How to Compare Trade Shows and Decide Which Get Budget

Most businesses go back to the same shows every year because they always have. A simple, consistent comparison helps you decide which shows earn their place.

Use the same measures for every show

Pick a small set of measures and apply them the same way every time:

Total cost, including staff time.
Leads captured and qualified leads.
Cost per lead and cost per qualified lead.
Weighted pipeline: each opportunity's value multiplied by the likelihood of its stage.
Won revenue, once deals have had time to close.

The cost per lead calculator covers the first four. Our guide to calculating trade show ROI explains weighted pipeline.

Compare like with like

A show that is great for prospecting may be poor for partnerships, and the other way round. Compare shows against the goal you set for each one, not just against each other.

Also allow for timing. Deals from a show in March may not close until the autumn. Look at weighted pipeline straight after the show, and revisit won revenue six to twelve months later.

Put it in a table

A simple table does the job:

Show	Total cost	Qualified leads	Cost per qualified lead	Weighted pipeline
Show A	Example	Example	Example	Example
Show B	Example	Example	Example	Example

Sort by cost per qualified lead, then look at weighted pipeline. Shows that are expensive per lead but produce big opportunities may still be worth it.

Make the decision

Three questions for each show:

Did it meet the goal we set?
Is its cost per qualified lead acceptable against other shows and channels?
Is there something we could change (team size, days, targets) that would improve it?

Keep, change or drop. Write down why, so next year's decision starts from evidence.

The Beagle team dashboard keeps these figures for every show automatically, with a cross-year shortlist of which shows to go back to.

Frequently asked questions

How long should I wait before judging a trade show?

Look at weighted pipeline straight away, then revisit won revenue after six to twelve months, depending on your sales cycle.

What is the best single measure for comparing shows?

Cost per qualified lead is a good starting point, backed up by weighted pipeline.

Should we drop a show after one bad year?

Not always. Check whether the plan, team or timing was the problem before dropping it.