For those businesses that use trade shows to make sales, take a look at NASE’s new Success Skill Seminar, Can a Trade Show Boost Your Business.

If you attend trade shows as a participant, you might currently make travel arrangements and then forget about the show until you get there.

If there is a specific goal you have in mind, you might want to do a little preparation.  (Many of these activities can be done by an assistant.)

There is something you an do besides obtaining a list of vendors and speakers participating and circling the ones you are interested in.

For example, if you goal is to evaluate software that meets a certain need in your company, try to eliminate some of the vendors prior to the show by:

  • Create a list of criteria the software must meet in order for it to work for you.
  • Check out the websites of the different vendors.
  • Contact the vendors and ask questions.
  • Evaluate the software using demos.

Once you have eliminated some of the vendors, contact the ones that made it to the next round and let them know you are going to the conference.  Find out if you can setup a meeting to talk.