The first few months of the year are awash with trade shows: Optrafair, 100% Optical and further afield the likes of Opti Munich and Mido, but why should you attend them? After all the reps come and see you anyway, all the catalogues are available online and a day out of practice at a show takes time and costs money.
In reality there is nothing quite like seeing and handling a product, trying a frame, judging how easy it is to adjust, seeing how ‘red’ the red actually is compared to how red the brown colour is. These are things that you cannot tell from a picture online, and then there are all the special offers and show discounts that are available on the day.
Trade shows are an opportunity to stimulate business. They are a perfect chance to get some new ideas and see all the latest products. In fact coming back from a show will often boost business even if you have not bought anything. You return excited and enthused about optics so why not take some (or all) of your staff and see how excited they become?
Trade shows are not all work, there is the social side as well, the opportunity to catch up with friends and colleagues. The time spent having a coffee with an old friend may be the most valuable thing you do at the show. You are both there to work, both focused on business but relaxed enough to chat. So rather than the awkward ‘What are you doing? How are the children?’ conversations you are more likely to talk about how the practice has managed the threat of new competition or how taking a gamble on new designer range of frames proved to be a winner. It is important to value the time you spend chatting, after all this is what all those business gurus mean when they talk about networking.
Trade shows also allow you to keep an eye on the competition. The multiples inevitably have recruitment stands and your local frame or instrument rep will be more than happy to tell you what the practice down the road has bought as they tempt you to upgrade to beat the competition.
However, trade shows can be a daunting prospect due to the number of stands and the embarrassment of riches on offer. Yet with a little forward planning and a simple list of Do’s and Don’ts you can enhance your opportunities and maximise your experience.
Do plan ahead
Decide what you want from the show – what are your goals? Are you considering a refit and are going to look for new ideas or do you want to see what the latest technology can do? Do you need a new range of frames or are you there to collect CET points? Highlighting your goals lets you develop a strategy, for instance if you are considering a refit you will see what the professional marketing departments with a large budget can do. The frame manufacturers want the same thing as you, they are trying to attract customers to buy their frames. The main difference is that they will have a new and cutting edge display stand for every show. So look at what the frame suppliers are doing with their displays. Another point to remember is that the shop fitters are trying to impress practice owners to buy their fittings not customers to buy their spectacle frames.
Once you have decided what you want from the show decide who your ‘must see’ exhibitors are. If you need to see particular reps or have planned to place an order, book an appointment with the company to save time.
- Do pre-register and print your ticket/pass. Pre-registering saves time and avoids queues on the day but also gets you on the mailing list to receive updates and the latest show information.
- Do take advantage of the free education. Since CET points became a mandatory part of continuing registration more and more manufacturers and events are offering free education as a way of attracting visitors. Some manufacturers will even offer refreshments for those taking part which given the cost of the catering at these events is worth it on its own. Look at what is on offer and book early as the popular courses fill up quickly.
- Do network. Traditionally networking has been seen as a way of building a list of useful contacts. This is still an important thing to do but tradeshows can be a very valuable way or meeting your competition. This may sound counterintuitive but what better way to find out what they are doing than a chat over a cup of coffee on neutral territory? You may even find that they are not really competition and that you can work together. Take plenty of business cards as well.
- Do go and see suppliers you would not normally see. Trade shows are full of new and novel products. There is less pressure than when a rep comes into the practice so enjoy seeing something new.
- Do take your staff and listen to their opinions. Your staff are the front line of your business, they are the ones who know what your customers are saying about products and what they are demanding now. It might be that the new, novel product is a winner for your practice.
- Do wear comfortable shoes and take some water. A good exhibition will inevitably be a large exhibition and if you are on your feet all day you will definitely appreciate being comfortable.
- Do take a bag and a notebook. Trying to remember who did what becomes difficult when you see so much and unfortunately many exhibitions discourage the taking of photographs so do record anything you see that interests you and make sure you have a bag for all the brochures you collect. A stapler is also useful, you can staple information into your notebook with your notes or staple business cards to the relevant brochure.
- Don’t try and see everything. If something interests you be flexible with your itinerary and spend some time on that stand to find out about that product. There is always the next show to catch up with the other exhibitors, or even better you may decide to spend two days at the show.
- Don’t just see people you already know. It is those chance meetings that are always the most important.
- Don’t forget to enjoy yourself; after all it is a day away from work.
And finally when you do get back home spend some time going through your notes, brochures and cards. Sort out the ones you want to follow up and keep the others for the future. Doing this while it is still fresh in your mind is a lot easier than trying it a week later.