A trade fair appearance without a clear goal can neither be planned nor judged. This guide covers the four typical goals, how to pick one as your main goal, how to measure it and what it means for your stand, team and content.
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The most common answer to the question of why a company exhibits is: we have to be there. That is understandable, because customers and competitors are there too. But it does not work as a goal, because nothing follows from it: not how many people to staff, not which conversations matter, not what to photograph and not whether the show was worth it.
A real trade fair goal describes what should be different after the show. More qualified contacts for sales, a new audience that knows your brand, open positions with applicants, or articles about your new product. Every other decision follows from that goal.
For companies flying in from abroad, the question is often sharper: are you here to find distributors, to meet existing European customers, or to test whether the market responds at all? Each answer leads to a different stand, a different team and a different follow-up. The rule of thumb is one main goal and at most two secondary ones.
Most trade fair goals fall into one of four groups. The table shows how to recognise success and what has to happen on the stand.
| Goal | How you measure it | What must happen on the stand |
|---|---|---|
| Leads and sales | qualified conversations, follow-up meetings booked, quotes requested | structured lead capture, meeting spaces, sales people on site |
| Visibility and brand | visitors at the stand, reach of posts, mentions | an eye-catching stand, activities, stage slots, content during the show |
| Recruiting | conversations with candidates, applications, university contacts | an approachable team, career information, a clear point of contact |
| Press | press appointments, articles, interview requests | press kit, spokesperson on site, images available immediately |
You can pursue several goals at the same show. What matters is that one takes priority when resources run short, for example when a journalist and a buyer arrive at your stand (booth) at the same time.
A goal only becomes useful when you can say after the show whether you reached it. That needs three things:
Keep capture fast enough to finish in a few seconds. Three or four fields are enough: name, company, interest, next step. If it takes five minutes after every conversation, people stop doing it by the third one.
International exhibitors should add one more question: who follows up in which language and time zone after the show? Our page for international exhibitors in Germany covers the practical side of exhibiting here.
Photos and videos from the show are not decoration. They are a tool that serves the main goal if you plan them in advance:
At Pixer we ask for your main goal before every show day and plan shots and editing around it. The first images usually arrive the same day and the full delivery within 24 hours after the show ends, so the material is there while it can still serve the goal.
The review is the step most often skipped, because daily business is waiting. Block a meeting in advance, about a week after the show, and answer three questions:
Our guide on trade fair follow-up explains how to structure the days after the show so this review is possible.
At most two secondary goals. Trying to do everything means doing nothing well.
Leads, visibility, recruiting or press. Almost every trade fair goal fits one of them.
A clear definition, a target and one counting method for the whole team.
Sales for leads, younger colleagues for recruiting, a spokesperson for press.
Photos and videos aimed at the main goal, not decoration.
Block a meeting after the show before you travel.
One main goal and at most two secondary ones. The main goal decides when time, staff or space on the stand run short.
You define it. A common definition is a contact from your target group with a concrete need and an agreed next step, such as a quote or a meeting.
From previous shows, your sales plan and the number of people on the stand. At a first show, a cautious estimate is better than no number.
Often leads or distributor contacts, with visibility as a secondary goal. Plan follow-up in the right language and time zone before you travel.
They extend the show beyond its dates: in follow-up emails, on your careers page, in press releases and on LinkedIn. To do that, they need to match the goal and be available quickly.
Once your goal is clear, photos and video can be planned to serve it. Tell us your show, dates and main goal, and we will suggest a running order that fits.
We reply within 24 hours. During a show week, WhatsApp is fastest.
