Expo Manager

Overview

Expo Manager brings ticketing, exhibitor bookings, event operations and lead retrieval into one platform for expos, trade shows, conferences and career fairs. It suits organizers who want to manage sales and floorplans alongside attendee check-in, while letting exhibitors capture leads. Its broad event toolkit is compelling, though organizers should weigh the 5% platform fee against the booking fee they set.

Key features

Organizers can sell tickets, exhibition slots, booth upgrades and sponsorship packages in a shared checkout. They connect a payment gateway such as Stripe, Square or PayPal, with payments going directly to their own account. Sales can be offered in attendees’ currencies across 33 countries. The organizer sets a booking fee, and Expo Manager’s 5% platform fee is deducted from that fee rather than from ticket revenue. That structure makes the booking-fee design an important part of budgeting.

The interactive floorplan combines visual layout editing with booth booking and live availability. Attendees can use ExpoAssistant to navigate the venue, making the floorplan useful beyond initial booth assignment. For lead retrieval, exhibitors scan attendee badges with a phone, then export leads to CSV or HubSpot or Salesforce; organizers can also charge for lead retrieval as an add-on.

Role-based staff permissions include separate access for ticket and session scanning, a practical distinction for events with different check-in responsibilities. The company says its team ran expos for 15 years before building the platform. Its privacy policy describes encrypted, password-protected backups and data storage, while acknowledging that absolute security cannot be guaranteed.

Pricing

The Free plan costs nothing, billed at $0 per month, with a 5% platform fee per transaction paid from the booking fee. It includes unlimited events, ticketing and multi-currency checkout, exhibitor management and booth bookings, booking forms, floorplans, agendas and speakers, lead retrieval, check-in and session tracking. Application forms, booth assignment and payment collection are also supported. The breadth makes it a useful starting point for organizers who need more than basic ticket sales; the transaction fee still matters, especially when setting booking fees.

Platforms

Expo Manager is available on Android, iOS and the web, so organizers and event participants can access it across mobile and browser platforms.

Who it's for

Expo Manager is best suited to expo and trade show organizers who need sales, booth bookings, floorplans and event-day operations in one system. It also fits exhibitors who want phone-based badge scanning and exportable lead lists, and conference or career-fair teams that need ticket and session check-in. Organizers looking only for a single-event floorplan or a tightly capped small event may find a narrower tool a better match.

Pros and cons

• Broad event coverage: The free plan combines unlimited events with ticketing, exhibitor bookings, floorplans, lead retrieval and check-in.
• Payments go to the organizer: Connecting a gateway such as Stripe, Square or PayPal sends payments directly to the organizer’s account.
• Useful exhibitor workflow: Badge scans can become CSV exports or CRM leads, and lead retrieval can be sold as an add-on.
• Fee affects booking strategy: The 5% platform fee comes from the organizer-set booking fee, so organizers need to account for it when deciding that fee.

Alternatives

For a broader directory of options focused on exhibitor workflows, browse Exhibitor Management Software.

• WebMobi Trade Show Management is worth comparing for smaller attendee counts: its Free plan caps events at 50 participants per year, while Creator is $19 a month for 250 participants per year.
• Zoho Backstage offers a free plan capped at 100 attendees per event, 300 RSVP invites, three sessions, three speakers and one event day; choose it when those limits suit the event.
• BoothHQ has a free plan for one event and up to 50 attendees, including online ticket sales through the organizer’s own Stripe, an exhibitor directory, basic reporting and email support.
• Exhibitio charges no fee per free ticket and $0.99 per paid ticket sold, with no monthly bill; it may suit organizers who prefer per-ticket pricing.
• ExpoMap’s free plan supports one event, up to 49 exhibitors and 250 visitors, with a floor plan, registration, exhibitor portal and ExpoMap subdomain.
• Map D offers a free floor plan for one event, editable as often as needed, without publishing or booth sales stated.
• Marketspread offers vendors and exhibitors a free Standard profile to publish products and apply to events.
• xh is an open-source command-line HTTP client, rather than an event-management platform.

Verdict

Expo Manager is a strong fit for organizers of expos, trade shows, conferences and career fairs who want ticketing, booth sales, floorplans and lead retrieval together, with unlimited events on its free plan. Its main advantage is the span from booking to event-day operations; its main caveat is the 5% platform fee taken from the booking fee. Choose it when that fee model works for your sales setup, and look elsewhere if a small event cap or a different fee structure is a better fit.