6 trade show survival tips for contractors

6 Trade Show Survival Tips for Service Contractors

Visit Go iPave at NPE

Visit the Go iPave booth 445 at NPE!

Another year is here which means another round of industry of trade shows! Whether you are a landscape, pavement maintenance or snow removal contractor, we hope you’re planning on attending some trade shows and events- and we hope to see you at them too.

We are scheduled to attend four shows this year, starting with the National Pavement Expo later this month in Nashville. It’s going to be another great show with a powerful speaker line up, demos of the newest products and innovations, and of course endless networking opportunities.

It will be fun and informative, but like all trade shows, it’s going to be exhausting! Luckily, we’ve done this before so we have a few tricks up our sleeves to keep us going when we need it the most. Keep reading to learn about six practical trade show survival tips that can give you that extra boost you may need at the industry events and trade shows you attend this year.

Six Practical Trade Show Survival Tips

Whether it’s your first time going to a trade show, or your hundredth, these tips can help you power through to the end.

  1. Stay Hydrated- This sounds like an obvious one but it can really help you out, especially if you attend evening networking events and you’re socializing with your industry friends well into the evening for several days in a row. Take a bottle of water with you when you leave in the morning and a stash a few in your room for when you get home at night.
  2. Pack Pain Reliever- The endless hallways and exhibit hall that you’ll traipse through all week to get from one event to another (on top of the long nights out on the town) can make you stiff and sore. You might also have a headache from those ‘networking’ events with an open bar, so it never hurts to pack some pain reliever to get you through week.
  3. Use the Show Map/Guide-All of the shows we attend have phenomenal show maps and guides so don’t be afraid to use them. It’s not a bad idea to get one early and take a look at it so you can pick and choose the places you want to visit before the show is over.
  4. Pack Snacks- You never know if you’re going to get the chance to speak with someone you’ve been waiting to talk to for months, so don’t let an empty stomach ruin that for you! Keep something on hand so you can have a quick pick me up if you need one.
  5. Wear Comfortable Shoes- Don’t wear new shoes or uncomfortable shoes to a show. These exhibit halls are huge and you have to walk a lot to get to classes, the exhibits, your hotel etc. Your feet will thank you- I promise.
  6. Bring a Bag- There’s nothing worse than losing a business card or pamphlet from someone you met at the show and you’re interested in following up with, so bring a bag or backpack with you to keep everything you want in one place. You might also want to clean out your bag, briefcase or purse before the trip so you’re not lugging around a bunch of unnecessary items. And, if you forget your bag, no worries. We’ll have some awesome Go iPave bags at the booth you can pick up when you visit us at booth 445.

What are some of your must have survival items for trade shows?

0 replies

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *