Surviving a Las Vegas Trade Show: Stay On the Up-and-Up
In the era of camera phones and lightening-fast social networking, what happens in Vegas definitely does not stay in Vegas. "From the time you get off the plane to the time you get back to the office, you are on display," McKee says.
Despite the city's well-known shady side, it is possible to have fun, get work done, and not go overboard around The Strip. To strike that balance, Gay recommends setting realistic expectations ahead of time so employees know what the company thinks is acceptable, and what is considered grounds for getting the axe.
"You've got to have really good guidelines around your tradeshow policies: I expect you to be on time, neat, and not smelling of alcohol. I expect you to come show our product off," she says. "We are liable for what happens after hours." Sticking to smaller gatherings can help maintain the necessary focus and prevent socializing from getting out of hand.
Trade shows are work. One way to make that clear is by calculating what the trade show costs the company on an hourly basis and then communicating that to employees. Gay does this at Atalasoft and says that for her colleagues, putting a concrete dollar amount on time wasted puts the show in perspective.
That said, some socializing can be good for your team, and morale. So pick your plan for unwinding in the evening "If you're going to gamble, have a budget and absolutely limit yourself," Friedmann advises. "It's so easy to keep going and going, and before you know it you've lost a lot of money. The house has a tendency to win." Instead, motivate employees to stay on track by offering a reward for coming in under budget. Peers can look out for each other, too. Competitions that recognize the best booth staff encourages positive behavior.
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Surviving a Las Vegas Trade Show: Think Like a Distance Runner
Carpet-covered concrete still feels like concrete. Spending hour after hour walking around on it will put the sturdiest footwear to the test. "Make sure you're bringing the most comfortable pair of shoes," says Las Vegas trade show veteran Karen Chupka, senior vice president for the Consumer Electronics Association, where she oversees the annual Consumer Electronics Show as well as the association's standalone events. "Don't worry about style. You're going to be walking a lot of distances."
This is the desert. Too much alcohol and too little hydration can be a recipe for an emergency room visit. "What's magic in Vegas? It's the water," Adams says. "If you don't have it you're going to literally drain yourself." Packing lists should anticipate the dry air and include provisions like lip moisturizer, lotion, and throat lozenges.
To save herself trouble later, Chupka asks for an extra room key as soon as she arrives at the hotel. She stores it in her wallet to avoid having to trek to the front desk at night in case she leaves it in the room. Those treks are annoying, and with feet swollen from a marathon day, they can be painful as well.
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Surviving a Las Vegas Trade Show: Strategize To Save
The bigger the trade show, the longer the lines will be at the airport for a cab. "If you use a bellhop, for five bucks it's worth every penny," Friedmann says. "That's a tip somebody gave me and ever since I've known about it I use it all the time." Take a moment to find that designated area and then skip the crowds waiting for cabs.
Adams suggests picking up plenty of inexpensive water from a convenience store en route to the hotel. A few extra bucks spent on the cab for the stop will save far more on water costs. "It's cheaper than all the water I'm going to drink," she says. Buying bottled water from the room or a gift shop adds up quickly. An even cheaper alternative is to bring reusable bottles and fill them at the conference facility.
When booking a hotel room, Chris Meyer strongly suggests staying in the host hotel for the show. As tempting as it is to go with a slightly cheaper hotel option, the show organizer will usually sets aside a whole block of rooms and that has its own benefits. "Number one, you get the interaction with other attendees that you wouldn't get with other hotels," he says. Then there are the transportation costs incurred by not having access to rides back and forth between the host hotel and the showroom floor.
Use your tools, says Karen Chupka. The annual Consumer Electronics Show offers a mobile application to help attendees navigate it. Getting familiar with maps of the trade show and the area will save plenty of time because often there are multiple dropoff points along the way. "The Monorail is a great option, but sometimes you might have to walk 10 to 20 minutes to get to that station," Chupka says. That's more walking in those shoes that seemed comfortable when they were packed several time zones away.
At the end of the day - or night - Sin City will still be awake, alert, and flush with cash. With smart planning and preparation, so will you.
