Rob Carter: My two tips for a better trade show

I’ve never had a bad trade show. For sure, I’ve been to bad shows. And I’ve also had bad moments at trade shows, including once when I didn’t recognise Kanye West in the aisles and almost stepped on his foot (true story and, no, it was not at an angling event).

I’ve never had a bad trade show, though I have met people who have. I’ve seen people having bad trade shows right there in front of me. Arms folded, sitting quietly and waiting for something to happen.

But honestly, that’s never been me. And I think there are two reasons for that. So, with ICAST taking place this month and EFTTEX fast approaching, these are the two pieces of advice I would give to any trade show attendee. Follow them and you will leave any trade show in a better commercial shape than when you arrived.

First, raise some expectations about your presence.

What do I mean? I mean make some noise beforehand. Tell people you are going to be there and set up appointments. For the show and also for the evenings in between each working day. (I have personally just concluded two promotional campaigns for new customers who I did not see once on the show floor at China Fish, only in the hotel bar afterwards.)

It seems obvious, but not everyone beats their drum before a show, and the ones that turn up hoping the show will magically deliver on their behalf? They are the ones that leave disappointed.

However you do it, by advertising, social media, phone calls or word of mouth, make it clear that you have news, plans and objectives. I promise it will draw people to you.

Commit to your connections and, sure enough, you will find that they will commit to you.

My second piece of advice? Walk and talk.

I am lucky in that I have good reasons for walking the aisles and good reasons for stepping onto any booth to begin a conversation. I am on the hunt for good stories and I’m on the hunt for advertisers. People either have news for me or need to know how Angling International can extend their reach once the show is over.

It makes striking up conversations easy. But anyone can do it, you included. And you should. Because here’s what I have learned from walking and talking at a show. It turns up buried treasure.

Walk on to booths, ask about the products there, introduce yourself, find out if you have mutual connections or have overlapping business interests. Offer to help or make introductions.

Talking to someone new might bring you a quick win or it might be a connection that will pay dividends months or even years into the future, but from my experience, the most you will have lost is ten minutes of your time. Ten minutes, 15 at a push. The rewards outweigh the risks, and massively so.

And after that? Repeat, repeat, repeat. From booth to booth to booth. Because walking the aisles throws up yet more possibilities.

I have lost count of the times I have reconnected with old friends or former customers in the aisles of a show and then had that chat turn into a business conversation. Occasionally it has led to an introduction to someone new and that has created yet another new contact.

I once read that there is no such thing as luck. It is merely preparation plus opportunity. If you ever curse a competitor for being lucky at a trade show, think about what they might have done differently to you. Maybe they prepared better beforehand and maybe they created opportunities for themselves by walking the aisles.