By SANDRA GITTLEN

How to get the best out of trade shows

Network World, 12/19/01

It's time to pour over your budget again. What will stay and what will go as far as training expenses? Will you send your team to individual courses or let them hit the trade show floor? Which will have more value? Where will you get more bang for your buck?

Well, before you put a big "X" through trade show attendance, stop and think. Trade shows have gotten a pretty bad rep over the past year or so. No longer are they the cutting-edge tour de forces they once were. It used to be if you went to a trade show and walked the floor for days on end, you would be leaps and bounds ahead of your competitors. You'd know what the latest gizmos and gadgets were going to be. You'd also have a firsthand glimpse at what the vendors were planning for years down the road.

That's not so anymore. Very few vendors are bringing their top-secret wares to Las Vegas, Washington, D.C. and other popular convention locales. There are very few "oohs" and "ahs" to be had up and down the concrete aisles. So, why send a team of valuable resources out of house for several days with carte blanche credit cards?

Face time, baby. That's what it's all about. At shows like COMNET and NetWorld+Interop, the mission for attendees has changed. Your challenge now is to get one-on-one time with the vendors you work with most and work out deals. Also, get them to explain their road map and how their products will help you achieve your goals. You should consider this new era in trade shows as an opportunity to learn more about the networks you have installed. And trust me, the vendors will be clamoring to meet with you because they want to keep their installed base happy.

You should also attend trade shows for the networking opportunities. As you walk around the show floor and attend the sessions, make sure you stare at nametags. If you see someone in your industry, stop and introduce yourself. Strike up a conversation and next thing you know, you'll probably gain some insight that will help you better run your network. Make sure you take your business cards and offer them around. Who knows who might call you down the road for some help?

Finally, check out the educational portion of the trade show. If nothing else, you'll have access to some of the brightest minds in the industry. Experts from all over the country come to teach sessions and tutorials and they love to answer questions. So, even if you think you're up to speed on the basics of VPNs, you can still get your specific network questions answered during or after the class. Most trade shows even feature several forecasting sessions that show you where technology is headed over the next few years. These sessions are helpful when you are trying to put together your technology budgets.

What do you think? Let me know at sgittlen@nww.com.

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Gittlen is Events Editor at Network World.
You can e-mail her at sgittlen@nww.com.