Most businesses that exhibit at an expo lose money on it, and the reason is almost always the same: they booked a stand without deciding what a successful day would look like, and did nothing with the contacts afterwards. Expos can work well, particularly for reaching buyers and procurement teams in one place, but only with a defined objective and a follow-up plan written before you go.
Decide first whether you are exhibiting or attending, because they are different investments.
Attending is usually the better first step
Walking an expo costs a ticket and a day. It tells you who exhibits, what they offer, who attends and whether your buyers are actually there, which is the information you need before spending on a stand.
Exhibit the second year if the first tells you the audience is right. Booking a stand at an event you have never attended is how most of the money is lost.
Define what success looks like before booking
A number of qualified conversations, a specific buyer you intend to meet, orders taken, or a defined number of follow-up meetings booked. Vague goals such as visibility cannot be assessed afterwards.
Total the real cost: stand, materials, travel, accommodation and the days your staff are not doing their normal work. Then work out how much business the event has to produce to justify it.
Work the floor rather than staffing the stand
The most valuable conversations at an expo frequently happen away from your stand, with other exhibitors, procurement teams and organisers. Arrange meetings in advance with people you want to meet rather than hoping they walk past.
On the stand, qualify quickly. A short conversation that establishes someone is not a buyer is more valuable than a long one that does not.
The follow-up is the entire return
Contacts collected and never contacted are worthless, and most exhibitors do exactly that. Capture what each person actually needs alongside their details, and follow up within days while they still remember you.
If you are targeting procurement teams, have the compliance ready: registration with current annual returns at the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission, tax compliance and a B-BBEE affidavit. Subsidised participation in trade exhibitions is available for exporters through the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition.
Frequently asked questions
Should I exhibit or attend first?
Attend first. A ticket and a day tell you whether your buyers are actually there before you spend on a stand.
What should I decide before booking?
What a successful event looks like in specific terms, and how much business it must produce to cover the full cost.
What costs do exhibitors underestimate?
Materials, travel, accommodation and the days staff spend away from their normal work, on top of the stand fee.
Where do the best conversations happen?
Often away from your stand, with other exhibitors, procurement teams and organisers. Arrange those meetings in advance.
What determines the return?
Follow-up within days, with a record of what each contact actually needs. Contacts never followed up are worthless.
Further reading
Originally published in June 2018. Updated September 2026 into guidance on getting a return from business expos and summits.
