Trade Show Attendee Strategies

Tradeshow season is coming up soon. Conferences usually last more than one day. So how to come out of the conference energized with ideas to grow your business? Unless you are visiting to purchase something specifically (more on this later), here are the three things on which to focus during winery tradeshows – — Promote Yourself and Your Brand, Market Research and Networking.

Promote Yourself and Your Brand: Establish yourself and your winery business as a leader. You do this by offering information and assistance to your peers, and being participative during the tradeshow. This will also help you get media exposure if it arises; requests to be a future panelist, which highlights your areas of expertise and further promotes you/your brand; and opportunities to participate in winery and industry associations. The other benefit of being active versus passive it that you’ll feel energized and recharged with new ideas and initiatives.

Marketing Research: You go to these shows because your winery competition is there, and you have a primo opportunity to gather intelligence and best practices ideas. The payback for offering info is getting new ideas, techniques and emerging trends in return. Issues with stuck fermentations? Treatments for blight and bugs? POS and inventory issues? How are they selling so much wine online? Is social media working for you? How are you getting those scores and wine writers’ reviews? You get my point; now be sure to ask.

Networking: Make friends with other winery principles and managers (also wine industry suppliers) who can help you. Don’t be afraid to initiate conversations. That’s why people attend these types of events. Why not conduct business meetings during show breaks? You can reach out pre-event and schedule meetings with current and new vendors, growers and winery contacts.

Find new dealers and vendors to establish long-term relationships. You will eventually need their help, products and services in the future. You’ll want to do some post-show follow-up and “thank you” emails. I find it effective to immediately make notes on the back of business cards as follow-up reminders. Which reminds me – bring plenty of business cards and a pen.

Logistics and Tactics: Download and print the show agenda and attendees lists. Identify and highlight (yes, use a marker pen) which “must do” classes and sessions to attend and which speakers to whom you want to talk. Schedule yourself and stick to it. Our natural tendency is to kibitz with wine business friends, taste wine and relax. Resist this and stay on plan. This is your investment of time and how you outpoint your competition. Take an end row seat in the middle of the room. This enables you to see the entire audience for influential and informative contacts. It also provides easy egress when you need it.

Next, see who else is attending the show. Highlight those contacts that have the most value and make a short list to which to refer. What is that you’d talk to them about? You’ll see them throughout the show and can spontaneously strike up a conversation. To do that, arrive early and hang out at the coffee and water stations. People will arrive relaxed and conversations are easy going. Be there early for breakfast and introductions. Look around the room and see to whom you want to speak and sit with them. Stay late for wine tastings and social activities to make more connections. When “winesense” turns to nonsense, beat feet to your room and get some shuteye in prep for tomorrow’s events. Working out early in the morning and arriving top of the day’s agenda puts you one step ahead.

Plan on purchasing something: Consider your most pressing problem or need. Is it related to grape growing, winemaking or marketing and selling your wines? Once you identified 1-2 business needs, decide if you have the budget and what the timeframe is to acquisition. This will help you have a business discussion with vendors, and acquire good and competitive information about their products and services. Should you make a purchase commitment at the show? This can vary based on whether you are offered a “Tradeshow Only” deal that evaporates as soon as you depart the floor. Having spent many years in sales I know that these deals can be reconstructed or renegotiated later. My strategy is to politely decline but give the salesperson your card and ask them to follow up after the show. It’s their job after all to do so. This puts you in a better negotiating position and not subject to artificial “sense of urgency”. You can also evaluate and leverage competitive offers without the strain of show deadlines.