“In my experience, MemoryTrends is a pretty fast and easy show to navigate as a buyer,” commented one Pennsylvania retailer. “It’s the larger shows—like HIA and ACCI—that can be a little harder to plan for.”

Trade shows can be the most rewarding, educational experiences—but only if you’re prepared! Make the most of your time on the show floor by planning ahead with our simple trade show survival tips:

1) Read the show information
Go through the list of exhibitors and activities and make three lists:

• The must-see booths where you plan to place an order
• The booths you want to browse to see what’s new
• All other activities, seminars, classes and workshops you want to attend at the show.

Don’t forget to allow yourself a little time to walk the booths you don’t normally shop at—you might find a few surprise items! Make your list before you make your travel arrangements. Often retailers, in the interest of saving money, will try to cram too much into too little time. You don’t want to be rushed—or worse, miss out!

2) Come With Questions
“While I can’t speak for every exhibitor, I can say that the HOTP booth is always staffed with knowledgeable people who are happy to discuss the product, trends and ordering information,” says Paulette. “We encourage customers to take advantage of this opportunity and ask us questions about merchandising our product, classes and resources available.”

3) Pack Plenty of Business Cards
People will be asking for your business card continuously throughout the show—and not just the vendors who want to staple the card to your order! Other retailers, looking to network, frequently swap cards in order to create or enlarge their community of retailers to exchange merchandising and sales ideas. Pack plenty and give them freely. (Savvy retailers will pack paper cards and print their information on a mailing label too. Labels are cheap and fast—they’re perfect for attaching to an order.)

4) Shop For Product—and Display Ideas
Trade shows offer a perfect opportunity for retailers to glean merchandising and display ideas. Take note of how the vendors are displaying their products in the booth and ask if that same type of display is available with purchase. And don’t forget to note how the company presents its image, look or style. “We leverage the well-known Paper Pizazz™ name and logo with banners that stretch across the booth,” says Paulette. “While you might not have a giant Paper Pizazz™ banner in your store, you did recognize the name and it brought you into the booth. How can you adapt this tactic to your store?”

5) Pack Like a Pro
Pack for comfort! Comfortable walking shoes are a must, as you’ll be walking all day for several days—usually on thinly carpeted concrete. Dress in layers, since the temperature can change from one booth to the next, depending on where the exhibitor is located or how many lights they have in their booth. Cut costs and save time by packing a water bottle and snack food.

6) Take Note!
Bring a notebook and take quality notes and/or sketches during seminars and workshops. Be sure to take home the printed material or jot down the speaker’s book title. Many speakers work from slides or PowerPoint presentations so it’s imperative you have good notes to remember the speaker’s points.

“Most of all, retailers should have fun at trade shows. They are a great place to shop, learn and network—three wonderful opportunities to grow your business!” says Paulette.

Turn Trade Show Expenses into Free Store Advertising
Before you plan your schedule or pack your bags, here are three top tips for maximizing your trade show expenses by turning them into profitable PR tactics.

$$ Send a simple press release to the Lifestyles editor of your local newspaper. Start off with a catchy introductory paragraph that explains who you are, where you’re located and which show you went to. The body of the press release should bullet-point three or four trends you discovered at the show. A final paragraph can desiribe some of the new items you expect to have in stock. Be sure to include all contact information at the top and bottom of the press release; include the date, your store hours and type it all out on your letterhead paper.

$$ Bring your camera to the show and have your photo taken with as many industry leaders as possible. Either shoot them with a digital camera and email the photos back to the store to be displayed while you’re gone or wait to get home and create album pages with them for display.

$$ You’ll pick up dozens of tips and techniques from the classes and seminars you attend. Jot these down in a special notebook or folder, then publish them, one by one, in your store newsletter. Create a “Tip of the Month” section in the newsletter and in the store, giving credit to the company or person you learned it from. Show a sample alongside for maximum effectiveness.