Trade show strategy that actually drives revenue. In this episode, Alison French, founder of LTO and creator of ShowScout, breaks down how to turn conferences and exhibit halls into qualified pipeline instead of expensive hope. If you sell B2B and still treat events like a “brand play,” this is your wake-up.
What you’ll learn
- Why conferences outperform big expos for B2B sales, and when to skip a show
- How to pick events: national vs regional, professional associations, and ICP math
- The real success metric: ICP-matched conversations, not badge scans
- Pre-work that moves the needle: account lists, outreach, aligned CTA, on-site workflow
- Staffing the floor: who belongs in the booth vs roaming meetings
- Post-show follow-up that doesn’t get ignored
- How ShowScout helps teams target, capture notes, and sync to CRM without chaos
- Rapid-fire “Burn It or Build It” on giveaways, booth design, live demos, and more
Chapters
00:30 Welcome + who Alison helps
01:22 The point of trade shows in 2025
03:05 What’s broken with traditional expos
05:26 Who should attend: sales, marketing, execs
08:31 What show organizers must fix
11:49 First-time exhibitor playbook
13:43 How to measure success beyond badge scans
15:25 Pre-work that creates real pipeline
19:36 Booth time vs outside-the-booth meetings
20:56 “Suitcasing,” targeting exhibitors, and ethics
22:15 Credit or blame: who owns results
25:31 What ShowScout does (and doesn’t)
33:59 Where AI actually helps at events
36:58 Burn It or Build It: rapid fire
40:27 One bold move for a 10x10
41:50 Where to book a demo
Who this helps
- Startup founders and Series A leaders who need pipeline now
- B2B sales leaders and field marketers who own event ROI
- RevOps and demand gen teams tired of post-show chaos
- Industries that sell complex products: healthcare, SaaS, manufacturing, CPG
Guest
- Alison French, Founder, LTO (Lead-to-Opportunity) & Creator of ShowScout
- Website: https://www.joinLTO.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frenchalison
Keywords
trade show strategy, conference marketing, B2B sales, lead capture, ShowScout, LTO, ICP, field marketing, booth strategy, post-show follow-up, HubSpot CRM, event ROI, sales activation, accountability, professional associations, regional conferences, pipeline generation, demos, pre-show outreach, buyer intelligence
Hashtags
#TradeShowStrategy #B2BSales #ConferenceMarketing #ShowScout #LTO #DemandGen #FieldMarketing #Pipeline #BurnThePlaybook #DigitalRebels
TAGS (YouTube keywords)
trade show strategy; conference strategy; B2B sales; lead capture app; ShowScout; LTO; event ROI; booth strategy; ICP; field marketing; post-show follow up; HubSpot; sales activation; conferences vs trade shows; regional conferences; professional associations; pipeline generation; demo scheduling; buyer intelligence; Marc Crosby; Digital Rebels Consulting; Ali
- Website → DigitalRebelsConsulting.com
- Linktree → https://linktr.ee/digitalrebelsconsulting
- Socials → Follow us on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/marcccrosby
- Email → marc@digitalrebelsconsulting.com
- Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/burn-the-playbook/id1828969451
- Burn The Playbook Website → https://www.buzzsprout.com/2522863
Views expressed are our own and do not represent any organizations
© 2025 Digital Rebels Consulting. All rights reserved.
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