It’s trade show season. Most companies get that sending team members to trade shows is at least in part a perk, a matter of R&R as well as R&D. At today’s prices, though, you ought to be able to demonstrate some ROI as well.
How can you make sure that you get the most out of the trade shows you attend?
- Make sure you have quantifiable goals. “See and be seen” or “Find out what’s new” isn’t really a goal, so you can’t tell whether you accomplished enough of it to make the trip worthwhile. Think instead about, “Identify three action steps that can increase efficiency and sustainability for our company” or “Make 10 new connections in the industry” or “Find possible solutions for problem X.”
- Do your homework. Find out who’ll be on the floor and map out a route. Visit company websites to get the background info and decide on specific questions you want to ask. Be open to amazing new stuff along the way, of course, but don’t show up with a completely empty mind — just an open one.
- Divvy up sessions. If there are multiple sessions, workshops, and papers that could be of value, work with your colleagues to share them out. Each team member can take responsibility for gathering and reporting the information to the rest of the group.
If something comes up with your Indramat motion control while you’re at the trade show, don’t worry. Just call us at (479) 274-8422 and we’ll take care of it while you take care of business.