By Kate Blom-Lowery, Chief Marketing & Operations Officer, Steel City Displays

For years, exhibitors have been asking the same questions:

“How do we drive the right people to our booth?”
“How do we increase qualified conversations?”
“How do we turn a trade show presence into a real
pipeline?”

After two decades in marketing, across B2B, B2C, experiential environments, and exhibit industry, I can confidently say this:

Your trade show results can dramatically improve when digital advertising becomes part of your pre-show, in-show, and post-show strategy.

At Steel City Displays, we’ve always believed in the Power of WE, collaboration that extends beyond the walls, screens, and structures we build. And today, one of the most powerful ways to enhance that collaboration is by blending smart digital strategy with a high-impact physical experience.

Below is the playbook I share with our exhibiting partners when they’re ready to not only build a booth but build momentum.

Why Digital Advertising Matters More Than Ever

Trade shows used to be “three-day sprints.” Today, they’re three-month campaigns with touchpoints before, during, and long after attendees leave the venue.

Digital advertising enhances your trade show strategy because it:

• Warms up an audience before you ever shake their hand

• Expands reach beyond the show floor

• Targets your ideal buyers with precision

• Collects measurable data that informs ROI

• Amplifies your story in a crowded environment

When executed intentionally, digital advertising becomes the connective tissue between your booth and your business goals.

Pre-Show Digital Campaigns — Drive Awareness Before the Event

If you only start marketing on Day 1 of the show, you’re already behind.

Use Paid Social to Build Anticipation

Channels like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook allow you to:

• Target by job title, industry, company size, interest and location

• Promote sneak previews of booth features

• Introduce new products or demos

• Build momentum weeks before the show opens

What works best:
Short videos, behind-the-scenes teasers, team introductions, and invitations to book meetings.

Deploy Google Search & Display Ads

When attendees search:
“[Event Name] exhibitors,” “best booths,” “solutions for ___,” “new technology at ____,”
…your brand should appear.

Search intent is powerful. Display banners can retarget warm audiences across the web.

Match Digital Strategy to Physical Experience

If your booth features:

• An interactive demo

• An engagement station

• A giveaway or exclusive content

• A mini-theater or “ask the expert” session

…start promoting it digitally with urgency and clarity.

This is where Radical Intentionality, a pillar of Steel City Display’s approach, shines, every post, ad, and visual should point to a specific moment you’ve crafted on the show floor.

On-Site Digital Advertising — Amplify in Real Time

Here’s where most exhibitors miss the greatest opportunity.

Attendees are literally walking around with phones in their hands.
They’re searching. Scrolling. Comparing. Documenting.

Digital ads allow you to:

Geofence the Convention Center

Serve ads in real time to people inside the venue.
Think:

• Last-minute meeting invites

• Daily demo schedules

• Engagement prompts (“Scan here to win ____”)

• Sponsored social content that catches attendees while they browse

Boost Real-Time Social Content

Your event content—team photos, customer stories, live video, booth walk-throughs, can be amplified instantly with paid boosts to people physically at the show.

It’s a cost-effective way to look larger, smarter, and more strategic than the booth footprint alone.

Retarget Attendees Who Visited Your Booth

If someone scanned your QR code, engaged with a digital feature, or landed on your show-specific page, you can retarget them at the hotel, the airport, or during the trip home.

Post-Show Ads — Extend the Momentum

The biggest myth in trade show marketing is the idea that the show “ends.”

It doesn’t.

Not when digital advertising extends the conversation.

Retarget Visitors With Nurture Ads

This includes:

• Case studies

• White papers

• Product videos

• Demo requests

• Client success stories

Many of the most qualified leads won’t convert instantly, but they will convert with the right follow-up.

Use LinkedIn Matched Audiences to Stay Top-of-Mind

Upload your list of scanned leads and retarget them with tailored messaging.
Keep the relationship alive. Keep your value visible.

Capture Your Own ROI Story

Digital advertising produces:

• Click-through rates

• Cost per lead

• Engagement volume

• Website behavior

• Attribution insights

This data, paired with your booth results, tells a complete ROI narrative for executives and stakeholders.

Why This Matters for Exhibiting Brands

Pairing digital strategy with your trade show investment:

·      Maximizes every dollar you spend

·      Drives more of the right traffic

·      Creates multi-touch engagement

·      Improves lead quality

·      Supports sales after the show

·      Makes your exhibit a living part of your marketing ecosystem

And most importantly?

You stop treating your booth as an isolated moment and start treating it as a catalytic brand platform.

That’s where the true ROI lives.

How Steel City Displays Can Help

At Steel City Displays, we’re more than builders.
We’re brand strategists, marketers, fabricators and problem-solvers who believe in the Power of WE.

When we design your exhibit or branded environment, we look at:

• Your audience

• Your goals

• Your brand story

• Your sales cycle

• Your digital ecosystem

• Your experience strategy

And we align your physical presence with digital amplification—so every element works harder for you.

If you want your next trade show to feel smarter, more intentional, and more impactful, let’s build a strategy that blends:

Digital + Physical.
Story + Structure.
Engagement + ROI.

Together, we can turn your next activation into more than a booth, into a momentum engine. Ready to start your trade show journey? Reach out today!