Explori Blog | Luke Farrugia

Why Traditional Trade Show ROI Models Are Failing (And What’s Replacing Them)

Feb 12, 2026

Trade shows remain one of the largest line items in B2B marketing budgets. Yet for many organisations, measurement still hasn’t kept pace. Leads are counted. Booth scans are reported. Post-event decks are shared. But when leadership asks, “What did we actually move forward?” the answers are often less clear. In our recent live panel discussion, hosted by Explori's CEO, Mark Brewster, and Maddy Ryley (Managing Editor, Trade Show Executive) , senior trade show organisers and corporate event leaders unpacked why traditional trade show ROI models are breaking down, and what a more credible, commercially grounded model should look like instead. Watch the Full Webinar On-Demand If you want to hear the full discussion, including the candid back-and-forth on measurement friction, API access, B2B festival formats, and multi-year event strategy, you can watch the complete session below. This wasn’t a theoretical conversation. It was operators sharing what’s actually happening inside global event portfolios today. Here are the 6 key shifts that defined the conversation, and why they matter for anyone accountable for event performance. 1. Lead Volume Is Not Business Impact One of the clearest themes from the session was the distinction between activity metrics and business outcomes. Many teams still optimise for number of badge scans, cost per lead, and booth traffic. Yet these metrics rarely answer the commercial question that matters: did this event move pipeline, shift perception, or accelerate relationships? As Dean Armintrout, Sr. Director of Global Experiential Marketing at Zendesk, put it: “Some events must work hard for pipeline. Others are brand-building commitments that require a multi-year strategy. If you treat everything like a lead-gen machine, you’ll underinvest in the events that actually shift perception.” This distinction is critical. Not every event exists to generate short-term revenue. Some are brand repositioning plays. Some are executive-level influence environments. Some are ecosystem builders. When every event is forced into the same ROI framework, organisations distort their own strategy. 2. Audience Quality Is the Real Lever From the organiser perspective, the conversation quickly sharpened around one principle: obsess over the attendee first. Greg Topalian, Chairman of Clarion Events North America and founder of On Deck Ventures, framed it simply: “If you get the attendee right, sponsor value follows.” The focus shifts from sheer volume to density and relevance. Not how many people walked the floor, but whether the right buyers were in the room. Not whether traffic increased, but whether intent concentrated. The rise of “B2B festival” formats, events that feel closer to immersive brand experiences than traditional trade shows, is raising expectations across the board. Format influences engagement. Engagement influences value. And value dictates what measurement should prioritise. 3. The Most Valuable Engagement Often Happens Off the Booth Floor One of the most commercially honest moments of the discussion came from the corporate side. Increasingly, the most valuable engagement isn’t happening at the booth at all. It’s happening in pre-booked executive meetings, curated side events, structured one-to-one sessions, and private sponsor-hosted environments. Sarah Gannon, Head of Corporate Events at MathWorks, was clear: “A pre-programmed meeting calendar can drive significantly more value than booth scans ever will.” Booth scans measure attention. Meetings measure intent. And intent is far closer to revenue. This shift fundamentally challenges traditional reporting models that over-index on badge scans and underestimate structured engagement. 4. Measurement Friction Is Growing Another recurring theme was data ownership and integration. Corporate teams increasingly expect API access, CRM integration, consistent measurement tools across events, and control over opt-in and follow-up workflows. When organiser systems don’t support that environment, exhibitors build their own measurement layer. As Sarah noted during the discussion: “I don’t need organisers to measure what I need to measure. I need the ability to measure it myself.” This isn’t about conflict. It’s about maturity. Trade show measurement is no longer just about post-event reports; it’s about interoperability and data flow. 5. Exhibitor Objectives Have Evolved Mark Brewster opened the session by sharing findings from the 2025 Explori Channel Insights Report. One of the standout shifts was that meeting existing customers is now one of the strongest-performing objectives at trade shows, often outperforming pure new-lead acquisition. That matters. Because many ROI models are still designed around top-of-funnel acquisition metrics, while actual strategic behaviour has shifted toward retention, expansion, and account penetration. When measurement frameworks lag behind strategic reality, confidence erodes. 6. What Replaces Traditional ROI? If cost-per-lead is no longer sufficient, what should replace it? The panel converged around four principles: Objective-based measurement (ROO, not just ROI). Define success against purpose, brand impact, pipeline influence, executive engagement, or customer retention. Integrated CRM and meeting data. Track opportunity progression, meeting outcomes, and pipeline acceleration, not just scan volume. Audience intelligence. Understand persona distribution, buying committee density, and account-level representation. Multi-year strategic evaluation. Some events require sustained presence before compounding impact becomes visible. This is not anti-ROI. It is anti-simplistic ROI. Digital marketing has evolved into intent signals, attribution models, and integrated dashboards. Trade shows are increasingly expected to operate with similar strategic credibility. Meet the Panel Greg Topalian Chairman, Clarion Events North America | Founder, On Deck Ventures Dean Armintrout Sr. Director, Global Experiential Marketing, Zendesk Sarah Gannon Head of Corporate Events, MathWorks Emile Davis Managing Director, Business Development, American Institute of Architects (AIA) Mark Brewster CEO, Explori | Founder, Event Leaders Exchange Maddy Ryley Managing Editor | Trade Show Executive Magazine ❓ Frequently Asked Questions What is trade show ROI? Trade show ROI traditionally measures revenue generated compared to exhibition cost. However, modern event strategies increasingly incorporate Return on Objectives (ROO), which measures success against defined strategic goals such as brand positioning, executive engagement, or pipeline acceleration. Why are traditional trade show ROI models failing? They focus heavily on short-term lead volume and overlook broader business outcomes such as perception shift, customer retention, account expansion, and strategic market positioning. How should trade show success be measured today? Trade show success should be measured using objective-based frameworks, CRM-integrated pipeline tracking, meeting-level engagement analysis, audience quality metrics, and multi-year strategic performance evaluation. What’s the difference between ROI and ROO? ROI measures financial return against spend. ROO measures performance against defined strategic objectives, whether revenue-based or not.

Explori at International Confex 2026

Measuring What Matters: Explori at International Confex 2026

Jan 22, 2026

International Confex brings together one of the broadest cross-sections of the events industry each year, from organisers and associations through to corporate teams responsible for increasingly complex event programmes. This year, Explori will be there with a clear focus: how event data can better support strategic decision-making. Across the industry, events generate huge volumes of feedback and performance data. But too often, that data struggles to travel beyond operational reporting into something leaders can confidently use to prioritise investment, justify decisions, or change direction. Our presence at Confex is centred on closing that gap. Grab your free Confex ticket Turning Event Data into Decisions Leaders Can Stand Behind At Confex, we’ll be exploring a simple but critical question: How do event teams move from measuring activity to enabling decisions? That question sits at the heart of many of the conversations we’re having with event leaders today, particularly those operating at scale, under greater scrutiny, and with growing pressure to demonstrate value clearly and consistently. Panel Session: Measuring What Matters 📅 25 February (Day 1) ⏰. 3-3.45pm 📍Brand Experience Lab On Day 1 of International Confex, Explori will host a panel-led session featuring Emma Grant (Moody’s Corporation) and Charlotte Mist (Elsevier), two senior corporate event leaders responsible for large-scale, global event programmes. The session focuses on how event data is used in practice to support strategic decision-making, accountability, and stakeholder confidence at the executive level. Rather than surface-level metrics or vanity reporting, the discussion will explore: What senior stakeholders actually expect from event data Where traditional measurement approaches fall short How teams are building insight leaders trust and act on What it takes to create measurement foundations that scale across portfolios and regions Grounded in real-world experience, the panel will share candid perspectives on what works, what doesn’t, and how event teams are evolving from reporting activity to influencing decisions. Charlotte Mist Director of Global Events & Strategic Partnerships | Elsevier Charlotte leads global events and strategic partnerships at Elsevier, where she has reshaped how events drive audience insight, strategic partnerships, and business impact across a complex, international organisation. Her perspective focuses on: Designing audience-centric event strategies aligned to business and product priorities Expanding events beyond delivery into strategic partnerships and thought leadership Using data, frameworks, and reporting to guide investment decisions across global and regional teams Charlotte’s contribution draws on over 20 years’ experience transforming global event programmes to deliver clearer accountability, stronger stakeholder confidence, and measurable commercial outcomes. Emma Grant Associate Director, Global Events | Moody’s Emma is a senior global event strategist at Moody’s, where she works at the intersection of events, data, and executive decision-making to drive clarity, performance measurement, and long-term value across complex global event portfolios. Her perspective focuses on: Establishing a common data language across fragmented systems and teams Translating event activity into structured, comparable insight that supports enterprise reporting Using data to elevate events from tactical execution to strategic tools for influence and growth Emma’s contribution draws on her work evolving event teams into trusted advisors, helping senior stakeholders understand not just what happened, but why it matters and how event insight should inform future decisions. Join the Conversation at Confex Alongside the panel, you’ll find Explori team members from across product, customer success, sales, marketing, and our executive team on the show floor at booth EN6 on the Exhibition Pavilion, available for informal conversations about measurement, insight, and decision-making. This isn’t about demos or product walkthroughs. It’s about open, practical discussions with event professionals facing similar challenges, from reporting to senior stakeholders and prioritising budgets, to making sense of fragmented data across systems. If you’re attending Confex and thinking about how measurement supports the bigger picture, we’d welcome the opportunity to connect. You’re welcome to book a meeting with us here. Why This Matters Now As events become more central to commercial, marketing, and brand strategies, the expectations placed on event teams continue to rise. Measurement can no longer be an afterthought or a compliance exercise, it needs to stand up in the boardroom. Confex provides a valuable opportunity to step back from delivery and engage in that broader conversation. We’re looking forward to being part of it. Explori at International Confex 2026 📍 ExCeL London 🗓️ 25–26 February 2026 If you’re attending, keep an eye on the conference agenda for our panel session, or stop by at booth EN6 to say hello. Grab your free ticket here.

Exploring The Future Of Event Measurement: Insights From Mark Brewster And Julian Agostini

Nov 25, 2025

Listen as Explori’s CEO and the founder of Mash Media cut through the industry’s self-delusion and expose what event teams are really getting wrong about measurement Reimagining Success: The Evolution of Event Measurement The events industry has entered a new era in which success is no longer defined solely by attendance numbers or immediate post-event reactions. As Mark Brewster and Julian Agostini explored in their recent conversation, data now sits at the core of how event organisers understand impact, prove ROI, and strategically shape future experiences. This shift reflects a growing recognition that robust measurement, anchored in audience intelligence, is essential for long-term growth and competitive differentiation. Historically, organisers relied on basic metrics and anecdotal feedback, often missing the actionable insights buried within more nuanced attendee and exhibitor responses. Today, industry leaders are leveraging sophisticated feedback platforms and benchmarking methodologies to move beyond surface-level satisfaction, uncovering the true drivers of event value and engagement. This evolution enables event teams to make data-driven decisions that align with both commercial objectives and attendee needs. Harnessing SaaS for Real-Time Event Analytics One of the major themes highlighted in the interview is the game-changing impact of SaaS platforms on event analytics. Explori's next generation event measurement platform exemplifies this transformation, empowering organisers to launch surveys in minutes, access flexible dashboards, and harness real-time data to inform in-event strategy. The ability to integrate survey data with registration systems and other vendor platforms ensures that insights are both comprehensive and contextually relevant. Real-time analytics allow event teams to pivot quickly, and ensuring exhibitors and attendees receive maximum value. This immediacy not only improves the attendee experience but also provides organisers with the confidence to make strategic decisions, supported by actionable, live intelligence. Insights from Industry Visionaries: Mark Brewster and Julian Agostini Mark Brewster and Julian Agostini's dialogue revealed several key insights into the current and future state of event measurement. A central theme was the persistent misconception around surveys and audience feedback. Many still view surveys as a hygiene factor, necessary but not strategic. However, as Brewster noted, when executed with the right methodology and context, audience feedback becomes a powerful tool for identifying core satisfaction drivers, not just basic expectations. The discussion also touched on the commercial value of metrics like NPS (Net Promoter Score) as a predictive indicator of future event success. Brewster explained how NPS, when benchmarked against industry standards, provides organisers with a clear, actionable view of their event's market position. Agostini reinforced the need for organisers to adopt a proactive customer success mindset, particularly when it comes to supporting exhibitor performance and value realisation. Emerging Technologies Shaping Event Data Collection As technology continues to advance, the ways in which organisers can collect and analyse data at scale are rapidly expanding. The integration of AI-powered verbatim analysis, as showcased in Explori’s platform, allows for the categorisation and quantification of open-text feedback, a task that was previously impossible to manage at scale. This enables organisers to unlock sentiment analysis and qualitative insights, driving more informed decision-making and strategic improvements. Furthermore, benchmarking tools now allow for year-on-year and cross-event comparisons, helping organisers understand how their performance stacks up against both historical data and industry peers. The combination of real-time analytics and AI-driven qualitative analysis means that event teams can finally move beyond gut instinct, harnessing a complete feedback ecosystem tailored to their unique audiences. What the Future Holds: Predictions and Actionable Strategies for Event Organizers Looking ahead, Brewster and Agostini agree that the future of event measurement will be defined by deeper integration of data and audience intelligence into every stage of the event lifecycle. Organisers are encouraged to move beyond transactional survey collection and embrace continuous feedback loops, leveraging SaaS tools to create agile, responsive strategies that centre the attendee and exhibitor experience. The actionable takeaway for event professionals is clear: invest in platforms and methodologies that provide not just data, but context, benchmarking, and actionable insights. By doing so, organisers will be better equipped to drive commercial outcomes, foster loyalty, and demonstrate the strategic impact of their events. To explore these themes in greater depth and hear first-hand stories from the leaders shaping the industry, watch the full interview with Mark Brewster and Julian Agostini, an essential resource for any forward-thinking event professional.