Brands on the Trade Fair Platform – Dedicated Profiles Instead of Free Entries
Some trade fairs allow exhibitors to list brands in the exhibitor directory for free. On a platform that generates reach and leads, this is wasted revenue. Our recommendation: treat brands like co-exhibitors – with their own paid profile.
We regularly receive this question when a trade fair starts anew on Conteo or revises its registration documents: "Our exhibitors are currently allowed to register up to X brands free of charge. These then also appear in the exhibitor directory. How do we represent this on the platform in future?"
The answer begins with a look at what a profile on the platform actually is.
A profile is reach – just like square metres on site
The physical stand gives an exhibitor reach on site. The more budget they use, the more square metres they receive and the more presence they have at the trade fair. The platform works according to the same logic: a profile and a certain number of posts give the exhibitor reach online – in the search, in the trade fair guide, in personalised updates to visitors, etc.
An additional brand profile is therefore not a directory entry, but a second online presence: it generates its own reach and its own leads. What generates reach should not be given away for free.
Our recommendation: treat brands like co-exhibitors
The same rule applies to practically all trade fairs on Conteo: anyone who wants another profile registers a co-exhibitor. The exhibitor pays the basic entry fee a second time and in return receives a full second presence on the platform – with its own profile, its own posts and its own leads.
We recommend exactly this mechanism for brands. A brand that is intended to appear independently is registered as a co-exhibitor. This is understandable for exhibitors because they are already familiar with this logic from other trade fairs, and it turns a previously free entry into attractive additional revenue. At some trade fairs, the co-exhibitor marketing contribution is now a significant revenue item.
The alternative: presenting brands in your own profile
Not every exhibitor is willing to pay for additional profiles. That's fine – an exhibitor can also show many things on a small stand, they just don't stand out as much. It's the same on the platform: brands can be accommodated in the exhibitor's existing profile. There are three specific places for this:
- Description: Brands are mentioned by name and described; brand logos can also be placed here.
- Teaser: The most important brands already appear in the short description, which is visible in lists and search results.
- Title: If you want to show a brand particularly prominently, include it directly in the profile title – for example "Sample Ltd | Brand X, Brand Y".
The key point: what is written in the profile is found by the search and the AI trade fair guide. A visitor searching for a brand will end up with the exhibitor – even without a dedicated brand profile. The exhibitor therefore does not lose findability, but only the additional reach and separate lead capture that a separate profile would provide.
Suggested wording for the registration documents
To ensure the rule doesn't need to be explained during pre-booking and exhibitor registration, we recommend a short, active wording – similar to the package selection:
Brands on the trade fair platform
You can list your brands in your exhibitor profile in the description, teaser and title. They will then be found by the search and the trade fair guide.
If a brand is to be showcased with its own presence on the platform – with its own profile, its own posts and its own lead analysis – register it as a co-exhibitor (XXXX CHF/EUR per brand).
☐ We are registering the following brands as co-exhibitors: ____________
☐ We are presenting our brands in our exhibitor profile.
Two details are deliberately placed in this wording:
- The dedicated profile is first described as added value (posts, leads), not as a price. The exhibitor should understand what they gain with the second presence.
- Both options are an active choice. Anyone who presents their brands in their own profile has made a conscious decision to do so – and can upgrade to their own brand profile at any time in the Conteo Publisher later on.
What this means for the transition
Trade fairs that have previously offered free brand entries need a short argument for the transition when talking to exhibitors. It is the same as for the platform as a whole: the previous entry was a list entry with no content behind it. The new profile is a presence with reach, posts and leads – and the Conteo Assistant creates the posts for it based on existing texts or URLs with practically no effort.
