What\u2019s the best response to learning about a trade show? Make plans to attend\u2014and map out plans for working the show.<\/p>\n
Sure, shows require time away from the operation and your family, but you\u2019ll come home reinvigorated and full of ideas to benefit your business. Where else can you receive so much professional development and training in one place? Trade shows are a prime opportunity to learn more about the foodservice industry and trends\u2014plus they\u2019re excellent for making valuable contacts. The bottom line? Going to trade shows is a way to invest in yourself and your business. <\/p>\n
Attending a trade show can help operators \u201cconnect to new ideas, upcoming trends, knowledgeable insights and business solutions to give them that edge,\u201d says Gordon Food Service\u00ae North American Trade Show Manager Matt Kirkwood. Here\u2019s another reason: Trade shows can help chefs and operators find new and exciting products that help them craft menus that stand out from the competition.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s how to make the most of the show experience.<\/p>\n
1. Organize your thoughts.<\/strong> Set goals and think about what you want to get out of a show. \u201cMake a list of top-of-mind or key issues about which you have questions, and make time to visit a few of the experts,\u201d Kirkwood advises. Highlight the names of vendors and products you want to see, then prioritize meetings and booth visits. <\/p>\n 2. Plan ahead. <\/strong>Dennis Lombardi, president of Insight Dynamics, an Ohio-based restaurant-advisory firm, draws a parallel between painting a house and attending a show. \u201cEighty percent is preparation,\u201d says Lombardi, who attends three or four shows a year to keep up with industry trends and information. Typically, he spends several hours preparing for a show, weeks in advance of the actual show date.<\/p>\n 3. Arrange meetings ahead of time.<\/strong> Contact the people you want to see, give them a reason to see you, then arrange a time and place to meet. Schedule time with your Customer Development Specialist\u2014don\u2019t assume that you\u2019ll run into each other.<\/p>\n 4. Schedule your time.<\/strong> Mentally sort the show into buckets\u2014products, learning and inspiration, business solutions, networking, etc.\u2014beforehand. Visit the show\u2019s website, study the schedule and plot out your time. <\/p>\n 5. Don\u2019t overdo it. <\/strong>\u201cTrying to pack too tight of a schedule is a mistake,\u201d Lombardi says. As a rule of thumb, he schedules twice the amount of time he thinks he\u2019ll need for each appointment. Building air into the schedule leaves time to run late, and also leaves some breathing room for walking the halls or catching a seminar.<\/p>\n 1. Be comfortable.<\/strong> Wear comfortable shoes with closed toes and sturdy soles, and don\u2019t choose show time to break in a new pair. If the show involves tastings, forgiving waistbands are the order of the day. Drink plenty of water, and be smart about what you carry. \u201cBring only what you need,\u201d Heredia says. \u201cLugging around a heavy purse or laptop bag can really get tiring fast.\u201d<\/p>\n 2. Be selective about information intake.<\/strong> Gathering too much material can be overwhelming. Grab only the point-of-sale pieces you\u2019re really interested in, and make notes about what makes various products appealing, Ask vendors if they can provide the information digitally. Make notes\u2014they\u2019ll help you remember the great ideas from the show and will provide context for follow-up emails from the contacts you made there.<\/p>\n 3. Keep your ears and your mind open.<\/strong> Often, the innovators who speak at conferences have very out-of-the box ideas for how to meet challenges. Keep listening and have an open mind, even if what you hear may not initially seem relevant to the way you do business. To some extent, that\u2019s part of the point, and what seems unexpected may be adaptable and scalable to your operation. <\/p>\n 4. Ask questions.<\/strong> Don\u2019t hold back. Target questions to your operation\u2019s needs. At one Midwestern show, for example, a chef who runs high-end operations spoke about leveraging seasonality and mentioned a number of leading-edge ingredients and applications. During the Q&A afterward, the owner of a small-town Ohio pizzeria asked how could leverage the opportunity and, immediately, the speaker offered a number of down-to-earth, operation-relevant approaches.<\/p>\n 5. Take pictures.<\/strong> There\u2019s a lot to take in, so having visual record can help make sure vital ideas don\u2019t fall through the cracks. Photograph products, presentations, menu cards, etc.<\/p>\n 6. Be gracious.<\/strong> Regard prospective new vendors and other contacts as people, not just the means to an end. \u201cEngage in some kind of conversation \u2026 reach out to the person as an individual,\u201d Lombardi says. Such an approach is more pleasant\u2014and it will help you stand out in that person\u2019s post-show memory in ways that facilitate future contact. <\/p>\n 7. Keep your phone charged. <\/strong>Smartphones are a handy way to keep in touch with people you need to meet. Make sure your phone is charged. You\u2019ll be taking a lot of pictures, sending a lot of texts, etc., so carry a small backup charger or look for a charging station at the show. <\/p>\n Sit down for an hour or so and summarize your notes. \u201cThat helps wrap up a productive show,\u201d Kirkwood says. <\/p>\n 1. Follow up with contacts.<\/strong> A call, email or even a personal note will help build relationships with the contacts you meet at shows. Lombardi advocates sharing information, say, on a topic discussed during a show. Sharing information helps people, \u201cand it\u2019s a nice thing to do,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n 2. Pause to digest what you\u2019ve taken in. <\/strong>Take 15 minutes or so to sit down and compose your thoughts before getting in the car. Doing this while everything is still fresh may call to mind questions you can get answered while you\u2019re still at the show.<\/p>\n 3. Develop action plans.<\/strong> Use the information you\u2019ve gleaned to inform your overall business strategy. Determine how new products and information about flavor trends, preparations and consumer behavior can influence menu upgrades. Make plans for sharing what you\u2019ve learned with your staff. <\/p>\n Overall, \u201ctake your time, talk to everyone and pace your sampling,\u201d Kirkwood advises. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Use the information you\u2019ve gleaned to inform your overall business strategy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":4468,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4467","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-running-your-business"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n7 ways to maximize your experience at the show<\/h3>\n
3 ways to follow up after the show<\/h3>\n