Trade Shows: A Complete Guide for Admins

A complete trade show guide for WizCommerce admins. Covers everything you need to do before, during, and after the show; from configuring roles, price lists, and offline mode to reconciling orders and following up on leads once the show is over.

»» Are you a Sales Rep? Read the Sales Rep Trade Show Guide instead.

Table of Contents 

Before You Begin

• Ensure you have admin access to WizCommerce.
• Confirm all attending reps are created as users in the system.
• Contact your Customer Success Manager at least two weeks before the show to enable Offline Mode and badge scanning (if applicable).

A. Before the Show - Admin Setup

Preparing the platform before your team heads to the show is one of the most valuable steps you can take. Issues that are simple to resolve from your desk can become very difficult to fix once you are at the booth. Work through the following setup tasks in the days leading up to the show, while everyone still has reliable Wi-Fi (Internet) and access to the admin panel. 

1. Configure user roles and permissions

Sales reps need the right permissions to do their jobs at the show; from adding new customers, placing orders on behalf of other reps to collecting payments.

1. Go to Settings → User Management → Roles.
2. Review the role assigned to each rep attending the show.
3. Make sure the role includes permissions for customer creation and order processing.
4. If reps need to accept payments at the booth, enable Collect payment for order on the relevant role and select the payment methods you want to allow.

The payment methods available are:

2. Give reps more access using Showroom Mode

Showroom Mode gives all reps at the booth visibility of every customer and order, so if a rep is busy or unavailable, another rep can step in and take orders on their behalf without any confusion.

1. Go to Settings → Organisational Settings → User Management → Showroom Mode
2. Toggle Showroom Mode on at the start of the show
3. Toggle it off once the show is over, each rep's standard permissions restore automatically

3. Set up and verify pricelists

Every customer who walks into your booth should be assigned the correct pricelist the moment an order is started. Set a default price list for new customers so reps don't have to decide manually.

1. Go to Settings → Org Settings → General → Pricelist.
2. Confirm that pricelists for all customer categories attending the show are active and up to date.
3. Set a default pricelist to be auto-assigned to new customers created at the show.
4. Share the pricelist structure with your reps before the show so they know which list to assign to which type of buyer.

4. Organise categories and collections for the show

Reps find products faster when the catalog is organised around what they are actually showing. Create show-specific collections alongside your standard category structure.

1. Go to Manage → Import-Export → Categories and Collections.
2. Create a collection for the specific show (for example, "Atlanta Summer Market 2026") and add only the products being showcased.
3. Also create or review seasonal or thematic collections (e.g. Spring/Summer, New Launches, On Sale) so reps can navigate quickly during demos.
4. Train reps on which collections to use before they leave for the show.

5. Prepare and test product labels

Product labels let reps add items to a cart by scanning a barcode, which is much faster than searching manually in a busy booth environment.

1. Make sure a label template is configured in the system.
2. Print a sample set of labels at least one week before the show.
3. Test both UPC and barcode formats if you are unsure which your scanners support. Choose the one that scans accurately and adjust the template if needed.
4. For custom label designs or sizes, contact your Customer Success Manager in advance.

6. Pair and test Bluetooth scanners

Each Bluetooth scanner must be paired with the specific iPad it will be used with at the show. Pairing in advance avoids confusion at the booth.

1. Pair each scanner with its designated device via Settings → Bluetooth on the iPad.
2. Label the scanner and device with a matching identifier (for example, "Scanner 1 / iPad 1") to prevent mix-ups.
3. Test each scanner against your product labels to confirm accurate reads.
4. Share basic scanning and troubleshooting guidance with your reps.

Recommended Bluetooth scanners: Symcode, Nadamoo, Tera Mini, Nadamoo Wireless (available on Amazon).

7. Enable and test Offline Mode

Trade show venues frequently have poor or intermittent internet. WizOrder's Offline Mode allows reps to keep taking orders even without a connection, but it must be set up and tested before the show.

1. Contact your Customer Success Manager a few weeks before the show to confirm Offline Mode is enabled for your account.
2. Once enabled, open WizOrder on the device and go to More → Settings → Sync Now.
3. Tap Sync Now to sync Data and Media.
4. Enable Incremental Sync so the app stays automatically up to date each time it opens on a connection.
5. Enable Offline Mode and do a mock run: put the device in airplane mode and have a rep create a test order. Confirm products, customers, and the cart all work without internet.

8. Configure badge scanning (if applicable)

If your show supports badge scanning for lead capture, confirm the following with your Customer Success Manager before you leave:

• Your organisation has the required API key from the trade show organiser.
• Territory mapping (zip code assignments) and rep contact information are up to date so lead notifications route to the right rep automatically.
• A test scan using the sample QR code provided by the show has been completed successfully.

B. During the Show - What to Monitor

Once the show is underway, your main job is to stay available for reps if issues arise and to keep an eye on things from the admin panel.

• Watch for permission issues. If a rep can't access a customer or place an order on someone else's behalf, it usually means the role wasn't updated. Fix it from the admin panel remotely.
• Monitor sync status. If a rep reports that orders aren't showing up, ask them to connect to Wi-Fi or a strong cellular signal and leave the app open. Orders queued offline push automatically once the connection stabilises.
• Support lead routing. If a scanned lead notification hasn't reached the right rep, open More → Trade Fair Visitors, find the contact, and click Notify Rep manually.
• Remind reps not to uninstall or clear the app. Offline orders live on the device until they sync. Clearing data before sync completes will lose those orders.

C. End of Each Day - Daily Wrap-Up

At the end of each show day, a few quick checks ensure nothing gets stuck overnight.

1. Confirm orders are syncing. Ask reps to connect to Wi-Fi and keep the app open. Orders in the Orders tab should move to a Confirmed status as they push to the ERP. Anything still stuck means the connection dropped before the queue cleared. Keep the device on a stable connection until everything confirms.
2. Check scanned leads. Open More → Trade Fair Visitors and confirm that badge scans from the day are appearing. If a lead hasn't been routed to the correct rep automatically, click Notify Rep from the lead's detail page.
3. Remind reps to charge devices. iPads, phones, power banks, and Bluetooth scanners all need to be charged overnight.
4. Note any issues to fix before tomorrow. Missing price lists, scanning errors, or permission gaps caught today are much easier to fix tonight than at the booth tomorrow morning.

D. After the Show - Post-Show Checklist

The first 24-48 hours after the show is when sync issues, missing leads, and follow-up gaps are easiest to catch.

1. Confirm every order pushed to the ERP. Open the Orders tab and check that all show orders show a Confirmed status. If anything is still pending, get the device back on a stable network and let it finish syncing. Orders saved offline are not lost, they remain queued on the device until they push.
2. Turn off Showroom Mode. Go to Settings → Organisational Settings → User Management → Showroom Mode and switch it off. Each rep's standard permissions restore automatically.
3. Review all scanned leads. Go to More → Trade Fair Visitors to see every badge captured during the show. Each lead displays the contact details pulled from the badge (name, company, email, phone, location). Use Export Sheet to download the full list as an Excel file for follow-up campaigns.
4. Reconcile new customer records. New customers created offline are now in the customer database. Review the list for typos, duplicates, or missing fields — particularly assigned sales rep, price list, and payment terms.
5. Collect outstanding payments. Orders sync to the ERP, but card payments require an active internet connection to process. Use WizPay (if applicable) to collect any payments that couldn't be taken at the booth.
6. Tag orders to the show (if applicable). Contact your Customer Success Manager to tag show orders to the specific event. This enables filtering by trade show in the orders dashboard and makes follow-up reporting cleaner.
7. Run post-show reports. Filter orders by date range and sales rep to review totals, order volumes, and payment status.
8. Capture lessons learned. Note what worked and what didn't (such as signal quality in the booth, sync timing, label or scanner issues, missing product collections) so the next show is smoother.

FAQs

1. Can I turn on Showroom Mode remotely during the show if I'm not at the booth?

A. Yes. Showroom Mode is toggled from Settings → Organisational Settings → User Management → Showroom Mode in the admin panel and can be switched on or off remotely at any time.

2. What happens if a rep's device runs out of battery before switching back to online mode?

A. Offline orders are saved on the device and will not be lost when the battery dies. When the device is charged and back online, the app will push the queued orders automatically. Reps should not clear app data or uninstall the app until all orders show as Confirmed.

3. Can I see orders being taken at the show in real time?

A. Only once they sync to the ERP. Orders taken in Offline Mode are stored locally on the rep's device and will not appear in the admin panel until the device reconnects and the sync completes.

4. How do I know which orders came from a specific trade show?

A. Contact your Customer Success Manager to enable trade show tagging. Once set up, you can filter orders by show name in the orders dashboard.

5. What should I do if a badge scan doesn't route to the right rep?

A. Open More → Trade Fair Visitors, find the lead, and click Notify Rep manually to send the notification. Before the next show, review territory mapping (zip code assignments) and rep contact details with your Customer Success Manager to make sure automatic routing works correctly.