Gearing up for the fall trade shows? Whether you are attending or participating in a trade show it takes lots of planning before, during and long after the trade show has ended to maximize your return on investment.
Have you heard of the afterburn effect? In exercising, it’s the concept that your metabolism continues to burn calories at a high rate even after you are done with your workout. The same effect happens after you attend a tradeshow. You network and you gain great contacts and ideas. What do you do with all this information once you return to the office?
The following tips will help you achieve the “afterburn” effect extending the buzz and excitement of the trade show long after you are back in your office and in front of your clients.
- Organize all the information that you collected from the show and update your files. Build a show file and share it with your other business associates.
- Follow up on contacts. Before you get caught up in your day to day, reach out to all the contacts you made at the show. A simple email telling them that you enjoyed meeting them and reminding them of or following up on the topic of your discussion is a good way to go. You can also connect with them via LinkedIn.
- Contact show management to get copies of presentations given at education sessions you attended. This will supplement the notes you took during the sessions.
- Evaluate and prepare a thorough report to your co-workers and supervisor that summarizes your experience. Highlight key points of interest and what opportunities discovered based on the goals you set before the show.
- Share with your clients what you brought home. Set appointments or lunches, and tell them about the information that you gathered with their businesses in mind.
- Identify three “a-ha’s” that you took from the conference. Then make a plan to use those points in your own business.
Implementing these tips will help you maximize ROI.