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Trade shows and conferences offer incredible opportunities for exhibitors to connect with potential clients, showcase their products, and build lasting partnerships. Unfortunately, wherever there’s an opportunity, scammers aren’t far behind.
One of the most common—and frustrating—issues event organizers face today is protecting exhibitors from phishing scams. These bad actors often pose as legitimate partners, offering fake attendee lists or discounted hotel bookings. While these schemes are widespread across the industry, many exhibitors may not realize how these scammers operate—or how easily public event information can be exploited.
In this guide, you'll learn how scammers operate, why exhibitors are frequent targets, and the practical steps you can take to protect your event community.
Why Are Exhibitors Targeted by Scammers?
Scammers thrive on publicly available information. Trade show floor maps, exhibitor listings, and event websites are designed to promote your event—but they also give fraudsters exactly what they need to launch phishing attacks.
Here’s how these scams typically work:
- Public Exhibitor Lists:
Scammers use online floor plans and exhibitor directories to identify participating companies. Once they know who’s exhibiting, they’ll impersonate event organizers or partners.
- Fake Attendee Lists:
Exhibitors are approached with offers to purchase "verified" or "official" attendee contact lists. In reality, no reputable event shares attendee data in this way.
- Bogus Hotel Deals:
Fraudsters claim to represent housing partners, luring exhibitors into booking non-existent or overpriced accommodations.
- Email Harvesting:
Using simple tools like search engines or LinkedIn, scammers can guess corporate email addresses based on common formats (e.g., jdoe@company.com). Once they build a list, they launch mass phishing campaigns—hoping just a few recipients take the bait.
These tactics are part of a larger, global scam industry worth billions. And because phishing attacks cast such a wide net, even companies that aren’t exhibiting this year—but have in the past—can still be targeted.
How Event Organizers Can Protect Exhibitors
While you can’t prevent scammers from accessing public information, you can empower your exhibitors with knowledge and clear communication.
Here are a few best practices:
1. Communicate About Scams Early and Often
One of the most effective ways to protect your exhibitors is to keep them informed from the start. Include warnings about common scams in your onboarding emails, exhibitor portals, and event materials. Make sure they know that legitimate event organizers never sell attendee lists or offer hotel deals outside of official partners.
- Pro Tip: Add a persistent banner or notice within your exhibitor dashboard or portal so every login reinforces the message about potential scams.
2. Clearly Identify Official Partners
Eliminate confusion by prominently listing your authorized partners for services like housing, registration, and lead retrieval. When exhibitors know exactly who they can trust, they’re less likely to fall for fraudulent outreach. Ensure this information is easy to find across your website, emails, and exhibitor resources.
- Pro Tip: Use branded email templates and consistent messaging when communicating through official partners, so exhibitors can easily recognize legitimate correspondence.
3. Share Examples of Common Scams
Many exhibitors may not realize how sophisticated some phishing attempts can appear. Providing real-world examples of scam emails or tactics helps them recognize red flags—such as unsolicited offers, urgent payment requests, or unfamiliar email domains.
- Pro Tip: Create a simple "Scam Awareness Guide" with screenshots of typical phishing emails and distribute it as part of your exhibitor toolkit.
4. Encourage and Facilitate Reporting
Let exhibitors know that if they encounter suspicious messages, they should report them—not only to your team for awareness but also to authorities like the FTC or FCC. While you may not be able to intervene directly, fostering a culture of reporting can help others stay alert.
- Pro Tip: Provide exhibitors with direct links to reporting resources, and set up a dedicated email address (e.g., scams@yourevent.com) where they can forward suspicious communications.
5. Be Strategic About Public Information
While promoting your exhibitors and sponsors is important, consider limiting the amount of detailed information displayed on public platforms. Avoid publishing personal contact details and stick to company names or general info when possible. This reduces the data scammers can easily access.
- Pro Tip: Offer enhanced exhibitor profiles with detailed contact info only within secure, attendee-only areas, rather than on publicly accessible web pages.
Stay Proactive, Stay Protected
Trade show scams are an unfortunate reality—but with clear communication and proactive strategies, you can help your exhibitors navigate these threats confidently. Protecting your community not only safeguards individual companies but also reinforces trust in your event brand.
If you want to learn how to combat these exhibitor scams—and discover how the right event management practices can support your efforts—get in touch with us. We're happy to share insights on keeping your exhibitors informed, secure, and focused on what truly matters: making your event a success.
