52 Valuable Trade Show Statistics and Trends to Boost Your Business in 2024

trade show statistics and trends

Trade show marketing has been a powerful marketing strategy for decades, but not everyone knows about it. 

This is because the world is becoming even more digital, and not everyone knows about face-to-face marketing (trade show marketing).

The primary reason why companies exhibit at trade shows is to gather leads. 

However, it is an excellent chance for people to compare products and learn much more about what your business offers. 

Although the world is getting digital, physical experiences with a brand are still very important. Customers want to interact with your business through physical stores or events. This is where the importance of trade shows comes in. 

This article shows the latest trade show statistics and trends and how they will benefit your business. 

You will also learn about the future of the trade show industry and how you can take advantage of it.

Key Trade Show Statistics for Your Business 

Trade Show Attendance Statistics And Trends 

1. In 2021, the global B2B trade show market revenue was estimated at $64 billion and $50 billion in 2022. (source)

2. The average attendee at a trade show spends about 5.5 hours there. (source)

3. 48% of exhibitors surveyed say that trade show attendees are attracted to eye-catching stands. (source)

4. About 50% of trade show attendees only attend one show per year. (source)

5. 81% of trade show attendees have buying authority. (source)

The goal of every business owner is to keep expanding their customer base, as this would enable them to maximize profits and make sales.

Trade fairs offer the visibility needed for this to happen through visitors with buying authority and the potential to become high-value customers.

6. 74% of attendees agree that engaging with marketers or exhibitors increases their chances of purchasing the products or services on display. (source)

7. The superior design of a trade show booth goes a long way in attracting people and providing a conducive environment for transactions to happen. (source)

8. Virtually 70% of typical attendee visits are to booths that can be reached from all sides, and 45% of their visits are to larger booths. (source)

9. 50% of trade show attendees will likely stop by your exhibit if you have appealing promotional items to deliver. (source)

10. Trade show booths are focal points in exhibitors’ marketing. Hence, using visually remarkable elements in your trade show booth goes a long way in attracting customers. (source)

11. 92% of trade show attendees primarily go to see the new products that exhibitors feature. (source)

12. About 70% of trade show attendees make potential customers and buyers for businesses. (source)

13. 82% of trade show attendees are directly involved in their teams’ purchasing decisions. Hence, setting up shop at fairs, trade shows, and festivals is one of the best ways to engage with your target. (source)

General Trade Show Statistics And Trends

14. About 95% of regular exhibitors prefer in-person events, such as trade show events, to virtual events. (source)

15. Sales increment is one of the top reasons why 83% of businesses exhibit at a trade show. (source

16. Only about 3% of small businesses use trade show events to grow their businesses. (source)

17. 95% of B2B trade show attendees claim to get many unique values of attending in person that they just can’t get from other channels. (source)

18. 65% of businesses say in-person trade shows were an invaluable part of their marketing strategy. (source)

19. 88% of businesses exhibit at trade shows to raise awareness for their brand or new products and services. (source

20. 72% of exhibitors participate in trade shows to get new leads and potential buyers. (source

21. 83% of marketers say they will likely attend in-person events and trade shows. (source)

22. In 2021, the average number of events U.S. businesses attended was 6.4 national and 10.6 regional. (source

23. 41% of marketers in the U.S. planned to increase their trade show budget. Another 33% planned to maintain their budget. Only 23% planned to decrease their budget for the year (2023). (source)

24. The number of U.S business exhibitors in the trade show industry has grown by an average of 8.2% per year in the last five years (2017-2022) (source)

25. Experiential marketing, including trade shows and in-person events, is now one of the top 5 most important marketing strategies for businesses. (source)

26. As of 2022, the total number of businesses in the U.S. in the trade show industry was 6,626. (source)

27. Compared to last year, the number of companies in the trade show industry grew by 11.2%. (source)

28. 81% of trade show exhibitors use emails to follow up on their trade show leads. (source)

29. The SEMA Show is the most attended trade show in the U.S., with over 160,000 attendees. (source)

30. The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is the largest trade show (per square footage) in the U.S., with 2,930,421 sq ft. (source)

31. About 31% of marketers believe that live events (including trade shows) are effective marketing strategies to boost their brand. (source)

32. 54% of people claim that trade show exhibitions help them to gain more industry knowledge about products. (source)

33. 95% of marketers agree that trade shows (and live events) are an excellent opportunity to form in-person relationships and customer experiences. (source

Because the world is now digital and more online stores are springing up, businesses and consumers do not have the opportunity to relate personally. 

However, in-person events give consumers a physical experience with these brands.

34. The average trade show exhibitor spends 40% of their budget on their exhibit, including 12% for designing and 28% for renting booth space (12 per). (source)

35. Social media campaigns effectively promote organizations’ business before, during, and after a trade show event. (source)

36. 85% of business executives have identified trade shows and events as essential for their company’s success. (source)

37. Verified Market Research shows the global event industry will rise to $2.194 trillion by 2028. (source)

38. Due to the pandemic, 60% of event exhibitors diverted to virtual events. However, 96% of event marketers disagree that virtual events will fully replace in-person experiences. (source)

39. Meeting a prospect face-to-face at a trade show event costs about $142 per meeting. This is less than the $250 it costs to meet a prospect at their office. (source)

Trade shows have proved to be very cost-effective, especially for small businesses. 

Not only do you have to meet and engage prospects face-to-face, but you also educate them on your products and services on display. This is a great way to network with other potential businesses and buyers. 

Trade shows help small businesses create awareness for their brands and offers. 

40. In the U.S., about 10,000 trade shows are held annually. However, planning a single trade show event takes about 6 to 9 months. (source)

41. The total number of international trade show events amounts to about 20,000 per year. Therefore, the U.S. accounts for over half of the total trade shows held annually. (source)

B2B Trade Show Marketing Statistics And Trends

B2B marketers are the ones who benefit from trade show events the most, especially those in the technology industry. 

Through in-person meetings and networking, these B2B marketers or companies can generate leads that will eventually become paying customers. 

42. In 2023, the global B2B trade show market is estimated to be worth over $40 billion. This is an increase from what it was worth in 2019 — $34.4 billion. (source).

43. As of 2019, the B2B trade show market in the U.S. was valued at $15.58 billion. However,  due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the value dropped to $5.6 billion in 2020. (source)

44. In the U.S., the average spending amount for event sponsorship marketing is $47.8 billion. (source)

Latest Virtual Trade Show Statistics

45. About 68% of event marketers agree that face-to-face meetings at significant virtual events improve audience satisfaction. (source

46. 74% of B2B trade show organizers see a positive ROI on virtual events six months after the event. (source)

47. 80% of virtual trade show attendees join virtual events for educational reasons. The other top reason is to network. (source)

48. 20 of 100 trade shows worldwide are organized as virtual events. However, 30 of 100 trade shows are classified as hybrid events (virtual and in-person) worldwide. (source)

49. 37% of U.S. marketers plan to increase virtual event spending to gain more reach with potential clients. 30% also plan to increase trade show spending. (source

50. About 55% of in-person event organizers say that COVID-19 protocols are the biggest challenges for these events. (source)

51. As of 2021, the virtual events industry’s overall market size was said to be valued at $114.2 billion. (source)

52. 30% of virtual trade shows and event hosts use giveaways to engage their audience. (source)

The Future Trade Show Industry

The trade shows and event marketing industry was not the same way it is now. 

As part of the post-Covid development, a lot has changed, especially in-person trade show events. While a few trends remain in the industry, others have gone. 

From the statistics in this article, you already know that the trade show industry is one you should invest in as a marketer. 

If not for anything, you should invest in creating more recognition for your brand. 

However, you need to stay updated on the latest trends to get the most out of this powerful marketing strategy. 

1. More Hybrid Trade Show Experiences

During the Covid-19 pandemic, many businesses had to go on lockdown. This means that they couldn’t operate physically. 

Therefore, many of these businesses and event organizers had to turn to virtual events instead. 

However, because virtual events create revenue and more brand awareness, event organizers are not ready to let it happen just yet. Instead, marketers consider hybrid events for in-person and virtual trade show experiences. 

As a marketer, you need to be active and on your toes. 

When preparing for a trade show event, you will need to balance your online and in-person engagement and also set up both physical and virtual trade show booths. 

2. Upgrade Your Booth Design to Enhance the Experience 

As a business owner or trader, your booth designs have to be constructed in such a way that is appealing to your visitors.

Designs that attract your viewers to your stand are what you should go for, such as flashy and futuristic colors instead of dull colors.

The beauty of a trade show is that different brands come together with their unique and different values.

Hence, it is essential to stand out in significant ways. You should intentionally build brand awareness through simple things such as designs, logos, and even packaging.

Another way to enhance user experience is through the use of multi-sensory strategies.

This means engaging your viewers through as many senses as possible simultaneously. Doing so will create a lasting impression in the minds of visitors.

3. Advanced Technology Taking Over

The world is getting more “technology-savvy.” Organizers are using even more technologically advanced booth designs to attract attendees. 

This is because trade show attendees are more attracted to businesses with great booth designs. 

Savvy marketers are beginning to incorporate virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in their booth designs to give their audience a unique experience. 

Benefits of AR and VR

Trade shows are highly competitive; hence, each trader needs something to stand out.

AR and VR create that excitement for your audience, leaving them captivated and intrigued.

Augmented Reality is the interaction of users surrounded by computer-generated images, while Virtual Reality is the immediate transportation of your users into a whole different world.

They might have different tactics but have the same result- “the wow effect.”

The benefits include;

  • Visualizing and personifying your products. For example, if you sell medical devices to clients, your clients can use VR to test out how your equipment works in a hospital setting.
  • Generating more traffic to your stand eventually leads to more sales and leads generated.
  • Instant feedback on the quality and acceptance of your products.
  • Personalized user experience is created for your users.

If you are a B2B company, this is an excellent advantage for you. 

4. Smaller Trade Shows Will Become Popular

Roughly three years after the Covid-19 pandemic happened, there has been a remarkable recovery in the trade show industry.

Trade show exhibitions can now host thousands of people and organizers, focusing more on creating a fantastic visitor experience for everyone.

One of the ways that this is done is by segmenting different sections into specific niches — not the whole industry at once. 

This way, users can quickly locate the niches in which they have a certain level of Interest.

This is an excellent opportunity for small businesses to engage and network with their specific target audience. 

It is also an opportunity to expand your market. Smaller trade shows are here to stay, even in the near future. 

This is an opportunity to plan ahead. How can your small business benefit now that the crowd has been reduced to your niche audience? 

How can you ensure your audience enjoys a great experience — whether in-person, virtual, or hybrid events? 

5. Personalized Experiences Will Become More Paramount

Following up on the previous point, exhibitors and marketers are now paying close attention to the experiences they give. 

When trade show attendees have a positive experience with your brand, they are likely to keep engaging and turn into leads. They want to have great experiences they can document. 

These trade shows attendees want to be cared for. 

Another key reason to offer great experiences is to stand out from your competitors. The attendees will be comparing prices, features, and the quality of products between you and your competitors. 

Now, experiences are so vital that attendees will likely tell more than six people what they experienced at the trade show event. 

Now the world is digital, and content can reach thousands of people, these attendees are likely to create digital content of their experiences for social media. 

As a savvy marketer, this is good content marketing. 

But even after the trade show, the experience shouldn’t end. Marketers who follow up on the leads generated during the event have a higher chance of converting these leads to paying customers. 

What does this mean for your business? It means you should plan ahead. Start early to train your booth staffers and sales team in quality customer service. 

Your audience may be seeing your brand for the first time. You won’t make a good first impression.

6. Increased Use of Artificial Intelligence(AI)

Artificial intelligence is said to be taking over the world, and there is no exception in the trade show industry.

In this digital age, technological advancement is made more visible and accessible to business owners and traders.

AI’s help with organizing these exhibitions, ensuring a better user experience for all and easing the traders’ stress.

Through physical robots and chatbot apps, communication and direction are also made easier, helping visitors locate the stands of the services they are interested in.

Lastly, through the collection of the data of attendees, an effective matchmaking process is done, which helps save time.

Users are directed to stands that best suit their personas and interests without the stress of finding them.

7. Employment of More Sustainable Designs

Most business owners’ target is to use reusable, recyclable materials that promote an eco-friendly environment.

This can be achieved in various ways.

One of which is through less use of papers in trade shows. Also, the use of materials such as plastics or cardboard is promoted.

What’s Ahead For Your Next Show With These Trade Show Statistics

The trade show statistics shown in this article prove that trade shows and event marketing are vital to your marketing strategy. 

Trade show exhibitions are often considered a traditional marketing method because of their face-to-face technique. However, virtual trade show events have also proven to be an effective marketing strategy. 

As the world keeps evolving, the trade show industry will keep expanding and improving, so no business owner or trader should sleep on this.

Trade shows are not going obsolete anytime soon; this is a simple fact.

Start planning how to use this face-to-face marketing strategy to your advantage. Also, consider using hybrid events to widen your reach. 

Aside from creating brand awareness, there is so much you can benefit from trade shows.

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Avatar of Valentine Okoronkwo

My mission is to help entrepreneurs create passive income systems online so we can ALL make a BIGGER impact while having MORE time to spend with those we love.

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