Face-to-face meetings

Going to trade shows gives you the opportunity to meet with people that you may not necessarily have the funding to travel and meet with otherwise. The multitude of contacts that you can arrange meetings with abound: clients, colleagues, mentors, mentees, marketing, and media.

There are wonderful tools like email and the phone that help advance business goals and make getting things like sales done more efficiently. However, there simply is no replacement for the personal relationships that develop when meeting people outside of the normal day-to-day routine. A camaraderie evolves that aids in attaining business goals in the future when you need to deal with those people again.

The key is to find out who is going to the same show and arrange meetings in advance. Too many times people think, “I’ll meet up with so-and-so there.” And, it doesn’t happen because time goes by so quickly.

Networking Events

New contacts can be made and existing contacts bolstered when you spend time going to networking events. Who knows, that one person you’ve been wanting to meet in person for a long time might just happen to be at the same event you decide to go to. Look at the conference schedule ahead of time to see what events are being planned. Also, keep an eye out for the receptions and events that happen that are not published because they are last minute. Some are invitation only so be sure to find that out.

Learning

The main purpose of creating conferences is to educate the industry on topics that are timely and relevant. Much thought goes into arranging speakers and sessions. Look at the conference schedule ahead of time and plan what sessions you will attend. This will also give you the time frames when you can arrange meetings and attend networking events.

Technology

Arrange time to meet with technology companies to see what they have planned that could increase your sales and reduce your station’s costs. Vendors are at the show to create solutions for companies. They work hard to solve issues. If you have a specific issue, bring it to a company and brainstorm. You might be surprised at the plethora of different solutions that are sparked.

Check Out Competition

Let’s be honest: we all have to keep an eye on our competition so that we can stay ahead of them. Trade shows are a wonderful mechanism to doing just that. Set aside time to see what your competition is doing and how it could affect how you are doing business, if at all. Doing this keeps a company from being surprised or blindsided by competitor’s announcements.

Awards programs

Winning awards helps with morale and selling spots. Plan on entering and attending awards programs at trade shows and conferences. Be sure to take photos and grab a pocket video camera. This can give even more longevity to your conference attendance by creating content for your status updates and websites.

There is no replacement for the relationships and spontaneous ideas that germinate when attending trade shows and conferences. If you follow a plan, you can get the most out of trade shows and conferences so that they contribute to your station’s bottom line.

NOTE: Lauren Originals, Inc., corporate headquarters for IAPFP, has a Lauren Signature program for trade show success called Ready? Set. Show! Find more info at www.ready-set-show.com.

President, Lauren L. Darr, said, “This is our next step of evolution that will help us be of better service to our markets. While many of our team members our virtual, we will now have a ‘home.’”  She plans to be working out of the new building in Spring 2010.

The offices will be located on the main floor, which is currently being rehabilitated.  Plans include creating office and conference room space. There will also be a kitchen adjoining the conference room.  In the open area, which used to be retail space, will be a fun, creative area including foos ball, shuffleboard, poker, and pool tables. One of the really cool plans is to have a projected nine-foot screen where the LOI team can play on the Wii, watch movies or TV, host video conference calls, or surf the internet.

“It’s a crazy, funky, cool space that will allow us to work hard and play hard. It’s functional for hunkering down and getting the job done. And, it’s a creative space for those times when you need a stress relief or to come up with new ideas,” stated Lauren.

The second story of the property will be rented out for the first year while the main floor is remodeled.  Near the end of 2010, LOI will design additional office space and webcasting studios including a green room for the second floor.

The two-story, 4800 square-foot property was built in 1850.  Historical accounts include: hatchery, speak-easy, nightclub with vaudeville dancers, hardware and antique store.  Rumor has it that, when blues singers like Duke Ellington or Hoagie Carmichael recorded in nearby Richmond, they came to this building to party afterwards.  The building is the only downtown structure to survive the fires of 1912 set by an arsonist.

“We love the character and rich history of the property. It’s original and unique—attributes we pride ourselves in as a marketing company,” said Lauren.

When asked about the 2,000 square foot basement, Lauren winked and commented with a smile, “It would be a shame to have all that space go to waste and/or used as storage. Eventually, we’ll have a really rockin’ wine cellar there since wine is the nectar of the creative process.”

More details will be added as they are available.