Trade Show Follow Up: How to Stand Out in a Crowded Inbox
The best trade show follow-up emails do three things. They reference something from your conversation. They send within 24 hours. And they offer value before asking for anything. That combo puts you ahead of 90% of exhibitors.
Your prospect met dozens of vendors. They have hundreds of emails waiting at home. “Great meeting you at [Event]!” gets deleted without a thought. A good follow up email after a trade show feels like continuing a conversation. Not a cold pitch from a stranger.
Why Most Follow-Ups Fail
Four patterns kill follow-up emails:
Sent too late. Waiting until “back in the office” means waiting until they’ve forgotten you.
Generic template. The [FIRST_NAME] merge field and “As discussed…” opener show you didn’t pay attention.
No reference to the conversation. If your email could have been written by someone who wasn’t there, it reads as spam.
Pitch before value. Leading with your product instead of their problem puts you in the “vendor selling stuff” pile.
The 24-Hour Rule
Industry research suggests leads contacted within 24 to 48 hours are 60% more likely to convert than those reached after a week. Yet by some estimates, 38% of exhibitors take longer than six days to follow up.
Send your first follow-up before you leave the city. That means emails from the hotel or airport. Context is fresh for both of you.
A personal email same-day beats a polished email a week later. Every time.
What to Capture During the Conversation
You can’t write a great follow-up without great notes. To make it personal, you need something personal to say.
After each conversation, capture four things:
| Field | What to Record | Example |
|---|---|---|
| The Vibe | Their emotional energy | Skeptical, Urgent, Exploring, Frustrated |
| The Moat | A personal detail | Flying to Japan next week, Loves IPAs, Dog named Buster |
| The Hook | A quote of their pain | “My team spends 4 hours a day on data entry” |
| The Next Step | What you agreed to | Send case study, Book demo, Intro to colleague |
Voice notes work best. You’d be surprised how much fits into 30 seconds of audio. In our experience, that captures more than you’ll recall three days later.
This is building a Human Moat. Personal context that makes your follow-up hard to ignore.
4 Trade Show Follow-Up Email Templates That Work
These give you structure. The details (the hook, the moat detail, the pain point) come from your notes. Without notes, even a good template turns generic.
Template 1: The Specific Pain Anchor
For prospects who shared a clear problem.
Subject: [Problem they mentioned]
Hi [Name],
I was thinking about your comment on [specific thing they said]. It's rare
to find someone who sees [problem] from that angle.
I did some digging on [question they asked], and [brief insight].
Would it help if I sent over [relevant resource]?
[Your name]Shows you listened, did homework, and are offering value. Not asking for a meeting.
Template 2: The Human Anchor
For conversations with strong personal connection.
Subject: [Event Name] / Safe travels to [place they mentioned]!
Hi [Name],
Hopefully you've survived the inbox avalanche by now.
Between the keynote chaos and coffee line, I really enjoyed our
conversation about [personal topic: trip, hobby, etc.].
When the dust settles, I'd love to pick back up on [business topic].
No rush. Just want to stay connected.
[Your name]Feels like continuing a conversation, not a sales sequence. The personal detail proves you paid attention.
Template 3: The “What’s In It For Me” Anchor
For prospects focused on return on investment (ROI) who need to justify a decision.
Subject: [Specific goal they mentioned]
Hi [Name],
You mentioned that if you solved [pain point], your team could
finally focus on [big goal].
I put together a quick breakdown of how we helped [similar company]
move from [problem] to [outcome]. Thought it might be useful.
[Link to case study]
Worth a 15-minute call to see if it applies?
[Your name]References their words, provides proof, makes the ask small.
Template 4: The Warm Intro
For when you promised to connect them with someone.
Subject: Intro: [Name] ↔ [Colleague Name]
Hi [Name],
As promised, connecting you with [Colleague] who knows more about
[topic] than I do.
[Colleague], [Name] is [brief context + why they're worth talking to].
I'll let you two take it from here.
[Your name]Delivers on a promise, builds trust. By most estimates, warm intros get response rates over 60%. Cold outreach sits in single digits.
Bonus: The Voice Note Reference
If you use BoothIQ to capture voice notes:
Subject: Following up on our conversation about [topic]
Hi [Name],
I recorded a quick note after we talked so I wouldn't forget.
Your point about [specific insight] stuck with me. Not many people
think about [problem] that way.
[Relevant follow-up content]
[Your name]The Follow-Up Sequence
If they don’t reply:
Day 1: Personal email (templates above)
Day 3: Short bump:
Hey [Name], floating this back up. Worth a quick chat?Day 7: Value-add, no ask:
Subject: [Relevant topic]
Hi [Name],
Came across this [article/case study] and thought of our conversation
about [topic]. Figured you might find it useful.
[Link]
No response needed. Just wanted to share.
[Your name]Day 14: Break-up email:
Subject: Should I close the loop?
Hi [Name],
I know things get busy after events. Should I close the loop on this,
or is there still interest?
Either way, no hard feelings.
[Your name]Break-up emails work because they’re low-pressure with an easy out. Research shows they can hit 33% response rates when used after multiple touches.
What NOT to Do
Don’t start with pleasantries:
- “Great meeting you at the booth!”
- “As discussed, I wanted to follow up…”
- “I hope this email finds you well…”
Don’t immediately ask for a meeting: A calendar link first signals “I want something from you.” Lead with value.
Don’t write a novel: 3-5 sentences. They’re scanning, not reading.
Don’t wait two weeks: Two weeks later, you’re not following up. You’re starting cold outreach.
Don’t send the same template to everyone: If only the name changes, you’re wasting your notes and their time.
Automate the Right Parts
There’s a place for automation:
- Automate: CRM (your customer database, like HubSpot or Salesforce) reminders, scheduling links, sequence enrollment, alerts
- Make it personal: The email content, the specific reference, the human detail
Your CRM should remind you. Your lead capture app should sync contacts. Need to get leads into HubSpot? See our HubSpot import guide. Salesforce user? Here’s the Salesforce import guide. Working from a CSV export? Our free CSV formatter can match your columns to your CRM’s import format in seconds. But the words need to prove you were there.
AI can help you write faster. But if your email could have been written by anyone, it gets deleted like everyone else’s.
This is your Human Moat. Build it.
BoothIQ is a universal lead capture app that integrates with your calendar and CRM, making follow-up and sales a breeze.
FAQ
How soon should you follow up after a trade show?
Within 24 hours. Send your first email before leaving the city while context is fresh. Industry research suggests leads contacted within 24 to 48 hours are 60% more likely to convert.
How many times should you follow up?
3-4 times over 2 weeks. After that, they’re not interested or it’s not the right time. Day 1, Day 3, Day 7, Day 14 gives multiple touches without being annoying.
What should a trade show follow-up email say?
Reference something specific: their pain point, a personal detail, a question they asked. A good follow up email after a trade show feels like continuing the conversation. Not a cold pitch.
References
- “Trade Show Statistics 2025.” Trade Show Labs. tradeshowlabs.com
- “Sales Follow-Up Statistics 2025.” Martal Group. martal.ca
- “Warm Outreach vs Cold Email.” GrowLeads. growleads.io
- “The Power of Breakup Emails.” HubSpot. hubspot.com
- “Breakup Email Templates.” GrowLeads. growleads.io
Capture better notes, send faster follow-ups, and sync everything to your CRM. Try BoothIQ free.