Trade shows have always been one of the most powerful channels for building pipeline—but success doesn't happen by chance.

In this episode of Event Marketer's Toolbox, Chris Dunn and Dana Esposito welcome back returning guest Alison French, founder of Lead to Opportunity (LTO) and creator of ShowScout, for a practical conversation about sales activation, accountability, and how exhibitors can generate more revenue before, during, and after an event.

Since her first appearance on the show, Alison has refined her approach from simply helping companies capture leads to helping them activate their sales teams around the right prospects. The discussion explores why booth traffic alone isn't enough, how marketing and sales can work together more effectively, and why the companies seeing the strongest event ROI are the ones with a clear strategy long before the exhibit hall opens.

Great Events Start Before the Show Floor Opens

One of Alison's biggest messages is that successful events begin well before attendees arrive. Companies should identify their ideal prospects, prepare outreach campaigns, align messaging, and build a plan for connecting with the right people—not simply hope the right attendees walk into the booth.

Sales Activation Is More Than Lead Capture

The industry has plenty of badge scanners and lead capture tools. The bigger challenge is making sure sales teams know exactly who they should meet and helping them take action throughout the event.

Alison explains how sales activation creates accountability before, during, and after the show so exhibitors focus on meaningful conversations instead of collecting names.

Marketing and Sales Must Work Together

Marketing often owns event strategy, while sales owns follow-up—but true event success happens when both teams share goals.

The conversation explores how marketers can provide better visibility into projected revenue, pipeline growth, and sales activity while helping leadership understand the long-term value of trade show investments.

Relationships Matter More Than Booth Traffic

Trade shows aren't just about generating leads—they're about building relationships that often develop over months or even years.

Alison encourages exhibitors to reconnect with existing contacts, use LinkedIn strategically, and continue nurturing conversations long after the event ends because today's conversation may become tomorrow's customer.

Measure What Really Matters

Rather than judging success solely by badge scans or booth traffic, Alison recommends measuring:

• Target account engagement
• Meetings completed
• Opportunity creation
• Projected revenue
• Sales activity after the show
• Long-term pipeline contribution

These metrics tell a much more complete story when leadership asks whether an event delivered ROI.

Trade show success isn't determined by booth size, giveaways, or even foot traffic. It's determined by preparation, alignment, and consistent follow-through.

Throughout this conversation, Alison reminds us that event marketing and sales are most effective when they operate as one team—sharing goals, measuring meaningful outcomes, and staying focused on building relationships that create long-term business opportunities.

Whether you're preparing for your first trade show or managing a global event portfolio, this episode offers practical ideas you can begin implementing immediately to improve sales activation and demonstrate stronger event ROI.

👉🏼 Join us for more insightful discussions like this by tuning into 'Event Marketer's Toolbox,' where industry leaders share the tools, tactics, and trends driving success in the event world.

This Show is sponsored by Blue Hive

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