Unlock more value from your exhibition spend
Calculating ROI from an exhibition isn’t as simple as dividing profit by cost. It’s about using all the available data within your reach – before, during, and after the show – to build a true picture of return.
In this guide, we'll show you:
- How to use both exhibition-specific and company-wide sales data to model event ROI
- Common challenges to measuring return - and how to overcome them
- How Nimlok's services help you collect better data and improve future ROI
What goes into your exhibition ROI?
Return on Investment (ROI) measures the profitability of an investment against its costs, expressed as a percentage using the following calculation:
ROI % = (net profit / cost of investment) x 100
Your cost of investment might be simple to track – stand space, build, logistics – but net profit is harder to define. It goes beyond immediate sales orders to include lead quality, brand exposure, and longer-term customer value.
Struggling to calculate event ROI? You're not alone.
With over 55 years of experience in maximising exhibiting performance, we have collated our best guidance to help you accurately measure your event ROI, as well as offering some strategies to accelerate ROI at your next event.
We support our clients through their ROI journey to ensure their exhibition investment has the best possible chance to achieve their business objectives.
3 common ROI challenges - and how to solve them
1.
Lengthy sales cycles
It’s difficult to justify an event’s return in a realistic timeframe, when your typical sales cycle is 6-12 months or longer.
Use past event data to predict future return and set smarter targets
Instead of waiting for the full cycle to play out, model return using your existing events and sales data.
Your previous exhibition data can provide a useful performance benchmark. The data can be compiled with your broader sales data to calculate predicted ROI much more accurately:
Previous exhibition data:
- Total event leads collected
- Number of qualified leads added to CRM
- Number of proposals sent post-show
- Opportunities won (volume + value)
- Opportunities still in the pipeline
Organisational sales data:
- Average order value
- Win rate
- Client lifetime value
- Client upsell potential
From this you can estimate:
- Your average lead conversion rate
- Your average lead value
For example:
If your average order value is £50,000 and you close 60% of your exhibition leads, each lead is worth £30,000.
When factoring in lifetime value (£150,000) and upsell potential (30%), your lead value jumps to £117,000.
2.
You've set your event targets. Now what?
You’ve calculated your average lead value and the target number of leads to achieve the desired ROI at your next event. Great! But investing more into your event will impact your ROI calculations… So what’s next?
Spend smarter to maximise ROI
You don’t need to spend more than your competitors to achieve more. What you need to do is spend smartly. Allocate your exhibiting investments in a way that provides the highest return.
Traditional exhibition stand investment:
Traditional Investment - £££
Stand Design & Build
Return - £££
Leads & Sales Orders
Brand Awareness
Nimlok's Bespoke Hire solution - the smart investment:
Nimlok’s Bespoke Hire formula is a cost-effective way to have a stand with the ‘wow’ factor, while also allowing you to distribute a portion of your investment into additional tools for success. This is where reusable stand design, staff training, stand analytics, and digital engagement have a real impact.
Return - £££££
Higher Quality Leads & Sales Orders
Enhanced Brand Exposure
Boosted Customer Relationships
Nimlok's return-boosting exhibition services:
3.
Struggling to measure brand awareness?
Brand awareness is one of the most important – yet intangible – outcomes of exhibiting. It’s hard to quantify, and even harder to link directly to your event’s ROI.
That’s why at Nimlok, we shift the focus from brand awareness to brand exposure:
Brand Awareness is passive
They saw your stand, noticed your logo, and maybe remembered your name.
Brand Exposure is active
They engaged with your brand by playing a game, taking a quiz, or browsing your content.
They interacted.
And interaction is measurable.
And the more measurable your exposure, the easier it is to connect it to ROI.
Use tools that make the intangible, tangible
Nimlok offer several tools that turn passive visitors into engaged participants. And each tool gives you new data to support your ROI.
Engagement Tools - Games, Rewards, Surveys & more
Bespoke for your organisation, interactive stand activities such as digital games and surveys encourage visitors to actively take part in your brand experience.
These tools capture valuable data — contact info, preferences, feedback — that feeds directly into your sales cycle and CRM.
Visitors are more likely to trade their data for a fun or rewarding on-stand experience (think giveaways, competitions or instant wins).
Boosts brand memorability, improving your follow-up success after the show.
“Each play of a digital game is another minute of brand exposure — and another lead opportunity.”
Stand Analytics - Heatmaps & Dwell Time
Using anonymised signals from mobile devices, we track how many people passed your stand, how long they stayed, and where they lingered.
You get insight into how effective your stand is at attracting and retaining attention — even from those you didn’t directly engage.
It gives you visibility over your full exhibition footprint, not just the leads you spoke to.
You can benchmark captured leads vs. total footfall — ideal for assessing efficiency and planning improvements.
“If 1,000 people passed your stand but only 100 leads were captured, that’s useful data — and a growth opportunity.”
Digital Touchscreens - Digital Content & Data Capture
These self-serve screens allow visitors to browse content, brochures and product info — and request it to be emailed directly to them.
Every content request is a tracked interaction and a data capture opportunity.
You start a post-show conversation automatically by emailing content straight to the visitor.
No more printing, storing or transporting heavy brochures — saving budget and cutting waste.
“Turning printed brochures into digital content is not only trackable — it’s better for the planet, too.”
Quantify your brand's reach with Nimlok's services:
A Smarter Way to Exhibit
Nimlok is more than just a stand builder. We offer a smarter exhibiting formula, shaped by over 55 years of experience.
Our bespoke hire solution gives you high-impact design, while freeing up budget to invest in ROI-boosting tools — from digital engagement games to stand analytics.
With this approach, you don’t just have a great-looking stand on the day. You get a performance-focused exhibiting experience that delivers results long after the event is over.
- More engagement points that lead to data capture
- Higher lead quality through pre-qualified interest
- Stronger post-show performance via improved recall and follow-up
- Measurable outcomes — not just anecdotal feedback
Ready to Turn Your Next Event Into a Measurable Success?
Let’s turn your exhibition investment into results you can track, optimise, and scale.
