As September is taking a turn, we are anticipating one of our favorite events of the year: the Photokina trade show. Being one of the largest fairs in the photography and related imaging world, it is renowned for its international presence, since industry players of all sizes will be going all out to put on a great show, as well as catching up with the latest developments. Conversely, if you’re not a seasoned industry professional, turning up at Photokina without knowing what to expect can be overwhelming!
Rest assured, as the trade show’s old-timers, we have prepared a list of 10 ways to survive Photokina 2018:
- Plan ahead
Find out in which halls the exhibitors you want to visit are located, when the events and workshops you want to attend are taking place, etc. These may be separated across different halls and each hall can be vast. A little research earlier will help you get the most out of your time at the fair. If you have a smart phone, the Photokina App might help you to plan your visit.
- Prioritise
The event is massive and you won’t see everything in one go. A mere reminder that in 2016, the fair attracted over 191,000 enthusiastic visitors! Think about what you’d most like to see or do, and what you’d like to get out of attending the fair. Bring a small notepad and a pen to write down your first impression, good ideas or discussed subjects at certain booths.
- Know your elevator speech
Be prepared to approach strangers, introduce yourself, and engage in conversation with them. It might be much less intimidating to chat with those you already know, but that’s probably not why you’re attending. Remember that the goal of the elevator pitch should always be to stir up interest to eventually emulate sales.
- Pack light
Don’t bring a heavy bag of stuff you know very well you’ll end up not needing. Choose comfortable clothes, and keep that outfit you’re trying to fit in at home! Making your way around the fair, you’ll find yourself gradually weighed down by the brochures and freebies you’ve collected from different exhibitors’ stands, and you’ll wish you had left all the superfluous at home.
- Bring lots of business cards
And be prepared to manage the ones you receive. Whether you digitalize them in your CRM app or simply scribble a few notes on the back, make sure they don’t end up floating around your luggage for the next six months. You’ll probably want to review them after your trip to prioritize whom you want to contact first.
- Bring the right shoes
Get a good night of sleep, wear comfortable shoes, and expect to do a lot of walking. As mentioned in tip number one, there is a lot of ground to cover. To remedy sore feet, you can rub them with foot cream at the end of the day and alternate between more than one pair of shoes.
- Take steps to stay healthy
Keep well-hydrated, have at hand vitamin C supplement, keep some zinc lozenges in your bag in case you feel a cold coming on, and bring earplugs as well as an eye mask to ensure you get a good night of sleep. Don’t forget to stay hydrated, coffee might be a good wake-up option but may leave you dehydrated during the day. And remember to wash your hands often!
- Avoid the flood gates
You might want to avoid the large crowds in the mornings all entering the fair at once. Of course, buy your ticket online in advance, and turn up a few moments after the opening time.
- Use breath mints
No one needs to know there was garlic and anchovies on the Caesar salad you had for lunch. And there’s nothing worse than coffee breath!
- Have fun
Remember that this is a great occasion to network and make new connections. For guaranteed fun, make sure you come to see Mediaclip’s crew. We will be premiering many of our latest innovations at Stand B-41, Hall 5.1. Make sure to book an appointment here!
