It’s Spring and Trade Show Fever is in the Air
Even after all these years, there’s something exhilarating about conventions, big and small. You don the suit, attach the name badge, and gear up for action. I still eagerly anticipate the moment when those exhibit hall doors open and a flood of humanity rushes through, a teeming sea of healthcare professionals each with their own agendas and approaches to tackling a massive number of booths.
Like veritable kids in a candy store, convention attendees go wild, quickly shrugging off their normal 9-to-5 composure like a bulky winter coat and adopting a new persona for the occasion. There are a few distinct ones, as most exhibitors have probably readily identified:
The hunter-and-gatherer is all about the swag — the tchotchkes given out by exhibitors to lure attendees to their booths. (A note about this swag: it’s not just pens and Post-it notes these days; you can score some pretty amazing stuff if you work the system.) These hunter/gatherers tap into some ancient, primordial instincts as they stalk their prey with the greatest precision and skill until they pounce, silent and deadly.
The pirate is all about the buried treasure. They consult their exhibit floor maps, calculating the most effective routes to the booth with the greatest bounty, and then navigating — using their charts and compasses — to the point where X marks the spot. A word of advice to exhibitors — hand over the goodies, or walk the plank, matey!
The professor is all about the knowledge. They have done their homework, and now they are ready to see your science projects, er, product demonstrations in action. They relish the opportunity to get up close and personal with your product or service. They’re the ones who want to know about your R&D, clinical trials, and published findings, and they’re the ones who will actually read your product literature, God bless them!
The dog show judge is one cool customer, and he/she is all about the need to be impressed. They make exhibitors work for it, whether it’s a chance to start a conversation, or the opportunity to present their offerings. They keep their distance in the aisle, casting a dispassionate eye upon your wares and mentally calculating whether or not you will make the cut. Here’s to competing for best in show!
I say all of this with tongue firmly planted in cheek, because I enjoy interacting with all kinds of attendees. Some like to grab-and-go, while others like to linger and mingle, and everything in between. As exhibitors, we know this is a critical opportunity to catch the attention of customers, and as journalists, this is our chance to talk with industry experts, collect information on the latest products and services, schmooze with friends you always see on the trade show circuit, and most importantly for me, connect with the readers and the advertisers who are the reason we’re in business.
Here’s to a rewarding trade show season, and I’ll see you at our booth!
Until next month,
Kelly M. Pyrek
Group Editor, Medical Division
kpyrek@vpico.com