For aftermarket distributors and service providers, trade shows provide the unique opportunity to meet with multiple vendors in an incredibly short amount of time. They allow face-to-face time with existing and potential vendors, and can help turn weeks of phone tag and email chains into incredibly valuable five-minute conversations.
The biggest key to preparation is simply determining which vendors an attendee wants to see, says Paul Wendelberger with Auto Brake Clutch & Gear.
“My goal is to work with my suppli- ers,” says Wendelberger. “I will usually have a few in mind, and when I get [to a show] I’ll seek them out.”
Preparing a vendor list can be done by category as well, says Nick Paul, purchasing agent at Truck & Trailer Supply. Paul says his company will regularly identify product categories it wants to enhance before attending a trade show, and will then seek out businesses that offer those products at the event. This allows the Truck & Trailer Supply to acquire as much information as possible about a vendor and product before making a purchasing decision.
For exhibitors, predetermined talking points should be communicated to all staffers before a show, and team members should work together to present that information throughout.
Karmak’s John Lebel, strategic partnership director, says internal preparation meetings allow Karmak to educate its team on an outward marketing approach for any upcoming show.
