Seeing potential clients and actual business partners and be seen by tehm is primordial for any entrepreneur. Especially in that digital age where everyone seems to communicate only through copper line (yes {still_exists}), optic fibers or Wi-fi. In today's global marketplace where everything goes and changes so fast, it is often a real challenge to stay on top or everything. We are all so busy responding e-mails, checking stats, having our Skype app flashing like a Christmas tree on December 24th at 11:30 pm ... The Internet entrepreneur faces these challenges even more since our actual clients are no longer two blocks away, but literally at the other end of the world, which means, your clients are just trying to catch up like you, while you're having your well-deserved five hours of sleep. Back in the day, I remember the only way to establish new contact fast was cold calling prospective clients...

Now with our crazy lives we all have between traffic to the office, leaving/picking up kids at school (yes, some of us have kids now), who the hell is sitting by his phone waiting for some vendors to cold call him to offer him the latest new best thing since sliced bread? Of course Nobody. Cold Calling is now a time waste and you're lucky if the called is even picking up the phone just to shout "(Insert Popular Webmaster Board Name here)!" back at you. Leaving a message? 'Forget About It', messages are very rarely returned. And, new Anti-Spam Laws makes it even more difficult to communicate with prospective clients you don't already conduct business with because you need their written consent to send them e-mails, but how you get that consent without e-mailing them first, Cold Calling them? ... Chicken or the Egg? The best way and age proven method of establishing solid business contacts is still the same Good Ol' Face-To-Face contacts. And, where you can see so many of these faces in a short time frame? TRADESHOWS of course!

Unless you have gazillions of dollars (and hours) to spend on Flights, Hotels, Transportation, etc... , to meet all those new interested partners, Industry Tradeshows are still the most cost and time effective way to meet new people, consolidate actual business relationships and also develop new ideas or business deals with clients. There is no other place and time where you have such a concentration of people interested to what you have to say and offer. They're all there at handshake reach, you simply need to put your hands out and say "Hello my name is....". My better half often says "A Split second can change your life", so God knows where this one will take you. We're always want to be the one who knows about everything new, this is your best opportunity to have regular and prospective clients see and maybe try your latest product, website, program or offers.

I often hear the 'There are too many shows now..' phrase. Well, I am probably a little bit biased (he!) But I always tried, without success to understand how there is can be 'Too Many Business Networking Opportunities"? Especially in our worldwide marketplace, most of us have FRIENDS/CLIENTS from all around the world right? We haven't established these durable relationships through ICQ/Skype, boards or e-mails ... We happened to meet at the right time, at the right place and at the right moment. It can take several events to understand who is doing what in which company and finally connect with the right person, because we met at four or five shows during the year and finally we happened to connect. If there was only one or two event a year like many other industries, it would take five years to truly connect with that person, instead of a few months. Sometimes, the one you spent months chatting with on Skype might be the nicest person in the world (after your significant other), but is simply not the best contact for you in a given company ... You're selling content management software, but this guy is buying traffic...

I remember back in 1996/99 chatting with some people over ICQ (makes me feel old suddenly), and the connections were OK, neither bad nor extraordinary. When I started to go to more than one show a year (Internext&AVN) and started to meet these guys couple every few months instead of once a year, the dynamics totally changed and my Business Network completely exploded. When I started QWEBEC Expo in July 2003 (for 2004), then I started going to almost all the shows my-not-so-deep-pockets were allowing me to go without having my bank manager go nuts and knocking at my door asking me for the house/cars keys ... Once again, my Network and Rolodex grew exponentially. Depending on your business or vertical, after a while, just showing up already does 40% of the job because almost everybody knows you. The other 60% is still very hard work and nobody is going to do it for you, you HAVE to be there, shake hand, give smiles and business cards, buy a few drinks here and there.

The See part is important, but the Be Seen is as important especially when you want to establish an 'established company' image among your peers. Media exposure is one of the so many free perks that comes with attending a show. Tradeshows events are now largely covered by industry's photographers like FUBAR, Mike B or Buster just to name a few that even those who missed the event for some reason, will see you and be remembered about your brand watching the photo coverages of the event. That Media coverage offers you and your brand a lasting recognition industry wide and give you so many opportunities to leverage your social presence simply by posting these 'Safe For Work' photos on your Facebook/Google+ and Twitter pages : ie ; XYZ Cash Team wants to thank all those we met at ABC convention in Timbuktu"... Well you get the idea. Of course if you have the bad habit of finishing your nights with lipstick all over your head, media socializing these photos might not be a good idea for your persona and brand ;) Another plus to attend Tradeshows are of course the seminars. There is something for everyone. Many veterans will often say there is nothing for them to learn from seminars. Think about Tiger Wood hitting 1000 balls a day…. I mean there are many little things we used to do that with our so hectic lives we don't do anymore. Sometime a little refresher can make a big difference in one's business. Sometimes, one will hear about an 'old same old' concept that will light that sparks to the next big thing in our industry. Often, inspiration hit you when you expect it the less.

A Nice Perk : Tradeshows offer a tax-deductible opportunities to visit countries we'd never fly to otherwise. Allowing us to meet the local like-minded industry people from that part of the globe who are not travelling as much as some others. Very Few other industry offers that. We do, to some extent 'Live like RockStars' ... Traveling around the world, Lavish Sponsored parties (well fewer than 1999, but still...), Nice dinners with very interesting entrepreneurs.... There is no place in the 'civilians' world which can offer that. That being said, I genuinely hope to meet you either in Montreal or at any other Industry Event near you. And, don't be shy, come talk to me, I don't bite… well…