15 Smart Exhibitor Strategies to Maximize Any Conference
What to Do During the Event to Stand Out, Attract the Right Prospects, and Drive Real ROI
A major industry conference is a significant investment. Whether you're spending $30K or $300K, the real question is: How do you make it worth it?
Too many vendors show up, collect leads, and hope business happens. The smartest ones win before, during, and after the event.
Here’s exactly how to maximize ROI and stand out from the noise at your next conference.
DURING THE CONFERENCE: 15 Must-Do Moves to Stand Out & Win Deals
Master Your Booth "Hook" in 10 Seconds or Less
Attendees walk past hundreds of booths. If you can’t hook them in 10 seconds, they’re gone.
Best format: "We help [persona] do [specific outcome] without [pain point]."
Example: “We help health plans optimize risk adjustment accuracy without adding to provider abrasion.”
Have a Clear Game Plan for Who’s Working the Booth
Many booths fail because reps don’t know their role. Define who does what:
Who greets and qualifies?
Who runs demos or deep dives?
Who books follow-up meetings?
Use QR Codes to Instantly Capture Leads
Forget business cards. Everyone loses them. Instead, have a prominent QR code linking to:
A calendar for booking meetings
A lead form (name, title, email, key interest)
A valuable download (not generic marketing fluff)
Leverage the “Hallway Effect”
Some of the best conversations happen outside the exhibit hall, in hallways or coffee areas.
Send one or two team members to casually work these spaces and pull in key contacts.
Use Live Industry Data to Drive Traffic to Your Booth
Instead of “Come see a demo,” offer a compelling reason:
Example: “We analyzed 500,000 open care gaps. Swing by Booth #312 for the top insights.”
Engage Decision-Makers, Not Just Booth Browsers
Train your team to qualify visitors in under 30 seconds.
If they’re not the right fit, don’t waste time. Direct them to a resource and move on.
Run a “Secret Shopper” Exercise on Your Own Booth
Send a team member or trusted friend to pose as a prospect and test your team’s responses.
Are they nailing the pitch? Are they qualifying leads properly?
Host a “Show Special” to Create Urgency
People forget you the second they leave. Give them a reason to act now.
Example: “Health plans that schedule a follow-up this week get exclusive access to our latest industry report.”
Dominate LinkedIn While You’re There
Post daily insights from the conference, tagging speakers and key attendees.
Share your booth location and invite relevant prospects to swing by.
Have a Smart, Tiered Follow-Up System Ready to Go
Not all leads are equal. Create a simple system:
A-List: Decision-makers. Immediate follow-up.
B-List: Potential influencers. Mid-level nurture.
C-List: General contacts. Light-touch follow-up.
Host a Casual, Off-Site “Power Coffee” Meetup
Not a formal dinner. Just three to five key people for coffee before sessions start.
Example: “A few of us are grabbing coffee at 7:30 AM. Swing by?”
Executives don’t have time for big dinners but will do coffee.
Record a 2-Minute Video Recap Each Day
Summarize top industry takeaways and post them on LinkedIn.
Keeps you visible to attendees and industry contacts who couldn’t make it.
Close the Conversation with a Clear Next Step
Get commitment on next steps. Don’t leave it vague.
Example: Before they leave your booth, ask: “What’s the best way to continue this after the conference?”
Deploy a “Hot Lead” System in Real-Time
Use a shared Google Doc, Slack thread, or CRM tag to mark red-hot leads for priority follow-up.
Leverage the Expo Hall Dead Zones
The best conversations often happen early morning, late afternoon, or when people step out of sessions.
Have team members working these gaps instead of just waiting at the booth.
Most exhibitors focus all their energy on the event itself, but what happens after the conference is just as important as what you do during it. Executing these strategies on the ground will set you apart, but if you don’t have a plan for following up, nurturing leads, and converting conversations into business, you’re leaving money on the table.
The real work starts when the booths come down and the follow-ups begin. If you want to turn your conference investment into actual revenue, check out Part 2: How to Follow Up, Nurture Leads, and Turn Conference Conversations Into Revenue.
You can read it here.
📣 Support this work
This newsletter runs on real-world insight and real conversations. If it’s helping you pitch, position, or close smarter, you can now support the work.
→ Become a supporter