How I helped Builtfirst stand out at trade shows by creating an irresistible offer
Background & Challenge
In 2023, Builtfirst began attending trade shows as a vendor for the first time. However, the company faced a challenge—most other vendors were large B2B SaaS companies with mature, well-funded event marketing strategies. These companies had big, visually impressive booths, extensive giveaways, and a strong brand presence.
With a limited budget and a small 10x10 booth, we needed to stand out without relying on flair or visual noise. Instead of competing on aesthetics, we developed a highly interactive offer:
📌 “We’ll build you your own partner marketplace—live during the event. By the time you leave today, you’ll have a fully functional, personalized marketplace ready to be hosted on your website.”
This approach wasn’t just about grabbing attention—it was about showing potential customers exactly how fast and easy it was to launch a partner marketplace with Builtfirst.
To maximize visibility, we strategically placed our booth at the entrance of the trade show, ensuring we were the first booth attendees saw. We invited them to stop by at the end of the day to see a fully built, customized partner marketplace for their business.
Role & Objective
I was responsible for:
Marketing the idea—ensuring our offer was clear, compelling, and easy to engage with.
Booth design—creating signage, one-pagers, and handouts that effectively communicated our value proposition.
Coordinating event logistics—working with trade show event managers and internal stakeholders to execute the strategy.
Ensuring seamless execution—since only the founder and sales team could attend due to budget constraints, I had to communicate all instructions remotely, ensuring everything was set up and executed properly.
The goal was simple: Get a personalized, working product in front of high-value accounts and show them, in real-time, just how easy it was to build a partner marketplace with Builtfirst.
Strategy & Approach
To effectively communicate our offer and engage attendees, I designed our booth with a precise, intentional balance of branding, messaging, and visual engagement:
Minimalist yet eye-catching signage—Leveraging our modern branding, our signage stood out without overwhelming attendees with excessive text.
A large TV screen demo—We showcased the partner marketplace we built for HubSpot, a recognizable brand for our audience, to immediately establish credibility.
Well-crafted one-pagers—I wrote, designed, and printed concise yet detailed product overviews to provide depth for prospects interested in learning more.
This setup ensured we could attract attention, deliver a clear message, and give attendees something tangible to walk away with.
Execution & Adaptation
Executing a trade show strategy remotely is a challenge for any small startup. Since I wasn’t physically present at the event, I had to:
Coordinate directly with trade show event managers to ensure everything was set up properly.
Provide clear, step-by-step instructions to our founder and sales team so they could confidently run the booth without my on-site presence.
Troubleshoot potential issues in advance, ensuring the team had everything they needed to execute the strategy seamlessly.
This was a great example of the scrappy, resourceful mentality that startup marketing often demands—figuring out how to execute at a high level without the luxury of extra hands or an event agency.
Results & Impact
Direct engagement with key accounts—This strategy allowed Builtfirst to connect with companies that would have been difficult to reach through traditional outbound efforts.
Meaningful conversations turned into deals—The personalized marketplace demos sparked conversations that ultimately led to some of Builtfirst’s largest customer wins.
Proof of concept in real-time—Instead of just telling prospects what Builtfirst could do, we showed them firsthand, dramatically increasing buy-in and interest.
Lessons Learned & Future Application
This project taught me more about trade show marketing than I ever expected. It was another example of:
Creativity and resourcefulness trumping budget. Instead of trying to “out-booth” larger competitors, we leveraged an engaging, high-value offer to stand out.
My ability to work directly with founders and executives to solve business problems. I wasn’t just designing marketing materials—I was collaborating on a strategy that impacted revenue growth.
Executing at a high level despite constraints. With limited resources and no on-site marketing team, I had to ensure our strategy was clear, executable, and impactful—without being there in person.
This experience reinforced a key principle I’ve carried throughout my career: you don’t need a massive budget to make a massive impact. You just need the right mix of creativity, execution, and a deep understanding of what truly resonates with your audience.