Buyers arrive with a shortlist already made
Buyers begin online, screening, validating, and shortlisting before they ever speak to sales. By the time the event starts, they often know who they want to see, arriving onsite to confirm conclusions.
“We start online: Google, company website, then AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini to check approvals or patents.” – Survey interviewee (buyer)
Now, what pushes a supplier onto that shortlist? Clear relevance and visible proof. Smartcore’s marketing report underscores this: product‑fit is a clear winner in supplier selection. If your digital presence doesn’t make fit obvious, you risk being filtered out before shows. Buyers also avoid unverifiable suppliers (45% say the biggest barrier to finding a new supplier is a lack of trusted information). Thus, your pre-event content should signal fit, value, innovation, and trust.
The digital proof signals buyers use to decide
When buyers scan, they look for quick, credible signals that answer: Does this fit my needs, and can you prove it? Optimised search visibility and clear product pages that make proof discoverable and fit easy to find are a must-have. The content assets buyers expect to find digitally include:
- Technical product specifications (78% of buyers)
- Industry reports and whitepapers (53% of buyers)
- Case studies and success stories (50% of buyers)
“We need to see the ingredient specs, where it has already been used, any success cases, and whether it is approved — and in which regions.” – Survey interviewee (buyer)
Organiser‑led discovery and how to leverage it
‘We’ll be there’ messages do very little if they don’t carry credibility together with the proof. Smartcore’s report tells us that 76% of buyers hear about events from the organisers’ direct email. This matters because if organiser comms is the dominant discovery channel, then your promotion that runs alongside this will always be playing catch-up.
Explore digital co-marketing opportunities with event organisers. Place your content proof assets (specs, certifications, cases) inside organiser emails. If buyers are using this channel to answer the information-gathering criteria, your proof needs to be in the same channel. Discovery might be organiser-led but selection is evidence-led. This is how you stand out.
Exhibiting at the next Vitafoods Europe or Fi Europe? Check out our Event Packages—use it to boost your event visibility, connect with the right buyers, share new ingredients or products, invite prospects to your stand, stay top of mind, and more. You'll also see an audience reach of up to 120,000, a lift in brand awareness of up to 25%, and an increase in stand traffic of up to 20%.
Conclusion
Shortlists form long before the trade show doors open. And suppliers that win pre-event do these things well: Make fit obvious on product pages and in search, lead with proof assets like specs, certifications, and cases, and deliver that proof through timely email conversations.
As the official digital marketing provider for exhibitors at Fi Europe and Vitafoods Europe, Smartcore offers a selection of standalone event marketing solutions as well, including:
- Custom Branded Targeted Email: Send dedicated, proof-first emails to targeted audience segments. Generate brand awareness, leads, and thought leadership.
- Advert in the Fi Europe and Vitafoods Europe Trend Guides: Use the official Event Trend Guides to reach event attendees before, during, and after the shows, via dedicated marketing campaigns.
Hear from exhibitors such as Saanroo, K. Patel, and PLT Health Solutions how we’ve helped them boost visibility and achieve other event goals. Book a 30-min demo to discuss how we can help you with your own Fi Europe or Vitafoods Europe event marketing needs.
