Lead retrieval
The system used to collect contacts at the stand (badge scan, QR code, app). It’s not enough on its own: without follow-up within 72 hours, over 70% of those contacts go cold.
Post-show follow-up
The sequence of messages you send to contacts after the show. It’s where ROI is won or lost: those who respond within an hour are far more likely to qualify the lead.
Trade show ROI
The return on the stand investment: pipeline generated and converted relative to total cost (structure, logistics, staff, travel).
Hot lead
A contact who showed a clear intent at the show - budget, decision-making role, stated urgency. Should be contacted first, before they go cold.
Qualified lead
A contact who meets the minimum criteria (industry, role, real need) to be worth a personalized follow-up, not a standard email sent to everyone.
Badge scan
Scanning the visitor’s badge at the stand: captures contact data without them filling anything in by hand, or you having to retype it afterwards.
No-show
A meeting set up at the show that then falls through. More common than people think - a good follow-up plan accounts for it, rather than just hoping it won’t happen.
Trade show pipeline
The set of contacts collected at the show, organized by stage (to contact, in progress, closed). Not just a list of names on a sheet.
Trade show CRM
The tool - not necessarily complex software - where show contacts go in and stay trackable, instead of living in an Excel file or a box of business cards.
Post-show audit
The analysis of what worked and what didn’t at a show: how many leads collected, how many converted, where the rest got lost in the process.
Lead-to-customer conversion rate
The percentage of contacts collected at the show that become paying customers. It varies by industry, but it’s the number that tells you whether the show paid for the stand.
Post-show retargeting
Reaching out again with a different message to those who didn’t respond to the first follow-up, instead of giving up after a single attempt.