Don't exhaust yourself wandering the convention center floor. If you're an attendee, arm yourself with goals, targets and plans in order to turn your trade show trip into a truly productive excursion.

By: MATT ALDERTON

Jacqueline Church Simonds is a self-described trade show veteran. The co-owner of Beagle Bay Inc., her Reno, Nev.-based book publishing and distribution company, she's been to dozens of trade shows in the last seven years, both as an exhibitor and as an attendee. For her, the biggest is the book industry's annual gathering, BookExpo America, which she describes as "the Super Bowl of shows" for people in her business.

Indeed, just like football, Simonds suggests, trade shows are games that require strength, speed and endurance. "Trade shows are very exhausting," she says. "You're overwhelmed from the get-go. You walk in and it's this giant room filled with people. They're all talking and it's loud and there's all this stuff going on; you have no idea what to do."

Even at their most overwhelming, however, trade shows present small business owners with a unique and valuable opportunity for networking, development and education. In order to do all three successfully, trade show travelers must come prepared with tools and techniques for swimming their way through a sea of trade show traps and troubles.

Before the Show

Successful trade show planning begins long before you hit the trade show floor, according to Susan Friedmann, a Lake Placid, N.Y.-based trade show expert. It begins, she says, months earlier, when you're making your travel arrangements.

"Make travel and hotel reservations early to maximize on discounted rates," suggests Friedmann, who calls herself "The Tradeshow Coach." "Stay at a hotel close to the convention site to save on traveling and to give you a place to rest, sort through information you've gathered and refocus your energy."

Staying near the show—or better yet, at the show's official hotel—affords you unique social opportunities, too, according to Simonds. "I recommend you stay at the trade show hotel because then you're with like people," she says. "Everyone knows what you're doing there and if everybody wants to go out, you're there."

Of course, you shouldn't just make hotel reservations. You should also make reservations with prospects, according to Friedmann. "Make appointments with exhibitors with whom you want to meet," she says.

Build those appointments into your trade show agenda in advance of arriving, Simonds suggests; having such an agenda, she insists, is critical. "The first thing to do is to get a hold of the trade show directory," she says. "The night before the show, you should go through it and circle the booths that interest you, as well as the demonstrations or talks or seminars that you want to see. Go through and very seriously consider what you want to do, then write that out and make yourself an itinerary. You may blow it, but if you have a battle plan when you walk in you won't be so overwhelmed."

Next to a battle plan, the most important thing to pack in your show-bound suitcase is a wardrobe that's both professional and comfortable.

"Dress professionally—whatever that means for your industry—from the ankles up," Simonds says. "If you do, you'll be taken more seriously. That said, from the ankles down, dress comfortably, because the trade show floor is just brutal on your feet."

During the Show

Pre-show planning will do a lot to improve your trade show experience. Having strategies for actually working the trade show floor when you're on it is equally important, however.

"There's just a tremendous opportunity to network with other people," Simonds says. "Not just with vendors, but with other attendees. When you're going to these, you need to talk to absolutely everybody. That's one of my cardinal rules. You just never know who you're going to meet."

To make networking easier, Friedmann suggests making a list of people you "must see" and people you "want to see." "Must see" people might include clients and prospects while "want to see" people could include competitors, gurus and vendors.

"This is not the time to be shy," Simonds says.

Indeed, people who put themselves out there at trade shows reap major benefits in the form of valuable contacts and visibility. Introverts should make a conscious effort, therefore, to engage the people around them. And if you're hurting for conversation starters, look no further than yourself. "Remember, people want to know what you do; that's why they're there," Simonds says. "You need to have your short little elevator speech—your two- or three-sentence description of what you do. Don't be dull, though. Give it a little twist; make it come out naturally instead of in some sort of monotone, which it will if you've said it 500 times."

Amid so much networking, it can be easy to lose sight of your goals for the show. To keep yourself focused and worry-free, Friedmann offers these quick tips: