Attending PROSPER 2018? Here is your pre-show guide
It’s tradeshow time! Are you attending the PROSPER next week? If so, we’ll see you there! But first, some tips and advice to get you off on the right foot.
PROSPER is awesome, but with 1300+ Amazon sellers present, this show can be a little overwhelming. Throw into the mix that the event takes place in Vegas, and well, things get very big and very intense. Given the inordinate amount of time I spend at tradeshows and conferences (just ask my wife), I’ve got the scene down pat. I hope that the knowledge I’ve accrued over the years will help you have the best experience possible.
THE BASICS
Wear Comfortable Shoes: The show is multiple days and those days are long ones whether you’re working a booth, walking the floor, or attending sessions. There’s no shortage of walking and standing so you might as well be comfortable and at your best. Nobody ever made a good decision when all he could think about was his blistered feet and getting back to the hotel ASAP.
Bring Business Cards: I know that this seems like a no-brainer, but I am constantly shocked by how many people either don’t bring business cards or bring too few to these sorts of events. I know we’re all used to paperless transactions these days and doing everything with our phones, but there is no substitute for putting a physical object with your info in someone else’s hand (or in receiving the same). Call me old-school, but business cards still rule.
Network Before You Attend: While there’s no official PROSPER app, there is Brella, which is an excellent service for networking at events. Don’t wait until you’re at the show to start making valuable connections, get the jump with the Brella app on your phone (iOS app and Android app available) and use that head-start to your advantage.
MANAGING YOUR TIME
With nearly 40 speakers (myself included), three tracks of info-packed sessions, networking lunches and breaks and social sessions, and a huge tradeshow floor with booths galore, you need a strategy for managing your time and energy. I recommend looking at the agenda and planning out your days in order to maximize your PROSPER takeaways. Here are some of my recommendations for must-attend sessions. And of course, I recommend the social events.
Tuesday, March 13
9:45: How to Keep Re-Inventing Your Amazon Seller Business to Stay Competitive
10:45: Michael Gerber Keynote: Why Most Amazon Seller Businesses Don't Work, and What to Do About It!
1:30: How I Built and Sold My 3P Seller Business for $75MM
2:45: How 6 Years at Amazon Trained Me for a Second Life as an Efficient, Profitable Amazon Seller
4:00: Seller Performance Panel
5:00: Networking Event/Party
Wednesday, March 14
9:00: Seller Hacks
11:00 Cold Start — Launching a Product with an Audience (I’ve heard that this speaker is phenomenal, but I’m a little biased.)
1:30 What You Need to Know About Product Compliance and Liability to Protect Your Business
2:45 The Amazon Way, Metrics Behind Building a Million Dollar Amazon Business OR How Private Label Sellers Protect Their IP Rights Where Their Factories Are Located
4:00 Stump the (Ex-Amazon) Expert
COME SEE US!
As always, Seller Labs will have a full team in attendance and we’d love to meet with you so please do stop by. If you’d like to set up a one-on-one appointment to review your Amazon Advertising account, simply click here. We’d love to help you.
Can’t attend Prosper, see other upcoming Amazon trade shows.