New Media How Trade Shows Make Millions
10 snips
Apr 2, 2026 Brent Davidson, founder of the U.S. Heat Pump Summit and events entrepreneur for HVAC and plumbing pros, explains how he built a 500-person trade show from scratch. He covers revenue models like booth and sponsor pricing, designing attendee flow and buyer-seller matchmaking, using media and newsletters to drive attendance, influencer strategies, and scaling trade events into larger cross-trade marketplaces.
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Trade Shows Are In-Person Marketplaces
- Trade shows are marketplaces not just talks and must combine hands-on product demos with content to work.
- Brent built the US Heat Pump Summit around contractors meeting manufacturers like Mitsubishi and Daikin to choose equipment face-to-face.
Design The Floor To Create Collisions
- Design attendee flow intentionally because small layout choices create valuable collisions.
- Brent specifically calls out coffee placement and food style (scattered appetizer stations) to draw people across the trade floor.
Price Tickets To Signal High Intent
- Balance attendee ticket pricing and exhibitor fees because raising one affects the other and the buyer quality.
- Brent recommends modest attendee fees ($100–$500) and typical 10x10 booth starting near $5,000 to signal intent.