A new survey conducted at Automation & Testing Vicenza 2025 sheds light on how machinery and automation exhibitors plan, execute, and evaluate their trade show participation, and why many still find it difficult to measure the real impact of their investment.
The survey shows that many exhibitors find it challenging to understand who their visitors are, what they are interested in, and which interactions actually lead to business outcomes.
The challenge: keeping visitors in the booth
One repeated theme was the difficulty of keeping people in the booth long enough to explain the offer. With physical machines demanding attention, noisy surroundings, and limited staff availability, many exhibitors reported that visitors often walk away before they fully understand the product.
Several respondents also noted that creating an engaging booth experience remains a challenge, particularly when complex machinery can only be shown partially or out of its real context.
Measurement stops too early
The survey also points to a consistent measurement gap: while most teams track lead counts, no respondents tracked dwell time, engagement depth, or interactions with booth content. As a result, it becomes hard to understand what actually worked and to justify trade show spend internally.
Exhibitors show growing interest in new ways of engaging visitors
At the same time, the findings highlight opportunities for improvement. Exhibitors expressed interest in more interactive ways of showcasing their products and in tools that could help them spot qualified visitors earlier, communicate their value more clearly, and collect better insight from booth activity.
A deeper analysis available in the full report
To help industrial exhibitors navigate these challenges, 3ngage has compiled the findings and recommendations into a new report:
“How Digital Product Experiences Can Double Trade Fair ROI.”
The report covers:
- Common challenges industrial exhibitors face at trade fairs
- Why it’s difficult to attract and keep visitors engaged
- Gaps in current measurement and follow-up practices
- How digital demos can simplify explanations and capture deeper insights
- Practical steps any company can take to make trade-fair participation more measurable
Download the full report
If you want to understand how trade show expectations are changing, and how exhibitors can make better use of every visitor interaction: download the full report. by filling out the form below.