Unlike other seasons, that subtly let you know of their pending arrival with gentle reminders like a sudden chill in the air or a light coating of frost on the ground, the trade show season arrives with little warning. One minute you’re busy at your desk and the next you’re eating salted peanuts from a tiny foil bag while staring at the words: Use Seat Cushion for Flotation Device, and thinking that you’d rather cling to that seat cushion in the middle of an ocean than do four days of another trade show. Ah, but I digress.
What I really wanted to address was just a few things you may want to consider as you prepare for the onslaught of trade shows we are all about to be hit with. After all, if you’re attending trade shows these days you’ve surely discovered that attendees and exhibitors who show up today are there because they really want (and need) to be. Far fewer tire-kickers are attending these shows and far more truly qualified, interested, potential customers are walking the aisles. It’s serious business.
So then, a few tips, albeit from a member of the press, but one who has attended these things for close to 20 years.
First, for attendees with full booth schedules to keep, try to remember that although your time at the show is undoubtedly life and death to your business, you won’t be the only one there with an overflow of appointments to cover. Don’t linger unnecessarily at each one. Get the answers to your questions and move along as time is important to every attendee. What this usually translates to is, “Turn your cell phone OFF until you’re on ‘your’ time.”
The cell phone suggestion is really a good one for all to follow. If you don’t have your stuff together by the time you’re on the show floor, 100 cell phone calls aren’t going to help you anyway.
Also – if you plan on pulling around your bag on the end of one of those 3-foot long extended handles, please be considerate of the fact you probably, unknowingly took out up to two dozen of us at the last show you did. When you enter a particularly crowded area with one of those dangling behind you, try to keep it a little closer to your person as it’s unlikely many folks are checking out the carpeting as they move from booth to booth…we know you’re not.
For the exhibitors that rim the outer reaches of the show floor, with the smaller, tabletops booth set-ups, (often times my favorite part of the show to cover), make it clear what your booth is all about. With so many of these exhibits crammed into a fairly small space, it’s easy to buzz right by companies that might have something really unique to cover. Whatever it is you are showcasing, make sure we can see it the second we stroll by…or we’ll probably just stroll by.
Other than remembering to brush your teeth in the morning, that just about covers it. Oh, one last thing, can the guy on the red rascal, who ran over my foot last year, just remember to slow down a tad and take your turns with a bit more caution. Those things are great, but it’s getting a little NASCAR-esque out there and someone’s gotta wave the yellow flag. Gentlemen (and ladies), start your engines.
