GlassBuild America is around the corner. It is the leading North American trade show for the glass, window, and door fabrication industries. Just because it is the leading North American trade show, why should you attend? Most everyone is familiar with the basis reasons (i.e., new products (such as A+W Smart Factory), investing in new capital, protecting your supply chain, education, addressing the worker shortage, and relationships) to attend a trade show. They are not fancy reasons, but they are good financial reasons that will allow you grow your business, break into new businesses, raise your customer service, improve your yield and revenue, and much more.
Today we will focus on one of these simple, compelling reasons: relationships. When you attend trade shows, it enables you to start or enhance relationships with suppliers, customers, prospects, other fabricators, sometimes competitors, industry media, and insiders capable of being a sounding board for your future decisions. Building relationships over time requires a lot of work, some of that work can be big (attending a trade show, for example) and some of it small (good communication with your customers and suppliers, for example).
Everybody needs help no matter the size of the company. Forging relationships with other industry-related companies and industry personnel at any trade show is a smart business decision. You can never have enough friends in the industry! How do you increase your networking opportunities and thus industry relationships at GlassBuild America 2022 and other trade shows?
- Examine the exhibition schedule for social events. These side events are a great way to mingle with industry professionals in a relaxed atmosphere and potentially exchange contact information.
- Inspect the list of exhibitors and make appointments ahead of schedule in order of importance.
- Take copious notes and pick up business cards. Be thorough in your notes after each meeting leaving enough time between meetings to jot your thoughts down before they escape.
- Approach the trade show with professionalism. Companies prefer to form partnerships with competent, reliable operators/businesses.
- Follow up after the show with any interested exhibitors and make a concerted effort to stay in touch throughout the year. If you truly connect with an exhibitor, make an appointment 1-2 weeks after the GlassBuild to connect and continue the conversation. In other words, be proactive because your business’ future hinges on it.
- After GlassBuild, join a local/regional glass committee to continue networking
If you are not attending GlassBuild in 2022, you are missing out on an entire year of relationships, connections, and conversations! That puts you a year farther behind building a stronger brand that can compete in this every changing landscape. The digital solution was a good stopgap, but did not replace the real thing, which is spending time with people in the same physical space helping them with their challenges, talking to them about their families and connecting "old school.”
Will we see you at GlassBuild America 2022 in Las Vegas? Take this opportunity to connect with your suppliers, manufacturers, software suppliers, and prospects on a large scale in one place. Let us make 2022 the year where everyone gets back into the game. We look forward to seeing you at GlassBuild America 2022, and Viva Las Vegas!
