Racing Trade Show Strategy - Ready, Ready, GO!

Just like your typical Saturday Night Race, your day of activities at the Racing Trade Show will be much more satisfying and successful if you prepare a strategy and execute your Show Day plan on schedule.

Just like your typical Saturday Night Race, your day of activities at the Racing Trade Show will be much more satisfying and successful if you prepare a strategy and execute your Show Day plan on schedule.

Motorcycle Road Racers speak in terms of starting each race with an attention account and then spending their limited mental attention resources wisely so that they remain sharp and focused throughout an event. On Show Day, your attention resource may have to be spread over 12 hours and running out of emotional steam midway will be an epic fail.

Before the Show Day or on the ride to the site, call a Team Meeting of your Crew Members that will be attending with your group. Review your goals for the Show and your talking points about your exciting upcoming season. Make sure everyone understands who will lead the conversations, what can be publicly discussed about your Team and what is to be kept confidential at this time. Loose Lips Sink Sponsors, Deals and Friendships (and sometimes, Marriages…)

Arrive at the Show at least an hour or earlier before the scheduled opening. Spending 30 minutes looking for a parking space a mile away or waiting to buy your ticket is a waste of your time resource.

While you wait for the doors to officially open, wander around the assembled crowd and take note of who else you recognize is there. Get your routine greetings done now so that you can concentrate on your tasks later.

Re-assemble your group just before entry and set up contingency plans. If you get separated, plan to meet up at an easily identified Exhibitor’s booth at specific times. Set a firm target time and meeting place for your group’s departure plan.

Cell phone reliability may be poor in the Hall and there is nothing more embarrassing than to have your name called out over the P.A system to meet your Mommy at the front door. When the doors finally open, you will be overwhelmed by what appears to be a racer’s dream playground. Don’t worry, after 4 hours, you will have seen it all 5 times and you will begin to wish the Show was bigger. After 6 hours, you will wish it would just end soon.

Keeping your Seminar and/or Auction plans in mind, confirm the meetings you don’t want to miss as many details may have been changed since your preparation. You want to keep your physical and emotional state stable and calm. Just like Wal-Mart, running through the Exhibit Hall is discouraged.

If there is obviously a big crowd, be a contrarian and start your Show walk from a far corner. The Exhibitors there will be fresh and happy to see anyone. You will have the sweet spot of their limited attention account.

“We have a long way to go and a short time to get there,” Cletus and the Bandit - 1986. Yellow Freight Truck Drivers are reminded every time they leave the yard to “Look Far Ahead and Slow Down!” Rushing down the aisles like a bull in a china shop will simply annoy the other bulls rushing in all directions and you will waste your precious mental attention picking up the people you knock down.

Look ahead at each cross aisle and adjust your stride to slide through smoothly without bumping anyone. It is like an Islip Figure Eight race at every intersection. Scan the approaching crowd and practice your greetings.

Friends get a curt nod in passing: “I see you and you see me and I’ll talk to you later.” Competitors get the same nod. It means: “I see you and you see me and I never did like you anyway, you &%" … Regardless, nod and smile and leave them wondering what you are really up to. Because, you are really up to something…