Trade Show Lead Capture Tools That Boost Your ROI

Today we live in a fast-paced, technology-driven world. Trade shows are busier than ever, and maximizing ROI is a critical concern. Exhibitors want to see high-quality leads to offset their costs, but don’t know the best place to start.

Enter your new best friend: tools for trade show lead capture. If you’re a marketing manager, CEO, or event planner, you need to know how to leverage this technology. The right tools make all the difference between successful trade shows and missed opportunities. Many businesses now work with experienced exhibition stand builders to ensure these digital tools are fully integrated into their booth design ideas.

Helpful digital tools like Cvent LeadCapture are changing how businesses interact with clients. Essential tools like these facilitate lead capture and gather other trade show metrics, streamlining the lead capture process for maximum ROI.

In this article, we will explore what three cutting-edge trade digital show tools can do for you!

Cvent LeadCapture

What it is: An all-in-one lead management tool.

How much it is: Cvent’s pricing ranges from $5,000 to $50,000 annually.

We recently had the opportunity to use Cvent LeadCapture. Overall, it is a fantastic lead capture tool for trade shows. It’s invaluable for streamlining lead management efforts, thereby maximizing your trade show ROI.

Positives

We found that Cvent LeadCapture lived up to the hype and works well for the large corporate events it was designed for. It is:

• Easy to get going: Setting up the tool was a breeze.
• Customizable: We could customize the lead capture forms to align with our specific requirements.
• Flexible: The option to scan attendee badges or use QR codes was a game-changer. It eliminated the need for manual entry and reduced errors. This left more time for engaging trade show visitors.
• Well-maintained: The Cvent support team was prompt, knowledgeable, and available to help us with our queries.
• Efficient: The seamless integration with many CRM systems means leads are automatically synced. You’ll save valuable time and increase data accuracy. A big result!
• Well-organized: You can add custom qualifiers and tags to categorize and prioritize leads on the spot. This allows you to identify high-value prospects and ensure a prompt follow-up.
• Powerful: The tool provides detailed insights into the number of trade show metrics. This information makes it easier to assess the success of your lead capture process and measure your event ROI.

Negatives – Cvent LeadCapture

Even though it is very powerful, Cvent LeadCapture isn’t for everyone. Here’s where it comes up short:

• Pricey: Prices are high and non-transparent, meaning exhibitors need to enter the sales process to find out where they stand budget-wise. If you aren’t attending multiple events annually, you’ll end up losing money.
• Learning curve: Although easy to set up and get going, more advanced lead management isn’t straightforward.
• Event locked: Third-party badges from events Cvent isn’t involved with don’t really work.

Verdict

Cvent LeadCapture proved to be a powerful trade show lead-capture tool. It enhanced lead qualification and provided valuable insights to measure trade show success. It works really well as a universal lead capture companion.

Cvent LeadCapture is a worthy investment for businesses looking to maximize their ROI from big trade shows. It certainly beats manual data entry!

Cvent iCapture

What it is: A lead capture app and management solution, designed mainly for sales teams.

How much it is: iCapture’s annual packages start from around $8,000 or more.

iCapture exists to help businesses capture and qualify potential lead data at their events. The platform offers various tools and features to streamline lead retrieval. The idea is to get the most out of your marketing efforts.

This app also boasts some impressive accolades! iCapture was awarded two leader badges at The Winter 2024 G2 awards. It placed top of the lead capture and lead retrieval categories.

Positives

iCapture is:

• Easy to use: Businesses can create bespoke lead capture forms using a drag-and-drop interface.
• Flexible: The platform supports data capture through various methods, including digital badge scanning. It works at any event with any badges, unlike LeadCapture.
• Portable: iCapture’s offline lead capture ability sets it apart from some competitors. Capturing leads offline and synchronizing them later meant no leads were lost. Data integrity and continuity were preserved.
• Efficient: The lead scoring and qualification features allowed us to prioritize leads with the most value. The overall follow-up procedure was, therefore, much simpler.
• Highly compatible: iCapture has real-time CRM integration with systems for easy lead transfer into our database. It proved to be a quick and smooth process, and it also integrates with over 130 badge providers.
• Powerful: iCapture demonstrated robust reporting and analytics capabilities. Plenty of key metrics were provided to help us make better marketing decisions!

Negatives

While iCapture offers a range of powerful features, there were a couple of areas where we felt there could be room for improvement:

• Customization: The form customization options, while adequate, could benefit from an upgrade.
• Design: While generally user-friendly, the user interface could be enhanced with a more intuitive design.
• Pricey: The $7,000 annual fee can be expensive for exhibitors, especially those attending a trade show for the first time.

Verdict

Generally, iCapture is a valuable lead capture and management solution. This app excels in simplifying the lead capture process and optimizing lead generation efforts. The lead qualification features and CRM integration both make iCapture an enticing offer.

At the very least, it’ll help you make more informed decisions about company marketing activities.

Zuant

What it is: An online and offline mobile lead capture app and management solution

How much it is: Around $4,000 or more annually.

Zuant is a British mobile lead capture app designed to streamline data collection at events. It offers a variety of features and has been praised by reviewers for its design. It competes with Cvent’s suite and other tools.

Positives

Although slightly older than Cvent, Zuant still has some impressive functionality. It is:

• Easy to use: Zuant’s interface is really easy to use.
• Flexible: The app has a variety of input methods for different kinds of events. This includes badge-scanning, QR code recognition, and NFC support.
• Portable: Zuant has full offline capture capability. The mobile device app is great for working on the go off your own phone.
• Compliant: Built-in tools like consent widgets make Zuant ideal for keeping ahead of GDPR compliance.

Negatives

Zuant has many things going for it, but we found some areas for improvement:

• Compatibility: Zuant was originally exclusive to Apple’s iOS. An Android version now exists, but the experience isn’t quite the same across platforms.
• Platform maturity: The app is very powerful for basic tasks, but some advanced features are lacking. For example, there still isn’t a cloud-based form editor.
• Automation: Compared to its competitors, Zuant lacks an automated follow up feature. There’s no real-time engagement tracking, either.

Verdict

It may be the older kid on the block, but Zuant is still a solid choice as a user-friendly lead capture software solution. Its offline functionality is still a major draw, but other organizations might prefer a more advanced tool.

Summary: Working With Trade Show Lead Capture Tools

With digital technology advancing at a faster rate than ever before, there’s no reason to be left out in the dark. By making good use of software like Cvent LeadCapture or Zuant to qualify leads, your business can save time and increase its ROI. Just don’t forget to follow up afterwards!

If you’d like to learn more about lead capture or exhibitions in general, why not send us a message? We can help you with your booth design, elevating your brand presence for a lasting impression at trade shows.