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Booth ROI & Lead Capture

Trade Show ROI Benchmarks by Industry

By Exhibit Bridge Editors·January 6, 2026· 6 min read
In this guide
  1. 01. B2B SaaS / technology
  2. 02. Medical and healthcare
  3. 03. Manufacturing and industrial
  4. 04. Consumer / cannabis / automotive

ROI benchmarks vary 3–10x across industries because deal sizes, sales cycles, and lead behavior differ. Here are honest numbers by vertical.

B2B SaaS / technology

Target: 3–5x on total program cost. Top-quartile programs hit 7–10x. Sales-cycle drag (typically 4–9 months) means most pipeline closes 6–14 months post-show.

Medical and healthcare

Target: 4–6x. Longer cycles (6–18 months) and FDA-regulated buying processes mean revenue attribution must extend to 18 months for fair measurement. HIMSS-class shows can hit 10x+ for established players.

Manufacturing and industrial

Target: 3–5x. Lower volume, higher deal size. Many deals start with a booth conversation and a follow-up plant visit. Track plant-visit-to-close rate as a leading indicator.

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Consumer / cannabis / automotive

Consumer brands and cannabis often hit 6–12x at peak-audience shows due to direct retail-buyer presence. Automotive aftermarket (SEMA) varies wildly — top brands hit 8x+, bottom quartile under 2x.

Key takeaways
  • B2B SaaS: 3–5x target, 7–10x for top quartile
  • Medical: 4–6x with attribution extended to 18 months
  • Manufacturing: 3–5x — track plant-visit-to-close as leading indicator
  • Consumer/cannabis at peak-audience shows: 6–12x is achievable
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Written by
Exhibit Bridge Editors

Part of the Exhibit Bridge editorial team — ex-exhibitors, marketers, and builders writing the guides we wish we'd had when we were on the show floor.

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