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It's Expo Time!
Early January is always an exciting time in the promotional products industry. Everyone gears up to launch new programs for the New Year. People talk about corporate budgets opening up again.
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TOP SHELF TIP NO. 4
"If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there."
Lewis Carroll | |
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And, There Is The PPAI Expo
No, I'm not writing to get you to register. You've probably already done that. But I do want to think about how to get the most out of these events.
*What do you do at The PPAI Expo 2008?
*How do you get the most bang for your buck?
*And how can you best strategize to come away with contacts, ideas and motivation to make 2008 your best year yet?
It starts with a plan. Yes, a few days in Vegas is awesome. Three days of sun, parties, shopping, gambling, entertainment. The city never stops. But neither should your focus on your mission.
Don't Loose Your Way
Often, when people attend conferences and trade shows, they loose their way. That's why marketing communications people encourage clients to develop a booth presence, use pre-show mailers and work with PR tools.
So a key part in your planning should be to understand your mission. This effort doesn't require a consultant and a white board. Just sit down and really think about what you want to accomplish.
For example, in October, I attended, and spoke at, the Association for Business Communication's annual convention. My mission was three-fold. I wanted to make sure my educational class delivered useful tips the audience could apply back in their own jobs. I wanted to gain exposure so I could assess my future involvement the association.
And, I wanted to make at least 20 qualified contacts for future work. The number 20 was not that strategic. But I wanted to be realistic. If the number was too high, I might not have qualified the people or followed up properly. If I set my sights much lower, I wouldn't be working hard enough.
Similar preplanning will help you at any conference. Here are some pointers to get you started.
Review The Demographics. Not every show is for everyone. But every show clearly defines its target audience. This information helps you define who you should meet. They could be suppliers, competitors or old friends. But before you "just" show up, have a good handle on the type people you want to meet -- and why.
Study The Agenda. Conferences have many educational sessions along with exhibit space. You use your time more efficiently if you know in advance what sessions you'll attend. Doing so helps you plan what you hope to get out of the event.
Participate. Sure you're trip can be a tax write off in disguise of a resort vacation. But if you're really trying to impact your business, work the audience. Participate in the lunches, dinners, site seeing tours and whatever else is scheduled. There's no reason to eat alone if you're trying to make new business contacts.
With proper planning, you can make sure your time is spent wisely. And you can evaluate the conference to best determine your future participation. In the next several days, we'll take an even deeper look into what you can do during any conference, trade show or exposition.
Source: Roger A. Shapiro is president/creative director at Mitchell Rose, LLC, A Communications Consultancy. He is the author of Write Right, 26 Tips to Improve Your Writing. Dramatically. You can order Write Right by clicking here.
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