Exhibitor Journey · Complete How-To Guide

Three honest checks before you book anything:

• Average deal size · £15k+. Below that, the stand cost rarely covers in a single event cycle.
• Sales motion documented enough to follow up at speed. If your team can't move post-event leads through to a discovery call within 5 days, the leads decay.
• Capacity for 2-3 stand staff for the event day. Solo exhibition rarely works · the queue forms while you're already in a conversation.

If any of these is a no, run the GrowthLens diagnostic at /growthlens/diagnostic and address the gap first. Exhibition amplifies what's already working · it doesn't fix what isn't.

Open /exhibitions for the master calendar. For each event consider:

1. Audience overlap · who's attending. Look for the audience profile page on the event detail · should match your ICP.
2. Stage of attendees · are these decision-makers or scouts? Match the event to whether you sell to founders, mid-management, or procurement.
3. Concurrent supplier density · how many other suppliers in your category? Below 5 = sparse · you're the obvious pick. Above 15 = saturated · you'll fight for attention.
4. Time of year · Q1 events attract budget-fresh buyers; Q4 events attract finalisers.

Stand booking is for suppliers on the Visibility tier and above. To book:

1. Open /exhibit · the stand booking form.
2. Pick the event. The form surfaces the floor plan with available positions colour-coded by availability.
3. Pick your stand position. Premium positions (entrance, intersections, near keynote stage) cost more · choose by traffic density not aesthetics.
4. Submit. Ops confirms availability within 2 business days and sends pricing + contract.

Once your stand is confirmed, define the physical setup:

• Stand size · 2m × 2m (standard), 3m × 3m (premium), custom (Authority tier). Bigger stand = more cost + setup time, not necessarily more leads.
• Power + lighting · 13A socket standard. Spotlighting matters more than ambient · a well-lit stand reads as "open for business".
• Display · pop-up banner + freestanding screen + table. Avoid clutter · 3 elements max.
• A/V needs · screens, audio, demo equipment. Submit these 4 weeks ahead of the event so the venue can wire them in.

The 10-day countdown is where good exhibitions are won. Each task lands in your /my-visit dashboard with a deadline.

1. T-10 days · update your supplier profile · headlines, case studies, deal-size band. Buyers visiting your stand will pull up your profile on their phones.
2. T-7 days · pre-event briefing pack arrives in your inbox · audience list, agenda, suggested meeting partners.
3. T-7 days · matchmaking opens · book 8-12 pre-scheduled buyer meetings in 30-minute slots.
4. T-5 days · stand build pack ships to the venue. Confirm receipt.
5. T-3 days · brief your team · meeting list, talking points, who covers what.
6. T-1 day · stand setup at the venue. Don't leave this to the morning.

• Arrive 60 minutes early. Quick audit of the stand · everything where it should be, screens on, lighting right.
• Two people on stand minimum at all times. One free to engage walk-ups while the other handles a booked meeting.
• Stand etiquette · stand up, no phones, no eating at the table, no laptop screens facing the aisle.
• 30-second elevator · every staff member has the same 30-second answer to "what do you do?". Don't ad-lib · the visitor doesn't have time.
• Booked meetings get priority. Walk-ups are bonus · pre-booked attendees are why you came.

Every conversation needs to convert to a follow-up-able record. Three approaches:

1. Badge scan · the event-day kit includes a scanner that pulls contact details from attendee badges. Capture every interaction.
2. Stand-side iPad · a 4-field form (name, email, "what we discussed", next step). Visitors fill it in 30 seconds while you're queueing the next conversation.
3. QR-code to your supplier profile · for serious follow-ups · they can save it in 2 seconds.

Avoid · paper business cards. They get lost. Aim for digital capture on 100% of substantive conversations.

Authority-tier exhibitors get speaker slots · 30-minute sessions in front of the full audience. To apply:

1. Confirm your Authority-tier eligibility.
2. Email your account team at least 6 weeks before the event with topic + one-paragraph abstract.
3. Topic vetting takes ~1 week. Approved · slot in the agenda. Denied · we tell you why so you can resubmit.

A well-delivered speaker slot drives 3-5× more stand visits the same day. Worth the prep · don't pitch · educate.

The most-skipped step. Inside 48 hours of the event:

1. Email every captured lead individually. Reference what you discussed at the stand · "you mentioned [X] is the problem · here's the relevant case study". No mass template.
2. Update your supplier pipeline at /my-supply/leads · one row per captured lead at stage "New".
3. Book discovery calls with the top 5 leads inside 7 days · while the conversation is fresh.
4. Send a public LinkedIn post thanking the event organisers + naming 1-2 buyers / suppliers you met. Builds long-term ecosystem visibility.

Three ROI windows to track:

• Day 30 · leads in discovery calls. Aim for 30-40% of captured leads.
• Day 90 · proposals sent. Aim for 10-15% of captured leads.
• Day 180 · closed business. Industry norm is 2-5% of captured leads. Above 5% · you exhibit well.

Compare closed revenue to total event cost (stand + setup + staff time). A break-even ratio of 3× is healthy. Below 1× · the issue is usually pre-event prep or post-event follow-up, not the event itself.

Exhibition value compounds over multiple events. Repeat exhibitors at the same series see:

• 40-60% more booked meetings by event 3 (audience recognises you).
• 20-30% higher conversion rate (peers vouch).
• Speaker slots become available (audience asks for you).

One-off exhibitions rarely pay back. Commit to 3-4 events in a series before judging ROI.

• Stand-build kit hasn't arrived · contact ops the moment you notice. Most kits ship next-day-air on a re-order; we never want you arriving to bare floor.
• Matchmaking has 0 bookings 3 days out · usually means your profile is incomplete or your ICP is too narrow. Quick profile review at /my-supply/profile.
• Stand staff cancelled at the last minute · don't go solo. Email ops; we maintain a list of trained on-call stand staff who can cover within 24 hours for a fee.
• Lead quality was poor · the audience may have been wrong-fit for your offer. Honest review with your account team before booking the next event.