Participating in a trade fair is one of the most powerful ways to generate business opportunities, strengthen your brand image and connect with new customers. However, many companies do not know how much their participation has actually cost them.
ROI (Return on Investment) is the key metric for understanding whether your presence at a trade fair has been profitable or not. In this article, we explain how to calculate the actual ROI of your stand, what costs you should include, how to measure the profits generated, and what strategies to apply to improve results in future editions.
What is ROI at a trade fair?
ROI (Return on Investment) measures the relationship between the profits obtained and the money invested in an action.
In the context of trade fairs, it allows you to know whether the investment in your stand, logistics or marketing has generated the expected return.
The basic formula for calculating ROI is:
ROI = (Profit earned – Total investment) / Total investment × 100
For example, if you invest €20,000 in a trade fair and generate €30,000 in sales or estimated lead value, the ROI would be 50%.
This means that for every euro invested, you have earned €1.50.
What costs should be included in the ROI calculation?
One of the most common mistakes is not including all actual costs. To obtain an accurate ROI, you must account for both direct and indirect expenses. Here are the main ones:
Direct costs:
- Stand design and construction. Includes materials, printing, lighting and furniture.
- Transport, assembly and dismantling.
- Rental of space and supplies.
- Staff and training. From the sales team to hostesses and technicians.
Indirect costs:
- Accommodation, travel and subsistence allowances.
- Promotional material and pre-launch marketing. Brochures, videos, social media campaigns.
- Planning time. Team working hours.
- We recommend grouping all these expenses in a spreadsheet and classifying them by type of cost. This will give you a clearer and more objective view of your total investment.
In conclusion, a modular stand is ideal for companies that frequently participate in events and want a functional, adaptable and more economical solution.
How to measure the real benefits of a stand
A customised stand is designed from scratch, combining creativity, temporary architecture and branding to create a space that is 100% aligned with your visual identity and commercial objectives.
How to measure the real benefits of a stand
The benefits of a trade fair are not always immediate. Often, the true value comes weeks or months later, when leads turn into customers. So, what do you need to consider when calculating the ROI of a stand to ensure it is realistic?
In this case, to calculate the actual return, you must consider the following factors:
Tangible benefits:
- Sales concluded during or after the fair.
- Orders or signed contracts.
Intangible benefits:
- Leads generated and contact quality.
- Brand visibility and positioning.
- Strategic alliances or networking.
- Coverage in the press or social media.
Let us give you an example: if your participation generated 200 contacts, of which 20 become customers with an average ticket of €2,000, your estimated profit would be €40,000.
Key tools and metrics for measuring ROI
Tracking results is essential. These tools will help you accurately measure the performance or ROI of your participation:
- Google Analytics and social media: to measure traffic and mentions.
- CRM (HubSpot, Pipedrive, Salesforce): to register leads and follow up after the trade fair.
- Customised spreadsheets or dashboards.
- Post-event satisfaction surveys.
Essential metrics for measuring the ROI of a stand
Measuring the results of a trade fair goes beyond counting the visitors who passed by your stand. Metrics allow you to identify which aspects worked, which actions generated quality contacts, and how to optimise your investment in future editions.
Below, we explain the four essential metrics that every company should analyse after a trade fair.
- The Cost per Lead (CPL) indicates how much it costs you to generate each valuable contact at a trade fair. It is a fundamental metric for comparing the profitability of different events or strategies.
Formula:
CPL = Total investment ÷ Number of leads generated
Example:
If you invest €18,000 and get 180 leads, your CPL is €100 per lead.
To interpret the CPL metric and determine whether the results are good or bad, these two aspects must be taken into account:
- A low CPL indicates that your stand was effective in attracting quality leads.
- A high CPL may indicate that your attraction strategy, design, or location needs optimisation.
You should bear in mind that not all leads are worth the same. Therefore, we recommend rating contacts (by interest, role, purchasing potential, etc.) before calculating the overall ROI.
- The conversion rate measures what percentage of the contacts generated ultimately become customers or sales. It is one of the most direct indicators of the commercial success of the event.
Formula:
Conversion rate = (Customers acquired ÷ Leads generated) × 100
Example:
Of the 180 leads obtained, 15 become customers. Conversion rate = (15 ÷ 180) × 100 = 8.3%
To interpret the conversion rate and determine whether the results are good or bad, these two aspects must be taken into account:
- A high rate (above 10%) indicates excellent commercial performance.
- A low rate may be due to poor prior segmentation, lack of follow-up, or an unclear value proposition.
We always recommend measuring conversion over different time frames: short term (during the fair), medium term (30-60 days) and long term (3-6 months). Some opportunities mature over time.
- ACV (Average Customer Value) reflects how much revenue each customer you have acquired at the trade fair generates on average. This metric helps you understand the economic potential of the contacts generated.
Formula:
ACV = Total profit generated ÷ Number of customers acquired
Example:
If the 15 customers generated represent a total of €45,000 in revenue, the LTV will be: 45,000 ÷ 15 = €3,000 per customer
To interpret the ACV metric and determine whether the results are good or bad, these two aspects must be taken into account:
- A high ACV shows that your trade fair attracted high-value customers.
- If the ACV is low, you could focus your future participation on more specific or premium trade fairs to attract larger accounts.
Segmenting customers by type (new, repeat, strategic) will enable you to analyse which profile provides the highest return.
- Post-event engagement: interaction on social media, website visits, downloads, etc. ROI does not end when you dismantle your stand. Follow-up actions are key to consolidating relationships and prolonging the impact of the event. Post-event engagement measures how visitors and contacts interact with your brand after the event.
Recommended indicators:
- Increase in web visits or traffic to specific landing pages.
- Social media interactions: likes, comments, shares, or mentions related to the fair.
- Opens and clicks on follow-up emails.
- Downloads of catalogues, guides or presentations.
- Requests for quotations or subsequent meetings.
These metrics help you understand the real interest your brand has generated beyond the event.
High engagement usually correlates with a higher future conversion rate.
Connect post-fair actions with digital analytics tools (UTMs, CRM, Google Analytics) to help accurately measure the journey of each contact.
How to improve ROI at future trade fairs
Measuring ROI is not only useful for analysing the past, but also for optimising your results in the future. Some key strategies:
- Design a stand that communicates value: The design should attract attention and reinforce the brand message. At Dextail, every project seeks to maximise the visitor experience and customer return.
- Prepare a strategy in advance: Announce your presence, schedule meetings before the event, and use digital campaigns to attract traffic to your stand.
- Train your team: A motivated and well-informed team generates more quality leads.
- Activate post-fair actions: Provide personalised follow-up, send valuable content and measure conversions in the medium term.
- Assess the location of the stand and the type of fair: Not all fairs generate the same return. Learn to identify which ones bring you the most real value.
Calculating the actual ROI of your stand is the first step towards professionalising your presence at trade fairs.
Only with a clear understanding of what works and what does not will you be able to optimise your future investments and achieve better results year after year.
At Dextail, we design and produce stands that not only stand out visually, but also maximise each brand’s return on investment. Turn your next trade fair into a profitable investment.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
What formula is used to calculate the ROI of a stand?
The most commonly used formula is: ROI = (Profit obtained – Total investment) / Total investment × 100
What metrics should I consider?
Sales, leads generated, cost per lead, and conversion rate are the main ones. You can also measure the impact on brand visibility.
What is a good ROI at trade fairs?
It depends on the sector, but a positive ROI (above 20%–30%) already indicates good profitability. The aim is for each investment to add value beyond immediate sales.