Having recently attended several trade shows for the trades, it’s apparent that the industry is making a comeback from 2020 pandemic times, although attendance continues to lag behind pre-pandemic levels.
Some large shows, like CES, are still significantly down, while many smaller shows are experiencing a resurgence, posting double-digit, year-over-year increases in attendance.
Positive outlooks abound after attending the International Builders’ Show. In 2025, IBS saw its highest attendance in the past 15 years. The uptick is similar to what we saw at WWETT, NECA and AHR.
There are several explanations for the resurgence of trade shows for the trades, including:
The overall health and growth of the building and construction industry have fueled attendance at related trade shows.
Relative to other industries, the skilled trades find greater enjoyment in authentic in-person interactions with brands and gathering with their peers.
Influencers in the trades love being the first ones to see new innovations and passing the word along to their audience.
Trades-centric brands can engage with partner brands in the industry in what often becomes face-to-face conversations among leadership.
Brands serving tradespeople place a great deal of value in getting real-time feedback on current and future tools from their core audience.
While there is no crystal ball foretelling how trade shows for the trades will perform beyond 2025, some project attendance levels to exceed pre-2019 levels by late 2025 or early 2026. Here are some trends expected to impact the trade show experience and overall participation in the coming year:
Trade show organizers are expected to showcase innovation and engaging experiences like product demos and immersive technologies to attract and retain attendees.
While most industries are expecting digital immersive experiences (VR/AR) to continue to play a role in trade show experiences, we haven’t seen that in the building products industry. We assume this is driven by the audience’s desire to get their hands on actual tools and materials.
Smaller, targeted trade show events are likely to pop back up based on larger shows gaining popularity.
We expect most marketers to be challenged on the value of trade shows and tying their efforts back to sales. Particularly in the case of non-selling shows, this makes post-event communications and follow-ups nearly as important as attending the show.
Many shows are tied to specific trade publications. Pulling out of shows can lead to a macro reduction in earned content generated for the brand. This aligns with the overall pay-to-play trends we see in the space.
Trade shows are often a large line item in any marketer’s budget. Costs of booth materials might rise, as well as labor costs, making it even harder to prove out a successful ROI. If brands pull out, it may further increase the costs of booth space for brands that choose to exhibit.
Tool companies like RIDGID and Greenlee are viewed as industry leaders in the experiential event marketing space. These were some of the first brands to bring influencers to trade shows, to create events outside the shows, and truly leverage the in-person experience. Here are a few things for brands to consider when planning for shows in the future:
Further leverage influencer engagement. Allow representatives from the media to spend time with your influencers and hear their authentic stories involving the brand.
Optimize your booth flow. Understand how to design your tradeshow booth to best direct booth traffic patterns.
Prioritize post-show engagements. A singular email or automated message might not be enough to nurture leads and keep them moving through the funnel. Trade show attendees will continue to expect a quicker follow-up pertaining to products they were interested in or problems they cited.
Know how to best measure your trade show effectiveness, encompassing booth traffic/engagement, lead generation and conversion, brand awareness/perception, ROI and post-show analysis
Capitalize on the audience’s desire to be hands-on. Allow booth visitors to handle as many tools as possible. Of course, not every tool can be physically operated, but driving audience engagement with demos will always be key across the trades.
Be mindful of the smaller shows popping up, and don’t try to be everything to everyone. If a show isn’t the right fit, don’t attend for the sake of attending.
Ensure you provide value. Your audience is looking for something new and innovative. Some booth conversations start with a problem they need to solve, others start with “I’m just looking. What’s new this year?” Give your audience something to be excited about. Otherwise, ask yourself if it’s worth showing up.
Whether you’re looking to build awareness, generate leads, solidify partnerships or deepen customer loyalty, Adcom can help you maximize your trade show ROI. Let’s talk about how smarter trade show marketing can best drive results for you. Contact us to get started.
Dan is Vice President of Account Strategy and Management at Adcom, where he leads strategic planning and execution of integrated marketing campaigns across digital, social, event marketing and PR. With deep expertise in the tools and building products industries, he has partnered with brands including Moen, Sherwin-Williams, RIDGID, Greenlee, and National Safety Apparel to drive growth through data-driven marketing strategies.
Dan holds an MBA from Case Western University's Weatherhead School of Management and a bachelor's degree from the University of Dayton. He lives in Shaker Heights with his wife and three sons.