts every badge scan at every entrance. Exhibitors, speakers and staff are sometimes included. None of these is wrong, but you cannot compare shows until you know which one you are looking at.

• Breakdown by job title or function, and by buying role where the show collects it
• Breakdown by industry, company size and region
• Share of attendees who are first-time versus returning
• How many attendees came on each show day, and at what times the floor is busiest
• How the attendee mix has changed over the last few editions

Send every organizer on your short list the same questions, in writing, so the answers can be compared.

1. What does your attendance figure count, and is it audited
2. Can you share the attendee breakdown by job title, industry and region
3. Which companies exhibited last year, and what share of them rebooked
4. Which booths are still available, and where are the main entrances, food and session rooms
5. What does the booth price include, and what will I need to order separately
6. Which contractors are official, and where are the service rates published
7. What do you do to promote exhibitors to attendees before and during the show
8. Is lead retrieval available, and in what format will I receive my leads
9. Are there sponsorships, speaking slots or meeting programs open to exhibitors
10. What are the payment schedule, cancellation terms and key deadlines

Ask two or three past exhibitors as well, ideally ones who are not on the organizer's reference list. Ask whether they rebooked and why.

The fairest way to compare shows of different sizes and prices is the cost of each qualified lead you can expect to capture. It is an estimate, but it forces the right questions.

1. 1

   Estimate Total Cost

   Add booth space, services, the exhibit, shipping, travel, promotion and staff time. Our trade show budget guide lists every line.

2. 2

   Estimate Conversations

   Staff on duty at once, times realistic conversations per hour, times open hours. Use your own past shows where you have them.

3. 3

   Estimate Qualified Leads

   Apply the share of conversations you expect to match your buyer profile at this show, based on the attendee breakdown.

4. 4

   Calculate Cost per Qualified Lead

   Divide total cost by expected qualified leads, and compare the result across shows and with your other channels.

To go further and estimate the return, see trade show ROI or enter your numbers in the trade show ROI calculator.

A weighted scorecard turns the research into a decision you can explain to finance. Weight each criterion by how much it matters to you, score each show from 1 to 5, multiply and add up. The weights below are an example; change them to suit your goals.

Trade show scorecard

Show: [SHOW NAME]
Dates and city: [DATES], [CITY]
Booth option: [SIZE, TYPE, PRICE]
Estimated total cost: [AMOUNT]
Expected qualified leads: [NUMBER]
Cost per qualified lead: [AMOUNT]

Score each criterion 1 to 5, then multiply by its weight.

Audience fit, weight [30%]: score [1-5] = [WEIGHTED SCORE]
Cost per qualified lead, weight [20%]: score [1-5] = [WEIGHTED SCORE]
Attendee data quality, weight [10%]: score [1-5] = [WEIGHTED SCORE]
Past exhibitor list, weight [10%]: score [1-5] = [WEIGHTED SCORE]
Timing, weight [10%]: score [1-5] = [WEIGHTED SCORE]
Location and travel, weight [10%]: score [1-5] = [WEIGHTED SCORE]
Program and promotion, weight [10%]: score [1-5] = [WEIGHTED SCORE]

Total weighted score: [TOTAL, OUT OF 5]

Organizer answers received: [YES OR NO]
Past exhibitors spoken to: [NAMES]
Visited as an attendee: [YES OR NO, DATE]

Decision: [BOOK / WATCH / SKIP]
Reason: [ONE SENTENCE]

If a show is new to you and the budget is large, walk it as an attendee before you commit. A day on the floor answers questions no prospectus can.

• Count aisle traffic in different halls and at different times of day
• Look at badges: are the people walking past your buyers
• Ask a few exhibitors whether the show works for them and whether they will rebook
• Note where the entrances, food, sessions and quiet corners are
• Look at how competitors present themselves and how busy their booths are
• Pick up the prospectus for next year, since the best booths often rebook during the show

Once you have booked, the exhibitor checklist takes you from booth confirmation to move-out.

Exhibitors choose shows the way this guide describes, so organizers who answer these questions up front sell more booths and spend less time on email. The prospectus and the floor plan are where most of the answers live. Our exhibitor prospectus template has a section for each one.

• An attendee profile with clear definitions: what you count, and how
• Last year's exhibitor list, or a live floor plan showing who has booked
• Booth prices, sizes and types on the floor plan itself, not only in a PDF
• What each booth includes and what costs extra, with links to service rates
• Key dates: payment schedule, service order deadlines, move-in and move-out
• How you promote exhibitors: directory listings, app placements, emails
• Sponsorships and add-ons with their own prices
• A named contact who answers questions quickly

For more on filling a floor plan, see how to get exhibitors.