A trade show or exhibition is a concentrated burst of spend with a payback that arrives later. You commit to the stand months ahead, build and ship it, send your team, and carry stock to show or sell — yet the orders, leads and follow-up sales come in over the weeks that follow. That gap between paying out and being paid is exactly the kind of time-boxed growth cost a Credicorp facility is built for, so a strong event isn't skipped for lack of upfront cash.
What a trade show facility can cover
- Stand design, build, hire and shipping to the venue.
- Floor space, exhibitor fees and on-site services.
- Travel, accommodation and staffing for the team attending.
- Demo units, samples and stock to display or sell at the event.
Why it differs from a general marketing campaign
A trade show is more front-loaded than most marketing. The deadline is fixed by the organiser, the spend is largely committed before a single lead arrives, and the payback window is short and measurable — you can usually tie new enquiries and orders back to the event. If your spend is broader brand or advertising activity rather than one dated event, our note on funding a marketing campaign is the better fit.
Flex or Slice for an event
Both products can fund an exhibition. Slice tends to suit a single, well-sized event where you know the total cost up front and want to repay over a set term. Flex tends to suit a run of shows across a season, or a build where costs firm up in stages, because you can draw as the spending lands. The same logic we set out in choosing Flex or Slice for a purchase and Flex or Slice for a cashflow need applies here — pick the structure that matches how the spend and the payback actually play out.
How it works
You apply as a UK limited company or LLP for the business purpose of attending the event. If we make an offer, you draw the funds, commit to the stand and the logistics, and repay over the term and at the rate set out in your offer document as the post-show orders convert. The facility is to the company, with no personal guarantee from directors. If you are also carrying extra stock to sell on the day, our note on funding stock ahead of demand covers that side of it.
Invest with a clear payback in mind
Borrowing for an event works best when you have a realistic view of what it should return — leads, orders, or a pipeline you can value — and a plan to track it. Capture contacts and attribute the sales that follow so you know the show covered its cost and earned its place in next year's calendar. Credicorp is an exempt business lender outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, so the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS do not apply to this facility.
See also: Can business finance help bridge a short-term cashflow gap?, Bridging a late CIS or VAT refund, Bridging an R&D tax credit claim.