Launch of Exhibition Communication Service "PATHOS" by Team Specializing in Lead Acquisition

Bluhen Inc. (Headquarters: Ogaki City, Gifu Prefecture, CEO: Yuko Tanaka), a communication support company that fosters corporate growth, is launching its communication business "PATHOS," which transforms "missed encounters" at exhibitions into opportunities that lead to results.

This service is neither a sales agency nor a companion service. Instead, a team specializing in lead acquisition provides integrated support from strategy design and contact point design to team dispatch and evaluation/improvement. By focusing on the "quality" rather than the "quantity" of business cards collected, we reduce the cost per acquisition (CPA/CPL), enabling SMEs and regional companies with limited sales resources to turn exhibitions into opportunities to meet new customers and achieve sales results.

▼ Background: Why Exhibitions Now?

Corporate marketing activities, which once shifted heavily online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, are now returning to "real-life meeting places." The market size of the event-related industry, which sharply declined in 2020, is projected to reach 2,853.5 billion yen (108.3% year-on-year) in 2024, exceeding the pre-COVID 2019 level by approximately 10% (109.2%). The market had already recovered to pre-COVID levels by 2023, and the return to real events continues.

Exhibitions are particularly prominent in the BtoB domain. In 2019, 603 exhibitions were held in Japan, with a total of 77,041 exhibitors and organizations, and approximately 7.49 million visitors. Over 90% (93.7%) of these were BtoB exhibitions. Recent surveys also show that exhibitions (52.3%) were the top marketing measure implemented by BtoB companies in the previous year, significantly outperforming email marketing (37.1%) and online seminars (36.7%). The primary purpose for exhibiting was "lead acquisition" (56.5%), closely followed by "improving product/service awareness" (55.6%).

This "return to reality" is supported by the re-evaluation of the value unique to face-to-face interaction. The benefits of exhibitions cited as top priorities include the experiential value unique to real-life interactions, such as "being able to gauge visitor interest and reactions" (51.6%), "creating serendipitous encounters and customer touchpoints" (49.2%), and "building trust through face-to-face communication" (47.6%).

On the other hand, challenges faced by exhibiting companies are also becoming apparent. Approximately 90% of companies face some form of challenge with their exhibitions, with common complaints including:

"Unclear return on investment or results" "Inadequate follow-up after the exhibition" "Low number of business cards or meetings acquired on the day"

These issues are particularly acute for SMEs and regional companies that may not have dedicated sales teams. "We exhibited, but it didn't lead to results" is a pressing concern.

To address the structural challenges faced by SMEs and regional companies in converting real-life encounters into "results" with limited sales resources, we have launched "PATHOS."

References: *1 Japan Event Industry Association (JACE) "Estimate of Event Industry Scale 2024" (Announced June 18, 2025) *2 Japan Exhibition Association "Survey of Exhibition Results in Japan 2019" (Announced January 12, 2021) *3 IT Communications Inc. "Survey on Event Measures in BtoB Marketing 2025" (December 9, 2025) *4 Sai-ryu Inc. "Survey on Exhibition Participation Status 2024" (August 13, 2024)

▼ What is "PATHOS"?

PATHOS is a communication business that transforms "missed encounters" at exhibitions into touchpoints that lead to results. It designs the very "first contact" with visitors, transforming exhibitions from mere participation opportunities into venues that generate sales outcomes.

Previously, there were two main options for exhibition sites: "sales agencies" that handle negotiations and calls, and "companions" who staff the booth. However, sales agencies are not always optimized for the "first contact" at an exhibition, and while companions excel at creating an impression at the venue, they are not expected to handle outcome-driven conversations or identify leads.

PATHOS differs from both. It is a team solely focused on "generating results" by designing the first contact at exhibitions.

▼ Features

1 Integrated Support from Strategy Design to Evaluation and Improvement

We provide consistent support from strategy design → contact point design → team dispatch → evaluation/improvement, including before and after the exhibition. We design participation not as isolated "points" but as a "line" leading to results.

2 Lowering Cost Per Acquisition (CPA/CPL)

We focus on the cost incurred to meet one new customer at an exhibition, "CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) / CPL (Cost Per Lead)," and eliminate waste in participation. By concentrating resources on encounters that directly lead to results, rather than indiscriminately collecting business cards, we reduce the cost per case.

3 Approach Focused on Lead Quality

We emphasize the "quality" of acquired business cards over their "quantity." We carefully identify encounters with highly interested prospects and ensure they are reliably connected to post-event meetings.

▼ Target Application Areas

We envision its use in scenarios such as SaaS companies, HR/HR tech companies, and exhibitors at large-scale exhibitions, where a high number of visitors means the "quality of encounters" significantly impacts results.

▼ Pricing

Training and Management Fee: ¥50,000 / project

Staffing Fee: ¥40,000 / person/day

▼ For Service Details

For details on the service, please visit the following special page: https://pathos-lp-bluhen.web.app/

◾️About Bluhen Inc.

Bluhen Inc. is a communication support company that connects people and drives business through "words" and "technology."

We offer five communication services to address essential corporate growth challenges such as sales expansion, talent acquisition and retention, AI utilization, and co-creation with communities. We provide integrated support from planning and design to execution and improvement of communications that lead to business growth, utilizing "words" and "AI" tailored to each company's challenges.

Website: https://bluhen.org/