Pre-event preparation
Successful networking begins long before you set foot in the exhibition hall. Thorough preparation not only calms the nerves but helps you to make the most of every interaction. Here are the basics.
Researching the event and attendee demographics
Most event organisers provide demographic information about attendees, including industry sectors represented, common job titles and company sizes. This allows you to tailor your approach to the specific audience. There will also be an agenda, especially if there are special events like speeches, presentations and other sessions. These can be great topics to get conversations started, so do a bit of homework on subjects you’re not completely familiar with.
Setting your goals and objectives
Vague goals like “make lots of contacts” won’t serve you well, and won’t help you to gauge how your networking improves or deteriorates over time. Instead, establish measurable objectives, such as:
- Connect with 15 decision-makers from target industries;
- Identify three potential collaboration partners;
- Schedule five follow-up meetings for the week after the event;
- Gather feedback on a new product from 20 potential users.
Creating an elevator pitch
An elevator pitch is a quick summary of what your business does in about 15 seconds. The idea is that you’d be able to tell someone who knows nothing about your business exactly what you do and how it can help them, all in the time it takes to travel from one floor to the next in a lift (the term “lift pitch” just didn’t take off). So prepare a quick pitch that states clearly what problem your product or service solves, emphasises your USP and invites further conversation. Practice until it sounds like you’re saying it off the top of your head.
Preparing business cards and other materials
While digital connections are important, physical reminders are still valuable networking tools. Ensure your business cards look professional and include all relevant contact details, including your website. Also decide on any product or service leaflets, giveaways and samples that you’ll be handing over – space is limited, so make sure it’s all relevant.
Getting a great stand
Your exhibition stand is your physical representation at the event. How you design and staff it significantly impacts your networking success. Stand design and construction is a professional task that takes on psychology, marketing, engineering, electronics, transportation and storage – so have a good read of our blog and news articles, then get in touch with the exhibition stand experts. But don’t forget – a stand can take several months to implement from scratch, so start as early as possible.
Staffing your stand
Staffing your stand with trained, engaging people is vital. Always have someone available to talk with visitors, and make sure they’re trained up in various approaches and know all about your business. Avoid having staff sitting down unless necessary, as it creates a less approachable impression. Position them so they can easily engage with passers-by while maintaining enough distance from each other so they don’t start chatting with each other – that can look off-putting to guests.
Breaking the ice with conversation starters
Initiating conversations with strangers is probably the most daunting aspect of networking for many professionals. Fortunately, there are proven techniques to make this easier. For example, avoid generic greetings like “How are you?” as these tend to get generic, conversation-ending responses. Instead, try openers that invite meaningful engagement, such as:
- “What’s been the most interesting thing you’ve seen at the event so far?”
- “Which sessions have you found most valuable today?”
- “What challenges is your industry facing that brought you to this event?”
- “Have you tried our hands-on demonstration yet?”
Listening and body language
Effective networking is less about talking and more about listening, even though you’re no doubt desperate to tell your visitor everything about yourself. And it’s not just about listening – it’s about being seen to be listening, as that’s what promotes engagement. Try these actions:
- Maintaining eye contact;
- Nodding and using affirming phrases that show engagement;
- Asking follow-up questions that build on what’s just been said.
Don’t forget that a significant portion of communication is non-verbal. Your body language often speaks louder than your words:
- Stand with an open posture, avoiding crossed arms;
- Smile genuinely when greeting people;
- Position yourself at a slight angle rather than directly face-to-face;
- Maintain appropriate personal space based on cultural norms.
Quality vs. quantity
A common beginner’s mistake is measuring networking success by the stack of business cards collected rather than the quality of connections made. In truth, five meaningful conversations that deal with mutual interests and establish a genuine rapport are much more valuable than fifty superficial exchanges. Signs that a contact is valuable include:
- Decision-making authority within their organisation;
- Overlap between their needs and your offering;
- Potential for shared value;
- Their connectedness within industry networks.
Note that sometimes the most valuable connections aren’t direct customers but rather industry influencers, potential partners, journalists or well-connected individuals who can help introduce you to your target audience.
If a contact looks promising, make notes about the discussion while it’s fresh in your mind. It’ll help you later when you’re trying to recall exactly who you spoke with about what, and it’ll make the contact feel valued when you get in touch a few days later. If you feel like a conversation isn’t relevant to you or the guest, politely wrap it up and move on. Time is precious!
Data collection strategies
Gathering contact information ensures no valuable connection slips through the cracks. While business cards remain vital, they do get lost among the clutter people collect at events. That’s why you should also consider digital solutions such as:
- LinkedIn QR codes for instant connection;
- Event-specific mobile apps that allow digital contact exchange;
- Mobile CRM applications that allow categorisation of new contacts;
- Digital badge scanning where available at the event.
Needless to say, with data protection regulations like GDPR, it’s essential to gather contact information ethically and legally. Always:
- Be transparent about how you’ll use contact information;
- Get explicit permission before adding someone to marketing databases;
- Respect preferences regarding future communication;
- Provide clear opt-out options in all follow-up communications.
Post-event follow-up
The whole point of exhibiting is to get contacts which lead to relationships and sales. Don’t neglect the follow-up part by sitting around waiting for contacts to get in touch with you. You are no doubt one of many contacts they made that day.
Strike while the iron is hot – but not molten. Visitors might have travelled long distances to be at the event, and could need a day or two to recover. Send initial follow-ups within 48–72 hours of the event, when your conversation is still fresh in recipients’ minds. This moderate delay stops you from looking desperate and respects their time and value.
You can segment your follow-ups based on the “quality” of the lead – i.e. their potential value. Your most promising contacts deserve personalised communication within the first two days, while more general connections can receive thoughtfully crafted but less customised messages slightly later.
Personalisation techniques
Generic follow-ups signal that the recipient was just another name on a list. You’ll get better results if you:
- Reference specific conversation points from your interaction;
- Connect your follow-up to a particular need or interest they expressed;
- Mention something unique about them or their approach;
- Include any information you promised to share during your conversation.
This level of personalisation shows that you were fully engaged in your interaction and valued what they shared. It might also jog their memory about who you are after a bustling conference. It’s why it’s vital to take notes after each interaction.
Measuring networking success
Without measurement, it’s impossible to improve your networking approach for future events. That’s why you need to set KPIs for all your networking efforts. Some typical metrics include:
- Conversion rate from initial contacts to follow-up meetings;
- Percentage of contacts that became sales opportunities;
- Number of referrals generated from event connections;
- Revenue directly attributable to relationships made at the event.
Obviously, some of these metrics can take months or even years to come to fruition, so it all goes to emphasise how important it is to log each contact in your CRM so you can attribute leads to exhibitions, or to other unconnected channels.
Keeping connections alive between events
Good networking requires ongoing engagement. It’s always a smart idea to share relevant content with your contacts periodically. It makes you more of a valuable partner, who they are more likely to get in touch with in the future.
Keep an eye on their social media so you can congratulate them on achievements or company milestones, or just reply to their comments with your own insights. Again, it shows them that you’re interested in them within your sector. And why not invite them to other industry events you’re attending? It’s a chance to meet up for a coffee and talk about what your businesses have been up to.
Common networking mistakes to avoid
We all have to start somewhere, and no matter how well prepped we are, we still all make blunders that look obvious in hindsight. Perhaps the most common error is approaching networking at events as immediate selling opportunities rather than for relationship building. Prematurely pushing your product or service before establishing a rapport and understanding the contact’s needs can create a barrier that’s hard to break down, like a spam email.
Instead, focus on understanding the other person’s situation, challenges and goals. This allows you to position your offering as solutions to specific problems rather than products in search of buyers. It also means you’ll waste less time chasing contacts that you wouldn’t be able to help anyway. Develop a methodical approach to follow-up before the event even begins, ensuring no promising connection falls through the cracks.
In summary
Effective networking at industry events isn’t about working a room or collecting business cards. It’s about establishing meaningful connections that create value over time – for both parties. The whole idea is that they get as much out of the relationship as you do, so as long as you’re open and honest about what you can do for them, you might make that connection. Everyone at the exhibition knows the score. They know people are there to buy and sell. But they might have been sent there especially to make connections with people like you – so you might actually be doing them a favour.
A key thing to take on board is that networking skills improve with practice. The investment in developing these skills pays dividends far beyond any individual event, building a professional network that becomes one of your most valuable business assets.
Each event provides opportunities to refine your approach based on what works for your particular industry, personality and products. And with proper data collection, you have the stats to back up any decisions you make to change your approach. Always think about how you’ll collect information and how you intend to use it, and to come up with some way of measuring success.
As you prepare for your next event, focus less on perfection and more on genuine connection. Interest in others and a willingness to provide value is what people notice – not flashy sales pitches. Don’t expect immediate returns because that’s not really how it works. You are a single exhibitor among many, and businesses need time to digest what they’ve learnt in order to make decisions and form relationships.
Finally, of course, you need to have a great exhibition stand. Check out the kinds of stands we can design and build for you.
