The Post-Pandemic Exhibitor Rebound: Eight Years of Benchmark Data
Events are back. But not how you remember them.
The B2B events industry has done more than bounce back from the pandemic: it's entering a stronger, more strategic era. New research we've conducted in partnership with UFI and SISO shows exhibitors aren't just returning to trade shows and conferences; they're getting more value from them than ever before.
The data behind the rebound
We analysed feedback from more than 3,000 B2B events worldwide between 2017 and 2025. Four key KPIs: Overall Satisfaction, Net Promoter Score (NPS), Likelihood of Return, and Event Importance: surged in 2022 and have stayed well above pre-pandemic levels.
The standout stat: Average exhibitor NPS is up 27 points since 2019: one of the largest positive shifts we've seen in any marketing channel.
This isn't a short-lived "honeymoon phase": improved scores have held steady for three consecutive years.
Why the rebound happened
The return to in-person events met a deep human need for connection after years of remote work. But exhibitors also returned with a sharper, more deliberate approach. Many are:
- Prioritising quality over quantity: focusing on meaningful interactions rather than chasing footfall.
- Strengthening existing relationships: using events to meet customers they can't easily reach in other ways.
- Rethinking ROI: moving beyond lead counts to track business outcomes and customer impact.
For organisers
- Keep audience quality at the centre of event design.
- Offer tools and data that help exhibitors prove ROI beyond leads.
- Maintain the momentum by innovating: don't revert to pre-pandemic formats by default.
"I think we're in a good place at the moment, but as an industry we can't become complacent. You need to be vigilant; you have to look at data. You have to be asking why; you have to be pulling back the layers to really understand the dynamics that are at play."
: Adam Ford, COO, Clarion Events
For exhibitors
- Set clear objectives for each event.
- Engage strategically with both new prospects and existing customers.
- Use post-event data to refine your approach for next year.
"People are so happy to gather again. But if everyone returns to the old formats, I think over time we will find that not everything, even before the pandemic, had a reason to exist. So, some shows may not continue, only the most valuable."
: Stephen Rose, Head of Communication Services, Siemens
Frequently Asked Questions
How big is the post-pandemic exhibitor rebound? Average exhibitor NPS is up 27 points since 2019: one of the largest positive shifts measured in any marketing channel. Overall satisfaction, likelihood of return, and event importance all surged in 2022 and have held above pre-pandemic levels for three consecutive years.
Is this just a short-term "honeymoon" effect? No. The data spans 3,000+ B2B events between 2017 and 2025, and the elevated scores have persisted for three years: long enough to qualify as a structural shift rather than a temporary bounce.
What's actually driving the rebound? Exhibitors have returned with sharper intent. They're prioritising quality of interaction over volume, using events to deepen existing customer relationships, and rethinking ROI beyond lead counts. The bar for what counts as a successful event has risen.
What should organisers do to sustain the momentum? Keep audience quality central to event design, give exhibitors the data they need to prove ROI internally, and avoid defaulting back to pre-pandemic formats. Some events that ran on inertia before 2020 may not survive the new selectivity: the strongest will get stronger.
See where your events sit against the industry.
Explori benchmarks your event performance against the largest dataset of event feedback in the industry, so you can spot where you're ahead, where you're exposed, and what to fix first.