A trade show follow-up timeline: day 1, 7 and 30
Leads cool down fast after a show. A clear timeline tells each person what to send and when, so nobody waits for someone else.
Before the show
- Agree on what makes an A, B and C lead.
- Write the day 1 email before you fly.
- Decide who owns leads from each country.
Each evening of the show
Download the lead export and clean it. Our lead export guide has the steps. Send a short note to A leads who asked for something specific, like a price list.
Day 1 after the show
Email every A and B lead. Mention the show, one thing you talked about and one next step. Keep it under 120 words. Send A leads a meeting time, not a general offer to talk.
Day 2 to 3
Send leads in other markets to your distributors. Write down who got which lead and the date. Ask them to reply when they make contact.
Day 7
Follow up with A and B leads who haven't replied. Add something new, such as a case study or a price. Call A leads if you have a phone number. Check in with distributors.
Day 30
Send a last note to leads with no reply. Move C leads into your newsletter list if they agreed to it. Count your meetings, quotes and deals, and enter them in your show ROI sheet.
Day 90
Check which deals came from the show. Many B2B deals take months to close, so this is a better time to judge the show than day 30.
More guides
- How to clean a trade show lead export
- A trade show follow-up timeline
- How to calculate exhibition ROI
- Free show ROI calculator
PostShow Kit is a Google Sheets and Excel kit that does these steps for you. Paste your export, grade leads and plan day 1, 7 and 30 follow-up. $79, or $59 for people on the waitlist. Target launch is 20 November 2026.