Trade Show Love

When you are an exhibitor at a conference, often the attendees view you as a necessary evil. They need your money to put on the conference but God forbid if they actually have to talk to you!

I was at a conference last week and was made to feel like a king. Thanks to NYSTAA - New York State Transfer and Articulation Association. They get it.

When I walked in to the conference with all my boxes, etc, there was a warm welcome by the organizer, people ready to help me check in and get my bearings and a sincere appreciation of my being there. I felt truly welcomed!

NYSTAA invites the vendors to their meals, their parties and we even play bocce ball together! Last year, I was the reigning champ (With Tom Fletcher, an actual attendee)!

So THANK YOU to NYSTAA for not making the vendors feel like lepers. We appreciated it. Other conference I go to that make one feel special are NYSACAC, NACAC and SUNYCAP. There are many more I am sure that my staff attend.

But, I hear stories all the time, that some organizations will take your money, put you off in a corner and pretend that you don't really exist. Bag these conferences. You don't need them anyway.

We're paying good money for a booth, sponsorships and scholarships. At the end of the day, we need to establish and maintain relationships for this investment.

If a conference organization takes your money but doesn't make you feel like a king, drop it and spend the money on more productive things.