How to get the most from your visit to a trade show.

Trade shows by their very nature are busy hives of activity and serve as a hub for the gathering of industry professionals. With most shows only running over a two-day period it can be difficult to take full advantage of everything they have to offer. With this in mind it is essential to pre plan, this will ensure the time spent at one will be truly beneficial and rewarding.

For many these are a networking opportunity to meet likeminded people, joining show specific social media groups and forums can be an excellent way to engage with other attendees and share knowledge. Visit the show’s website to keep updated with networking events that are taking place and pre book attendance if this is necessary.

Gaining new business skills is always essential to success and the varied educational seminar programmes at trade shows are well worth considering. These offer the ideal opportunity to learn about what is happening in the industry, sample new treatments and to glean advice from industry leaders.

Discovering new products and ranges are still core reasons for people attending trade shows along with meeting their existing suppliers. The show’s website will detail the exhibitor list and the floor plan will indicate where the stands are. It is crucial to draw up a list of stands to visit as a priority and then this will leave time for discovering new brands and treatments. A company will welcome receiving phone calls from potential new customers before the show and can answer any questions about their brands, which might determine the priority list.

So to sum up, firstly establish the fixed time events to attend such as networking meetings/seminars and secondly work stand visits around these. Trade shows offer many exciting new opportunities, forge longstanding business relationships and provide a spectacular visual insight into the beauty and complementary sectors, all of which is available in one visit with a little pre-planning.