We’ve all been there: You start a job in a new field and only know the basics. Even worse, you know nothing about it and have no choice but to hit the ground running.
Before you know it, your boss sends you to an industry tradeshow to make new connections, attend sessions, and network with peers in your field.
It’s daunting, especially when you’re surrounded by experts who have been in the industry for years.
The good news? Tradeshows are a prime opportunity to learn and immerse yourself in an industry you’ll be a part of for years to come.
And to make the most of your time, you must know how to navigate the show floor and attend the right educational sessions.
Here are a few tips to make your tradeshow experience worthwhile.
1. Reach Out to Potential Connections Before the Show
Already know which companies you want to see and people you want to meet? Reach out to them before the show. If you’re blanking on prospects, do some preliminary research and jot a few names down.
Who you connect with depends on why you’re attending the show in the first place. Here are specific positions to reach out to depending on your place in the market.
If you’re an exhibitor, connect with:
- Existing customers
- Potential buyers who are already in your pipeline
- Companies who are on your hitlist
- The media, especially if you’re launching a new product at the show
The same principle applies to content marketing, though the approach will be slightly different. If you’re a marketer, connect with:
- Influencers who will promote your product
- Your sales team – mingle with them in your booth and listen to their conversations with potential clients
- Existing customers for feedback – if it’s good, ask for a testimonial
- Technical leaders to get insight on the challenges they’re facing and how you can address them
And if you don’t get a response when you first reach out, write down their name and where to find them on the show floor.
2. Pick Your Educational Sessions in Advance
Before you arrive at the registration desk, pick the education sessions you’ll attend. Most tradeshows will announce their schedule of events weeks in advance, with detailed information about what topics they’ll cover and who their keynote speakers are.
It’s important to consider which sessions are most relevant to your business. And if you’re planning to cover it, record the session on your phone and take notes throughout. It also helps to take pictures of speakers during the session and share them on LinkedIn to let others know you’re there.
If the speaker is a key industry player, it’s a prime opportunity to introduce yourself. Establishing these connections at tradeshows are extremely important, as you can reach out to them as a source in the future.
With your sessions locked in, make sure your time on the tradeshow floor is just as purposeful.
3. Maximize Your Time on the Tradeshow Floor
Once you have a gameplan in place, execute it with precision. There’s nothing worse than milling around the tradeshow floor aimlessly. The floor layout can be confusing at times, so familiarize yourself with booth numbers and have a rough sense of where to find them. This keeps you from wandering when it matters.
When you arrive at your scheduled appointment, get down to business quickly. State why you want to speak with them, what problems you’re trying to address, and why you sought them out over other businesses. It keeps the meeting focused and shows that you came prepared.
In between sessions, pay attention to the crowd. Make a mental note of where people gather, which booths get consistent foot traffic, and which product demonstrations draw a crowd. This is a real-time indicator of where the energy is.
Being intentional with your time also means being intentional with your conversations.
4. Network Effectively
At tradeshows, it’s common (and expected) to strike up a conversation with a stranger. Use that to your advantage. But if you’re an exhibitor looking for leads, leave your sales-first attitude at the booth.
If you’re sitting next to someone at an education session and it won’t start for another 10 minutes, ask what their name is, what brought them to the show, and what they do for work. Depending on the show you’re attending, your role will probably share some similarities with theirs.
Once you’ve both shared where you’re employed and why you’re attending this specific show, ask questions that signal professional respect. Focus on what challenges their business is navigating through or trends they’ve noticed happening across the industry.
However, you might come across a person who isn’t interested in connecting with you. If the person you’re talking to is constantly checking their phone or scanning the room during your conversation, wrap it up and move on to the next person.
Lastly, leave room for unplanned moments. Some of the best opportunities come from a booth you wandered into, a conversation you overheard, or an educational session you didn’t plan to attend. Don’t commit to such a tight schedule that you miss them.
But networking means little if your conversation goes cold right after the tradeshow ends.
5. Follow Up While It’s Fresh
The tradeshow floor is where connections happen, but following up is essential for establishing meaningful relationships. And to do that, you must strike while the iron is hot.
In the first two days you get back from the tradeshow, reach out to your new connections on LinkedIn or via email. If you promised to send them information about your brand or a relevant resource, make sure they receive it promptly.
Reaching out to your new connections sets you apart from the stack of business cards they collected at the show. In your outreach, make sure to reference something from your first conversation with them to refresh their memory on who you are and why you’re worth their time.
Tradeshows are only a few days long, but the relationships you build there can last a career.