Exhibiting or attending a trade show or conference can be a valuable investment, but it is also an expensive undertaking. Is the investment worth the benefit? Of course, the answer varies depending on the type of event and what you hope to gain.

How do you choose the events that will give you the most bang for your buck? Once selected, how do you maximize the benefits of attending? Throughout the years, I have found some events to be more beneficial than others. Here are some tips I’ve picked up from my experiences.

Why Attend Conferences?
Networking with peers. Many believe that since they can now access industry information via the Internet that the days of attending conferences are waning. However, being at conferences and trade shows in person is more important than ever. One of the most critical aspects of any business conference is an opportunity to network and form relationships. The serendipitous “coffee-break conversations” are often the most valuable part of an event. Meeting face-to-face, you become more than just a name or e-mail address.

Make new contacts. On the exhibit floor we often focus on speaking with current customers and personal friends. Too often people shy away from making new connections, especially if they may not offer immediate business opportunities. As large as our industry has become, it is more important to maintain and expand a broad base of colleagues and potential customers.

Position yourself as an expert. When you are active in our industry, you can develop a reputation as an expert among peers and clients. Meetings offer a great opportunity to get to know experts in the industry; seek out the event organizers as well as editors of industry publications. The exposure from speaking and writing articles can be quite valuable and rewarding. Clients feel good about doing business with those who are known in the industry.

Educational opportunities. No matter how experienced you are there is plenty to learn. Without exposure to a variety of points of view, we can miss the onset of new ideas and trends.

Spark creativity and innovation. Taking a break from your day-to-day responsibilities to attend a conference provides a change of scenery—especially one that is rich with educational and networking opportunities—and immersion can help spark creativity, develop new ideas and think in innovative ways.

Have some fun. We all need to take a break from routine in order to stay at the top of our game. Beyond paying the bills, being in business should be fun and rewarding. In addition to the hospitality receptions most conferences have other social activities. Take advantage of morning yoga sessions or fun runs/walks. Consider organized tours of local sites and facilities of colleagues’ companies. Consider taking an extra day at the beginning or end of the trip to enjoy the area.

Before the Conference
The most successful conferences I have attended were those I’ve planned carefully in advance.

Know exactly what you want. Before you commit to participating in any conference or trade show ask yourself, “What are we trying to accomplish?” Do you want leads, awareness, customer relationships or market leadership?

Select the right conference. Make sure you are attending the right conference or trade show to achieve your objectives. Review the exhibitor list; if possible, obtain a list of attendees. Are the educational sessions targeting your needs? With all the conferences offered in our industry today, it is critical to participate in those offering the best return on investment.

Large vs. small. In determining which conferences to attend, a key criteria is the size of the meeting. At one time I leaned heavily toward attending the large meetings with thousands of attendees. From my perspective, it is still important to attend these; the opportunity of seeing so much and meeting so many people at one time is hard to pass up. For those of you who recently attended Expo West/Engredea you know the downside too. It is extremely crowded with long lines and it’s difficult to navigate through the masses. Hence, arranging meetings well in advance and making reservations is key.

The smaller shows have fewer companies and attendees. However, I have found the interaction I have with clients and prospects is much easier with more time to talk—as long as the people I’m interested in meeting are in attendance. Which conferences to attend depends on your objectives.

Booth or no booth. From my standpoint, getting a booth is not always the best use of resources. If you are launching a new ingredient or product or service it may be wise. Additionally, if you are able to schedule many client meetings you may value the location to converse. Otherwise, don’t bother getting a booth. Rather, a better use of your time and money may be to work the show on foot, for all it’s worth.

Make a plan. The worst way to go to a trade show is unprepared. You need a goal and objectives. Beforehand, map out which booths you need to visit and in what sequence. When possible, schedule meetings ahead of time, or at least be sure when the person you want to meet is scheduled to be in their booth. Once you have visited the companies on your list, walk the floor at your leisure. This is a good time to scope out competitors and look for emerging trends and disruptive products.

While At The Conference
Convenient accommodations. If you can afford it, stay at the hotel associated with the event. Most of your targeted contacts will likely be staying there, and after the day’s events, they’ll all be meeting in the lounge for a cocktail.

Bring business cards and sales brochures. Have them with you everywhere you go. You could meet an important contact anywhere—like the lobby, the gym, bar, or riding the elevator. You never know, so be prepared.

Vendor sponsored sessions. To be honest, I’ve found educational sessions where you pay to highlight your product or service are rarely effective. These sessions are seldom well attended, and most attendees are either my competitors or best friends. When this happens all I can do is lament, “Great, someone just paid thousands of dollars to share market insights and differentiating features of their product with competitors.”

Focus, focus, focus. When walking the exhibit floor it is so easy to visit the booths of friends or talk with them in the aisles. While it is important and enjoyable to foster these relationships, never lose sight of your goals.

Make a list of companies and people you want to speak with. For those that are most important, be sure to schedule a meeting time in advance. Leaving it to chance, especially in a heavily attended conference, seldom leads to success. I like to schedule meetings at odd times—like 10:35 a.m. People are less likely to forget appointments at unique times. It seems to work. Also, know the type of products/services you are looking for.

If exhibiting, make sure your booth signage clearly and simply identifies your business or product of focus. I walk by so many booths and do not have a clue what they offer or how they differentiate themselves from competitors.

Exhibit Booth Etiquette
A few comments on etiquette and procedures for exhibiting…

Train your booth staff for the conference. What product or service specifically are you focusing on? Make sure they have the proper training to answer the most challenging questions. And when they encounter a question beyond their knowledge, have an expert in the booth or readily available (e.g., by phone).

Stand, don’t sit. There is nothing less inviting than seeing booth representatives sitting and talking to one another or checking their e-mail. Stand up, move to the front of the booth and look inviting to all. Believe me, you never know who your next customer may be.

Make your booth approachable. I prefer a booth layout without a table between you and the customer; this provides less of a barrier for more personal interactions.

Never eat in the booth. When it’s time to eat, leave the booth and eat somewhere else. The same would hold true for alcoholic beverages.

Dinner meetings. I reserve dinner meetings and other entertainment for my best customers and strongest leads. Dinner is more memorable when the venue is away from the hotel and other local restaurants. Take a cab or car and go somewhere unique and fun. The most successful business dinners are those when everyone can relax and enjoy some camaraderie after a long day.

After the Meeting
Follow-Up! One of the most common faults attendees have is lack of follow-up after the conference. Most of us are fairly good at communicating with the hot leads. But for long-term business interest it is critical to simply touch base with new contacts you made, those who showed interest in your product and the thought leaders you met. By exhibiting such a high-level of professionalism and attention to detail, you and the company you represent will be remembered.

A final step is to meet with your team and debrief after the conference. What did you learn and see and what might you do differently to be more effective the next time? Did the conference deliver on your expectations? 

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Gregory Stephens
Windrose Partners

Greg Stephens is president of Windrose Partners, a company serving clients in the the dietary supplement, functional food and natural product industries. Formerly vice president of strategic consulting with the Natural Marketing Institute (NMI) and vice president of sales and marketing for Nurture, Inc (OatVantage), he has 25 years of specialized expertise in the nutritional and pharmaceutical industries. His prior experience includes a progressive series of senior management positions with Abbott Nutrition (Ross Products Division of Abbott Laboratories), including development of global nutrition strategies for disease-specific growth platforms and business development for Abbott’s medical foods portfolio. He can be reached at 267-432-2696; E-mail:
[email protected].