Networking: How to Make Conferences and Trade Shows Work For You

Ever wonder the best way to approach a person at post-show cocktail hour? What about the most effective way to follow-up with a person who gave you his or her business card? Maybe your a wallflower and can’t get up the nerve to talk to new people?

Scott Ginsberg, author of HELLO, My Name is Scott offers a mini-guide to networking, including the following:

• Preparation tips
• What to do during the event
• Follow-up tips
• How to keep in touch

These networking tips offer a practical approach to meeting people and building relationships at any business event. [MarketingSherpa]

Sands Expansion Details Revealed

Trade Show Week reports new details have emerged in county court records for the Sands expansion in Las Vegas. [TSW]

The Sands expansion is part of a long list of convention venues planning to add space to accommodate the growing number of trade shows and conferences moving to Las Vegas. The list includes: Las Vegas Convention Center, Ceasar’s Palace, Wynn, Las Vegas Hilton, Bally’s, South Point, Tropicana and more!

Vegas is clearly the place to be.

Craving Fancy Foods? Better Head to D.C.

Photo: Epicurious

In 2011, the Summer Fancy Foods Show will move from NYC to Washington D.C. This steal, orchestrated by the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington and the Hotel Association of Washington D.C., is expected to yield a cool $30 million for area businesses.

The uncertainty of renovation plans at the Jacob Javits Center in NYC helped drive this move to the Capital city. A sore loss for New York foodies, no doubt. [WashingtonPost]

Video Broadens Sales Reach Beyond Show Floor

Calculate the cost per lead of a trade show. Go ahead. Now, wouldn’t you like to drive down the cost per lead as much as possible? I thought so. Trade Show News Television (www.tradeshownews.tv) has a new streaming video concept that allows prospects and customers to access exhibitors’ information online. These news-style videos make for a unique sales tool enabling you to reach customers who may not be able to make it to the show floor. [PRWeb]

The expansion of broadband availability will continue to drive the trend of streaming video at trade shows and conferences. Look for more companies offering comprehensive video packages to pop up in the near future.

Men Prefer Carpet Padding Over Booth Babes

Only in the trade show world would men chose padded carpet over an attractive woman, but we all know sore feet make for disgruntled trade show attendees (and exhibitors).

Here’s a quick and informative look at trade show etiquette from Mike Dano at [RCRWirelessNews.com].

The Dreaded Trade Show”Hall of Shame”

Tim Moynahan of PC World dishes about some of the more embarrassing trade show bloopers he’s witnessed over the years. [WashingtonPost]

When things aren’t going as planned, remember these common sense tips:

• Stay calm – panicking will only exacerbate the damage
• Take control – don’t wait for someone else to take action, your colleagues may be more panicked than you are
• Ask for forgiveness – everyone makes mistakes and most people are willing to look past your flubs and foibles if you apologize and regroup

The Times, They are a Changin’

If you had any doubts about trade shows trending toward virtual form, let today’s news be your official wake-up call.

In the first transaction of it’s kind, Worldwide Business Research USA has acquired eComXpo, a virtual trade show, job fair combo for eCommerce marketers. [TradeShowWeek]

And – Always on the cutting-edge, the gaming industry show has gone entirely virtual this year.[iNTERGame]