The Exhibitor Marketplace allows organizers to sell digital services to exhibitors. These purchases happen directly in the Exhibitor Center, while you manage setup and tracking in Studio.
Key Benefits
New revenue stream: You earn a payout for every extra purchased.
Custom flexibility: Sell any digital or physical offer.
Self-serve experience for exhibitors: Less back-and-forth, more convenience.
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What can I sell in the Marketplace?
You can sell:
Swapcard extras (e.g. Lead Capture, Lead Qualification)
Custom extras (e.g. AI Lead Recommendations, merchandise, sponsorship add-ons)
Automatic activation
Lead Capture and Lead Qualification are linked to permissions and will be auto-enabled after purchase.
Custom extras are not linked to permissions and need to be manually activated by our team once purchased.
â ď¸ When enabling the permission âLead Captureâ on an extra, you need to make sure either to:
Use In-App or Launchpad Registration,
Sync the badge code of your third-party registration tool.
How to set up your marketplace in Studio
To launch your Marketplace:
In Studio, go to your event.
Open the Content menu.
Click Exhibitor Marketplace.
Select Create marketplace (if setting up for the first time).
Choose your currency â â ď¸ this cannot be changed later.
Once your marketplace is created, you can begin adding extras.
How to create and manage extras
To add extras to your marketplace:
Click Create an Extra
Add a name and description for the extra
Define a quantity limit if necessary (once the defined quantity is reached, the Extra will automatically be marked as Sold out and cannot be purchased anymore.)
Choose whether to link it to a permission
For example, select Lead Capture to enable that feature post-purchase
You can bundle permissions (e.g., Lead Capture + Qualification
đ How Permissions Work
When purchased, the associated permission is automatically enabled in the exhibitorâs profile
No manual activation is needed
You can bundle multiple permissions (e.g. Lead Capture + Qualification)
The extra will appear in the order table once purchased
Our team manually activate the related feature or service in Studio
4. Define which exhibitor groups can see this extra (e.g., VIP only). Group are useful to hide or show product to the right exhibitors. For example, you can have different pricing based on the booth size.
5. Set a price
If permission-linked, a minimum price is required
Youâll see a preview of your payout after fees
6. Click Create an extra to make it live for exhibitors
7. You'll see toggle to enable immediately or later.
Managing Marketplace settings
When you click on Marketplace settings, you can:
Rename your Marketplace
Add a Marketplace description
Choose to display image on Extras
If the file size is within the Studioâs maximum limit
The image is successfully associated with the Extra
It appears instantly in the Preview section
Promote your marketplace on your event website
The Marketplace Widget helps you promote exhibitor upgrade options directly on your external event website.
You choose which marketplace extras are visible to guests. These extras are then displayed through an embeddable widget, allowing website visitors to discover available upgrade options before signing in.
Each extra appears as a card containing its image, description, price, quantity, and a purchase action. When no guest-visible extras are available, the widget displays an empty-state message.
Keep purchases within the existing flow
When a visitor selects the purchase action, the Exhibitor Center opens in a new browser tab:
Visitors who are not authenticated are invited to log in or sign up. After authentication, they are directed to the event's marketplace, where they complete their purchase through the existing platform flow.
Visitors who are already authenticated can access the marketplace directly, without an additional login prompt.
The widget's iframe embed code is available in the Pages and Menu section of Studio when the Exhibitor Marketplace is enabled for the event.
In Studio, open the Pages and Menu section.
Copy the Marketplace Widget embed code.
Paste it into your external event website.
Configure options such as interaction actions and infinite scrolling.
đ¸ How payout works
When an exhibitor purchases an extra:
Stripe processes the payment
Exhibitor enters billing details
Payment is completed securely via Stripe
Fees are automatically split
Swapcard takes a fee
Stripe takes a processing fee
The organizer receives the remaining payout
See below 2 clear examples of revenue share
Payout is visible in Studio
The amount you earn per extra is previewed during \the setup
Revenue is sent to your Stripe account
This is the same account used for registration fees
Clear examples of revenue share
Clear examples of revenue share
1. Extra with a permission (e.g. Lead Capture)
Total price paid by the exhibitor: $300
Stripe fee (2.9% + $0.30): $8.70 + $0.30 = $9.00
Fixed Swapcard fee: $100 (example)
Remaining amount: $300 - $9.00 - $100 = $191.00
Variable Swapcard commission (20% > example): 20% of $191.00 = $38.20
Final amount for the organizer: $152.80
Split:
Stripe: $9.00
Swapcard: $100 (fixed) + $38.20 (variable) = $138.20
Organizer: $152.80
2. Extra without a permission
Total price paid by the exhibitor: $300
Stripe fee (2.9% + $0.30): $9.00
Remaining amount: $300 - $9.00 = $291.00
Variable Swapcard commission (20% > example): 20% of $291.00 = $58.20
Final amount for the organizer: $232.80
Split:
Stripe: $9.00
Swapcard: $58.20
Organizer: $232.80
How Exhibitors purchase extras
Exhibitors log into the Exhibitor Center.
They go to the âBoost your ROIâ page (or equivalent marketplace page).
Available extras are listed with name, price, and description; a promotional banner may highlight upgrades.
They select an item and enter billing information.
Payment is processed via Stripe, then Swapcard/Stripe fees are deducted and the organizerâs payout is retained.
For Lead Capture and Lead Qualification, relevant features are automatically enabled in the exhibitorâs account.
Follow up automatically after a purchase
The moment an exhibitor buys a booth upgrade or a Lead Capture license is the ideal time to reach out. You can now trigger a tailored email campaign directly from a Marketplace extra: create a pre-filled Email Manager campaign in one click that sends automatically to every exhibitor who purchases that extra.
Open the settings of any Exhibitor Marketplace extra.
Find the new After purchase email Campaign section.
Click Create campaign.
Swapcard generates a campaign named "Campaign for Marketplace - {Extra Name}", targeted at that extra, and drops you straight into its email settings.
Edit the pre-built blocks to match your message.
Flip the status to Enabled when you're happy and you're live.
There's also a new Extra Purchase target in the Email Manager. Pick it, choose one or more extras from the multi-select list, and your audience is set then combine it with the email content and timing of your choice.
Key behaviors & options
Every campaign is created Disabled by default, so nothing goes out until you've reviewed the copy and switched it on.
When an exhibitor purchases the extra, the email is sent to every exhibitor member attached to that company.
Select two or more extras and only exhibitors who bought all of them are targeted, perfect for bundle and upsell follow-ups.
Layer the Extra Purchase target on top of your existing targeting rules in the same campaign.
Choose whether the email fires on every qualifying purchase or as a single send.
Open an extra that already has campaigns and you'll see links to each one.
Several enabled campaigns can target the same extra, and each sends its own email.
Tracking Sales, Commissions & Permissions
From Studio you can:
View total revenue, commission splits, and net payout
See a table of purchased extras, including exhibitor names and product types
Manage settings, visibility, and permissions for each item
Enable or disable extras, or adjust pricing as needed
This centralized dashboard keeps you in control of your marketplace, helping you optimize revenue and monitor exhibitor uptake.
Best Practices & Tips for Success
To make the most of the Exhibitor Marketplace, organizers should move beyond simple setup and focus on strategic pricing, targeted communication, and data-driven adjustments.
Start Simple
Don't overwhelm your exhibitors (or your operations team) on day one.
The "Core First" Strategy: Begin by enabling high-demand, automated Swapcard extras like Lead Capture and Lead Qualification. Since these are automatically activated upon purchase, they provide an immediate "win" for the exhibitor with zero manual work for you.
Gradual Rollout: Once you are comfortable with the flow of transactions, introduce Custom Extras (like AI Recommendations or physical merchandise) which require manual fulfillment.
Strategic Pricing
Pricing is the biggest lever for conversion.
Tiered Pricing via Groups: Use the "Exhibitor Groups" feature to offer different price points. For example, give a discount to "Gold Sponsors" while charging a standard rate for "Standard Booths."
Early-Bird Incentives: Consider lowering the price in the weeks leading up to the event to drive early adoption, then raising it to a "Last Minute" price during the event days.
Account for Fees: Always use the "Payout Preview" in Studio to ensure your final take-home revenue covers your internal costs, especially for physical items.
Power Up with bundles
Instead of just selling Lead Capture, create a bundle that includes Lead Capture + Lead Qualification. This encourages exhibitors to upgrade to a more comprehensive ROI toolset rather than just the basic scanner.
Target the "Unconverted" via Email Campaigns
The Marketplace is only effective if exhibitors know it exists.
Smart Targeting: Use Studio data to identify exhibitors who do not yet have Lead Capture permissions. Send them a targeted email campaign highlighting the ROI benefits (e.g., "Don't miss a single leadâactivate Lead Capture in 2 minutes via your Exhibitor Center").
Direct Linking: In your communications, provide a direct link or clear instructions on how to find the "Boost your ROI" page in the Exhibitor Center.
5. Monitor & Pivot Mid-Event
The Marketplace is dynamic. Use the tracking dashboard in Studio to stay agile.
Real-Time Adjustments: If a specific extra isn't selling, try adjusting the description to be more benefit-driven or lowering the price slightly.
Inventory Control: If a custom physical extra (like a specific sponsorship signage) is sold out, use the toggle in Studio to disable the extra immediately so you don't oversell.
Gather Feedback for future Iterations
Treat your Marketplace as a growing part of your event business.
Survey Your Exhibitors: Ask them what else they would have liked to purchase. This data is gold for your next event.
Request Future Features: As you grow, look for opportunities to request or implement more advanced features like quantity limits, bulk checkout for large teams, or adding high-quality product images to increase the "shopability" of your marketplace.