10 Best Virtual Trade Show Platforms 2024

When it comes to virtual trade shows, event organizers seek solutions that go beyond mere online presence. The best virtual trade show platforms must provide exhibitors with powerful tools to capture leads, boost sales, and deliver an immersive experience.

There are numerous options to be considered when looking for the best virtual trade show platforms, each with its own set of features and pricing structures. Organizers must understand their requirements and choose the right platform that caters to the needs of both exhibitors and attendees.

Best Virtual Trade Show Platforms 

If you have decided to host a virtual trade show and are looking for suitable virtual event platforms, here are some of the best options.

1. vFairs

vFairs is one of the best virtual trade show platforms that helps you transform potential leads into loyal customers. Through its comprehensive virtual trade fair solutions, you can consolidate all essential features within a single platform. 

This all-encompassing virtual trade show software is designed to attract new customers and propel your business toward its objectives. The platform offers features that make hosting virtual and hybrid events a breeze. 

vFairs: Key Features

Interactive Exhibit Booths

The exhibit hall is the most critical area of any virtual trade show, as this is where most customer interactions take place. vFairs offers different styles for exhibit halls and booths that exhibitors can choose to showcase their services and products. 

The platform allows customers to look through product catalogs and place their orders within the virtual trade show booth. In addition, they can engage with potential customers, link to their website pages, and collect business cards from potential customers.

Virtual Shopping Cart

One standout feature offered by vFairs is the incorporation of a virtual shopping cart, providing an innovative solution for exhibitors to easily conduct transactions within the virtual trade show environment. This online trade exhibition feature enables visitors to not only explore exhibitor products but also make purchase decisions in real-time.

With a user-friendly product order form integrated into the virtual booths, attendees can effortlessly review products and add them to their virtual shopping cart, mimicking the convenience of an in-person shopping experience. This not only streamlines the buying process but also enhances exhibitors’ ability to generate sales leads and drive immediate conversions.

Personalization

Customization is an important feature for platforms to host virtual trade shows. vFairs offers an excellent level of personalization for each event. From the main lobby to each exhibit hall booth layout, event organizers get to choose what they want. 

Moreover, you can add different features to your event halls, welcome videos, custom-designed 3D event lobbies, and gamification tools.

Lead Capture App

The vFairs Lead Capture App helps it earn the top spot in the list of the best virtual trade show platforms. It streamlines the process of capturing and managing leads for both event organizers and exhibitors. This innovative tool eliminates the need for manual data entry, allowing users to effortlessly scan attendee badges, QR codes, or relevant data during the virtual trade show.

Exhibitors can seamlessly add notes to contextualize interactions, enhancing the quality of captured leads. What sets vFairs apart is its integration capability, enabling the easy synchronization of captured leads with CRM and Martech solutions. 

This not only enhances the efficiency of post-event lead retrieval but also ensures a smooth transition of valuable data into existing business systems, facilitating follow-ups and maximizing the impact of virtual trade show interactions.

E-Commerce Module

As a trade show host, the objective is to maximize deal closures and boost business engagement during live event days.

Merely showcasing products and processing orders within your exhibit booth may have limitations. Fortunately, vFairs introduces an integrated e-commerce solution that elevates the experience of virtual, physical, and hybrid trade shows.

This module facilitates the swift and straightforward creation of product listings, streamlining event management processes. With user-friendly setup options, tracking product sales becomes effortless. The platform is adaptable to your company’s unique workflows, aligning seamlessly with sales hierarchies for effective customer management.

Furthermore, the ability to customize product listing forms enhances the flexibility and personalization of your trade show offerings.

Pricing

You can get a custom quote by scheduling a detailed demo with one of vFairs’s experts. You can contact vFairs here.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• “The best part of the vFairs platform is the combination of access to DIY controls and partnering with a Project Manager for personalized assistance. We had both helping hands to guide us along, and the ability to make edits on the fly.” – Jennifer R. – Communications Consultant
• “vFairs was the best fit for our annual trade show/expo. We reviewed several platforms, and nothing else could provide this fantastic presentation and experience.” – Norma M. – National Event Manager
• “Swag bags are a great idea for downloadable material.” – Ben T. – Director
• “Setting up and designing booths for a virtual trade fair. It was quite a great activity and the outcome was awesome. The booths looked very real and beautiful” – Angele M. – UI/UX Design for OER platforms

Cons

• “Uploading images to booths was a little glitchy in some cases.” – Ben T. – Director

2. Brella

Brella is an option for businesses looking for the best virtual trade show platforms and want to develop a personal connection with their potential customers. Virtual trade shows are about networking with potential customers and sealing the deal. 

Brella has some customized tradeshow platform features like networking tools and sponsorship features that can help bring businesses and customers together. However, some customers complain that it is not an intuitive platform that doesn’t offer a free trial to decide whether they want to buy it or not. 

Brella: Key Features

Virtual Booths

Brella provides a virtual trade show booth that exhibitors and sponsors can use to collect leads, display their brand, and engage prospects. They can also use multimedia content interactive integration features like polls, chats, etc. Virtual booths are customizable with PDFs, Google slides, videos, quizzes etc. However, the Brella virtual booths lack the 3D virtual component. 

1:1 Meetings

The virtual event platform offers solutions for AI-powered matchmaking and the ability to create 1:1 meetings between attendees and exhibitors. As a result, vendors can filter attendees by their buying intent and network with those interested in their products. 

In addition, the 1:1 meetings can bring potential buyers and business reps a step closer to closing the deal. The platform, however, doesn’t offer much for the natural following stages of customer acquisition. 

Online Marketplace

Brella offers an online marketplace to event organizers to drive more revenue, boost ROI, and engage event attendees. The microsites are optimized for conversion but lack the personality of a 3D virtual environment.

Schedule Meetings

The virtual trade show platform allows attendees and vendors to schedule meetings through a meeting board. Exhibitors can schedule one-on-ones with qualified leads without any back and forth with the meeting scheduler. It automatically highlights and finds mutually available times for easy scheduling. While it can make event attendees’ and organizers’ lives easier, it isn’t a unique feature.

Space for Sponsors

Sponsors are essential stakeholders in any online trade exhibition. Brella allows event organizers to book space for virtual trade show sponsors within the event. They can also host sponsor events to drive attendee engagement and traffic to their booths.

Pricing

Brella offers a custom virtual trade show platform pricing model that you can find out by contacting them directly.

Pros & Cons

Here’s what users had to say about Brella:

Pros

• “It is easy to set up and only takes a couple of days.” – Kristoffer L. – CEO
• “Brella is a one-of-a-kind tool to enable networking in your events among the attendees.” – Nivas R. – City Leader – Chennai & Bangalore

Cons

• “It is an exceptional platform, but it lacks intuition and sometimes its use tends to be frustrating, adding that it does not contain a free system to get to know it a little and be sure that you want to buy it.” – Amelia g. – Senior Software Engineering
• “I wish there were more customizable features, especially on the home screen. It would also be great to be able to send out custom emails within the platform.” – Heather T. – Project Assistant
• “The interface is only in English and that a sponsor needs to have “root access” in order to modify their booth.” – Bea J. – Tarugoconf manager

3. Webex

Webex is a virtual trade fair software that offers end-to-end functionality and support for event organizers. The virtual expo platform provides support throughout the event for hosts, event attendees, event marketers, and exhibitors. Webex supports live and on-demand streaming and offers some third-party integrations as well. However, Webex users report issues with in-event polls and a difficult-to-use interface.

Webex: Key Features

Event Communities

Event organizers can bring like-minded attendees together through event communities. The communities can have exclusive content that drives discourse, boosts topic-based discussions, and keeps the audience engaged. However, there are limited ways to join communities, and recording the meetings for later use is also tricky.

Mobile App

The fully customizable mobile app allows attendees to log in to the event on their mobile devices. The mobile app is intuitive and provides access to all resources on the go. Mobile attendance can boost engagement, but the mobile app leaves much to be wanted. Users say that the experience isn’t as immersive as the web platform and all functions aren’t available on iOS devices.

Event Customization

Webex is a customized trade show platform that allows event exhibitor to personalize their virtual trade show booth like event colors, branding, and layout. The platform offers a few templates and options screens, but the aesthetics have room for improvement.

Engagement & Networking

Participants can communicate ideas, opinions, and resources during WebEx trade shows to boost event engagement. You can also provide your participants with a social feed that serves as the event’s unique personal social media platform and allows them to post images, exchange comments, and participate in conversation threads. 

There are additional native tools like session chat, Q&A, polling, etc. Users complain, however, that the networking capabilities are not configurable because they are unable to eliminate particular aspects based on the audience’s individuality.

Pricing

The WebEx pricing is not available publicly. You can request the virtual trade show platform pricing by contacting them through their website.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• “My favorite part is the ability to truly modify the visuals to make it look branded and cohesive to the event you’re creating.” – Michele B. – Customer Experience Manager
• “It’s truly amazing how interactive this platform is for the participants.” – Haylie T. – Learning and Development Coordinator

Cons

• “As the features expand, the product is starting to push past our budget range.” – Susan H. – Marketing & Digital Design Coordinator
• “On the technical side, customizations can take a long time.” – Jodi H. – Development Director
• “Our company is currently using the WebEx events app for our trade show. The mapping feature is not my favorite for the trade show booths. You have to upload the floorplan and make each booth a zone.” – Administrator in Transportation/Trucking/Railroad

4. HexaFair

HexaFair is another virtual event trade show platform that offers networking and integration tools for hosting virtual trade shows. Unfortunately, the platform doesn’t provide many exhibitors who want to arrange live demos with the attendees. However, chat options and the attendee directory feature can help with networking. 

HexaFair: Key Features

Pre-Recorded Demos and Sessions

The platform doesn’t offer support for live demos within booths, but exhibitors can record their sessions for the attendees. When an attendee visits a booth, they can watch the pre-recorded video and then leave any questions they may have about it. Attendees can also leave their business cards for further discussion.

Teleport Navigation 

The Teleport navigation tool can get attendees to a particular booth without having to scroll through it all. While this can improve the attendee experience, it reduces their chances of finding something valuable that they weren’t looking for in the first place. 

Lead Management

With HexaFair, exhibitors may control all booth activity, particularly booth leads. You can scale your events easily on the go for better booth sales & audience participation. You can also make a list of the things exhibitors need to do to finish their onboarding and responsibilities. However, as per user reviews, there is not much scope for booth customizations.

1:1 Meetings

One of the benefits of holding a virtual trade show with HexaFair is that buyers may arrange one-on-one encounters with sellers. The integrated meeting calendar enables more efficient scheduling and fruitful interactions. However, this is not a unique feature as many competitors offer it. 

Pricing 

HexaFair offers three different virtual trade show platform pricing models:

• Starter ($249 USD per month): For small engaging events, fairs, training sessions
• Business ($699 USD per month): For events and fairs with interactive booths
• Pro: For large virtual and hybrid conferences, events and tradeshows.

You can reach out to HexaFair team for more pricing details.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• “The platform is very easy to set up.” – Rekha N. – Content Specialist | Video Creator | Designer
• “Excellent customer and technical support from HexaFair team.” – Refiloe M. – Editor

Cons

• “The user interface and user experience still has room for improvement.” – Zauriel T. – Organizing Team
• “It wasn’t compatible with many devices which it must considerating the natural use case of the software.” – Mayank A. – Co-ordinator
• “No Facebook or Youtube Live Streams can be embedded.” – Martin S. – Managing Director

5. SpotMe

SpotMe offers solutions for small-scale events like webinars or elaborate events like virtual trade show exhibits. The virtual expo platform offers customization of your event through presets and templates. You can add logos and brand colors, but a custom design is where it could get complicated for some users.

SpotMe: Key Features

Engagement Tools

The platform offers some basic exhibitor and attendee engagement tools like Q&A sessions, polls, and other networking tools. The attendees can visit different booths, tune in to live webinars and network with the brands they’re most interested in. Adding more advanced immersive engagement tools can add value to the platform.

Event Builder

The event builder tool can help event organizers build the entire event from the platform’s backend. It offers complete customization of colors, branding space for hosts and sponsors, and templates for designs and layouts. However, the need for a dedicated project manager can make navigating the backend challenging.

Mobile-Friendly

SpotMe offers mobile-friendly events; attendees can also tune in through their mobile devices with an app. This can increase engagement, more logins, and boost reach to a more significant number of people. Building a fully customizable and white-labeled event app can be a costly solution, though. 

Pricing

SpotMe offers four different virtual trade show platform pricing models:

• Starter (Up to 2 virtual, hybrid or in-person events)
• Business (Up to 5 virtual, hybrid or in-person events)
• Advanced (Up to 25 virtual, hybrid or in-person events)
• Enterprise (Custom plan)

You can reach out to them for additional pricing details. 

Pros & Cons

Pros

• “The staff were incredibly helpful and would always work to implement requests.” – Agency in Medical Practice
• “SpotMe is dedicated to hosting great interactive events.” – Henry H. – Managing Director

Cons

• “The administrator side is absolutely nauseating to learn, navigate, and manage.” –  Megan M. – Industry Marketing Specialist.
• “I think customization could be more user-led, sometimes I think that the back and forth with the designer could be streamlined if users were allowed to make changes/upload information themselves.” – Administrator in Think Tanks
• “I would recommend the account management team have much closer contact with us to make us aware of exactly what services you offer.” – Verified User in Pharmaceuticals

6. Accelevents

Accelevents offers a range of networking tools and third-party integrations to help event organizers arrange a virtual trade show. The attendees can interact with exhibitors through text and video chat options, leave their business cards at booths, and download available content. In addition, exhibitors can post demos, link to their websites, and customize their booths. Some customers found the learning curve to be very steep, especially for beginners.

Accelevents: Key Features

Live Streaming

This virtual event platform has live-streaming capabilities. Exhibitors and event hosts can live-stream welcome videos and demos, make important announcements, host live talks, and conduct webinars. The platform, however, can be glitchy at times and users have had issues with studio and speaker features.

In-Event Integrations

The platform offers third-party integrations like CRM, social media channels, email marketing tools, live streaming tools, etc., to enhance capabilities. 

Live Polls

Accelevents also offers a live poll within the virtual event platform to gauge attendee engagement and boost participation. The in-event polls can also help keynote speakers, event organizers, and exhibitors. However, some users have reported needing help with post-event poll and survey data management because of duplicate entries. 

Networking

For attendees, Accelevents also provides networking opportunities, enhancing the experience. With the use of a dedicated live stream, promotional movies, downloadable materials, and 1:1 conversation, you can engage participants directly in your booth and turn them into prospective customers. Although networking is an advantage, the Accelevents learning curve is steep if you have not used this kind of software before. 

Pricing

Accelevents offers four different pricing models;

• Starter: $500/event
• Professional: $5,000/event
• Scale: $125/month
• Enterprise: $1,250/month

You can contact them for additional pricing details. 

Pros & Cons

Pros

• “There are opportunities to customize just about every part of the experience to make it 100% your event.” – Mary-Beth S. – Virtual Assistant
• “We’ve felt great support from everyone at Accelevents.” – Andrew E – CMO

Cons

• “The mobile app could use some more of the features that the desktop version has.” Rich B. – Owner, Host
• “We have the Enterprise level plan, so you do get a dedicated resource for initial training and to get you started, but after that you are pretty much on your own to figure things out.” – Nick B. – Director of Marketing Strategy
• “The learning curve is steep if you have not used this kind of software before.” – Bruce L. – Vice President-Publisher

7. Whova

Whova virtual trade shows software markets its virtual expos and trade shows as its top solution and might be a good choice for all your events. Event organizers can control the layout and design of the event with customizable booths, event colors, and branding. In addition, it offers some essential event marketing tools and an online registration feature. However, they don’t offer chat moderation tools or dedicated tech support.

Whova: Key Features 

Custom Digital Booths

The custom digital booths provided by Whova showcase sponsors and exhibitors. Attendees can discover more about companies by reading the content displayed in each booth. However, Whova interface is a bit outdated and it doesn’t offer a 3D virtual booth like vFairs.

Engagement Tools

Whova offers audience engagement tools so that the attendees are present and participating. For example, your event can have live Q&A sessions with speakers, in-event polls, social media walls, and other gamification elements. However, the leaderboard can sometimes create unnecessary notifications.

Community Board

The virtual event platform also offers a community board that boosts discussions. The attendees can use this board to chat with each other and discuss mutual interest topics for effective networking. But unfortunately, the community board can generate a lot of push notifications for new posts and user activity which can get annoying.

Event Analytics

Event analytics tools can offer insights for event organizers. Following what the analytics show, organizers can make future virtual trade show exhibits even better. The analytics can be complicated and the platform doesn’t offer a dedicated project manager like vFairs to help you out.

Pricing

The Whova pricing depends on various factors like event type, size and features required etc. You can contact them on their website for a quote.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• “Easy to trackdown and message attendees before, during and after the event – easy to keep track of the daily agenda.” – Marc B. – Research Analyst
• “Whova is incredibly intuitive and easy to use.” – Michelle S. – Executive Director

Cons

• “The interface feels a little outdated, and I couldn’t send notifications from my iPad or iPhone.” – Linden T. – Executive Director
• “The feature to scan business cards does not work so well.” – Ivette M. – Attorney-at-Law
• “Does not seem too friendly for the consumer as a user, only for the administrators. The app lacked basic functions like a quick sign-up for events.” – Luis P. – eCommerce Lead

8. 6Connex

6Connex is a virtual expo platform for hybrid, virtual, and in-person events. 6Connex is a quick solution for virtual trade show hosting that doesn’t involve a lot of technicalities. It is a simple virtual event platform that covers the basics and may not have everything you want. Customers have also faced the issue of screen size adjustment on this platform. 

6Connex: Key Features

Mobile App

The mobile app allows users to easily check-in and offer engagement features. It has real-time data reporting features so that the organizers can track attendee behavior and make decisions on the go. 

Branded Exhibit Booths

The virtual event platform has a virtual environment where the attendees can visit different booths. The exhibit booths are customizable, and exhibitors can brand them however they want. In addition, improvements in the interface can make the attendees feel like they’re roaming around an actual exhibit hall. 

Networking

The event platform also offers some networking tools for attendees and exhibitors. The primary purpose of a virtual trade show is to enable attendee and exhibitor interactions. However, the platform does not offer video interactions or video discussion rooms. Exhibitors can only text potential clients.

Pricing

6Connex pricing model is as follows:

• Launch Eventory – Starting at $3,000.00 with one-time purchase
• Launch Immersive – Starting at $12,500.00 with one-time purchase
• Rise – 1 License Per Year
• Soar – 5 License Per Year

You can contact them on their website for advanced pricing. 

Pros & Cons

Pros

• “The dedicated 6Connex contact was so helpful and always on hand for any queries.” – Stacey J. – Event Manager
• “The ability to customize the environment is great.” – Grace G. – Sr. Manager of Global Benefits Strategy, Experience, & Delivery

Cons

• “The platform is not responsive across variable screen sizes.” – Lilian M. – Consulting Work
• “It is on the higher end of cost for virtual platforms, especially if you are only planning to utilize the platform for one event during your annual subscription.” – Administrator in Philanthropy
• “The back end of the system is a bit bulky with multiple layers, but once you navigate a bit and get familiar, it is intuitive. It can be a lot to absorb initially for new users.” – Scott C. – Manager, Digital Support

9. RingCentral (Formerly Hopin)

RingCentral can help you set up a virtual trade show booth with vendors, exhibitors, sponsors, and attendees. The virtual event platform supports various third-party integrations and RTMP streams, and you can also set up pre-recorded videos and demos. However, their packages can be on the pricier side.

RingCentral: Key Features 

Email Marketing Tools

The virtual trade fair platform can also help event organizers market their virtual trade show exhibits. The built-in email marketing tool allows you to customize and send out emails.

In addition, you can automate and schedule emails whenever you want. Unfortunately, the tool has to be set up from the backend, which can be challenging to figure out independently.

Virtual Experience

A RinCentral virtual trade show can have a virtual experience that includes webcasting, customizable event lobbies, chat rooms, and exhibit halls. However, the visual templates can look dated and don’t offer immersive networking opportunities.

Attendee Engagement

It offers 1:1 meeting opportunities between attendees and vendors for networking. Attendees feel more engaged due to interactive content, social media walls, and polls. However, you can improve the reporting tools for attendee engagement. 

Pricing

RingCentral offers four different pricing packages that are: 

• Free ($0/month) *they will start charging based on additional users past 100.
• Starter ($99/month)
• Growth ($799/month)
• Advanced Plan (You can contact them for advanced pricing plans) 

Pros & Cons

Pros

• “The platform provides all the different options for different needs – a fully pre-recorded event, a mix of live and recorded videos, multiple live speakers, and so on.” – Agnes G. – Senior Product Marketing Specialist
• “I like the platform and the way people can navigate around the different virtual areas.” Nat O. – Co Production and Engagement lead

Cons

• “The Salesforce integration has been SUCH A PAIN. It doesn’t work and our admin is having to do manual uploading.” – Anna C.
• “There is a significant learning curve for administrators setting up the platform for an event.” – Nia G. – Program Coordinator
• “One of the downsides is the fact you are limited to your attendee numbers.” – Katie J. – VP of Operations

10. ON24

ON24 is built with marketers in mind and offers event marketing tools. However, they focus more on providing conference and webinar solutions than virtual trade show exhibits. Here are some event features, engagement tools, and integrations it offers.

ON24: Key Features

Engagement Features

The virtual event platform allows your virtual trade show customization and you can design as you like. Once event organizers get their way around the complicated user interface, they can add tools like live polls, live Q&A sessions, gamification features, and surveys. 

Generating Leads

The virtual event platform offers tools within your virtual trade show to get you leads. For example, the booths can have customizable buttons that allow attendees to request demos, start a chat, or book meetings.

Virtual Lobby

The virtual event platform allows event organizers to design and build a customizable virtual lobby. So, you can design an event lobby that sets your event apart from others and allows for a more immersive experience. However, as the virtual trade fair platform doesn’t offer a fully responsible and dedicated project manager, it can be hard to navigate through technical difficulties.

Pricing

You can request a quote by contacting ON24 on their website. 

Pros & Cons

Pros

• “It is very user-friendly and easy to navigate.” – Antonio L. – Customer Training Manager
• “From a technical standpoint, ON24 is smooth to operate even for beginners.” – Guillaume D. – Marketing Manager

Cons

• “It does not give enough flexibility to customize and sometimes goes down.” – Aditya C – Customer Success Manager
• “ON24 is great, and as a whole we don’t have issues, but we do struggle with some of the reporting features.” – Sydney S – Content Developer
• “Support is really slow to respond.” – Verified User in Information Technology and Services

Summing Up

The above list of the best virtual trade show platforms can help narrow your search for virtual trade show companies for your next event. Make sure you read reviews, note down your requirements, and review the available features on these platforms to create virtual trade shows. An informed decision is usually the right decision so make sure you do your research.

FAQs