Attending trade shows is not a cheap endeavor.
Obviously, there are a lot of associated costs with setting up and manning a booth for your company, but even if you just go as a regular attendee the price tag might surprise you. Not only do you have to pay for the ticket, there’s also likely to be some travel involved, and if you want to stay close to the event, you’ll probably need a hotel—where prices have inevitably been jacked up because of the trade show. And, of course, there’s money in the productivity you’re losing from missing work.
Knowing all of that doesn’t mean that trade shows aren’t worth it; it just means that if you are going to go, you’d better make sure that you’re making the most of it. With that in mind, here are several things that you can do to ensure that your next trade show experience is one that you find invaluable.
Make a plan of attack. Trade shows are often bigger and more complicated than you think they’ll be. You may just expect to show up and find the things you want to see and do, but it can be overwhelming when you arrive. Instead, check out the list of events and attendees ahead of time and make a plan of attack so you can ensure that you at least get to do the most important items on your list. Otherwise, you could end up leaving with a bunch of regrets.
Put yourself out there. One of the biggest reasons to attend a trade show is networking, so make sure that you’re psyched up and ready to talk to people about the business. Be sure to find out about any mixers and parties, and get out to as many of them as you can. Bring business cards and even a portfolio or samples so you’re able to whip them out whenever the time seems right. And if you see the names of people and companies that you think it would be valuable for you to introduce yourself to, don’t miss out on those opportunities.
Don’t just “have” a booth. If you’re going to shell out to put up a booth at a trade show, don’t just stand there in front of your backdrop playing solitaire on your laptop. Reach out to people with a dynamic display. Demonstrate products or services to get attention. Drive people to your area (and keep them coming back) with giveaways and contests. While you don’t want to become annoying, remember that there is a certain amount of showmanship involved in attracting people at trade shows, so you’ve got to be willing to put forth the effort.
Reach out to the world. Although it’s still a relatively new idea just starting to come into prominence over the last decade, live-blogging from a trade show can be a fantastic way to raise your business’s profile both at the event itself and around the world. No matter how many people are at the trade show, you can bet that there are lots more who just couldn’t afford to make the trip, so if you can help make them feel like they’re part of the action by offering a rundown of the sights and sounds, there’s a good chance you’ll find an audience. And you may even be able to use live-blogging to drive more actual attendees to your booth by talking about what’s going on there and mentioning things like contests, giveaways, and so on.
There are many ways to make going to a trade show a valuable experience. You just have to figure out what’s best for you and your company.
