All Case Studies

Events & Field Marketing

Building a Trade Show Program That Actually Tracks ROI

Events were part of the strategy but didn't have a structured process. I built the SOPs, partner playbooks, and lead tracking to make trade shows a real marketing channel.

1,879

Leads Captured

10+

Annual Events

18

SOPs Created

4

Partner Playbooks

Overview

Trade shows are how you meet people in fire protection. I saw an opportunity to add structure: pre/during/post workflows, partner coordination, and actual pipeline tracking to make events a measurable channel.

The Challenge

There was an opportunity to add pre-show outreach, structured lead capture, follow-up cadences, and event-level ROI tracking. Partner coordination was also ad-hoc and needed a repeatable framework.

My Role

Managed the events coordinator on logistics, timelines, and vendor coordination. Coordinated 4-6 booth staff per show (mix of sales, product, marketing). Worked with partner marketing contacts at integration companies for co-sponsored events. Managed content contractors for video and photography at select shows. Created 40+ custom enterprise presentations tailored to specific accounts and event audiences.

Approach

1

Evaluated 25+ industry events and sorted them into tiers: must-attend (11 shows), maybe, and skip. Based on audience fit, cost, and past results.

2

Built an 18-step pre-show checklist: Salesforce campaign setup, attendee list enrichment through Clay, outreach sequences, booth prep, content calendar, and a training call for booth staff.

3

Created during-show and post-show SOPs: lead scanning, content capture guidelines (interviews, photos, video), same-week follow-up sequences, and show reporting templates.

4

Set up a partner playbook for co-marketing at events: coordinated booth presence, joint happy hours, cross-promotion, and shared lead lists with integration partners.

Results

  • 1,879 leads captured with clear pipeline attribution to specific events
  • Went from sporadic attendance to 10+ strategically selected shows per year
  • Every show now has structured lead capture and enrichment via Clay
  • SOPs mean any team member can execute a show consistently
  • Partner co-marketing relationships that stretch booth investment further

How This Was Measured

Each show gets a dedicated Salesforce campaign. Leads captured via badge scanning flow into Pardot with show-specific UTMs. Post-show pipeline tracked through campaign member to opportunity association. Per-show ROI calculated against booth, travel, and sponsorship costs.

Tools & Platforms

Salesforce / Clay / Asana / Pardot / Slack

Key Deliverables

  • Trade show strategy document
  • Show selection framework
  • Pre/during/post SOPs
  • Partner co-marketing playbook
  • Event ROI tracking templates
  • 40+ custom enterprise sales presentations

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