eventrundown.com
A day-of operations timeline for trade show exhibitors. Covers booth load-in, staff briefings, demo sessions, lead gen rotations, and end-of-day breakdown.
Full exhibitor day example — Moscone Center, San Francisco
Exhibitor crew arrives — assemble booth, hang banners, and unbox hardware
Test demo screens, tablet lead capture apps, and any live product demos
Full team huddle — assign roles, review talking points, and set lead goals for the day
Doors open to attendees — staff takes positions and begins engaging visitors
Morning rush — prioritize badge scans, demo scheduling, and qualifying conversations
Scheduled 15-minute live demo for pre-registered prospects at the booth
Assign clear shifts and roles upfront so no one is guessing who's on duty during peak hours.
Block your best reps for the morning and afternoon rush — when most qualified leads walk the floor.
A structured end-of-day review ensures hot leads get follow-up owners before everyone flies home.
Technology & SaaS Expos
Product demos, badge scans, and developer conferences
Industry Trade Shows
Multi-day shows across manufacturing, healthcare, or retail
Consumer Expos & Pop-Ups
B2C brand activations and product launch events
Academic & Research Conferences
Poster sessions, exhibitor halls, and sponsor booths
Professional workshop and conference timeline
Professional photoshoot timeline from setup to wrap
Speaker-facing schedule for summits with mic checks, stage cues, and Q&A
Company-wide meeting with exec updates, Q&A, and team recognition
Use the trade show template above or generate a custom booth operations schedule with the AI generator.
AI GeneratorConvention centers are chaotic on setup day. Build in extra time for parking, loading dock queues, and unexpected setup issues.
Cover the day's lead goal, demo schedule, staff rotation, and any changes from the prior day — even if it's just 10 minutes.
Trade show traffic peaks in the morning and after lunch. Put your strongest closers on the floor during those windows.
Even a 30-second conversation warrants a scan. You can always remove unqualified leads in follow-up — you can't recreate lost contact info.
Categorize leads as hot, warm, or cold before leaving the floor. Hot leads should get an email within 4 hours of the show closing.