How to Get the Most of Your Trade Show Experience

Fairs and trade shows are undoubtedly the perfect mediums for creating networks and business connections. However it may be a waste of time and money if you are not a pro at interacting with new people or have poor marketing and communicating skills. No matter how powerful or effective your company is, you can’t make it if you don’t know how to promote it. Impressing the officials of the company that you are interested in may be a hard job but I am sure that the following tips will light your way and will return you a larger number of business connections!

Get Visible Online

Using technology should be your first step to take. Since you are living in this era, there is no way out. Know that each people you will meet at the show will type your name in Google, Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn if they are interested in you or in your company. So let them learn every vital information about you while they are stalking. Determine what kind of information about yourself you want to share and accordingly create a profile or update it if you already have one. And try to be professional while you are doing this. People may not be interested in the photo of you that is taken on the beach or with your kid in the theme park. Posting about your business sector and sharing useful business articles can improve your score.

Care about Your Dressing

Your dressing is always important when you wish to impress people. Bear in mind that you are attending the show for business reasons and you’d better pay the needed attention to your dressing since it will reveal how you take your job, your company and the person you are interacting to seriously. Light colors, neat and properly ironed clothes that are completed by clean shoes will definitely make a positive impression on people.

Improve Your Foreign Language

It may not be needed for local shows but if you are intended to attend an international one, you’d better speak at least one widely spoken language fluently. Your correct pronunciation and fluent speaking will not only make you communicate with people and improve your chance of networking but also impress them.

Know Yourself and Your Company Inside Out

The title may make you say “How come I don’t know myself or my job!” but calm down. Knowing yourself and your company means knowing what you expect from the show and what your company’s real aim. Determine your aims and expectations before attending the show and write them down if necessary. This will clear your mind and will help you express yourself more efficiently while guarding you against unexpected questions.

Advance your Business Card

Although I don’t want to ignore the usefulness of the business cards, it is not the only way to share information about us. Now we use social networking applications on our smart phones that will introduce us much better than a standard business card can do. If you still believe in the power of the business cards, you can try creating an advanced version of them which has a QR code on it for example. By scanning this QR code people can watch a 30 sec video about your company or view your website or online profiles. By this way, people will less likely to throw them away after the show. You can also give a chance to digital business cards that can be texted and be saved to the smart phones, computers or tablets!

Make a Research before the Meeting

Your research about the companies that are attending the show will guide you during the event. You can make a list of who and which company you like to visit and make a comprehensive research about them before meeting. Identifying the people you want to meet and the topics you want to discuss will save you from getting lost and wasting your time. If the trade show offers conferences, seminars or workshops, try to attend them to network with the people that you are interested in and study hard if needed beforehand. By this way you can ask the vital questions, touch upon the crucial points and attract the attention of the crowd.

Get Benefit from Event Apps

For many trade shows, organizers started to launch applications to be used on your smart phones or tablets and these applications will help you organize your visit to the show. You can prepare your own itinerary by following the schedule, view the companies that are attending the show and find their booth easily. You can also reach the social media accounts of the event by just one tap and check in to the event to be visible by the other attendees. So before you go to the show, make sure you have downloaded the application of the event if there is one.