Trade shows and events are back…and bigger than ever.
After the pandemic freeze and tech tsunami, people apparently rediscovered their appetite for face-to-face experiences. I just wrapped up a HUGE event in NYC.
Although I collected a few paper business cards and sell sheets, badge scans, QR codes, and social media connections are now commonplace.
That said, if you’re going to hang out with flesh-and-blood people, remember the basics of eye contact, handshakes, and the manners your momma or boss taught you. If you don’t like people, maybe this isn’t the right environment for you!
The show I attended was truly AMAZING, and 99% of the people I met were wonderful. But here are a few things that I’ve been observing since my early years as a “booth babe” that still seem to exist.
The CEO/Founder Who Belongs in the Office. 👑
Sorry, but your badge doesn’t say ROYALTY. If you’re going to go to the show, represent your company culture and products. I met founders and celebrity chefs who handed out samples, posed for pics, and thanked visitors for visiting the booth. Their brands are memorable!The Roaming Gangs of Buyers 🚶🚶🚶🚶
These tend to be multiple people from the same company who genuinely like hanging out with each other. But take some time to divide and conquer, then compare notes later.The Booth Zombie 📱
If your nose is buried in your phone, why did your company spend $$ to send you? And if you’re the Founder, it really doesn't look great.The Booth Bully 🎤
Like a spooky horror film character, they leap into the aisle and ask you a question (“Wanna see a demo?”) or hand you something you didn’t ask for. Smile and say hi. Wait for the prospect to engage.The Swag Glutton 🎁
If your biggest takeaway is a suitcase full of socks, stress balls, stickers, and shirts, maybe you should stick to Halloween and avoid trade shows. That said, some swag is pretty creative and awesome. More on that in my show recap!The Early Escape Artist 📦
C’mon…everyone wants to get home. But sometimes on the final day of an event, some of the best buyers or press finally have time to wander the floor.Forgetting You’re in the Hospitality Business ❤️
Whether you’re selling AI, cheese, forklifts, or frozen dumplings, you’re hosting guests. Smile. Listen. Introduce people to one another. Be generous.
But the point of this piece isn’t to shame bad booth behavior!
Just be sure you’re sending the right humans to live events and training them well before they arrive. And be sure to use ALL the technology that’s at your disposal.
Download the app and use it as a wayfinder, meeting scheduler, and planner.
Use AI before you arrive to research the types of companies and people you want to meet. Be very specific about your goals. (I shot a show video and used my AI agent to map out my floorplan, so I could scoot through the aisles in record time!)
Connect with the people you meet on LinkedIn and follow them on other social media sites. Follow up with personalized notes soon after the event.
Look for “off the floor” opportunities (pre- and post-event gatherings) to meet people in more relaxed settings.
Make training and post-event reflection fun and immersive! Feed your FAQs into an AI agent each night and at the end of the event, and use it to create a summary and action plan. But remember, people go to events to meet BODIES and not BOTS! Act and think like a human!
Prompts With Purpose
Just for fun, I asked my agents what some good uses of AI could be for the trade show and event world. Here’s the output. Not bad for a BOT.
Roast your pitch before a stranger does. The night before, hand AI your booth pitch and say: “You’re a skeptical buyer who’s heard this pitch 40 times today. Interrupt me. Ask the question that makes me sound like everyone else.” Fix it before a real buyer does it for you.
Six-second test for your booth. Photograph your booth from 15 feet away and ask AI: “You’re walking by with a coffee in one hand and a badge scanner in the other. What do you notice in six seconds? What’s invisible?” That’s the actual attention span you’re working with.
Find the gap, not the recap. Each night, photograph three competitor booths and feed AI the photos with: “What is every booth at this show saying? What is nobody saying?”
Need help with YOUR live event strategy, staffing, speakers, press room, or training? You know where to find me! I've got hundreds of events under my (very human) belt.
This post was researched and drafted with Beulah, my AI collaborator. Direction, edits, and final judgment: Nancy AF.