Exhibiting at a Travel Expo: Leads and Follow-Up

Staff the Stand Like a Shop

• Two people is a good minimum: one to greet, one to sit with a visitor who wants to talk.
• Stand, smile and say hello as people slow down. Ask an open question rather than “Can I help you?”
• Short shifts beat long ones. Tired staff look uninterested.
• Everyone should know the stand’s one message and the follow-up offer by heart.

Capture Details With Consent

Use one simple form, on paper or a tablet, that asks only what you will use: name, email or phone, travel interest and timing, and a tick box for each kind of contact the visitor agrees to. Keep the forms secure, enter them within a day or two, and destroy paper copies once they are recorded.

For marketing emails in the United States, the federal CAN-SPAM rules apply: do not use misleading headers or subject lines, identify the message as an advertisement where required, include your valid postal address, give a clear way to opt out, and honour opt-outs promptly. A personal reply to someone who asked you a question is a different matter from a mass mailing, but good manners apply to both.

Measure, Then Decide

Count conversations, qualified leads, quotes sent and bookings made, and compare them with the cost of the show. Keep notes on which questions and stand ideas worked. That record is how you decide whether to exhibit again, choose a bigger stand or try a different expo.