Tradeshow Time (Make a list!)

What's on your checklist to do before a tradeshow? Myself and several members of the Hannon Hill team (Kirsten, Brock, and Blaine) are flying to Dallas for the annual EDUCAUSE event. It is the largest IT-focused higher education event anywhere.

Every time we do a tradeshow we frantically get together and go over a to-do list of stuff for everyone to work on. In an effort to improve our operation, we're documenting that list this time for internal use on our intranet as well as for our blog. So, without further ado, here is a quick list of items for us to do when it comes tradeshow time.

• Pre-show mailer – you do want people to come to your booth in a purpose driven manner, right? Pre-show email blasts are useful as well. Strange but true fact: some shows still require sending physical mail-outs and don't allow pre-approved emails.

• Business cards – yes, people still exchange dead trees as part of the historic ritual.

• Analyst/Editorial appointments – tradeshows are a great way to meet with a bunch of people in person, in a short amount of time.

• Press kits – do people still use these? We bring them anyways.

• Swag – a.k.a. Stuff We All Get – this is the fun stuff you hand out (e.g. slap koozies, pens, mints, smiley face stickers, etc).

• Travel, lodging, etc – a plane ticket and hotel room(s) are a good thing.

• Booth infrastructure – not the most fun stuff – usually due to having to assemble and transport it – but important nonetheless. We have the standard backdrops, company signage, logo polo shirts, tablecloth, screen, projector, laptops (Mac and PC!), fish bowl (for business cards), extension cords, surge protectors , etc. Make sure to ship it ahead of time, if applicable.

• Client/prospect invitations – you're going to be there already; make good use of your time.

• Events websites section – you do have one of these sections on your website announcing events you'll be attending, I hope.

• Booth fees paid – make sure your bills are paid for the booth, electrical, and Internet access. Yes, you don't want to show up and not be able to do what you set out to do.

• Personal friends – this is more of an unspoken item, but it is always a good idea to call that friend you haven't spoken to in a couple of years. Sure, you are on a business trip, but I recommend taking advantage of being in a different city to see friends in person.

• Accessories – these are more like odds and ends that you should bring, and they include breath mints (nobody likes bad booth breath), snacks, and bottled water.

• Smile – attitude and excitement shine through. If all else fails, fake it until you make it.

Personally, I find tradeshows fun and am looking forward to Dallas. There's nothing that can replace talking to people face-to-face about our amazing product and building relationships.

What's on your list?

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