What Makes a Good Exhibitor Upsell
Booth space is the biggest line in most shows' budgets, but it is capped by the size of the hall. Once the floor is sold, the main way to grow exhibitor revenue is to sell each exhibitor more of what helps them: a better location, more staff on the floor, a way to capture leads, and more ways for attendees to find them. Done well, upsells raise revenue and exhibitor results at the same time. Done badly, they feel like fees.
- Sell things that bring attendees to the booth or help the exhibitor follow up, not fees for basics
- Put each upsell in front of the exhibitor when they are already deciding about that thing
- Price clearly, show quantities, and say what is not included
- Deliver every item, then show exhibitors what it did for them so they buy it again
28 Exhibitor Upsell Ideas, by Who Buys and When
The table lists 28 upsells, who usually buys them, when to offer them and how to deliver. Items marked "via contractor" are normally sold by your general service contractor or the venue; you promote them, but the revenue usually goes to the contractor unless your agreement says otherwise.
| Upsell | Who buys | When to offer | How to deliver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corner booth premium | Exhibitors who want two open sides | Booth selection | A separate booth type or price for corners |
| Premium location | Brands that want traffic near entrances, food or stages | Booth selection | Price booths in high-traffic zones higher |
| Size upgrade (10x10 to 10x20) | Growing exhibitors | Rebooking and booth selection | Offer the adjacent booth at a combined price |
| Peninsula or island booth | Large exhibitors with custom exhibits | Rebooking and early sales | Separate booth types with their own rules |
| Pavilion or zone placement | Exhibitors who want to sit with peers | Booth selection | Group booths into a named zone on the plan |
| Turnkey booth package | First-time and small exhibitors | Checkout | Bundle furniture, carpet, sign and power at one price |
| Furniture package (via contractor) | Most inline exhibitors | Onboarding | Link to the service kit; promote the early rate |
| Electrical (via contractor) | Exhibitors with screens or demos | Onboarding | Promote the discount deadline in reminders |
| Internet (via contractor or venue) | Exhibitors running live demos | Onboarding | Say whether show Wi-Fi is good enough for demos |
| Carpet or flooring (via contractor) | Exhibitors without their own floor | Onboarding | Say whether carpet is required |
| Booth cleaning (via contractor) | Exhibitors with food or heavy traffic | Final 30 days | Nightly vacuum and trash service |
| Lead retrieval license | Exhibitors who need to measure leads | Checkout and onboarding | Sell per device or per user |
| Extra lead retrieval users | Exhibitors with large booth teams | Final 30 days and onsite | Add users to an existing license |
| Extra staff badges | Exhibitors above their badge allowance | Onboarding and final 30 days | Set an allowance by booth size, then sell extras |
| Enhanced directory listing | Most exhibitors | Checkout and onboarding | Logo, longer description, products and video |
| Logo on the floor plan | Most exhibitors | Checkout | Logo drawn on the booth on the digital map |
| App banner ad | Exhibitors launching products | Final 30 days | Rotating banner, capped in number |
| Sponsored push notification | Exhibitors running booth events | Final 30 days and onsite | One message at a set time, limited per day |
| Show guide ad | Traditional and regional exhibitors | 6 to 8 weeks out | Ad sizes and a print deadline |
| Bag insert | Exhibitors with offers or samples | 4 to 6 weeks out | Cap inserts and set delivery rules |
| Floor decals to the booth | Exhibitors in quieter aisles | Final 30 days | Only where the venue allows floor graphics |
| Demo theater slot | Exhibitors with something to show | 6 to 8 weeks out | Scheduled 15 to 30 minute slots on a floor stage |
| Sponsored session | Exhibitors with expert speakers | When the program is built | Labelled sponsored, abstract reviewed |
| Booth game or passport stop | Exhibitors who want visits | 4 to 6 weeks out | Cap stops so the game is playable |
| Meeting room or suite | Exhibitors with client meetings | 3 to 4 months out | Rent rooms near the hall by day or half day |
| Hospitality or client passes | Exhibitors hosting customers | Final 30 days | Reception or lounge passes for invited guests |
| Hotel rooms in the show block | Exhibitors who travel | At booking | Link to the hotel block with its deadline |
| Priority rebooking deposit | Returning exhibitors | Onsite | Hold next year's booth with a deposit |
Larger visibility items such as lanyards, keynotes and receptions belong on the sponsorship menu rather than the exhibitor add-on list. See trade show sponsorship opportunities for 48 sellable sponsor items, and exhibitor badge allocation for how to set badge allowances before you sell extras.
When to Offer Each Upsell
Exhibitors buy add-ons when they are already thinking about the thing you are selling. Spread offers across the sales cycle so each one arrives at the right moment, and so no single email turns into a long list of fees.
| Stage | What the exhibitor is deciding | Upsells to offer |
|---|---|---|
| Onsite at this year's show | Whether to come back | Next year's booth with a size or location upgrade, held with a deposit |
| Booth selection | Where and how big | Corner and premium locations, size upgrades, pavilions |
| Checkout | What the booth includes | Turnkey packages, lead retrieval, logo on the floor plan, enhanced listing |
| Onboarding (3 to 2 months out) | Booth setup and staffing | Contractor services, extra badges, meeting rooms, hotel |
| Final 30 days | How to drive traffic | App ads, push notifications, floor decals, demo slots, game stops |
| Show days | How the show is going | Extra lead retrieval users, notifications, next year's booth |
- 1
Make upgrades visible at booth selection
Show premium locations and their prices on the floor plan itself, so exhibitors compare a corner with an inline booth at the moment they choose. Pricing booths by location is covered in dynamic booth pricing.
- 2
Offer add-ons in the same checkout
List lead retrieval, the floor plan logo and the enhanced listing as optional items in the same order as the booth. One order is easier to approve than three invoices.
- 3
Tie services to onboarding deadlines
Put contractor discount deadlines and badge cut-offs in your onboarding reminders. Exhibitors who miss early rates blame the show, so remind them before the price rises.
- 4
Send one late visibility offer
In the last month, send one email with the remaining visibility items, how many are left and the artwork deadline. Scarcity is real here: there are only so many app ads and demo slots.
Example: Revenue per Exhibitor With Add-Ons
The example below shows how add-ons change revenue per exhibitor at a show with 200 exhibitors and an average booth price of $3,000. All figures, including take-up rates, are planning assumptions for illustration, not benchmarks. Contractor services are left out because their revenue normally goes to the contractor.
| Line | Assumption | Example revenue |
|---|---|---|
| Booth space | 200 exhibitors at an average $3,000 | $600,000 |
| Corner premium | 40 corner booths at $300 each | $12,000 |
| Lead retrieval | 100 exhibitors at $350 | $35,000 |
| Enhanced directory listing | 50 exhibitors at $250 | $12,500 |
| Demo theater slots | 12 slots at $1,200 | $14,400 |
| Extra staff badges | 60 exhibitors buy 2 extra at $75 | $9,000 |
| Add-on total | Sum of the five add-on lines | $82,900 |
| Add-on revenue per exhibitor | $82,900 / 200 | $414.50 |
| Total revenue per exhibitor | $3,000 + $414.50 | $3,414.50 (about 14% above booth only) |
Run your own numbers in the booth revenue calculator, then add one add-on line at a time. Each line needs a realistic take-up rate. If you have no history, start conservatively and replace the assumptions with real figures after the first show.
Upsell Mistakes That Cost Renewals
- Charging separately for things exhibitors consider basic, such as an ID sign or a listing in the directory
- Selling more app ads, decals or demo slots than attendees can notice
- Hiding add-on prices until after the exhibitor has paid for the booth
- Offering the same exhibitor six separate emails of add-ons in one week
- Selling visibility items with no proof afterwards of views, visits or attendance
- Promising contractor services or prices you don't control
Exhibitor upsells work best when booths, services and add-ons sit in one record per exhibitor, along with their onboarding tasks and badges. Exhibitor management software covers that workflow, and booth sales software covers selling booths and add-ons online from the floor plan.