A Practical Survival Guide for Trade Show Season

Each winter and spring, we attend a lot of trade shows with our clients. Because we mostly work with technical and engineering-oriented companies, we see a ton of great technologies: robotics, automation, autonomous machines and just about every type of rotating, reciprocating, gyrating contraption known to the industrial world.

I can recall an automation show from last year where cleverly conceived booths showcased robots in some of the most interesting ways: robots played xylophones, spelled complicated sentences out of children’s building blocks, and even served beers to visitors. But at that show (and every other show I attended), what really set apart the best exhibitors were the enthusiasm and friendliness exhibited by booth workers. They genuinely seemed delighted to talk to their guests and demonstrate how awesome their products and solutions truly are.

Unfortunately, many booth workers weren’t so spirited. It was not uncommon to see physical fatigue on the faces of some or complete boredom in others. It would be unfair to blame their malaise on a lack of product awesomeness; many of the booths had incredible things to share. Somewhere along the way, whether from being overworked, mismanaged or potentially both, the human touch simply came up short. 

The Show Must Go On

Booth worker apathy and lethargy are extraordinarily detrimental to your trade show investment. Suddenly, you find the needs of your audience are being ignored, second fiddle to your booth workers’ discontent and the many potential causes thereof. In B2B, trade shows are great ways to generate new, qualified leads. Your visitors could very well be the first interaction a potential lead has with your brand. There’s simply no room for anything less than a sincere, energetic first impression by everyone they interact with from your company.

So if excitement about your products isn’t sustaining you and your team, consider other simple things you can do, both physically and mentally, to keep your energy up.

Striking the Right Nutritional Balance

Before blowing that per-diem at the gastropub or pizza parlor, remember that you may have a long week ahead of you. For many travelers, exploring the local culinary scene can be a great way to experience what makes a city unique. If this is true for you, don’t burn yourself out with heavy meals.

However, don’t skip meals. I often find myself walking the exhibit hall at a Stage 3 hunger level (ask my wife what that means; it’s generally not good). It can be easy to do at trade shows because you may be on your feet for 10-hour days (or longer) and unable or unwilling to wait out the endless lines for a slice of pizza or a prepackaged sandwich. Come prepared with your own food, or make sure your booth worker plan leaves plenty of time for everyone to give your bodies the calories and nutrients they need to stay energized.

If you rely on energy bars, you may want to rethink that too. While offering a fair amount of protein, they can contain excessive sugars that will inevitably lead to a crash. Healthy snacks like blueberries, strawberries or nuts are much more strategic choices when it comes to keeping yourself peppy for your booth visitors (WebMD).

Here’s an idea: invest in making your booth a healthy place to stop by offering fruit, nuts and other great sources of nutrition to guests. Based on what I’ve seen, you may be the first to do so — and become a popular destination for health-minded attendees.

Easy on the Caffeine

Another common mistake is filling up on coffee for a quick energy boost. This is easy to do at trade shows because it’s available at virtually every turn, and coffee is an inherently sociable beverage choice. But simply consuming coffee is not sustainable (unless you’re my business partner, who seems to have built up an inhuman tolerance). Eventually, the caffeine will backfire, leaving you feeling depleted, anxious and foggy-headed. Worse, the excess caffeine in your system may prohibit you from getting a good night’s sleep later.

In between cups of coffee, remember to drink plenty of water throughout the day to stay energized. Coffee doesn’t dehydrate you per se, but drinking water is never a bad strategy (Business Insider). If you want a more flavorful option, consider sparkling water or flavor additives.

Plan to Get Some Sleep

Depending on how you’re traveling, you may encounter some unexpected scenarios that will make it difficult to sleep.

If you’re flying and need to squeeze in a few hours of sleep, bring a neck pillow so you can sleep upright in your seat. A sleep mask will help protect your eyes from a sudden beam of light entering the cabin. Download a white noise app for your smartphone and pack headphones to tune out the noises around you. (I find the white noise app to be helpful in noisy hotels as well.) And if possible, wear something comfortable for the flight’s duration.

It’s important to have the tools to help you get a good night’s rest. You may have to deviate from these plans, especially if city nightlife is part of your traveling equation or even a business obligation, but planning ahead can help you adapt quickly.

Budget Your Voice

One of your goals should be to have plenty of conversations with scores of interested leads. But there’s a lot of ambient noise to compete with at a trade show as you have discussions: industrial-sized room fans, nearby conversations, etc. Any teacher can tell you that this is a perfect recipe for vocal strain. 

Treat your vocal cords like a financial budget with a finite spend. If you can get away with lowering the volume of your conversation a few decibels, do it. Try rehearsing common talking points you’re likely to deploy to see if there are ways to economize your word choices as much as possible. Don’t script something, but practice makes perfect!

My number one trick? Just be a good listener. If you’re engaging well with booth visitors, you’re asking great questions and getting your visitors to do the talking. Not only is this good for your voice, these meaningful interactions are good for your business. Let prospects articulate what their problems are, instead of trying to guess on their behalf. Not only will they be happier, but you can avoid getting burned out by repeating the same few lines ad nauseam.

Even if your throat isn’t hurting after the first day, try to take a preemptive approach to healing your voice (NIH). Allot some dedicated downtime for yourself to completely rest it. Find that nook in the trade show hall (I have some good ones in Chicago) where no one hangs out and give your voice (and brain) a rest.

Walk It Off

You may be confined in the same area for lengthy stretches of time. For some, this can instill anxiety or boredom. Whenever you get an opportunity, take a break and walk the show floor. Get that step counter working overtime, your blood flowing and give your body the opportunity to energize itself. An added benefit to this is it will give you a chance to see other exhibits. Take mental notes from the most effective booth workers you see to get you reenergized.

The Event Marketing Experience

No matter what event you and your team are attending, big or small, enjoy your time on the trade show floor. Share your company’s story with vigor. You don’t always need musically talented robots to start conversations; your enthusiasm alone can get visitors excited about your booth. Take care of yourself and avoid attendee fatigue by utilizing a few of these tips. If you do that, you’ll enjoy meaningful discussions with your audience throughout the entire show — not just those first few hours.

This blog was adapted from an original post on TriComB2B.com.