How we Turned a $40 Trade Show Ticket into Digital Qualified Leads worth $$$$$$
700 Targeted Views
Built brand and service offering awareness for the trade show audience.
8 Qualified Leads for $200
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) at just $25 per lead!
7% CTR & 20 Inbound Emails
7% clicks & 20 inquiries—relevant engagement that matters.
Our BUILDEX Vancouver Experience
Attending a trade show without a booth might seem like a missed opportunity, but our recent experience at BUILDEX Vancouver proved otherwise. With just 4 business days to prepare, a minimal budget, and a team fueled by creativity and grit, Rise Up Digital managed to generate significant brand exposure, capture qualified leads, and create buzz among industry peers—all without the traditional trade show setup. Here’s how we did it and why you might want to rethink your upcoming trade show strategy.
The Challenge: Generating Digital Leads from a physical Trade Show.
We were like wedding crashers at BUILDEX Vancouver—arriving last minute, without formal invested relations (aka a booth), and with limited social connection to the different wedding parties (attendees and exhibitors). When I decided to attend, it was just a week before the event, leaving us 4 business days to pull together a plan. The $40 Thursday ticket was our only formal ‘in’—the rest was all creative strategies and digital execution.
Key Takeaways
- You Don’t Need a $30K Booth to Make an Impact
- Smart Strategies and Quick Execution Can Deliver Big Results
- Digital Campaigns Can Slash Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC)
- Content and Ads Drive Genuine Business Conversations.
- Small Digital Budgets Can Deliver High ROI
The 24-Hour Game Plan
With the clock ticking, our team quickly developed a strategy to make the most of our attendance:
- A Targeted Landing Page: We created a landing page with Rise uP Digital‘s unique value service offering, tailored specifically for BUILDEX Vancouver exhibitors and attendees. The messaging focused on how our services could address the challenges faced by construction companies, engineers, developers, and construction product manufacturers.
- Content Creation: Within a day, our content team generated three relevant blog posts. These pieces addressed industry pain points, offered insights on digital marketing for the construction sector, and provided actionable takeaways from the trade show itself.
- Budget-Friendly Advertising: We allocated $25 per day to highly targeted digital ads. Our goal was to drive traffic to the landing page and capture leads through a compelling call-to-action.
The Results: Metrics That Matter
Despite the constraints, our campaign delivered impressive results:
- 700 Views: Our ads and content reached a focused audience of trade show attendees and industry professionals.
- 7% Click-Through Rate: The landing page saw consistent engagement, showcasing the effectiveness of our messaging.
20 Inbound Emails: These inquiries ranged from general questions to specific service requests. - 8 Qualified Leads: Potential clients who fit our ideal customer profile and showed genuine interest in our offerings.
$200 Invested = 8X Qualified Leads x Your Closing Ratio x Your Average Deal Size = New Revenue Generated.
What We Learned
- Speed Matters: Sometimes, quick execution can yield results comparable to months of planning.
- Content Is Still King: Relevant, informative high-quality content not only drives traffic but also showcases your expertise and builds trust with potential clients.
- Targeted Ads Work: Even a modest ad spend can bring significant traffic and exposure to your brand if properly targeted.
Applying This Strategy to Your Trade Show Presence
If you’re planning to exhibit at a trade show like BUILDEX, consider allocating 10% of your event budget to similar strategies.
Here’s why it makes sense:
Average Trade Show Costs: A typical trade show investment, including booth space, staff costs, travel, accommodation, and promotional swag, can easily reach $15,000. Diverting just 10% of that into a targeted digital campaign could yield measurable results for a fraction of the cost.
Calculate Your Own ROI: Suppose your average deal size is $50,000. If our approach helped generate just one sale, the return on investment would be exponential. With 8 qualified leads from a minimal investment, the potential upside is enormous.
The Takeaway:
Trade shows are powerful marketing opportunities, but you don’t always need a booth to make an impact. By investing a small portion of your budget into a strategic digital campaign, you can drive traffic, capture leads, and potentially close new deals—all while keeping costs low.
Are you ready to rethink your trade show strategy? Connect with Rise Up Digital to learn how we can help you turn your next event into a lead-generating success story, no matter the size of your budget.