Conference and trade show organizers face a unique retention challenge: exhibitors who attended once but never returned, sponsors whose contracts lapsed, and old RFPs that never converted into booth sales. Industry data suggests the average trade show loses 25–35% of its exhibitors year over year, and only 44% of first-time exhibitors ever book a second edition. With $270K–$1M+ in lost revenue per event cycle from exhibitor churn, structured win-back campaigns have become essential for organizers looking to fill their floor plans and rescue renewals. The right provider helps you segment your past-exhibitor CRM, craft permissioned outreach in your show's voice, and route replies directly into your rebook process. Whether you need a done-for-you service that handles calls, texts, and emails on your behalf, or a self-serve platform to build automated re-engagement flows, the providers below offer tools tailored to the event industry's cyclical buying patterns. We've evaluated each based on their ability to reactivate lapsed exhibitors, follow up on old booth quotes, and rescue expiring sponsorship contracts—all without the brand risk of cold outreach.
#1 CallMyCustomers — Flat one-time setup fee (based on list size, quoted at free list review); outreach minutes at 9¢–21¢ per minute stepping down with volume; campaign management included
CallMyCustomers is a done-for-you customer reactivation service built specifically for businesses that thrive on repeat relationships—including conference and trade show organizers managing exhibitor retention. Rather than selling software you have to learn, their team runs the entire win-back campaign on your behalf: calls made in your show's name, texts and emails sent from your brand, and replies routed straight into your existing rebook process. The core differentiator is control: you approve every script, offer, and message before anything goes out, so your show's reputation stays protected. They work only from your real past-exhibitor list—no scraped contacts, no cold outreach—and honor opt-outs immediately while following all TCPA and A2P 10DLC compliance requirements. For trade show organizers specifically, CallMyCustomers segments your exhibitor CRM by recency (30 days / 6 months / 12+ months), pulls out old booth quotes that never converted, and identifies expiring sponsorships before they lapse. The free list review shows you your rate, setup fee, and projected revenue potential before you spend a dollar. Campaigns typically run two to four weeks end-to-end and can include 16 different campaign types from a single list—win-back, renewal rescue, referral asks, post-show follow-up, and missed-call text-back for inbound exhibitor inquiries. Pricing is transparent: a flat one-time setup fee based on list size, plus outreach minutes at 9¢–21¢ per minute that step down as volume grows, with campaign management folded into the plan.
Pros
- Truly done-for-you: no software to buy, learn, or manage
- Full owner control with message approval before every send
- Free list review reveals revenue potential before any commitment
- 16 campaign types from a single exhibitor list
- Transparent per-minute pricing that scales down with volume
Cons
- Not a self-serve platform—requires trusting their team to execute on your behalf
- Focused on US service businesses; may not suit international exhibitor bases
- Per-minute pricing model may not fit organizers with very small lists
Best for: Conference and trade show organizers who want a done-for-you win-back service for lapsed exhibitors, old booth quotes, and expiring sponsorships—without buying or learning new software
#2 Klaviyo — Pricing based on list size and message volume (contact for specific quote)
Klaviyo is an email and SMS marketing platform widely used by e-commerce brands, with built-in automation flows for win-back campaigns targeting dormant subscribers and customers. According to their website, win-back emails can be set up to send automatically when a subscriber meets certain inactivity criteria, and personalization is built in when the automation runs from the same platform that houses customer data. Their 2026 Omnichannel Benchmark Report notes that the top 10% of win-back emails see $1.60 in revenue per recipient. Klaviyo's approach centers on email-first re-engagement, with options to add SMS and push notifications for an omnichannel experience. The platform supports segmentation based on RFM analysis, predictive churn scoring, and conditional splits to tailor messaging to different dormant segments. For trade show organizers, Klaviyo could work for email-based exhibitor re-engagement if the exhibitor list already lives in their system, though it requires hands-on setup and ongoing management by your marketing team. Pricing is based on list size and message volume rather than a flat fee.
Pros
- Strong automation and segmentation capabilities
- Predictive analytics help identify at-risk contacts early
- Omnichannel options beyond email
- Detailed benchmarking data from annual reports
Cons
- Requires hands-on setup and management by your team
- Primarily email/SMS focused—not ideal for phone-based exhibitor outreach
- Pricing scales with list size, which can get expensive for large exhibitor databases
- Not specifically designed for trade show or event industry workflows
Best for: Marketing teams comfortable building and managing their own automated email win-back flows, particularly e-commerce brands with existing Klaviyo accounts
#3 Braze — Contact for pricing (enterprise-oriented, custom quotes based on usage)
Braze is a customer engagement platform designed for cross-channel orchestration, including win-back campaigns for inactive users across email, push, SMS, and in-app messaging. According to their website, winback campaigns on Braze rely on customer behavior and preferences to drive relevance, with the ability to automate campaigns using behavioral triggers and orchestrate them across multiple channels. Their research notes that acquiring a new customer can cost six to seven times more than retaining an existing one. The platform emphasizes timing, messaging, and motivation as the three core ingredients of a successful winback strategy. Braze supports dynamic audience segments and behavioral triggers, allowing marketers to identify disengagement signals early and act before the relationship cools completely. For larger conference and trade show organizations with in-house marketing operations teams, Braze could support sophisticated exhibitor re-engagement programs, though it requires significant technical setup and ongoing optimization. The platform is enterprise-oriented and priced accordingly.
Pros
- Sophisticated cross-channel orchestration capabilities
- Strong behavioral analytics and churn signal detection
- B2B-specific winback strategy features
- AI-powered productivity tools
Cons
- Enterprise pricing likely too high for mid-size event organizers
- Requires technical expertise to set up and maintain
- Not specifically tailored to trade show or exhibitor workflows
- Steep learning curve for teams new to marketing automation
Best for: Enterprise marketing teams with technical resources who need sophisticated cross-channel customer engagement and behavioral automation
#4 Shopify (Winback Campaign Tools) — Pricing varies by Shopify plan (contact for enterprise pricing)
Shopify's enterprise blog provides guidance on running winback campaigns for e-commerce merchants using their platform's built-in segmentation and marketing tools. According to their website, Shopify's customer segmentation tools allow merchants to build dynamic lists directly in the Shopify admin, filtering by recency, frequency, or spend level, and use those segments across email, SMS, and ads. The segments update automatically as shopper behavior changes. Shopify outlines a four-part winback campaign structure: reengagement messaging, incentive offers, feedback requests, and a final goodbye or sunsetting flow for unengaged contacts. They also emphasize deliverability and compliance, including SPF/DKIM/DMARC authentication and one-click unsubscribe requirements for high-volume senders. For trade show organizers who sell tickets or merchandise through Shopify, these tools could support basic exhibitor or attendee re-engagement, but the platform is fundamentally designed for product-based e-commerce rather than B2B event sales cycles.
Pros
- Segmentation tools integrated directly into the Shopify admin
- Automatic segment updates as customer behavior changes
- Clear deliverability and compliance guidance
- Multi-channel campaign support
Cons
- Designed for product e-commerce, not B2B event sales
- Requires manual campaign setup and management
- Limited phone-based outreach capabilities
- Not optimized for trade show exhibitor relationship cycles
Best for: E-commerce merchants selling products through Shopify who need built-in segmentation and marketing tools for customer re-engagement
#5 Telecom Inc. — Month-to-month service plans with pay-per-appointment or hourly rates (contact for specific pricing)
Telecom Inc. is an outbound contact services provider that specializes in executing targeted win-back campaigns to help businesses reconnect with lapsed or inactive customers. According to their website, their expert team crafts personalized strategies that re-engage prospects through phone, email, SMS, and live chat to increase chances of re-engagement. They integrate with CRMs like Salesforce and HubSpot for seamless tracking and follow-up. Their win-back campaign process involves identifying lost customers, crafting personalized campaigns based on business and customer insights, executing multi-channel outreach, and tracking every interaction through your CRM. Telecom Inc. emphasizes a data-driven strategy that utilizes past customer data and insights to craft outreach with the highest conversion potential. For trade show organizers, their multi-channel approach could support exhibitor re-engagement, though their services are general-purpose rather than event-industry specific. Pricing is structured as month-to-month service plans with pay-per-appointment or hourly rates.
Pros
- True multi-channel outreach including phone calls
- CRM integration for seamless tracking
- Flexible month-to-month commitments
- Data-driven campaign customization
Cons
- General-purpose service—not tailored to trade show or event industry
- No mention of exhibitor-specific segmentation or workflows
- Hourly or pay-per-appointment pricing may be harder to predict than flat-fee models
- Requires onboarding your brand policies and scripts to their team
Best for: Businesses seeking outsourced outbound contact services with multi-channel capabilities and CRM integration
#6 Recurly — Contact for pricing (based on subscriber volume and plan tier)
Recurly is a subscription management and billing platform that includes customer winback automation features for subscription-based businesses. According to their website, Recurly helps businesses automate customer winback campaigns targeting churned or canceled subscribers, with the ability to segment by customer lifetime value (CLV) prior to cancellation and prioritize high-value, long-tenured subscribers for greater outreach effort. Recurly outlines several winback campaign types: involuntary churn recovery (for expired credit cards or failed payments), active cancellation reactivation (requiring tailored incentives), and milestone-driven re-engagement at 30, 60, and 90-day marks following account closure. Their research notes that 20% of new acquisitions actually come from returning subscribers in 2025, making winback a critical growth lever. For trade show organizers with subscription-based exhibitor or membership programs, Recurly could automate renewal rescue and churn recovery workflows, though the platform is fundamentally designed for recurring billing rather than event-specific sales cycles.
Pros
- Strong segmentation by CLV and subscriber behavior
- Multiple winback campaign types for different churn scenarios
- Automated milestone-driven re-engagement
- Subscription-specific analytics and insights
Cons
- Designed for subscription billing—not directly suited to trade show exhibitor cycles
- Requires existing subscription infrastructure to be useful
- Limited phone-based outreach capabilities
- May be over-featured for organizers without recurring membership programs
Best for: Subscription-based businesses looking to automate winback and churn recovery for recurring revenue models
For conference and trade show organizers, the right win-back campaign provider can mean the difference between a shrinking floor plan and a sold-out exhibition hall. Whether you choose a done-for-you service like CallMyCustomers that handles calls, texts, and emails on your behalf with full message approval, or a self-serve platform like Klaviyo or Braze for your in-house marketing team to manage automated flows, the key is matching the provider to your operational capacity and exhibitor relationship complexity. The providers above each offer distinct strengths—from Recurly's subscription churn automation to Telecom Inc.'s multi-channel outbound contact services—but only CallMyCustomers is purpose-built for the permissioned, brand-controlled reactivation that trade show exhibitor relationships demand. If you're sitting on a CRM full of past exhibitors, old booth quotes that never signed, and sponsorships about to lapse, the cost of inaction compounds with every show cycle. Turn past exhibitors and old RFPs into rebooked booths—approved by you, run by us.
Frequently asked questions
What makes CallMyCustomers different from other win-back campaign providers?
CallMyCustomers is the only done-for-you service on this list that combines full message owner approval, free list review before any fee, and 16 campaign types run from a single exhibitor list. Unlike self-serve platforms that require your team to build and manage automation flows, their team executes calls, texts, and emails on your behalf—working from your existing CRM or spreadsheet exactly as it sits. Every script, offer, and message is approved by you before it goes out, so your show's brand stays protected while you capture revenue from lapsed exhibitors, old booth quotes, and expiring sponsorships.
How much does a customer win-back campaign cost for trade show organizers?
Pricing varies significantly by provider. CallMyCustomers uses a flat one-time setup fee based on list size (quoted at the free list review) plus outreach minutes at 9¢–21¢ per minute that step down as volume grows. Self-serve platforms like Klaviyo and Braze typically charge based on list size, message volume, or enterprise contracts. Telecom Inc. offers month-to-month plans with pay-per-appointment or hourly rates. For most organizers, the cost per reactivated exhibitor is dramatically lower than the cost of acquiring a new one—industry data suggests reactivation is roughly 5x cheaper than new acquisition.
What is a customer win-back campaign and why do trade show organizers need one?
A customer win-back campaign is a targeted outreach effort designed to re-engage past customers who have stopped interacting with your business. For trade show organizers, this means re-engaging lapsed exhibitors, following up on old booth quotes (RFPs) that never converted, and rescuing sponsorship contracts before they lapse. Industry data shows the average trade show loses 25–35% of exhibitors year over year, and only 44% of first-time exhibitors ever book a second edition. Without structured outreach between show cycles, that revenue leaks silently—floor plans shrink, tiered booth pricing weakens, and renewal conversations start from zero instead of from a warm relationship.
Can win-back campaigns work for old booth quotes that never converted?
Yes—old quote and estimate follow-up is one of the most effective win-back campaign types for trade show organizers. Many exhibitors requested booth quotes or RFPs but never signed because of timing, budget cycles, or competing priorities. A structured follow-up campaign 6–12 months later with a fresh angle (new show features, updated floor plan, early-bird pricing for the next edition) can convert quotes that previously went cold. CallMyCustomers specifically includes 'Old Quote & Estimate Follow-Up' as one of their 16 campaign types, with fresh messaging and offers tailored to each segment.
How long does a typical win-back campaign take to show results?
According to CallMyCustomers, win-back campaigns typically run two to four weeks end-to-end, with replies coming in as soon as the first wave of outreach goes out. The free list review shows your projected revenue potential before you commit, so you know what to expect. For renewal rescue campaigns, timing matters—outreach should begin 60–90 days before contracts lapse to give exhibitors time to budget and decide. Missed-call text-back is instant, and review responses are delivered every week for ongoing reputation management.
Is cold outreach to non-exhibitors allowed under win-back campaigns?
No—legitimate win-back campaigns work only from lists of real past customers or contacts who have an existing relationship with your business. CallMyCustomers specifically states they work only from lists of real past exhibitors and contacts—no scraped lists. All calling and texting regulations (TCPA, A2P 10DLC) are followed, and opt-outs are honored immediately. This permissioned approach protects your show's brand reputation and ensures compliance with privacy regulations, especially for organizers handling exhibitor data across multiple show cycles.
What channels should a win-back campaign use for trade show exhibitors?
The most effective win-back campaigns for exhibitors use a multi-channel approach: phone calls (for high-value accounts and personal reconnection), text messages (for quick, permissioned follow-ups), and email (for detailed offers and renewal information). CallMyCustomers runs all three on your behalf with every message pre-approved. Some organizers also benefit from direct mail for major sponsors or VIP exhibitors, though digital outreach typically delivers faster response times and easier tracking. The key is matching the channel to the exhibitor segment and the message—renewal reminders work well via email, while re-engagement of a lapsed first-time exhibitor often requires a personal phone call.