Yes, but you will often come across people who swear never to attend another one again. An expo can be a hit or a miss, depending on various factors. Starting with the event itself, some expos have slowly begun to miss the point and have become a cash cow targeting corporates with “FOMO”.
You’ll find that the event is poorly organized, provides little to no time for networking, and doesn’t pick the right keynote speakers or have the right sessions. However, most organizers get it right and their expos provide great value.
To make the most out of a convention, you’ll have to put in some effort. Here’s what you need to do to make your next business expo worthwhile.
Be Active, Not Passive
Think of a convention or an expo as an investment, and thus, you need to make sure it generates a return. If you’re lucky, the expo will be within your vicinity where you can easily commute to and from the event. But this usually isn’t the case, and you might have to incur accommodation, travel, clothing, or food costs. So, in a real sense, an expo is an investment where you’ll have to spend money.
The first step is to define your goals for the expo and see if it meets your expectations. Each industry has its events, so make sure the expo matches your expertise, whether its tech, real estate, gaming, healthcare, etc. Go a step further and consider the theme of the event and keynote speakers to see if they’ve included talking points you are keen about.
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Plan Ahead
Once you’ve confirmed the event is a must-attend, you’ll need to plan for it in advance. Unlike most attendees who wait to get to the venue to start their experience from there, be one step ahead and do your research. Figure out which companies will attend, the key speakers, what the various sessions will be about, and the locations of booths you’re interested in.
If the event is being shared online, don’t be shy and start making your presence felt. Share on your socials that you’ll be attending and you’re looking forward to networking. That way, this might strike a conversation online and create familiarity even before you meet fellow attendees at the venue.
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Make Every Second Count
It’s D-Day, and the first day of the event kicks off. Your mindset when attending an expo should be to get informed, network, and don’t forget to have some fun. Put your phone aside for a while, and be in the moment. Be aware of your surroundings and be intentional with your conversations.
Visit various booths, network with different people and try not to skip most of the sessions. When attending a session you are particularly keen on, have a few questions for the panel and meet with the speakers after the discussion to create a lasting impression.
Most expos have more than a thousand people in attendance so how do you stand out? Be yourself and have a vibrant personality—after the “so what do you do” question, let the conversation flow and make it casual. During the event, connect with as many people as possible and exchange contacts.
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Follow Up ASAP
After the event, reach out to the contacts you collected asap to continue the conversation. A few people will do this, so you get another chance to stand out. Going back to your socials, remember to share snippets of the event, you can even share what you learned to show how impactful the expo was. Event organizers notice such efforts at times and can offer you a special invite or a speaker role at the next conference.
Did Your Expo Investment Pay Off?
For the sales team, a direct ROI is in terms of leads and connections. However, there’s more to getting value from an event beyond a sales-related outcome. You can see what your competitors are doing, learn of the latest technologies in your niche, or realize that many other people are going through a similar challenge.
Gaming is a great example of an industry that does expos perfectly. Besides learning of all the latest tech trends on the market, you get to have crazy fun. Casinos, in particular, have several events yearly, one of the most popular being Sigma Events. Here, online casinos showcase their games, and technology and offer interactive experiences.
Some of the top online casinos which already have a large following online, don’t miss out on such events. You get an inside scoop of how your favorite games work and what more to expect.
How was your last expo or convention experience? If it wasn’t as fruitful as you had hoped, maybe it’s time you try a different approach and see whether you’ll have some fun as you build your career or expertise.
