Scanning leads on the trade show floor and keeping follow-up concrete.

Scanning leads at a trade show involves recording visitor details by scanning the QR code on their badge or e-ticket using an app, giving the exhibitor immediate access to contact information for post-event follow-up.

After two days at a trade show, there is often a pile of business cards and a handful of names scribbled in a notebook. No one remembers exactly who asked which question. That is the practical challenge of collecting leads on the exhibition floor: collecting them works, but following them up does not. Activo has been providing registration and reception services for corporate events and trade shows since 1997.

Scanning instead of manual data entry

Every registered visitor has a badge with a QR code. By scanning the code, you capture the contact at the moment the conversation takes place. The lead scanner app works on a mobile phone, so there is no need for separate equipment at the stand.

The difference compared with business cards is not just about convenience. The data is immediately available digitally and complete, which means follow-up does not have to wait until someone has manually entered the information from the pile of cards.

Capturing context during the conversation

A name without context is of little value after a day at a trade show. That is why it is useful to capture a few key details directly when scanning the lead.

• What the conversation was about, in a few words
• The visitor's interests or the product they asked about
• How interested the contact is and whether a follow-up has been agreed
• Which team member had the conversation

These four points are enough to send a targeted message a week later instead of a generic mailing. From a marketing perspective, that is the difference between a list and a qualified lead database.

The stand as part of the brand experience

A trade show visitor sees your stand, your materials and the way they are welcomed and spoken to. Scanning with a phone fits better into that experience than a paper form. The same approach extends to the badge and lanyard the visitor wears and the design of the registration process beforehand.

Which type of badge and lanyard is suitable for each type of event is described in the article about badges and lanyards for different types of events.

From exhibition floor to follow-up

The collected leads are brought together in a single overview per stand or per team member. After the trade show, you therefore have one complete file ready for follow-up instead of a collection of separate notes. Registration, Event App, exhibitors and lead scanning come together in Activo's trade show registration solutions.

The platform is designed with GDPR compliance in mind, which is an essential requirement when processing visitor data, not an afterthought.

Veelgestelde vragen over leads scannen op een beursvloer