Plan of Attack

Trade show attendance is an important investment. Your time at the show is valuable. Here are ten tips for getting the most from your adventure.

When you go to a trade show, you pay for registration, travel, hotel and meals. But the most important investment you make is your time.

If you want to spend it wisely, you have to prepare. If you plan to attend the 2011 Pumper & Cleaner Environmental Expo International in Louisville, it’s not too soon to start getting ready. One of the best ways to plan is to start with the end in mind – with what you want to bring back from the show to help your business.

That might be equipment. It might be knowledge. It might be a newly minted network of friends and mentors. Most likely it’s all these and more. Consider planning now for all the treasures you hope to gather. Here are ten tips drawn from my own experience and from experienced trade show attendees.

Don’t bite off too much. At a large trade show, there’s more to see and do than you can possibly take in. As in any other endeavor, it’s better to do a few things well than many things poorly. Decide in advance which products you’re going to research, which seminars you’re going to attend, and what events you’re going to take in. Take good care of that business – and then do other things in any spare time you have.

Be comfortable. There’s a tendency to underrate this. But the plain fact is, if you’re over-dressed and get too warm, if your feet hurt, if you keep pushing yourself too hard, you’re going to be miserable, and as a result you’ll be at less than your best. Above all, wear the most comfortable shoes you can find. Consider buying a great pair of walking shoes – and do it a month ahead of time so you can break them in.

Share the wealth (and the work). If you can, take along a colleague. Two heads and two sets of eyes are better than one. Another team member is sure to notice things that you didn’t. And with two people patrolling the floor and taking in seminars, you’ll accomplish at least twice as much as if you attended alone.

Set goals. Make them specific and measurable. Examples: I will come back from the show with the business cards of five peers with whom I can share information through the year. I will compare and contrast four portable video inspection systems and be prepared to make a buying decision within one week after the show.

Keep your eyes on the prize. Don’t get distracted by the sideshows and giveaways. Stick to business. That doesn’t mean you can’t take a minute to watch a magician or try your hand at a putting green. But keep that to a minimum and stay focused on the real reasons you’re at the show.

Write things down. Things you observe, ideas you get, people you want to follow up with, products you want to investigate later – write it all on a list or make notes in your smart phone. If you don’t, you’re all but certain to forget things that might have been of great value.

Make appointments. It’s frustrating to visit an exhibitor whose new product interests you, only to find the booth mobbed and the staff terminally tied up. If there’s a product you’re definitely interested in seeing up close, consider calling the manufacturer in advance and arranging a booth visit on a specific day and time.

Observe the “three-foot rule.” One trade show regular I know likes to say, “If you come within three feet of me at a show, I’m saying hello and shaking your hand.” That’s basically a way of saying: Don’t be shy. Get out of your comfort zone and talk to people. The person ahead of you in the lunch buffet line could be someone with the solution to a problem that’s been plaguing you for months.

Plan for the post-mortem. One can argue that the most important trade show days are the ones right after you get home. Before you leave for the show, set up a meeting or series of meetings with your team where you’ll go over everything you learned, examine everything you’ve collected, and follow up as needed. If you don’t do this, a lot of great ideas and opportunities will vanish into thin air – because you’ll be too wrapped up in the day-to-day to remember them, let alone attend to them.

Have some fun. Include on your schedule time to take in a sports event, have dinner at a nice restaurant, go to a concert, or visit a museum in the host city. As my mother used to say, “Remember what all work and no play does to Jack.” (It makes him a dull boy.) A little R&R, a little entertainment, will help you enjoy your trade show experience – and look forward to the next one.

Here’s wishing you a successful and enjoyable 2011 Pumper & Cleaner Expo.



Discussion

Comments on this site are submitted by users and are not endorsed by nor do they reflect the views or opinions of COLE Publishing, Inc. Comments are moderated before being posted.