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Trade Show ROI Calculator

Weigh trade show costs including stand, travel and staff time against the pipeline it produced.

About Trade Show ROI Calculator

Return on investment restates profit as a percentage of the money put in, so a small campaign and a large one can be ranked on the same scale. The return multiple is the gross figure (revenue ÷ cost) that marketing teams usually call ROAS. A trade show can grow revenue and still destroy value; ROI is what tells you which side of the line you are on before you scale the spend.

Formula

Trade Show ROI

ROI = (Pipeline value from the show − Stand, travel and staffing cost) ÷ Stand, travel and staffing cost × 100

Pipeline value from the show
Value returned by the trade show
Stand, travel and staffing cost
Total cost invested

Worked example

With the default values below, Trade Show ROI Calculator returns Return on Investment of 190.91%. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Pipeline value from the showminimum 0
320,000
Stand, travel and staffing costminimum 0
110,000

Results

Return on Investment
190.91%
Net Return
$210,000.00
Return Multiple
2.91
Revenue Needed to Break Even
$110,000.00
Verdict
Profitable — every unit spent returned 2.91 back

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Trade Show ROI
  3. 3Return on Investment= 190.91
  4. 4Net Return= 210,000.00
  5. 5Return Multiple= 2.91
  6. 6Revenue Needed to Break Even= 110,000.00
  7. 7Verdict= Profitable — every unit spent returned 2.91 back

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 2 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
  • This is an estimate for general information and not professional financial, tax or legal advice. See the full disclaimer for the limits that apply to this kind of calculator.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is Trade Show ROI calculated?

ROI = (Pipeline value from the show − Stand, travel and staffing cost) ÷ Stand, travel and staffing cost × 100 Return on investment restates profit as a percentage of the money put in, so a small campaign and a large one can be ranked on the same scale. The return multiple is the gross figure (revenue ÷ cost) that marketing teams usually call ROAS.

Why does Trade Show ROI matter?

A trade show can grow revenue and still destroy value; ROI is what tells you which side of the line you are on before you scale the spend.

What values do I need to enter?

This calculator takes 2 inputs: Pipeline value from the show, Stand, travel and staffing cost. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.

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