Warning: these statistics are not real. They were not researched by a team of academics, presented in peer-reviewed articles, nor compiled from industry surveys. Instead, these trade show statistics were created in the deep recesses of my tainted imagination, which has long been held in thrall of the trade show world.
- 82% of U.S. booth staffers only speak one language
- 14% of booth staffers are wearing the wrong shoe size
- 11% of all booth staffers are in the bathroom at any time during show hours
- 7% of all trade show booth graphics are illegible
- 12% of all exhibits have a typo in their graphics
- 54% of exhibitors have not set a measurable goal
- 42% of exhibitors did not invite anyone to meet them at their booth
- 57% of exhibits are designed from the exhibitor’s perspective, rather than the attendee’s perspective
- While 100% of exhibitors consider visuals, only 30% consider sounds, 25% consider touch, 12% consider smell, and 6% consider taste
- 10% of exhibit graphics portray products no longer sold by the exhibitor
- 24% of exhibitors rely on collecting attendees’ business cards, rather than using badge scanners or lead cards
- 41% of exhibitors do not have a formalized lead follow up plan
- 15% of booth staffers were hired by their company within only the past month
- 78% of trade show attendees subconsciously decide whether they will buy from an exhibitor within the first 10 seconds of entering their displays
- 55% of booth staffers truly listen before responding to attendees
- 2% of trade show attendees actually read every exhibit graphic in the hall
- 16% of exhibitors have the wrong size staples for their staplers
- 23% of exhibitors lose all their pens to attendees before the show ends
- 5% of trade show exhibitors and attendees meet their future spouse at a trade show
