Natural Products Expo West was a staggering success for the promoters as evidenced by the overwhelming attendance from exhibitors to buyers, distributors, manufacturers and capital sources.
As I walked the floor of the convention center, Hilton and Marriott I was delighted by how excited exhibitors were to speak with people to get validation of their products. After all, isn’t that what it’s all about? Introducing people to products and educating them on the benefits and what sets them apart is why everyone attends. And, there is nothing like that added bonus of getting immediate validation of your product to bask in that warm fuzzy feeling of a job well done.
However, as exhibitors raced frantically to educate each and every interested person the vast majority lost out on the real opportunities. Most exhibitors failed to distinguish between consumers and people of real opportunity. And, I can’t tell you how many booths were left to models, stage hands and no key decision makers.
Being able to discern between a key contact and a just curious person requires focus and practice. The process of qualifying a person is paramount and can be exhausting if not perfected. But, it is critical to achieving success especially when you are dealing with massive crowds. If your time is not well spent, you end up finding yourself exhausted and with nothing to show for your efforts. To do this successfully it requires presence, a considerable amount of awareness and conservation of energy.
Yes, time management is why the majority of all exhibitors got no, or very little, return on their investment. For those that missed the boat, they failed to fully comprehend that the show is about efficiently networking with key people to capitalize on big opportunities to grow their business.
As a source of broad based product and brand exposure as well as capital and strategic partnerships, I had no problem navigating the crowd and putting deals together. I was plucked out by the few that recognized I was not a consumer and had more to offer.
Kudos to those who were aware, made the connection and got the benefit. To those few I am grateful for making the crowds invisible and for fueling my passion to help health and wellness businesses grow. And, congratulations to our clients that we educated prior to the show that also capitalized big time on the networking opportunities getting distribution deals, purchase orders and even capital.
In a vast sea of opportunity, the spoils go to those that understand why they are there, what they have to gain and how to take advantage of those opportunities and not waste time on low yielding conversations. Congratulations to all that attended the show and scored a deal of some sort and also to those who walked away with a valuable learning experience that will hopefully help them grow their business.
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