Exhibitor signups
The team could collect exhibitor details in one place instead of rebuilding the list from spreadsheets, notes, and email threads.
Customer Story
How a builder association sold out its Home Show 1.5 months early with ClearEvent
With more than 150 exhibitors to manage, a builder association moved from binders and spreadsheets to one place for exhibitor signups, waitlists, emails, and payment details.
See how booth signups, waitlists, emails, and payments work in a 15-, 30-, or 60-minute walkthrough, or start a trial for your next Home Show, expo, or vendor event.
We were a month and a half out... already sold out... taking waitlists.
Customer overview
A busy annual Home Show with exhibitors, sponsors, and volunteers
A builder association runs an annual Home Show that brings together exhibitors, sponsors, volunteers, and attendees for a major community-facing event. The team knew how to make the show happen, but the work behind the scenes was becoming harder to sustain.
Exhibitor details, booth availability, payment updates, waitlist requests, sponsor needs, and email updates all had to stay accurate as the event moved closer. The association did not need a complex enterprise system. They needed a better way for a small team to keep the show organized.
The challenge
The event worked, but the paperwork was too manual.
Before ClearEvent, much of the Home Show planning depended on binders, spreadsheets, manual updates, and follow-up emails. Every booth change created more work.
The team knew how to run the show. They just had too much of the work sitting in paper files, spreadsheets, and inboxes.
- Exhibitor lists, booth status, and payments had to be updated by hand
- Key details were split between binders, spreadsheets, and email
- Cancellations meant extra calls, emails, and record updates
- The same heavy setup came back every year
The turning point
The old setup was becoming the risky part.
The association wanted to update how it planned the Home Show without making the event harder to run. Moving away from the old setup was not only about saving time. It was about making sure booth sales, payments, emails, and waitlists did not get missed.
ClearEvent gave the team one place to manage exhibitor signups, updates, waitlists, and emails before event week.
A better setup for a small team
For an association office, new software has to make the job easier, not add another project. This story shows what changed when the Home Show team moved the details out of binders and into ClearEvent.
The solution
ClearEvent put exhibitor signups, waitlists, and emails in one place.
Instead of relying on binders, spreadsheets, and manual follow-up, the team used ClearEvent to manage booth signups, waitlists, exhibitor emails, and event setup.
Waitlists
After the show sold out, the team could keep taking waitlist requests and move an exhibitor into an open booth in a few clicks.
Emails to the right groups
The team sent 2,600 targeted emails through ClearEvent Messages, so exhibitors and other registrant types got the updates meant for them.
Payments and registration details
Registration and payment details were easier to check without jumping between separate records.
Implementation
Once the team got started, the work got easier.
Changing from familiar binders and spreadsheets can feel risky. That was part of the concern for this Home Show team. But once they began using ClearEvent, exhibitor details were easier to find and the team had fewer manual updates to chase.
Once we got started, the process was much smoother and simpler than what we had before.
Support
ClearEvent helped when questions came up.
The team was not just handed software and left to figure it out alone. They had help working through the practical details of getting the Home Show set up in ClearEvent.
I appreciate the hoops you guys jumped through to help make things happen this year.
You guys... listen to feedback and figure out ways to overcome those challenges.
150+
exhibitors managed
1.5 months
sold out before the event
2,600
targeted emails sent
A few clicks
to approve waitlisted exhibitors
Results
The Home Show sold out earlier and was easier to manage.
ClearEvent helped the association manage a complex Home Show with less manual work. The team could see exhibitor details, send the right emails, and handle waitlist changes without rebuilding the work by hand.
Event office results
- Managed 150+ exhibitors in one place
- Sent 2,600 targeted emails through ClearEvent Messages
- Reduced manual updates for exhibitor records and emails
- Moved waitlisted exhibitors to approved status in a few clicks
Home Show results
- Sold out 1.5 months before the event
- Continued taking waitlist interest after selling out
- Filled exhibitor openings faster when spots became available
- Created a setup the team can use again next year
Team results
- Cut down the back-and-forth that usually comes with booth changes
- Made exhibitor, email, and payment details easier to find
- Helped the organizer carry less of the work by hand
- Gave the team help when they had questions
Key moment
Filling a cancelled booth no longer had to take hours.
In previous years, filling an exhibitor cancellation could become a manual scramble: check who was next, confirm details, send follow-up messages, update records, and make sure the booth status was correct.
With ClearEvent, the team could move a waitlisted exhibitor to approved status in a few clicks instead of spending hours on manual work. They could fill the booth faster and avoid adding extra stress close to event day.
Before and after
What changed when the Home Show details moved into one place
| Before ClearEvent | After ClearEvent |
|---|---|
| Binders, spreadsheets, and manual tracking | One place for key Home Show details |
| Manual exhibitor follow-up | Online exhibitor signups |
| Harder-to-track booth changes | Faster waitlist approvals |
| Broad manual email updates | 2,600 emails sent to specific registrant groups |
| Last-minute pressure around open spots | A waitlist ready when a booth opened |
| Repeated year-over-year frustration | A cleaner setup for next year |
Before
Binders, spreadsheets, and manual tracking
After
One place for key Home Show details
Before
Manual exhibitor follow-up
After
Online exhibitor signups
Before
Harder-to-track booth changes
After
Faster waitlist approvals
Before
Broad manual email updates
After
2,600 emails sent to specific registrant groups
Before
Last-minute pressure around open spots
After
A waitlist ready when a booth opened
Before
Repeated year-over-year frustration
After
A cleaner setup for next year
What this shows
When booth sales move fast, the waitlist has to keep up.
- 1. Waitlists, approvals, and emails need to stay connected.
- 2. Moving out of spreadsheets does not have to make the job harder.
- 3. Good support matters when a small team changes how it runs a major annual event.
Why it matters
The organizer should not have to keep every detail in their head.
Home Shows, expos, and association events often involve hundreds of exhibitor details, payment questions, sponsor needs, volunteer coordination, and emails to different groups. When those details live in binders, spreadsheets, and email threads, too much depends on one person remembering what changed.
Next step
Still managing exhibitors, sponsors, and registrations manually?
Your event may be working today, but that does not mean your current setup is working for your team. ClearEvent helps small event teams keep registrations, exhibitors, emails, payments, and event details in one place before event week.
Book a 15-, 30-, or 60-minute walkthrough to see how ClearEvent can support your next Home Show, expo, or vendor event.
Related links
Explore related tools
Home Show customer story FAQ
Short answers for teams managing exhibitors, booths, waitlists, and event emails.