Trade show marketing tools and supplier routes

What to take away

1. Asana for show planning

Asana is a work management tool with timeline, calendar and board views. Its free plan supports up to 10 teammates; paid plans add dependencies and workload views.

Build one project per show with tasks for stand build, freight cut-offs, rotas and follow-up. Selection checks: confirm CSV export, decide who administers accounts, and test shared editing. The tools and supplier guide shows how planning tools sit alongside suppliers.

2. Trade.gov Find Service Providers directory for sourcing

The Trade.gov Find Service Providers directory is provided by the US International Trade Administration, part of the US Department of Commerce. It is searchable by service type and market. It suits exhibitors buying outside their region or needing a quick longlist. Check listing dates and whether providers cover your show city. Pair it with reference checks before requesting quotes.

3. ESSA member directory for UK suppliers

The Event Supplier and Services Association (ESSA) publishes a member directory for the UK events industry. It covers stand builders, AV, furniture and logistics suppliers. Membership is not a quality guarantee, but it gives you trade body contact details. Selection checks: ask for public liability cover, show experience and named on-site contacts.

4. GES Logistics for exhibition freight

GES Logistics provides exhibition freight, on-site handling, customs support for UK and overseas shows. Pricing is quote-based, set by weight, volume, venue rules and deadlines, and it suits exhibitors wanting one contractor for freight and handling.

Selection checks: confirm venue access times, surcharge triggers and who clears customs. For risk mapping, BSI's guidance on supply chain visibility shows how to spot dependencies before the show floor; it is a framework, not one of the seven tools.

5. LinkedIn Ads for paid B2B promotion

LinkedIn Campaign Manager is the interface behind LinkedIn Ads. It allows job-title, industry and company-size targeting, which suits exhibitors selling to named accounts. Pricing works on auction bids, so costs vary by audience and competition. Selection checks: compare cost per booked meeting, not cost per click, and cap frequency.

6. Cvent LeadCapture for badge scanning

Cvent LeadCapture is a mobile app for scanning badges, capturing notes and qualifying leads. It can sync with CRM systems, but integration depends on your contract. Pricing is quote-based. It suits teams that need consistent capture across stands or shows. Selection checks: test export fields before the show, confirm offline mode, and agree retention terms.

7. HubSpot CRM for follow-up

HubSpot offers a free CRM tier and paid marketing and sales hubs. It suits exhibitors needing one record per lead, email sequences and reporting. Paid tiers add automation and custom reporting, priced per seat or contact tier. Selection checks: map stand fields to CRM properties, test a lead import, and set a follow-up sequence before doors open.

How to compare the seven

Score each candidate out of five on four criteria: fit with your show calendar, data protection terms, integration with existing systems, and total cost across the season. A tool with good features but poor data terms is not a bargain.

Price per show matters more than price per month. A £400 monthly planning suite nobody opens is worse value than a £60 spreadsheet with clear owners. Adoption decides value.

UK exhibitors should check the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) guidance and the UK GDPR, Data Protection Act 2018 and Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) when a tool handles personal data or electronic marketing. For paid promotion, check the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and the CAP Code, alongside the platform's own advertising policies. Requirements depend on the data used and how the show is promoted.

Before you sign, check any vendor holding attendee data or representing your brand on site. Our walkthrough on trade show marketing vendor due diligence covers data handling, insurance and subcontractors.

Common questions

Should I buy one tool or several?

Most exhibitors need a planning workspace, a lead capture method and a promotion channel. One suite rarely covers all three well, so compare bundles against your show count.

How do I judge cost?

Price per show, not per month, is the useful figure. Divide the annual licence by your number of shows and compare that with the labour the tool replaces.

What if a supplier holds attendee data?

Put data terms in the contract and confirm retention periods in writing. If a supplier cannot say where data is stored, treat that as a warning sign.

Do I need paid promotion at all?

Only if you can measure meetings booked against spend. If you cannot track that, fix measurement before adding budget.