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Have you ever thought of hiring a social media influencer for your next trade show? The influencer industry is projected to reach $24 billion this year, up from $21.1 billion last year, illustrating a growing trust in influencer partnerships for engagement and sales, according to Hypeauditor. In other words, now is the best time to start thinking about a social media influencer collaboration for your next trade show.

Partnering with influencers can be a game-changer for a lot of reasons, from diversifying your audience to creating buzz about your event and increasing brand awareness, social media influencers have a lot of, well, influence, particularly among Gen Z and Millennial audiences.

What is a social media influencer?

A social media influencer is someone who builds a significant online presence through engaging content, establishing credibility and, as is often the case, partners with brands to promote products or services to their followers. They often focus their content on specific areas of interest so that they become known for their niche expertise on that subject, which in turn, establishes trust and authority and a strong personal brand. If an influencer has a large enough audience, brands will often partner with them to leverage the influencer’s reach and credibility to reach a wider, more diverse audience. Many influencers monetize their platforms through affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, and even selling their own products or services, as well as offering exclusive content to subscribers.

The term often gets misconstrued because the internet is full of content creators on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. However, not everyone can be a social media influencer. While there are no hard and fast numbers for what makes a social media personality an influencer, there are different categories to help make sense of who is and who isn’t one, and how much of an impact they can make online.

For instance, nano-influencers have between 1,000 to 10,000 followers and often have a niche or localized audience. Micro-influencers have between 10,000 to 100,000 followers and are known for targeted campaigns and high engagement. Mid-tier influencers average between 100,000 to 500,000 followers, and macro-influencers have between 100,000 to 1 million followers and have a broader reach with more professional content. Finally, mega-influencers reach more than 1 million followers and often achieve celebrity status. YouTuber Mr. Beast, who is known for his elaborate challenges and his brand collaborations, is an example of a mega-influencer.

So, how can social media influencers truly make an impact at your next trade show? Because they already have an engaged, built-in audience. They bring their followers with them, amplifying your reach and visibility with their live posts, stories, reels and content, giving your event exposure far beyond the physical venue. You’re not just marketing to your attendees, you’re marketing to their entire digital community.

Influencers Are All About Content Creation

Social media influencers are constantly generating content to gain new followers, keep their current followers and ensure that their platforms stay relevant. Why not take advantage of this with your trade show?

The content that influencers produce is often authentic, promoting the products, services and events they like in a much more natural way, unlike traditional advertising. Because their followers trust them, when they show their excitement about your trade show, it carries more weight than a standard ad.

Typically, what really clicks with audiences when it comes to influencers is the content they create often feels like an exclusive, behind-the-scenes pass. People love seeing what it’s actually like to be there — think walkthroughs of the event space, sneak peeks at cool booths, product demos or casual chats with brand reps. Instead of polished, overly-promotional posts, audiences respond better to real, immersive storytelling. Short-form videos like Instagram Reels, TikToks or Stories are perfect for this because they feel spontaneous and in-the-moment. It’s all about making followers feel like they’re experiencing the event through the influencer’s eyes.

Another advantage is when influencers add a personal spin to the content — sharing their honest opinions, favorite finds or top highlights of the show. Maybe they do a “Top 5 Coolest Things I Saw Today” video or a recap vlog with their thoughts. Audiences appreciate authenticity and personality, especially at trade shows where things can easily feel corporate or scripted. Live coverage, interactive Q&As or even fun polls about what to check out next keep followers engaged and part of the journey. When influencers treat the event like an adventure, rather than a promo job, that’s when the content really resonates.

Brandon West, co-founder and CEO of Space City Pro in the Woodlands, TX, says that, while traditional demos are often scripted and static, social media influencer activations are dynamic and narrative-driven. “They’re less about listing features and more about showing how a product fits into a lifestyle or solves a real-world problem,” he says. “The magic is in the authenticity. When an influencer genuinely connects with a product and communicates that excitement to their audience, it becomes far more powerful than a traditional pitch.”

Another advantage of having social media influencers at your next trade show is that they are content machines that provide high-quality, user-generated photos, videos and reviews that you can reshare on your own channels — great for both real-time engagement and post-show marketing. Imagine influencers interacting with your vendors, which is like giving them free advertising, adding value to their participation and increasing their brand awareness, foot traffic and even sales on the show floor.

Unlike standard media, influencers bring a more personalized behind-the-scenes look at your event. Photo courtesy of the Consumer Technology Association.

What Planners Should Consider When Selecting an Influencer

When choosing a social media influencer for an event, it’s important to find someone whose audience matches the people you’re trying to reach. Think about things like age, location, interests and whether their niche lines up with the theme of your event. A huge follower count is great, but what’s more important is how engaged their audience is. Are people actually liking, commenting and sharing their content? That’s usually a better sign of influence than numbers alone. It’s also worth checking if their content style, tone and overall vibe fit your brand. You want someone who can tell your story naturally, not just sound like an ad.

It’s wise to take a look at their past work as well. Have they partnered with brands or events similar to yours? Were those campaigns successful? Ask for results or data if possible. Make sure they’re active on the platforms your audience uses most, whether that’s Instagram, TikTok, YouTube or elsewhere. If they post across multiple channels, that’s even better.

Of course, professionalism matters too. Look for someone who’s easy to communicate with and reliable when it comes to deadlines and deliverables. If your event is local, it’s usually better to work with influencers who have a strong local following, even if they’re not super famous.

Every planner has a budget, and in a lot of cases, it’s never enough. Make sure their rate makes sense for your budget and the potential return you could get. Some influencers might also be open to collaborations outside of just paid posts, like product swaps or affiliate deals. Finally, check that they’re transparent about sponsorships and haven’t been involved in any past controversies. That way, you can be confident they’ll represent your event in the best possible light.

Ensuring Your Influencer Partnership Delivers a Measurable ROI

Because influencers leave a highly-visible digital footprint, you can measure their impact through custom links, promo codes, hashtags and social media engagement, which can help you understand which voices helped move the needle the most.

While no amount of marketing is ever truly guaranteed when working with an influencer, Jillian Weston, president of the Social Media Association in Oceanside, NY, says you should typically expect a 1% to 2% return on engagement. She says that the first crucial step is to ensure that the influencer and their audience aligns with your brand. If they don’t, the campaign will likely be ineffective.

Next, Weston says to analyze the average engagement rate on the influencer’s posts and calculate 1% to 2% of that number, and determine if that potential conversion rate would yield a satisfactory return on your investment.

“For example, if an influencer has 100,000 followers, you might anticipate approximately 2% engagement on social media (around 2,000), 25% engagement through an email blast (25,000), and 90% engagement via text message (90,000). A 1% to 2% conversion rate from these engaged individuals should then be evaluated for potential profitability. If the projected return is sufficient and the influencer’s audience is a good fit, the collaboration is likely worthwhile,” she says.

When it comes to the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) you should use to measure the success of your influencer collaboration, West suggests starting with both onsite and online engagement. Then look at in-person and booth foot traffic, dwell time, lead captures and QR scans driven by influencer promotions. Digitally, he says, you can measure views, reach, engagement rate, content shares and click-throughs. “If you’re using promo codes or custom links, track conversions,” he says. “Also consider qualitative feedback. Did people mention the influencer when stopping by the booth? Did their presence shift the perception of your brand? That kind of impact is gold.”

The Challenges of Collaborating with Influencers

While working with influencers does have its upsides, as a planner, challenges can arise during the collaboration process. For instance, influencers may prioritize personal branding over your own messaging, resulting in content that feels inauthentic or misaligned with your values and goals. Another challenge is that an influencer may not align with your trade show’s target audience or your ideal customer, which can reduce ROI and engagement.

When it comes to content, you want to make sure to give influencers creative freedom, but at the same time, you need to ensure it’s on-brand. To avoid this, clearly state your content guidelines from the beginning, making sure you’re both on the same page.

“One of the biggest challenges is alignment, ensuring the influencer understands the brand’s goals and how to navigate the unique energy of a trade show,” says West. “These environments are fast-paced, loud and constantly moving, which can make content capture difficult if you’re not prepared. We often see attempts at interviews or polished content fall flat simply because the environment isn’t conducive to that type of production. Logistically, it’s also tricky — timing, booth access, crowd flow, and even Wi-Fi limitations, can get in the way. Without clear planning and a flexible, experienced creator, the collaboration can miss the mark.”

Weston advises to dedicate time to discussing your event, as well as the influencer’s brand, emphasizing their relevance to your shared audience. Ensure that the content created resonates authentically with both brands.

“Content that feels forced or misaligned with either brand will likely appear disingenuous and underperforms,” she says. “Additionally, it is advisable to request case studies from the influencer’s previous campaigns to gauge their track record.”

Are Influencers the Future of Trade Show Marketing?

Social media influencers aren’t going anywhere. Their role in in marketing is only going to grow, and trade shows are no exception. They’re shifting the focus of B2B shows to reach broader consumer audiences, becoming a bridge between brands, media and potential customers. They are essentially becoming media partners, delivering walkthroughs and listicle videos of the top booths and speakers, creating a fear-of-missing-out enthusiasm among their audiences, which is great for your next event. One good influencer post on social media could potentially outperform a full-page trade magazine ad in reach and impact.

Erica Maurer is a partner at EMRG Media in New York, NY, which produces the largest trade show for the events industry in the world, the Event Planner Expo. She believes that as influencers gain wider and stronger followers and support, their value will increase in the trade show market space. While she doesn’t think influencers will replace traditional trade show marketing, she envisions their impact as more of a compliment to the tried-and-true methods, providing different content engagement, visibility and attracting younger audiences. “When married together, this pair is explosive,” she says. “Social media content will further shape influencers’ impact at trade shows via live-streaming, video content and reels that further market and brand trade shows leading up to the event, day of and post-event.”

As influencers continue to impact trade shows, their role will be less of a sponsorship and more of a co-creator, launching products, hosting panels and helping to design pop-up experiences.

“Influencers are the new celebrities,” says Weston. “More people, especially younger individuals, follow their favorite influencers more than most traditional ‘celebrities.’ This trend is likely to continue and intensify over the next 10 years as today’s 25-year-olds age into their 30s, 40s and 50s. Influencers will increasingly be utilized in the same way sports icons and TV and movie stars are currently employed: to attract audiences, serve as keynote speakers. and more effectively promote the brands they collaborate with, leveraging the established trust they have cultivated with their followers.” AC&F