subject: Tips For Savvy Trade Show Booth Visiting [print this page] Tips For Savvy Trade Show Booth Visiting Tips For Savvy Trade Show Booth Visiting
Navigating a convention can be tiring at best and difficult at worst. It is easy to become entangled in conversation with display managers, or to miss out on opportunities that you want to take. Add any talks that might be scheduled during the convention, and scheduling your time becomes complicated. Adding structure to your trip is a good way to increase your efficiency, but you can do more to maximize the professional value of your visits.
Make Contact Before The Event
Today's businesses are increasingly present online. If you know where you want to visit and with whom you want to speak, consider letting them know ahead of time. A trade show booth is a chaotic place; the company operating it would appreciate knowing when you'll be stopping by. If you are a journalist, you might be able to arrange additional interviews with company personnel if they are expecting you.
Plan Your Time Carefully
Most event organizers will distribute a floor plan and additional information before the event itself. You should be prepared with knowledge of the floor plan and be ready to move from tradeshow booth to tradeshow booth, even in heavy crowds. Never hesitate to push forward amongst a crowd. In many cases, the individuals crowding a display are public observers, not industry insiders. If you know that you're going to have a serious conversation with someone staffing the exhibit, you'll be able to make it through.
Come To Each Trade Show Booth Prepared
One of the best ways to save time is if you research every company you want to visit before the actual convention. It can save many time-consuming questions later on at the exhibit. For trade show visitors, it may seem like a waste of time to do so much preparation ahead of time. Remember that the time each staffer has at the display is limited; they can only spend so much time talking with you. It's not worth wasting any of that time on the basics. Seek to understand the products they offer (or the products they're launching) beforehand.
If possible, you should even prepare questions ahead of time. This technique is very beneficial for a reporter, but has distinct advantages even if you're just a curious customer. Remember that you want to save time and maximize your overall ability to visit exhibits. Every moment you can spend preparing beforehand saves time during the event.
Allow Sufficient Travel Time Between Each Tradeshow Booth
Planning your way between the different exhibits seems simple, but it's easy to get caught up in huge crowds. Understanding how long it will take you to get from one place to another can mean the difference between arriving on time and being tardy. While timing is not an issue for simple visits, conventions are usually more than that. You will probably want to see some of the larger demonstrations and other timed events, so plan accordingly.
By spending some time thinking about your plan and researching before the event itself, you will be able to accomplish everything you set out to do at the show. Visiting a booth for a trade show should be fun, but it also need to be targeted, particularly when you are there on business.
