feature Tradeshow Time


A tradeshow is a perfect vehicle to hone your professional skills, make new contacts in the industry and refresh old ones. Kristin Larson Contino


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s a specialty retail professional, attending a tradeshow can be an extremely valuable experience. This is your opportunity to meet face-to-face with retailers,


manufacturers, specialty leasing managers and property managers to make new connections and deals; and to see new products in person and attend educational seminars. While shows like the Specialty Retail Entrepreneur Expo & Conference (SPREE) offer all of these benefits and more, it can be difficult for some specialty professionals to justify the time away from work and the expense of attending a show.


Why attend Whether you’re a retailer or a specialty leasing manager, finding new products for your location can be a time-consuming process. At a tradeshow, everything is under one roof and there are hundreds of new products for you to see, touch and try. Many new products launch at shows, offering you the opportunity to see the hottest products before anyone else. Even better, you can speak to the product’s representative and even sign deals right on the tradeshow floor, eliminating what typically could be hours of research and back-and-forth with manufacturers. Debbie Lahti, the tradeshow director for SPREE, says that the


show allows leasing managers to meet with prospective tenants from all over the country who could possibly fill multiple locations. “This takes away that other piece of the manager’s job of having to go out and find tenants—they’re literally coming to you at SPREE.” Star Cumming, a consultant with Specialty Retail Solutions


LLC, has worked in the specialty retail leasing industry for the past 13 years. Last year was her first time attending SPREE, where she represented two of her clients, worked a booth and also served as a speaker on a panel. “It was a great event and worth every penny to attend. We’re


all going through the same thing and dealing with the same challenges in this industry, so it’s nice to hear how other people solve certain problems,” she says. Cumming, who helps guide manufacturers in the cart and


kiosk industry, said the networking aspect of tradeshows is one of the best reasons for attending. “I love sharing my experie nces


88 Specialty Retail Report n Winter 2011


with people from all over. The networking events are just fun; you get to talk with your peers in the industry and it’s a casual time to talk with competitors that you often can’t find anywhere else. It’s also a great way to meet up with old colleagues.”


Make the most of your experience To ensure your trip to a tradeshow is a productive one, do your research before attending. With many people to meet and sessions to attend, you’ll want to have a game plan to maximize your time. Most shows—including SPREE—will post a list of exhibitors in advance so you can research each company and decide whom you’ll want to check out once you’re there. “Before going it’s a good idea to set up appointments with


people, whether you’re a landlord, operator or manufacturer,” Cumming says. “You walk in and there’s hundreds of booths and you only have a few days. If you don’t have a plan, there’s simply not enough time to do it all.” Cumming advises tradeshow attendees to set goals for each


day of the show. If you’re not able to make an appointment with someone during the show, try to arrange an early morning coffee meeting or grab a drink after dinner. “Don’t limit yourself to the show’s hours,” Cumming says. “People are usually pretty flexible about meeting outside of the tradeshow floor.” You’ll be meeting many people, so come prepared with


plenty of business cards. Cumming suggests bringing a simple one-sheet flyer to hand out that summarizes who you are or what your product is about. You should plan to come to the show and stay all day; don’t


waste time going back and forth to your room to drop things off. Wear good shoes and don’t weigh yourself down with paperwork,” Cumming says. “If you have a booth, ask people if they want information mailed to them so they don’t have to carry it around all day.” Then get their possibly invaluable contact information. Cumming suggests that mall professionals talk to everybody—even if you already have that product at your location. “Another operator might be better, or offer a better deal. You never know.”


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