Learn · Exhibitors
What is lead retrieval?
Lead retrieval is the way an exhibitor records who visited the stand at a trade show: a badge scan, a business card photo or a short form, turned into a contact the sales team can follow up. Here is how it works, what it costs and what to check before you pay.
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How does lead retrieval work?
Lead retrieval works by reading the visitor's badge or business card at the stand and saving the details as a lead. Many shows print a QR code or barcode on every badge that links to the registration record, so one scan gives the exhibitor the visitor's name, company, job title and email.
The organiser usually appoints an official lead retrieval provider and sells scanner apps or handheld devices to exhibitors. Business cards fill the gaps: visitors without a badge, people you meet at dinner, and contacts who give you a card instead of a scan.
Which ways of capturing leads are there?
There are four common ways to capture leads at a stand: the organiser's badge scanner app, a business card photo, a form on a tablet, and paper notes. Badge scans and card photos work best together: badges are fast and every visitor has one, while cards carry the direct phone number and website.
| Method | What you get | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Official badge scanner app | The details the visitor typed at registration | Usually a licence per device or per user, bought per show; data is only as good as the registration form |
| Business card photo | Everything printed on the card, including phone, website and address | Needs reliable text reading, especially for Chinese, Arabic or Japanese cards |
| Form or tablet survey | Answers to your own questions | Slow at a busy stand; most people skip it |
| Paper notes | Whatever you had time to write | Has to be typed up after the show, and often never is |
How much does lead retrieval cost?
Official lead retrieval is usually sold per device or per user for each show. On the order forms we checked in October 2026, a first app licence cost 209 USD early (OmniEvent ExpoLeads at FOCIS 2026) and 249 USD (Cvent LeadCapture at ANC 2026), with extra licences around 149 USD.
Some providers charge per lead instead: Wave Connect, for example, lists 10 USD per badge scan and 2.50 USD per business card. Always check whether the price covers one show or a year, and whether you keep access to the leads afterwards.
What should a lead retrieval tool do?
- Read the badges at your show, and business cards for everyone without a badge.
- Let you add a note in seconds, ideally by voice, while the conversation is fresh.
- Rate or qualify the lead on the spot, so follow-up starts with the hottest contacts.
- Put the leads where your team works: a spreadsheet or your CRM, not a vendor portal.
- Keep working when the hall Wi-Fi drops.
- Leave the data with you after the show ends.
Where does DaGaMa fit?
DaGaMa's BoothBot does lead retrieval inside the chat apps exhibitors already use. Photograph a business card or a badge in WhatsApp, Telegram or WeChat and the contact lands in a Google Sheet shared with you, with your voice note attached. Ask for a follow-up and it drafts the email from your notes.
There is no scanner to rent and no licence per device. A 48-hour pass costs $34 and a 96-hour pass $49, and the first 24 hours are free. When the pass ends, the sheet with everything you captured stays shared with you.
Lead retrieval is only worth what happens next: the follow-up.
Questions people ask
Is lead retrieval the same as lead capture?
Mostly. Lead retrieval is the trade-show term for scanning visitors at your stand. Lead capture is broader and covers any way of collecting a contact, at events or online.
Do I have to use the organiser's official scanner?
Not always. Some organisers encode badges so only their official app can read the registration record. Where that is the case, a business card photo or the official app are the two options.
Can I scan business cards instead of badges?
Yes. A card often carries more than the badge: a direct phone number, a website and an address. A good scanner reads cards in any script, including Chinese, Arabic and Japanese.
What happens to the leads after the show?
That depends on the provider. Some keep leads in their own portal and charge for exports or later access. Check that you can download everything, and keep it, before you buy.
Checked on 2026-10-05. Sources: ANC 2026 lead capture order form (Cvent LeadCapture) · FOCIS 2026 lead retrieval order form (OmniEvent ExpoLeads) · Wave Connect: how event lead capture pricing works
Capture every visitor at your next show
Photograph cards and badges in WhatsApp, Telegram or WeChat. Every lead lands in a Google Sheet with your voice notes. Your first 24 hours are free.
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