Marketing-qualified lead (MQL)

The MQL is the standard handoff unit between marketing and sales, and events are one of its biggest sources. A contact typically becomes an MQL by crossing a score threshold: their profile fits (right industry, seniority, company size) and their behavior signals interest (visited the booth, attended a demo, asked substantive questions). What counts is defined jointly by marketing and sales — or should be, because most MQL friction comes from the two teams holding different definitions. Marketing celebrates 400 event MQLs; sales works the list, finds most aren't ready to talk, and stops trusting the label. For events specifically, the risk is inflation: badge scans get bulk-promoted to MQL status because they came from an expensive show and someone needs to justify the spend. That helps nobody. A cleaner approach is to hold event contacts to the same scoring bar as any other source, and let genuine engagement — a qualified booth conversation, a meeting request — do the promoting. Track the MQL-to-SQL conversion rate for each event you attend; it's one of the most honest measures of event quality, because it tells you whether the show attracted actual buyers or just foot traffic.