Going to a Fair as a Visitor

I just returned from the IMM in Cologne. It's a furniture fair. This was my first time at a fair where I was a visitor and tried to start relationships with exhibitors. I was there for three days. The costs were about 1203,-€ per person. But it was worth it!

Statistics: We were two persons, we talked to 43 exhibitors and 7 companies showed some interest in our IT services.

Previously I always tried to establish relationships through cold email. But it appears as if going to a fair - especially a fair with expensive tickets - is a much easier and better way to establish a new contact. 

At a fair people take the time to listen to you. When you are writing a cold email, people treat you as spam. And rightfully so. 

Both things work: Going to a fair as an exhibitor and going to a fair as a visitor. 

You should definitely make the experience and see how far that gets you!

Some tips:

- I like to go as a team of two persons, because by yourself you may be a bit uncomfortable or slow or you forget some things. Two is just the right amount of people. With three it's almost as if you gang up on the employee of the exhibiting company. 

- It's great to make a list of all exhibitors before the fair and think about who you want to talk to. That way you will be much more efficient and successful than just visiting random exhibitors.