With ever growing marketing drives and commercialization, trade shows and other large scale events are slowly becoming a common occurrence now.
There are events for everybody – music festivals for those fond of music, auto expos for automobile aficionados and technology shows, launch events for the techies – like the recently concluded Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
More often than not, people attending shows are lost in the magnitude of them. After an entire day(s) of walking, they still end up missing important bits and pieces. So, here we present to you some tips on surviving large scale events like tradeshows.
1. Plan
Procrastinators could find themselves left in the dust. One of the most common rookie mistakes is the attendee failing to plan for the event in advance.
Read over the schedule of events prior to attending the trade show or conference so you know what to expect before you get there. Smartphones have excellent calender apps that let you fill in important events and appointments. Pre-plan your itinerary so that you have an idea of the time you will spend at the event.
If you are someone who is going to have difficulty relaxing and sleeping with even minimal noise and/or lights, you are going to want to pack along an eye mask and some noise-cancelling headphones or earplugs for the trip, as these events may not necessarily be in the city/country you reside in.
2. Pack
This part is even more important if the event is outside your hometown. Make a list of things you’ll need throughout the event and buy them if you don’t have them already – they are just an investment for further events as well.
For example, if you were to be going to CES in Las Vegas, you should have a main camera, a secondary camera, a pair of memory cards, an adjustable tri-pod etc. packed at least a week advance.
Besides your professional gear, your personal belongings should be packed and stocked in advance as well. Make sure you include medicines and healthcare stuff in your inventory as well.
3. Get To Know The Battleground
The annual Consumer Electronics Show offers a mobile application to help attendees navigate it. Getting familiar with maps of the trade show and the area will save plenty of time because often there are multiple dropoff points along the way.
Keep a hard copy of the map with you at all times. Identify places that you will need to visit frequently – like the restrooms and the cafeterias. If it is a multi-day event, plan what areas of the showfloor you will be covering on each day. Mark them according to priority and importance.
4. Enjoy, but Behave!
Trade shows can be both fun and profitable. The key to being sure that your trip stays within the bounds of what is acceptable is to remember to keep all things in moderation.
Beware of alcohol. While drinking alcoholic beverages may loosen you up and make interacting with strangers easier, it is wise to keep this to a minimum.
Several events are typically crammed into a short period, which can make for some very long days. It is crucial to allow yourself some down time in order to get the most out of the event. At the end of the day, once you’re all done with your work, head out into the city for a nice meal and a little bit of sightseeing, if you’re in another city.
5. Learn
If it’s your first trade show, you will probably end up making mistakes and end up with the feeling that you could have probably done better.
The most important part of trade shows is that you make sure that you come back with something valuable. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you come back with the freebies that they hands out at stalls, but that you come back with ideas.
Large scale events are the excellent opportunity to learn more about the topics you’re interested in, so make sure to look around and take notes.
6. Take Care of Your Belongings
Once you’re wrapped up with all your work and are ready to leave, check all your belongings. Tally each item with the list you make before leaving the place. Crowded events are like a hunting ground for pick-pocketers.
Keep your expensive belongings like smartphones and wallets at places where you feel they will be safe. Also, don’t keep all your money in one place.
7. Keep Your Cards Handy, Make Contacts
Trade shows and other large scale events are the perfect opportunity for you to make new contacts for yourself or your company. Talk to people, find out what they do – it might just turn out to be relevant for you or your company. Engage with them and at the end, hand out your business card so that they know how to get to you and discuss future opportunities.
Ask the presenters or vendors if they have written information you can take back to the office with you.so that you have formal details of their products or ventures when you need them.
