60% of planners cite ROI as a key focus for events, according toICE Hub's corporate planner research. If event ROI is under scrutiny, every conversation at your meetups carries weight and potential value.
The question then is, what happens to it next?
When someone walks up to your booth at a trade show or attends your session, how are you capturing that opportunity? If you rely on memory a spreadsheet, or an easily misplaced business card, you create room for gaps and missed follow-up. That process is ineffective for generating event leads.
A lead-capture tool is an on-site solution that helps you record and organize attendee information during an event. A majority of these tools work through badge scanning, mobile apps, QR codes, or embedded forms.
A lead capture solution replaces manual collection methods and creates a reliable record of who engaged with your brand. At events such as trade shows, interactions happen quickly. If those conversations are scribbled in a notebook, data accuracy drops within days.
In contrast, a lead capture tool records those interactions immediately and stores them in a format your sales team can act on. When an attendee consents to share their information, you capture their details and any additional notes. Some systems allow custom qualifiers, follow-up timelines, lead ratings, or product interest tags so you can segment leads before they ever enter your CRM.
Top 5 lead capture tools in 2026
If you are comparing lead capture tools, you are likely trying to answer a practical question.
How do you make sure conversations at your event turn into qualified opportunities without creating extra work afterward? Some tools focus on speed, while others focus on data depth and pricing. Here is a closer look at five options used across B2B events.
1. Cvent LeadCapture
Cvent LeadCapture is for organizers who want to give exhibitors and sponsors a consistent way to scan and qualify leads onsite. Instead of leaving exhibitors to manage their own systems, the app provides a single environment where they can scan badges, rate interest, add notes, and export data without delay. That consistency is critical at larger conferences and trade shows where multiple sponsors are trying to prove the value of their participation.
Exhibitors can customize qualification questions so their sales teams receive more than just contact details. They can prioritize leads before they ever leave the venue and move data into their CRM while conversations are still fresh.
From the organizer’s side, the Exhibitor Portal allows sponsors to view lead counts, assess quality, and connect those leads to pipeline or closed revenue over time. When ROI is in the spotlight, that visibility becomes part of the post-event reporting conversation.
Key features:
- Badge and business card scanning
- Real-time lead qualification and rating
- Custom qualification questions
- On-demand lead export
- CRM syncing for faster follow-up
- Exhibitor Portal reporting to measure participation impact
- Data privacy controls within the event environment
What makes them #1? Power and flexibility. Cvent LeadCapture is a great trade show lead generation solution for organizers who want a standardized lead-capture process for exhibitors and sponsors, along with reporting that supports ROI discussions. It can also be used at large, multi-day conferences.
2. iCapture
This tech focuses on sales teams that attend multiple trade shows each year and want one consistent way to capture and route leads. If your reps move from event to event, process breakdown becomes a real issue. Different badge systems, spreadsheets, follow-up timing, etc., iCapture aims to standardize that experience so every rep uses the same workflow regardless of the show.
The tool integrates with official badge providers, meaning lead data is pulled directly from verified attendee records rather than relying on manual entry. That reduces cleanup after the event and gives sales teams cleaner information to work with.
Speed is at the heart of the solution. Leads can be routed to systems such as Salesforce, HubSpot, Marketo, Microsoft Dynamics, or Eloqua within seconds. That allows scoring, assignment, and outreach to begin while the interaction is still recent. iCapture also supports standardized capture forms, ensuring qualification data remains consistent across events.
Key features:
- Official badge-kit integrations for structured data capture
- Customizable qualification forms
- Real-time lead routing into major CRMs and marketing platforms
- Smart segmentation and lead assignment
- Reporting to evaluate event and rep performance
- Use on existing mobile devices without additional hardware
Sales-driven organizations that attend multiple trade shows often rely on iCapture to create a unified process across all events and to ensure faster handoffs into their CRM systems.
3. Jifflenow
Jifflenow approaches event lead capture from a different angle. It centers on scheduled B2B meetings rather than booth scans alone. If your event or trade show strategy depends on pre-booked meetings, executive briefings, demo sessions, or hosted buyer programs, the volume and coordination can become complex. Calendar conflicts, approval workflows, room allocation, and follow-up tracking all add layers that basic scanning tools don’t address.
Jifflenow automates that meeting process.
Sales teams can request or approve meetings before an event begins. Prospects can submit meeting requests directly. Availability syncs dynamically, reducing the likelihood of double-booking. Once meetings are scheduled, the platform tracks attendance, captures notes, and records outcomes.
The system supports both one-to-one engagements and group formats such as roundtables, booth tours, and technical sessions. That flexibility makes it relevant for hybrid and in-person environments where structured conversations drive pipeline progression.
After the event, reporting dashboards show meeting counts, participant data, resource utilization, and revenue influence. If your ROI model depends on meetings rather than scans, that visibility becomes central.
Key features:
- Automated inbound and outbound meeting scheduling
- Calendar synchronization and approval workflows
- Support for one-to-one and one-to-many engagement formats
- Mobile app for meeting management and check-ins
- Survey capture and meeting notes
- CRM and marketing system data synchronization
- Reporting dashboards to evaluate meeting impact
If your event strategy centers around booked meetings rather than booth scans, this platform is a better fit than a traditional scanning app. It supports teams that treat meetings as the primary driver of revenue.
4. Google Forms
Google Forms is not built specifically for events. It is a general-purpose form builder. That said, many teams still use it for basic lead capture because it is familiar and free.
If you need a simple way to collect contact details at a small event, you can create a form in minutes. You choose your question types, add dropdowns or short text fields, and share the link through a tablet at your booth or a QR code on signage.
In Google Forms, responses update in real time. You can view summary charts inside the form dashboard or open the raw data in Google Sheets for sorting and filtering. For teams already working inside Google Workspace, this feels straightforward. You can also add logic to show or hide questions based on responses. That helps if you want to ask different follow-up questions depending on attendee interest. Basic response validation ensures that email addresses are formatted correctly and required fields are completed.
Collaboration is also quite simple in Google Forms. Multiple team members can edit the form simultaneously. That is useful when marketing and sales need to agree on qualification questions before an event. Security and privacy controls follow Google Cloud standards. So, data is encrypted in transit and at rest, and administrators retain control over access within their organization.
What Google Forms does not provide is badge scanning, automatic CRM syncing, or built-in event attribution reporting. If you use it for events, you will likely have to export the data and manually upload it to your CRM afterward.
Key features:
- Customizable question types and conditional logic
- Real-time response summaries and Google Sheets export
- Collaborative editing within Google Workspace
- Response validation for cleaner data
- Easy sharing via link, QR code, or embedded form
- Enterprise-grade cloud security controls
Teams that need a free and flexible option to collect contact details without dedicated event integrations usually use Google Forms. It can also be used for smaller events or field marketing activations.
5. Microsoft Forms
Microsoft Forms is another general-purpose tool that teams often use when they already operate inside the Microsoft 365 environment. Like Google Forms, it was not created specifically as a lead-capture tool for events, but it can serve that function in the right setting.
You can build surveys, polls, or simple lead forms in minutes. The interface guides you through question creation, and branching logic allows you to show follow-up questions based on previous answers. That can help you qualify interest without overwhelming the attendee with unnecessary fields.
Like Google Forms, here, too, all responses are updated in real time, built-in charts summarize results instantly, and you can export data directly to Excel for deeper review. If your marketing and sales teams rely on Excel for reporting, that export path is straightforward.
Microsoft Forms also works across devices and browsers. You can host it on a tablet at your booth, share it through a QR code, or send a follow-up link after a session. Multilingual support is a great feature if your event attracts an international audience.
From a governance perspective, Microsoft Forms operates within Microsoft’s security and compliance framework. Administrators control access, and data remains within your organization’s environment when using enterprise licenses.
Where Microsoft Forms falls short for larger trade shows is automation. There is no built-in badge scanning, native event attribution dashboard, or automatic routing to sales without additional configuration. You will likely need manual steps or separate workflows to move captured data into your CRM.
Key features:
- Quick form and survey creation with branching logic
- Real-time charts and automatic summaries
- Direct export to Excel
- Multilingual support
- Works on any browser or device
- Security and compliance within Microsoft 365
If your organization is already invested in Microsoft 365 and you need a straightforward way to collect and export attendee data without deploying a dedicated event-scanning app, Microsoft Forms can be a great lead-capture tool.
Conclusion
If ROI drives your event strategy, lead capture cannot be an afterthought. You can invest heavily in your presence at a show. But if the conversations you have never turn into structured data, it becomes harder to prove impact later.
The right tool depends on how you run events. Large conferences with exhibitors may require a standardized scanning app. Sales teams attending multiple trade shows may need a single, consistent process across all events. Hosted meetings and executive briefings may call for automated scheduling. Smaller activations may only need a simple form. The point is, there is no universal answer. What matters is whether you can connect event engagement to pipeline and revenue without scrambling after the fact.
Next, read Trade show marketing: strategies, tips and tricks.
FAQs
1. What is the best way to capture leads?
The best way to capture leads depends on the type of event you are running and on your sales process. At large trade shows, badge scanning apps often provide the fastest and most accurate way to collect attendee data. They reduce manual entry and allow you to add qualification notes immediately.
For hosted meetings or executive briefings, structured scheduling platforms may carry more value because the meeting itself is the lead. For smaller events or field activations, a well-built digital form can work if you have a clear process for exporting and routing the data afterward.
2. What is meant by lead capture?
Lead capture refers to the process of collecting contact information and relevant details from a potential customer who has shown interest in your product or service. In the context of events, this usually happens when someone visits your booth, attends a session, books a meeting, or requests follow-up.
Lead capture is not only about collecting a name and email. It also includes recording context. What’s the source of the lead? What were they interested in? Did they ask for pricing? Are they actively evaluating vendors? Without that context, follow-up becomes generic. But when you have all this information, outreach can reflect the actual conversation that took place.
3. How do you create a lead capture form?
Start by defining what your sales team needs. A name and email are obvious. After that, think about qualification questions. Keep the form focused on information that will influence follow-up. Here are some questions you can use:
- Are you targeting a specific industry?
- What’s your budget range?
- Is there any buying timeline?
- Are you using a competitor or building a solution internally?
- Are you the decision-maker, part of a committee, or just gathering information?
Use a tool that supports required fields and response validation to keep data clean. Test the form on a mobile device before your event to make sure it is easy to complete in a busy environment.
Finally, decide what happens after submission. Who receives the data, and does it sync to your CRM automatically, or will someone export and upload it? Remember, a form is only useful if the follow-up process is clear and immediate.
