Exhibit floor surfing lessons.

Chris Buckingham chris@QL2.com

The conference and trade show season is set to begin. The exhibit floor at these events provides a unique opportunity to meet with your existing vendors plus discover the next big thing.

But how do you squeeze in time for it and still attend sessions and renew old acquaintances? Here are some ideas from a 25 year veteran of the conference and trade show wars, both as an attendee and exhibitor.


Straight from the “king of wing”

Early in my career, I’d go to trade shows and wing it. Bad idea. Sure, I attended some sessions and surfed through the exhibit floor, but I was easily waylaid by vendors and old friends looking to visit Disneyland or sneak in a “quick” 18 holes. My old trip reports are about as credible as an Enron financial statement.

Don’t get me wrong. Some fun is allowed, but to keep it under control, start planning before your boarding announcement. Instead of saving the pre-conference propaganda for airplane reading, look it over ahead of time and circle your ‘must attend’ sessions. While you’re at it, peek at the vendor list and jot down the exhibitors you ‘must see.’

Estimate how much time you need to spend with each exhibitor. giving consideration to the subject matter. Want to negotiate a 20% discount on next year’s subscription fees? Don’t try to work it out with a junior booth rep while 30 people are standing around groveling for T-shirts.


Schedule your visits

If possible, arrange meetings with ‘must see’ exhibitors outside of conference hours. This is not difficult if you’re an existing customer. They’ll be happy to meet for breakfast, dinner, or a drink. A much better setting if you need to do some negotiating. And, if you want an exhibitor’s senior executives involved, make arrangements well in advance.

You won’t be an existing customer with everyone on your ‘must see’ list, plus you’ll want to learn more about their products. Like it or not, this means booth time. Root canals can be more pleasant, so to make it a little less painful, schedule some booth time during session hours when it’s not so crowded and noisy.

My recommendation – visit booths late in the conference. If on the last day,the floor closes at noon, set aside 9 – 11 am. By then, most of the other attendees have made their rounds, so it won’t be crowded. The exhibitors will be attentive because traffic on the final day is always slow - they’re anxious to talk to anyone. Also, if you need some trinkets to take home to the kids, this is a great time to stock up. Exhibitors would rather give them away than pack them up.

Warning! Stay away from the last hour or you’re likely to get hit in the head with a projector screen. By that time most exhibitors are more concerned about disassembling their booths and getting out of Dodge. You don’t want to be the last thing between them and their flight home.

So now your plan is complete:

• You know what sessions you’re attending.
• You’ve set up some appointments with “must see” vendors outside of conference hours.
• You’ve set aside two hours for booth time during session hours.

Let the circus begin!

Creating the plan is one thing. Executing requires some discipline.

These days, to appease the exhibitors, conference organizers encourage floor time by hosting early evening receptions in the exhibit area. Weak drinks and pigs-in-a-blanket attract big crowds, but this is not the best environment for any meaningful discussions with exhibitors.

But don’t stay away, it’s a great time to search for the next big thing. All of the exhibitors will be doing presentations, so you can inconspicuously position yourself to ‘listen in’ and avoid the sales guerrillas. If you like what you hear, go back for a one-on-one visit during the floor time scheduled during session hours.

During this orchestrated chaos, don’t spend too much time at any one booth or you’ll never make a complete pass of the floor. Once you’ve decided an exhibitor is worth another visit, write the name down and move on.

Another tip...make your rounds before bellying up to the hors d’oeuvre table with drink in hand. This inevitably leads to a long session of war story swapping. For the sake of your sanity and waistline, keep this to a minimum.

Finally, be aware of ‘exhibitor monopoly.’ Some clever companies will scour the pre-conference registration list then fly in executives and sales reps for strategic elbow rubbing. Believe it or not, their intention isn’t solely to solicit your valuable feedback. There is a hidden agenda: a sightseeing trip or golf outing are great ways to monopolize your time and keep you away from competitors.


The short list

Simply attending a conference puts a target on your back. Surfing the exhibit floor magnifies it. Once you get home, be prepared for the avalanche of follow up calls. I suggest you draw up a ‘short list’ on the plane ride home. When anyone not on the list calls, politely tell him/her that you’ve narrowed down the products you will be evaluating during the next 12 months and your time and budget do not allow any additions. Intelligent salespeople will respect this because they know things change and they’ll get another opportunity later.


Bottom line

Exhibit floors are a great way to stay in touch with vendors and see what’s new, but without a plan, discipline, and a “short list” you’ll end up squandering your time and your employer’s money.


Background

Christopher J. Buckingham is president of (QL2 Software ), a leading provider of Web mining solutions for Competitive Intelligence, Business Intelligence, Knowledge Management, and Business Activity Monitoring. He has over 29 years of experience in the computer hardware and software industry.

Copyright 2003 Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals www.scip.org

scip.online, issue 26, February 24, 2003.