Digital Business Cards for UK Trade Shows: Before, During and After

Short answer

At a UK trade show, a digital business card lets visitors save your details by scanning a QR code on your stand or your phone. Prepare and test the codes before the show, capture leads with a clear consent line at the stand, and follow up every conversation within 48 hours while it is still fresh.

Digital Business Cards UK Editorial Team — Networking and events

Digital Business Cards UK Editorial Team · Published 31 October 2026 · Updated 31 October 2026

A trade show is two or three long days of short conversations with people you may never meet anywhere else. The hard part is not meeting them. It is remembering them, and making sure they remember you.

This guide covers using a digital business card at a UK exhibition, from the weeks before the show to the days after it. Large venues such as ExCeL London and the NEC Birmingham are mentioned only as examples. The same approach works at a regional show in a hotel conference suite.

For the general buying checks, start with our UK buyer's guide to digital business cards.

Why a digital business card suits exhibitions

A digital business card is a web profile with its own link and QR code. A visitor scans the code with their phone camera. One press of Save to Contacts puts your name, company, role and number into their phone. No app is needed on either side.

At a show, that solves the usual problems:

Cards run out. One QR code shares as many times as you need.
Cards get lost. Visitors leave with bags full of leaflets. A saved contact is easier to find.
Details get typed wrong. Nobody misspells your email address.
You forget who you met. With Business Add-ons, Contact Leads and the CRM keep a record of each conversation.

Before the show

Most of the work happens before the doors open.

Two to four weeks before

Update your profile. Put the product or service you are showing at the top. Use Visibility & Order to move other sections down.
Add show documents. Attach a brochure, price list or spec sheet under Documents, so visitors can open it later.
Prepare your stand QR code. Download your QR code and add it to your stand graphics, banner or counter sign.
Set up lead capture. With Business Add-ons, decide which questions to ask in Contact Leads or Forms, and write your consent line (see below).
Brief the team. Everyone working the stand should have their own profile with the same template.

The week before

Test every QR code from the distance visitors will stand.
Test on mobile data, not just Wi-Fi. Exhibition halls often have weak signal.
Save your QR code to your phone's photos or lock screen, so you can show it in seconds.
Plan follow-up. Block time in your diary for the two working days after the show.

On the day

Arrive early and scan your stand QR code once the graphics are up.
Open your profile on every team phone so it loads quickly when you need it.
Agree who logs leads, so nobody adds the same visitor twice.
Keep a short note template ready in the CRM: what they asked about and what you promised.

During the show

The stand QR code

Your stand QR code works when you are busy. A visitor who cannot get your attention can still save your details.

Make it large and high. Put it at eye level, where it can be scanned over a crowd.
Add a short line. "Scan to save our details" tells people what will happen.
Put it in more than one place. The counter, the back wall and any printed handouts.

The QR code on your phone screen

For one-to-one conversations, show the QR code on your phone. It feels personal, and the visitor saves your profile rather than the company's general details.

Open the QR code before the conversation ends.
Hold the phone still at chest height.
Wait for the visitor to press Save to Contacts.

If their camera will not scan, text or email the link instead.

Lead capture and a clear consent line

When a visitor shares their details with you, you are collecting personal data. UK GDPR applies, and if you plan to send marketing emails, so do the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).

In general terms:

Tell people what you will do with their details at the moment you collect them.
Separate follow-up from marketing. Sending the brochure someone asked for is different from adding them to a newsletter.
Ask for consent before marketing emails to individuals. PECR generally requires specific consent for marketing emails to individuals, including sole traders. The ICO explains the rules in its guide to electronic mail marketing.
Keep a record of what each person agreed to.

A clear consent line on your form might read:

"We will use your details to send the information you asked for today. Tick the box if you would also like our monthly newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time."

The ICO's advice for small organisations is a good place to check the current rules. Our guide to digital business cards and UK GDPR explains controllers, lawful basis and retention.

This is general information, not legal advice.

Pre-show checklist

When	Task	Done
4 weeks before	Profile updated with show products first	☐
4 weeks before	Brochure and price list added as Documents	☐
3 weeks before	Stand QR code added to graphics and counter sign	☐
3 weeks before	Lead capture questions and consent line written	☐
2 weeks before	Every team member has a profile with the same template	☐
1 week before	Every QR code tested on screen and in print	☐
1 week before	Tested on mobile data as well as Wi-Fi	☐
1 week before	Follow-up time blocked in the diary	☐
Day before	Phones charged; QR code saved to photos	☐
Day before	Company details on the profile checked	☐

Working the stand as a team

A stand runs better when everyone shares the same way.

Give each person their own profile with the same template and colours.
Use one lead form, so every contact lands in the same place.
Swap notes at the end of each day. A five-minute catch-up stops two people chasing the same lead.
Name one person for follow-up, so every visitor hears back once, not three times.

Common mistakes at exhibitions

A QR code that is too small or placed too low to scan over a crowd.
A profile that still shows last year's products.
No consent line, so you cannot tell who agreed to marketing emails.
Leaving follow-up until the following week. By then, visitors have moved on.
Forgetting mobile data. A profile that only loads on Wi-Fi fails in a busy hall.

Show your company details

Visitors often want to check a supplier before they place an order. Make sure your profile shows your company's full name and, where it applies, the details UK law requires on websites and business documents. Our guide to UK company details on a digital business card explains what to include.

After the show: follow up within 48 hours

A conversation at a trade show fades fast. Visitors meet dozens of exhibitors. Following up within 48 hours keeps you at the front of their mind.

Sort the leads. In the CRM, mark each contact as hot, warm or cold.
Send what you promised. A brochure, a quote or a call booking, as agreed at the stand.
Mention the conversation. "Good to meet you at the stand on Tuesday. You asked about…" works better than a generic email.
Respect consent. Add only people who ticked the box to your newsletter.
Book the next step. With Business Add-ons, include a Bookings link so they can choose a time.
Export and tidy up. Use Export to move leads into your main system, then delete what you no longer need.

Measuring how the show went

After the show, look at what worked.

Analytics shows profile views and which links people clicked.
Contact Leads shows how many people shared their details with you.
The CRM shows how many conversations turned into meetings or orders.

Compare these with your stand costs to decide whether to return next year.

Sector shows and fairs

The same approach works at sector events. Recruiters use it at careers fairs, as our guide for UK recruiters explains. Wedding suppliers use it at wedding fairs, covered in our guide for UK wedding suppliers.

Taking it to smaller events

The same profile works at smaller events between shows. Our guide to UK networking events covers chamber of commerce breakfasts, referral groups and local business shows.

Which plan suits exhibitors?

Both plans are a single payment in pounds with UK VAT included.

Brand Presence (£45) gives you the profile, QR code, Documents and Save to Contacts.
Business Add-ons (£90) adds Contact Leads, Forms, CRM, Bookings and Export, which do most of the work at a show.

Start on the digital business card page, which is set up for sharing in person.

Frequently asked questions

Do visitors need an app to save my details?

No. They scan your QR code with their phone camera and press Save to Contacts. No app is needed on either side.

What if the exhibition hall has poor signal?

Test your profile on mobile data before the show. If a visitor's phone cannot load it, text or email the link so they can open it later.

Can I collect visitor details at the stand?

Yes, with Business Add-ons, which includes Contact Leads and Forms. Tell visitors what you will do with their details and ask before adding them to marketing emails. This is general information, not legal advice.

How quickly should I follow up?

Within 48 hours is a good rule. Send what you promised and mention your conversation.

Should every team member have their own profile?

Yes. Each person can share their own QR code, and visitors save the person they spoke to.

Can I use the same QR code on my stand and my phone?

You can, but many exhibitors use the company's profile on the stand and a personal profile on each phone.