Landscaper Tradeshow Marketing: How We Got 146 Leads In 1 Day!

MATTHEW THIBEAU • January 10, 2026

Trade shows are one of the most overlooked marketing channels in the landscaping industry. Many contractors attend them without a clear plan, stand behind a table, hand out a few business cards, and leave disappointed. That approach usually confirms the belief that trade shows do not work.

That was not our experience...

At the Landscape Congress Convention in 2026, we ran a booth for Savant Marketing and treated the event like a real marketing experiment. Day one alone produced 146 leads. Not across the entire show... One day!

This post breaks down exactly what we did and why it worked. While this example comes from a marketing agency booth, the principles apply directly to landscaping and outdoor living businesses. The mechanics are the same. Only the offer and the conversation change.

Why Trade Shows Matter in a Modern Marketing System

Trade shows should not be viewed as a replacement for online marketing. They should be viewed as a multiplier. When someone sees your ads online, then later sees your booth in person, your credibility increases instantly. You are no longer just a name or a logo… You are real.

This is where trade shows support your online presence. They strengthen brand recognition, improve trust, and create warmer follow-ups after the event. Leads that meet you in person are far more receptive to emails, calls, and remarketing campaigns later on.

Marketing works best as a complete system. Ads, content, email, follow-up, and in-person exposure all reinforce each other. Trade shows sit at the intersection of visibility and trust, which is especially important for landscaping businesses selling higher-ticket projects.

Yes, trade shows are expensive. Booth fees, displays, travel, and time all add up. But when they are done properly and treated like a real lead generation channel, they can produce returns that are difficult to match elsewhere. The case study below shows exactly how to approach them the right way.

The Importance of Bringing Your Team

Running a profitable trade show booth is physically and mentally demanding. You are on your feet all day, speaking with dozens of people, answering questions, and staying engaged even during slower stretches. Trying to manage this alone is one of the fastest ways to burn out and miss opportunities.

Bringing your team allows you to rotate conversations and maintain energy throughout the day. When one person is deep in a longer discussion, another team member can greet new foot traffic and keep the booth active. This prevents gaps where potential leads walk by without being acknowledged.

There is also a strong perception advantage. A booth with multiple team members engaged in conversations looks busy and credible. People are naturally drawn to momentum. If they see others stopping and talking, they assume there is something worth checking out.

Having your team present also improves post-event follow-up. Each team member hears different questions, objections, and concerns. That shared insight helps refine messaging, improve sales conversations, and tailor follow-ups to what people actually cared about during the event.

The Booth Display and Visual Setup

Your booth display does most of the work before you ever speak to someone. If it looks unclear or unprofessional, people will walk right past it. We ran a 10x10 booth, which cost approximately $2,000 to rent for the event.

For the booth display itself, we invested another $2,000 and had it professionally produced by Backdrop Source. This was a deliberate decision. Clean visuals, strong branding, and readable messaging matter far more than most exhibitors realize.

Lighting played a major role in visibility. Trade show floors are crowded and visually noisy. A well-lit booth stands out immediately from surrounding displays that rely only on overhead lighting. Even simple lighting makes your booth easier to spot from a distance and more inviting up close.

The goal of the display is not to explain everything you do. The goal is clarity. Someone should understand who you help and what you offer in just a few seconds. When that happens, conversations start faster and feel more natural.

Getting Attention and Capturing Leads

The biggest difference between a busy booth and a quiet one is whether you give people a reason to stop. Most exhibitors rely on eye contact and casual greetings. That rarely works in a crowded environment.

Our primary attention driver was a simple giveaway. A sign at the booth invited people to enter a draw to win a $250 Home Depot gift card by guessing how many golf tees were in a jar. To enter, they filled out a short form with their contact information.

This worked because it removed pressure. People were not being pitched. They were participating in something quick and low commitment. That made engagement easy.

Once someone was filling out the entry form, the dynamic changed. Conversations felt natural instead of forced. We could ask questions about their business, what they were dealing with, or what they were looking to improve. For a landscaping company, this could easily turn into a discussion about upcoming projects, timelines, or services they are considering.

Clear messaging on the booth supported this process. Even people who did not stop immediately still understood what we did as they walked by. That clarity builds familiarity and trust, which makes follow-up after the event far more effective.

Final Thoughts

Trade shows reward preparation and intention. When they are treated like a serious part of your marketing system, they can produce a high volume of qualified leads in a very short time.

The results from this event did not come from luck. They came from showing up with a team, investing in a professional display, creating a clear reason for people to stop, and treating every interaction as the start of a relationship rather than a quick pitch.

If you run a landscaping or outdoor living business and you are already investing in online marketing, trade shows can amplify everything you are doing. They add trust, visibility, and real-world credibility that digital channels alone cannot provide.

They are not cheap. They require effort. But when you approach them with a plan and execute properly, they can become one of the most powerful tools in your marketing arsenal.

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