So… you are considering attending a Travel Expo. That sounds fun, and it’s a great opportunity to promote your products or services, negotiate future business, and build relationships. Whether you’re attending or exhibiting, you’ll have the chance to register for classes, learn new travel strategies, meet industry experts, and discover exciting new destinations.
Travel Expos or trade shows are professional events for accommodation companies (like hotels and BNBs), industry experts, and technology providers. Typically, these groups interact to share experiences, exchange knowledge, and learn new skills. Many expos have regional themes—focusing on destinations like Latin America, Asia, or Europe—or are tailored to specific travel professions, such as agents, hospitality professionals, or transportation employees.
Most travel industry conferences also feature a trade show component, where attendees can explore the show floor and connect with exhibitors. Exhibits can range from portable displays for trade shows, like a simple 10 ft. display with a backdrop and flyers, to elaborate 40 x 60 island exhibits featuring video panels, interactive activities, lounges, and even food and beverages.
Maximizing Success at a Travel Expo or Trade Show
If you are planning to participate in a travel expo as an exhibitor, you’ll need a marketing strategy, a budget, an exhibit, and a detailed plan. Trade show success isn’t accidental. It requires an in-depth understanding of your audience and a commitment to pre-show, show, and post-show marketing. If you’re new to trade shows, consider working with an exhibition professional, either at an exhibit house or a trade show consultant. Exhibition expertise can be learned over time, but the mistakes can be both costly and frustrating. Getting to a successful outcome, which in most cases means a Return on Your Investment, can start with your first show if you know how to avoid the most common mistakes.
Some basic tips to maximizing your success:
Pre-Show Preparation
- Set Measurable Goals: Determine what you want to achieve at the show. Are you looking to generate leads, build brand awareness, or partner with other businesses?
- Create a Project Plan with Deadlines: Missing deadlines, like early bird dates for ordering services, often leads to undo stress and increased costs.
- Research Your Audience: Identify who will be attending the show and tailor your messaging accordingly.
- Design Your Booth: Design a booth that is visually appealing and easy to navigate. Ensure you have all the necessary equipment and supplies.
- Understand Your Solution: Know your messaging to ensure you can effectively communicate the value of your products or services.
During the Travel Expo
- Be Approachable and Friendly: Greet attendees with a smile and make eye contact. You and your booth should be a welcoming space for attendees.
- Engage Attendees: Ask questions and listen attentively to what others have to say.
- Take Notes: Collect contact information from potential leads and follow up with them within 24 hours.
- Network: Attend industry events and social gatherings to meet new people. You never know when a casual conversation will turn into a business opportunity.
- Leverage Social Media: Share photos and updates from the show on your social media channels.
Post-Show Follow-Up
- Follow-up on Leads: Schedule follow-up meetings or calls with potential customers.
- Analyze Your Performance: Evaluate your success at the show and identify areas for improvement.
Consider the two ways many exhibitors measure their trade show success: ROI vs. ROO.
ROI (Return on Investment) and ROO (Return on Objectives) are two important metrics used to measure the success of a trade show. While they are both focused on measuring the value gained from an event, they have different perspectives.
ROI (Return on Investment)
Objective: Primarily financial.
ROI measures the profit or loss generated by the event compared to the costs incurred. For example, calculating the revenue generated from leads acquired at the show versus the cost of the booth, travel, and other expenses.
ROO (Return on Objectives)
Objective: A broader range of objectives beyond finance.
ROO measures the achievement of specific goals set for the event, such as brand awareness, lead generation, networking, or market research. For example, assessing whether the event successfully increased brand awareness among target attendees or if the desired number of leads were generated.
By setting both ROI and ROO objectives, you can gain a comprehensive understanding of your trade show’s performance and make data-driven decisions to improve future outcomes.
What Are Travel Industry Trade Shows?
Travel industry trade shows are specialized events that bring together professionals from various sectors of the travel and tourism industry. These shows serve as platforms for networking, showcasing products and services, and staying updated on industry trends.
Key participants at these events typically include:
- Travel Agents and Tour Operators: These professionals seek to expand their offerings and connect with destinations, hotels, and attractions.
- Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs): DMOs use these shows to promote their regions and attract visitors.
- Hotels and Accommodations: Hotels showcase their properties and seek to secure bookings from travel agents.
- Convention and Visitors Bureaus (CVB): CVB’s promote tourism and business activities in a specific city, region, or country. They assist with the planning and execution of conventions, conferences, and other events.
- Airlines and Transportation Companies: These businesses promote their routes, fares, and services to travel professionals.
- Technology Providers: Companies offering travel-related technology solutions, such as booking systems and mobile apps, exhibit their products.
- Attractions and Activities: Museums, theme parks, and other attractions showcase their offerings to potential visitors.
These trade shows offer invaluable opportunities for professionals in the travel industry to stay connected, informed, and competitive.
Designing the Perfect Exhibit for Travel Trade Shows
Let’s assume you are new to trade show marketing. One of the most exciting and overwhelming tasks is designing your trade show exhibit. But it doesn’t have to be if you start with answering these 15 questions. These are the questions your exhibit designer will ask you. Knowing them in advance and having the information available will make the design process much, much easier.
Branding: Does your company have branding guidelines/logo or graphic files/website address? Can you share these files?
Size: What size is the exhibit? Do you plan to reconfigure the exhibit for other shows? If so, what sizes? Knowing this will guide both the design and the choice of materials.
Budget: What is the budget? This is essential. Still undecided about an exact budget? The next best option is a workable budget range. No exhibitor wants to be surprised with a beautiful booth outside their budget or underwhelmed by a booth designed for a lower budget.
Purchase or Rent: Do you want to purchase or rent? Or a combination of both? This assists the designer in choosing materials and designing to a specific budget.
Booth Requirements: What physical properties does the exhibit need to have? For example, workstations, counters, slatwall, semi-private or private conference areas, monitors, storage, etc.? This information allows the designer to create a functional trade show design.
Past Trade Show History: What type of display have you used in the past? Are you looking for something similar or different? What did you like or not like about the previous booth?
Construction Materials: Are there any materials or construction methods you prefer? Are you looking for something similar or different? Many experienced exhibitors have a strong attraction or aversion to specific materials.
Dimensions: Are there any unusual dimensional restrictions? Can you provide show regulations? Some shows have unusual restrictions for the height of the booth or setbacks from the aisle.
Products or Services: Do you show product(s)? What are the dimensions and specifications? How do you prefer to show the products? Display cases, countertops, shelves, hooks, etc.?
Portable, Modular, or Custom: Does the display need to be portable or modular? Does it need to ship via FedEx or UPS or are you OK with packing in custom crates? This will guide our use of materials.
Assembly: Who will assemble the display: show labor or your own team? We have great solutions for both scenarios.
Graphic Design Objectives: Do you have any images of design elements you like? Even if these “inspiration images” are not trade show related, they are very helpful. For example, architectural elements, finishes, colors, natural elements, retail environments, etc.
Due Date: Design Due Date? Typically, designs are completed within a few business days. However, every project and every client has their own timeline. We do our best to accommodate requested timelines.
Show Opening Date: Creating the design and then building it depends on the time frame. Designers can make material selections which will go a long way toward meeting a three-week vs. a three-month window.
Who Are You?: Are there any descriptive words you use to describe your company? What do you want visitors to your booth to “feel” about your company? From “opulent” to “bad-ass,” we have heard some interesting descriptors, and this gives the designer the insight to craft a personalized, experiential space.
Popular Travel and Tourism Trade Shows to Attend
North America
International Tourism and Travel Show
The International Tourism & Travel Show is a comprehensive experience designed to inspire, educate, and connect those at the forefront of the travel and tourism industry. It’s an invaluable event for anyone looking to gain insight, grow their network, and explore the future of travel and tourism.
The Travel and Vacation Show is held in Shaw Conference Centre Ottawa on April 12-13, 2025 with news on travel in Canada, North America, and around the world.
The Las Vegas Travel Agent Forum provides travel suppliers a unique venue to forge new relationships and generate sales. The Forum comprises a balance of established travel sellers, invited and hosted as part of the Travel Agent SELECT program as well as travel sellers keen to grow their business and supplier network. The Travel Agent Forum is a B2B event, and ideal for any travel supplier offering vacation experiences, business resources and commissionable opportunities to travel professionals.
Three-and-a-half days of connection, collaboration, and innovation in Orlando at the conference for the In-Destination Experiences Industry. THE event for solutions-focused creators and sellers of Tours, Activities, Attractions & Experiences.
Digital Travel is the must-attend conference for travel executives eager to revolutionize the customer journey. Join visionaries from hotels, OTAs, airlines, and transportation companies as they share cutting-edge insights on enhancing personalization and online strategies for exceptional cross-channel experiences.
Europe
Every year in March the world of international tourism gathers at the largest travel trade show, ITB Berlin. In addition to the geographic division by destinations, market segments such as Adventure Tourism, Business Travel, LGBTQ+ Travel, Luxury Travel, Medical Tourism, and Travel Technology are represented.
WTM London: World Travel Market
It’s a major global event for the travel and tourism industry. This annual trade show brings together professionals from around the world to network, conduct business, and explore the latest trends and innovations in the travel sector.
FITUR | International Tourism Trade Fair
FITUR is the benchmark event in the tourism sector and the leading trade fair for inbound and outbound international markets. FITUR, or the International Tourism Trade Fair, is a five-day event in Madrid, Spain that serves as a global meeting point for tourism professionals and the general public. It’s the leading trade fair for markets in Ibero-America.
Luxury Travel Trade Shows
Luxury travel trade shows are specialized events that cater specifically to the high-end travel market. These shows offer a unique platform for luxury travel providers, such as luxury hotels, resorts, airlines, cruise lines, and tour operators, to connect with discerning travel agents and affluent travelers.
Luxury travel trade shows appeal to an exclusive client of high net-worth individuals where exhibitors showcase luxury accommodations, exclusive destinations, and personalized services. The shows connect industry leaders with potential partners. Finally, these shows offer educational workshops and presentations covering luxury trends, sustainability, and customer service.
Some luxury travel trade shows include:
ILTM (International Luxury Travel Market): Held in various locations worldwide, ILTM is considered the premier event for luxury travel.
Luxury Travel Mart (LTM): A specialized event focused on luxury travel in the Middle East and Africa.
The Luxury Travel Fair (TLTF): A boutique event showcasing luxury experiences from around the world.
Ready to Design Your Travel Trade Show Exhibit?
We’re ready if you are. Designing the perfect exhibit for a travel expo should be pleasurable. It’s your opportunity to make a statement about your company and draw attention to your products, services, and people. Your booth should be as unique as you. When you work with Classic Exhibits designer, it’s all about you – your vision, your goals, your objectives. Start that process today by contacting us to schedule an appointment.
For over 30 years, Classic Exhibits has been designing and building creative custom solutions for our Distributor Partners and their clients. As North America’s largest private-label exhibit manufacturer, we have the unmatched capability, capacity, and creativity to create 3D projects ranging from 10 x 10 inline displays to 60 x 80 double-deck islands.
Find success on the trade show floor with an exhibit that reflects your marketing message. For more information, see www.classicexhibits.com and explore Exhibit Design Search or request a meeting with a Classic Distributor Partner.