After a sudden drop in the B2B trade show market in 2020, trade shows are back, reaching $16.28 billion by 2025. But trade shows are also changing, so it’s time for brands to adapt their approach to shows.
Read on for tips on achieving trade show success in 2025:
What’s new with trade shows
Instead of ending their role in the industry, the pandemic and later growth transformed and elevated trade shows. The result? More options and events are available than ever. As such, your brand’s opportunities are no longer confined to a specific season, location, or category.
Moreover, new partnerships and technologies are changing how outreach, partnerships, preplanning, and on-site engagement work. Analytics are also now easier to measure and track to help you better understand your return on investment from trade shows – before, during, and after each event. Thanks to developments such as these, today’s trade shows offer exciting, approachable opportunities for brands to scale and build relationships.
Why large orders are no longer a common reality
However, trade shows are no longer reliable sources of large, revenue-driving orders — smaller, more frequent orders have increasingly become the norm. This cuts retailer risk, helping styles and inventory stay in-season and fresh. Retailers have the power to be more nimble with their inventory in the face of slower customer demand or other surprises. Brands — instead of banking on making all of your sales at a single event, adapt your wholesale strategy accordingly. The more you understand these data-driven ordering patterns, the better prepared you’ll be to use technology to maximize your trade show success and to continue garnering interest outside of market weeks to encourage mid-season orders from buyers.
Nurturing relationships with buyers: Pre-show planning and post-event followups
In order to build strong relationships at every trade show, it’s best to start planning before the big event. Develop a solid plan and follow-up sequence to stay in touch with prospects who aren’t ready to buy, as well as the buyers who order at the show.
Consider a process like this:
- Choose trade shows that are a good fit for your brand — not just for your category, but for your target customer’s lifestyle. The better the fit between your products and the stories and experiences featured at the show, the more likely it will be that you’ll make quality connections. For example, footwear brands can explore events designed for their vertical or they can see trade show success by participating in fashion trade shows that offer adjacent categories that are relevant to their customers. Examples of adjacent categories include eveningwear, outdoor apparel, outdoor gear, golf equipment, or contemporary menswear.
- Promote your trade show participation via a strategic marketing campaign. For example, you can send a special teaser to buyers to build anticipation before the first day of the show.
- Use QR codes or digital forms to streamline any information you collect at the show. This can give you the significant competitive advantage of being able to send your post-show follow-ups much sooner.
- Track key metrics and data collection to assess whether any given show would be a good repeat investment and to accurately determine your ROI.
- Create email templates before the show to quickly nurture leads when you return home from the event. Be sure to invite leads to create an account to explore your B2B wholesale platform when you do.
Maximize your trade show investment
Get more from your trade show investments — download our free, actionable guide, “Beyond the booth: How brands find trade show success in the new hybrid era".
