How does a B2B trade show satisfy visitors’ needs? A literature review of visitor satisfaction: research approaches, themes and future research directions

Purpose This study aims to compile and evaluate the stream of research on visitor satisfaction at business-to-business (B2B) trade shows, as well as identifying measurements for visitor satisfaction, research approaches, thematic framework, influencing factors and future research directions. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review, based on 58 articles published in journals between 2000 and 2024, was undertaken to meet the research objective. A meta-analysis was applied to explore the effect sizes of the influencing factors to reveal their importance on visitor satisfaction. Finally, directions for future research on visitor satisfaction have been given in terms of themes, perspectives and methodologies. Findings The descriptive review revealed that a considerable number of studies on this topic are biased toward quantitative research methods based on established measurement dimensions. Building on a themes-outcomes framework, three main themes of visitor satisfaction at B2B trade shows are discussed: service satisfaction, relationship satisfaction and function satisfaction. The positive effects of visitor satisfaction on behavioral loyalty and emotional loyalty are well recognized. The meta-analysis revealed that service quality and relationship quality were strongly correlated with visitor satisfaction. Originality/value To examine visitor satisfaction in the context of trade shows, this study built a chaining thematic framework to explain the antecedents and outcomes of visitor satisfaction using the systematic review method. The influencing factors framework provides a reference for subsequent research and promotes decision-making regarding ways to improve visitor satisfaction in trade show management practices.