How To Trade Show

How to Trade Show by Justin Keskel

Trade shows can be a great way to grow a business, advance your career, see new technologies, or just get your name out there in your industry. In manufacturing, trade shows can be broad in scope like IMTS, AME and FABTECH, or specialized for various purposes like OT SCADA CON, TracerouteCon and Flex-Line Automation’s Automation Fair.? Let’s dive into my recent trip to IMTS, see why I had such success, and allow me to share what I discovered that may help others attending trade shows!

Phase 1: Prep

Before you show up to a trade show on day 1 all bright eyed and bushy tailed, you gotta prep. Logistical, physical and strategic preparation are essential to have a successful trade show experience. There are lots of things to plan, so let’s get to it!

1.????? Figure out what your objectives are.

Why are you going? What are you trying to accomplish? Are you looking to drum up new business? Learn new skills or get questions answered? Experience new technology up-close and personal? Network with other professionals? You should have clear objectives for attending a trade show so you can plan accordingly.

With this IMTS being my first manufacturing trade show, I wanted to introduce myself to many of the industry connections I’ve made on LinkedIn. I wanted to have real-time conversations with people. Truth be told, I could have planned this better than I did. I only pre-scheduled a handful of meetings ahead of time and left a lot to lucky timing. Thankfully I was able to connect with most people for at least a few minutes, so it all worked out. ?Being intentional in planning meetings can make your goals more achievable.

2.????? Do your homework.

Now that you know why you’re going, next step is to figure out who you need to talk to at the event. Seeing new technology is great, don’t get me wrong. For me though, the internet can show you all the technology you could ever want, all for free. The big value proposition for attending trade shows is the people.

If you’re a business with a booth, connecting with potential or current customers is probably your main goal. Selling is hard, and I have a lot of empathy for anyone trying to sell something. You’re not gonna bat a thousand, of course. Posting content and gauging interest in your booth in the weeks or months leading up to the event will go a long way to getting people to come visit you at the trade show.

Let’s flip that. Let’s say you’re thinking about buying a new machine or you need a solution to make your operation more efficient. Figure out what companies are offering the technology you need. Where will their booths be located? Will they be unveiling something brand new at the show? Companies with good strategies will be sharing info well in advance.

Maybe you’re like me, and just want to get your name out there to some degree. Building up your online presence leading up to any events will give you a head start when it comes to in-person networking. Posting, commenting and engaging in content on social media and YouTube will show people you’re there with a purpose. Aim to bring value to others. Yes, it takes time, and of course time is money. Before you earn money, though, you have to show your worth. You don’t get paid for going to a job interview, do you? Connect with professionals in your industry online so you can have an icebreaker when you meet them in person.

3.????? Logistics: Who’s going? What do you need to bring? How are you getting there? Where are you staying?

Are you going by yourself or with a team? Secure the pass(es). Do you need a big fancy camera for pictures/videos, or will your phone be enough? Don’t forget the battery packs! What about handouts like swag or business cards? Will you rent a car, rideshare, take public transportation? Maybe you’re driving your own vehicle, and you need somewhere to park it. AirBNB, hotel or friend’s place nearby? Answering all these questions sooner rather than later will save you plenty of headaches, and maybe even some money! Also, bring a water bottle and comfortable, worn-in shoes. Thank me later.

4.????? Cal-is-then-ics!

If you’re not fortunate enough to have a booth where people come to you, you’re probably gonna do a LOT of walking. Getting your cardio and leg muscles conditioned before the trade show is a really good idea. This is another area of improvement for me. I did not do this. My legs were on fire after day 1! Learn from my mistakes!

5.????? Extracurricular events, the hidden gems of trade shows!

Maybe a couple months leading up to your event, you might start seeing content posted about things happening outside of the actual trade shows. These can be things like networking dinners, 5Ks, comedy shows, karaoke, live music, etc. If you see anything that sparks your interest, make it known! These events can be great opportunities to show your other interests as a person! People like working with people they connect with on more than just a buyer/seller basis! Lean into your humanity!

Phase 2: It’s showtime!

You’ve got all your I’s dotted and t’s crossed. Who, what, when, where, how, all these questions answered. Now it’s time to execute your well-laid plans. Let’s run through some tips to follow during the trade show. Some of these will be universal, some might only apply if you don’t have a booth. Regardless, I believe anyone can find value in them, so let’s get to it!

1.????? Hydration and nourishment

Remember that water bottle I told you to bring earlier? Yeah. Drink water. Just ask Tim Drinkwater .? It’s good for you, and it’ll pay off in spades if you’re running around the trade show for a whole week like I did. If you’re gonna drink other things as well ?? ??, pace yourself and drink water in between! Keep your wits about you!

Eating is important too. If you can follow your regular eating routine from your daily life, your body will thank you later. Need a snack? Go for it. Sit down for lunch? Absolutely. Don’t forget to eat dinner at some point. Fuel yourself however you choose so you can maximize your energy during the show.

2.????? Speaking of energy…

How’s that saying go? “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” Thanks, Google. You can have a rock-solid plan of meeting after meeting, shoot some content at this booth, rush over to the main stage to catch that live session happening… You get the idea.

Sometimes things just don’t go as planned. Maybe you’re there, doing your thing, and all of a sudden you start getting tired. Maybe you didn’t get enough sleep the night before. Maybe you skipped breakfast and just had a big latte with lots of caffeine. Maybe you haven’t been drinking enough water. (Okay, that was the last time I’ll harp about it ??)

If you don’t have the energy to keep to your plans, that’s okay. We’re all human. Trade shows can be physically, emotionally and socially draining. Being flexible and adapting to your current state is essential if you aren’t used to the kind of activities trade shows can present. If you have to reschedule a meeting, good news. Your phone’s right there. Shoot a message to the person you’re supposed to meet, be honest, and most reasonable people will understand.

3.????? Logistics part 2, Electric Boogaloo!

Let’s flip that! Let’s say you’ve got all the energy in the world! Day 1 is going great! You’ve got your plans for all the things you’re gonna do. Maybe you and the team you came with are dividing and conquering. There’s just one teensy little problem. Trade shows are BIG. Maybe your first meeting is in West Building at 10:00, and your second is in East Building at 11:00. It might be a good idea to leave that first meeting around 10:40-ish, so you have enough time to walk that far, and maybe rest for a few minutes so you don’t drain yourself too quickly.

4.????? Always be respectful.

As I pointed out earlier, there are a variety of reasons people attend trade shows. Some of the people you might want to meet will be on the clock. Their schedules might be jam-packed during the day. If you happen to see them in between engagements and they have time to say hello for a minute, great! If not, this is where those extracurricular activities might come into play. These events can be a great time to catch people while they’re not working. Planning out which things you want to attend can help you get in front of the people you’re most looking forward to meeting.

Maybe you want to say hello to someone who’s in a booth. That’s probably fine, as these folks are usually there all week. That being said, they are there to do a job as well, so if you’re not there for business purposes, try not to take up too much of their time, as I’m sure their company has expectations for things they need to accomplish like lead generation or customer support.

5.????? Sleep.

I touched on this earlier, but sleep is going to be your friend during trade shows. This is another area I could have done better as well. I knew going into it that there would be a couple of late nights with the after-hours events I wanted to attend. I don’t regret going to these events at all, they were a lot of fun! I do understand that I am somewhat of an outlier in this though, as I’m accustomed to adjusting my sleep schedule fairly frequently. Not everyone has an easy time with this, so if you know you need lots of sleep, make sure you get it. Prioritizing your health necessities is probably the best advice I can give. I just need to do a better job of taking that advice myself sometimes! ??

6.????? Content, content, content!

This is a big one. Remember when I said posting and engaging with content before events can help out your in-person opportunities? Trade shows are a FANTASTIC place to procure content for your own purposes. Heck, some companies and brands exist solely for this reason! Whether you are a skilled writer, aspiring podcaster or have all the video charisma in the world, having a content strategy can take your trade show experience to heights you’ve only dreamed of!

Phase 3: After the show ends

You just had the greatest week of your life (me). You got 100 new leads for your company. You bought a machine with a cobot integrated. You accomplished everything you set out to do at the trade show. Now you ride off into the sunset and the credits roll, right? NOPE! We’re just getting started!

1.????? Post-production

I’ll be the first to admit, I’m no expert marketer or content creator. There’s a lot I don’t know. However, I do know some of the basics. All that video content you got during the trade show? Now it’s time to edit, clip, and post all over your socials. Review your notes and write some articles. It’s all about carrying the momentum of the conference back into the online ecosystem. Online leads to in-person leads back to online, that’s the formula. The conversations should continue long after the trade show ends!

(This article is me taking my own advice for once!)?

2.????? Decompress and debrief

Once you get home, it’s a good idea to take some time to recover your energy if possible. When I got home Friday night after IMTS, I unpacked my luggage, had something to eat, chilled with my roommate for a couple hours, and then went to bed for like 10 hours. All the walking, late nights and depleting of my social battery hit me pretty quickly so thankfully I didn’t have anywhere to be Saturday.

Monday is gonna roll around eventually. Everyone is going to ask you how the show went. What did you see, learn, etc. Debrief your team on any leads to follow up on. Give everyone a pen and a koozie since you probably got 50 of each at the show.

3.????? The follow up

This one should be obvious. Keep the conversations going. If you were in a booth, you’ve got all those potential leads from the badges you scanned. If you were the wandering type, you might have a stack of business cards, some company literature or a bunch of new LinkedIn connections. The work does not end when the lights go out at the convention center! Keep moving forward and accomplish your goals!

Closing thoughts

If you’ve stuck with me this far, I am eternally grateful. I wanted to be as thorough as possible with this so I could bring value to as many of you as possible. If you read the whole thing, it would mean the world to me if you could comment and let me know what you thought. Did I miss anything you would add? If you can’t think of anything, tell me your favorite food or beverage! Let me know if there’s anything else I can do to bring you value! Thank you, thank you, thank you. Wherever you are in your career, whatever your goals are, I’m rooting for you. One step at a time, let’s keep levelling up to win this crazy game called life!

#IMTS2024 #TradeShows #CareerAdvancement #Networking #Goals