Planning Ahead

1. Inventory – Know what you have, what you need, and where you have holes in your product line. Run sales reports if you can, but make sure to talk to your customers and see what they’re interested in. There’s nothing worse than stocking items you think are cool but your customers hate.
2. Set Goals – Whether it’s just you, or the gang’s all here, create a specific set of outcomes that relate to improving your business when you return. It could be as nuts-and-bolts as renegotiating a deal with a vendor to improve cash flow, or as hip as creating a photoblog to keep your customers up on the latest gear.
3. Schedule – Talk to your reps beforehand and set up specific meeting times. Organize the most important meetings first, 2-3 per day. Then, fill in with other meetings you would like to have. Remember to leave plenty of time to run into people or browse other booths between meetings.
4. Get Your Learn On – Look ahead to see what sessions are available that answer burning questions or just look interesting. If there are fees, make sure you have clear objectives in mind to avoid wasting money. This is a chance to identify learning opportunities that can make a bottom-line difference.

At The Show

1. Pick Up Badges Early – It never fails, someone always forgets their ID or confirmation back in the room, there’s a long line at Starbucks, you get distracted by a Blackjack table… Don’t plan on picking up your badge 5 minutes before a key appointment.
2. Use Your Technology – Most phones have a camera or some sort of voice recorder, heck, a lot of them have video. Rather than try to take notes, snap a pic or make a quick recording of something you want to remember. Especially if you do video, you’re much more likely to remember why it was so important.
3. Take Real Breaks – Especially at large shows, if you never leave the show floor, your soul slowly dies. Plan for a real lunch break, and make it just before or after the big rush. Get out of the hall and go to a restaurant where it’s quiet. Your mind will thank me.
4. Wear Your Badge High (my personal pet peeve) – Why convention organizers have badges hang so low, I’ll never understand. Tie your lanyard off so the badge is near your neck; this makes it easier for others to quickly read your name and then make eye contact, improving the quality of your conversations. Better yet, wear your own nametag in addition to the badge, especially if it’s a cool conversation starter.
5. Skip Booths – At least for the first day (or 2 days, of a 3+ day show), don’t stop into booths just because they have something cool. Focus on getting your “must-do” visits and meetings done first and then go back for the cool, but not quite relevant, stuff on the last day. This is where a voice/video recorder or camera can come in handy – it’s much quicker to snap a pic of a booth you want to come back to than to write down a note. (Option 2 – bring the new kid and give them the job of finding the 5 coolest things they hadn’t seen before. You get to keep your finger on the pulse of today’s youth, and they actually accomplish something useful at their first show.)

After the After-Party

1. Relax – Trade shows seem like they should be a vacation, but in reality, they are physically and mentally draining. Whether it’s leaving the show early, or skipping an extra 1/2 day of work when you get back, give yourself some time to recover.
2. Review – Look at your goals again. Did you accomplish them? Did you try to do too much and fall flat on your face (not from drinking), or did you aim too low and find yourself wandering aimlessly?
3. Evaluate – At specific intervals after the show (say, once per quarter), evaluate whether or not your show attendance (and the goals you set) are having a positive impact on your business. This is a good time to start writing down thoughts, questions, and problems that can become your goals for next year’s show.

There’s obviously so much more I could get into, but those are some quick and easy things you can do to make the show more worthwhile than just an excuse to go to Vegas (or where-ever). A properly done show should be an investment in your business that pays dividends throughout the year.