When you hop on a flight and head to a security trade show, you’re often looking at long days, nights away from home and significant travel times. There are important reasons to put yourself through this stress multiple times a year—trade shows can have important benefits. As such, you have certain expectations for what will happen at an industry trade show and how it will benefit your business.
ISC West 2018, which will take place in Las Vegas, is one of the largest trade shows in the security industry. It sports almost 1,000 vendors, several demonstrations, and dozens of industry events to connect with fellow attendees. To get the most out of your visit, here are 5 things you can do:
- Register Now. Pre-registering for the show brings several benefits. It allows you to save on admission, adds you to the ISC West email list, and gives you access to exhibitors prior to opening. It also allows you to map out and save a show plan ahead of time, saving you time and effort when you arrive and aiding with your pre-show planning.
- Get Social. Follow ISC West across social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook to stay connected. ISC West’s social media will keep you updated with what’s new at the show and what’s happening day-to-day. Tracking the show hashtag (#ISCWest) can show you what people are posting pictures and allow you to connect your own social media to the trade show by hashtagging your own photos and posts.
- Make A Plan. Even with pre-planning, there’s too much to do in just the few days that ISC West runs, so using ISC West’s planning tool, My Show, gives you access to the exhibitor’s list, show floor plan and other important information to favorite the most important events and vendors for your show plan, register for important events and educational sessions, and use the ISC West mobile app to look up information such as when attendees are on the show floor or booth locations.
- Pick Favorites. If you’re interested in spending time with a specific vendor, it can be helpful to go to that booth on the final day of the show when attendee traffic is lessened. ISC West is an opportunity to really delve deep with the people who design and install the products you’re interested in. Read their website, download their whitepapers, and come prepared with the essential questions that will help you make the important decisions.
- Evaluate. When ISC West is over, take inventory. What did you learn? What connections did you make? What questions did you answer—or what new questions do you have? Did you make new relationships with vendors, or are you still undecided? Go over the benefits of attending with your team to decide how to go forward with the information from the show.
ISC West is an experience unlike any other in the security industry. It can be a meaningful event that helps you create lasting partnerships with manufacturers and vendors. By using the above tips, you can turn an exhausting business trip into an opportunity to jump start your business with new ideas and connections!
