Trade shows

Today I attended DMDays NY.  I think trade shows and industry conferences play an important role in any industry.  These events are perfect places for educational, product launch, and  networking opportunities.  I would recommend you attend any event before exhibiting.  If you can't attend the event then talk to others who have attended to make sure the audience/your target market is going to be in attendance.  If you do decide to market your business at an event please remember the following:

• Engage the people walking the floor
• If an attendee enters your booth try to be helpful, answer questions, and tell them what you do and why you are the best.
• Talk with your coworkers after the show or over lunch; please don't keep an attendee waiting
• Do not sit uninterested in your booth reading a book (don't even sit waiting for the next person to stop in)

The stories I can tell you from today's event would astonish you.  Companies spent good money to rent a booth, send employees, house and feed them, prepare materials, etc just to have their employees sit in the booth and wait.  There are about three companies that I was interested in learning more about but they have now  lost the opportunity to communicate with me since they didn't seem to care that I was there. 

If you are going to exhibit at a show you can do better then average (and wow some people in the process) since it seems the bar is not set that high.