If you're like most business owners, you don't attend trade shows only to sell. You attend them to buy, too. Still, you probably spend most of your time preparing to be an excellent exhibitor, with little thought to what makes an astute attendee.
If you make the effort to be a smart shopper, though, you'll find your trade show experience is time well-spent, not wasted. After all, trade shows are great places to:
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Do your pre-show preparation
Before attending a show, review its promotional materials to find out who will be exhibiting. Determine what booths you want to visit and create a map for navigating the show based on where relevant vendors are located on the trade show floor.
I recommend: Check up on exhibitors you are interested in before the show by reading articles about them. Try searching vendors online at
FindArticles.com, which grants free access to millions of articles on thousands of topics. Trade magazines will typically preview big shows in the issue before the show.Search for
trade shows and
exhibit halls to help you map out your attack at
TradeshowWeek.com.
Set goals ahead of time
Make a list of goals – whether for making a purchase, a contact or a sale – for you and your company prior to attending a trade show. Keep those goals top of mind as you're wandering the trade show floor.
I recommend: Consider enlisting a professional to help draft your objectives. Expert Susan Friedmann offers trade show advice to small businesses and distributes free tips via her Web site
TheTradeshowCoach.com and weekly e-newsletter
Exhibit Smart.
Work efficiently on the floor
Time on the trade show floor is precious. Don't feel pressured to stop by every booth or listen to every sales pitch; skip irrelevant booths for those that interest you most.
I recommend: When you get home with your collection of fliers, business cards and brochures, don't throw it away — put it away. Organize a library of show materials for you and your staff with folders, magazine racks and filing cabinets from
The Container Store.
Network constantly
Trade shows are flush with industry bigwigs. Meet as many as you can by being a social butterfly or attending seminar sessions. Meet people in line for lunch, at their booth or in the lobby of your hotel.
I recommend: Order custom business cards to distribute en masse on the trade show floor from
VistaPrint or
Business-Cards.com.
Attend seminars
Trade shows aren't home only to booths, they also play host to scores of interesting presentations and workshops. Schedule time to attend at least a few seminars while you're in town to get the most from your trade show investment.
I recommend: Search for trade shows and seminars online at
TSNN.com. You can also download the full conference program from many shows' Web sites to find out what seminars they're offering and how to sign up.
Act on your information
Develop a lead form for every show you attend containing vendors' names, products and contact information, as well as follow-up notes you'll want to consult after the show.
I recommend: Learn how to build a lead form, and find out what a successful one looks like, by downloading EXHIBITOR Magazine's
Lead Forms You Can Count On.
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