John Doney
As Community Coordinator for Underabuck, John Doney connects the company’s services with organizations, businesses and entrepreneurs to equip their branding efforts.
Equip Your Team for a Successful Trade Show, Even If You Can’t Join Them
August 15, 2017
Most business owners don’t have the time to attend trade shows themselves while running and growing their business. But as your company grows, there will be more critical trade shows and great opportunities than you can attend yourself, so you’ll need to appoint some well-trained team members.
How do you make sure your team is equipped to succeed at trade shows (even without you)? Here are a couple of tips to consider.
Take every opportunity to practice
There are multiple ways your trade show team can get customer service experience. Take a look at volunteer events in your area that require the same skillset they would need in a trade show and see if any of those causes resonate with your team. Allow them the day off to volunteer (if it’s a weekday) or give them a workday off if the event takes place on a weekend.
If your company has internal events that would need someone to handle things like registration, organization, information dissemination or other related-skills, see if any team members would be willing to handle those roles as preparation for working at a trade show.
Finally, if your trade show team needs to learn more about your product or service in order to interface with potential customers, ask them to do a round of training with your sales and customer support teams. If your trade show team communicates regularly with your clients, they’ll understand pain points, desires and how to answer common questions.
Diversify your teams
Not every business can be so fortunate as to have multiple trade show veterans on their teams, so mix up the people you send every time. You should have at least one experienced team member at every event but be sure to mix in others who haven’t worked a trade show yet. Having teams with varying trade show experience will allow the newer employees to learn and gain experience so that eventually they’ll be veterans as well.
Pro tip: Give one person ownership of the trade show preparation to make sure one person always has accountability. This will help you avoid oversights with the excuse, “I thought so-and-so was taking care of it.”
Bonus tip: Have a system in place for follow-ups. Even if your team couldn’t make a lasting impression at the trade show, you have a chance to convert as long as you were able to capture information. If you got email addresses or business cards in exchange for a giveaway, you can reach out and re-connect to make yourself relevant to their needs.
Partner Voices
MGM Resorts is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse culture, not just among employees and guests but also within its supply chain. The company prioritizes procuring goods and services from businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, people with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals and those facing economic disadvantages. This commitment is integral to MGM Resorts' global procurement strategy.
Through its voluntary supplier diversity program, MGM Resorts actively identifies and connects certified diverse-owned suppliers to opportunities within its supply chain. The company is on track to spend at least 15% of its biddable procurement with diverse-owned businesses by 2025, demonstrating that supplier diversity is not only a social responsibility but also a strategic business imperative.
Supplier diversity isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s good for business. A diverse supply chain allows access to a broader range of perspectives and experience, helping to drive innovation, entrepreneurship and resilience, while strengthening communities. At MGM Resorts, engaging diverse suppliers ensures best-in-class experiences for guests and clients. Supplier diversity ensures a more resilient supply chain while supporting economic development in the communities in which it operates.
The impact of MGM Resorts' supplier diversity initiatives is significant. In 2023, these efforts supported over 3,500 jobs across more than 30 states, contributed over $214 million in income for diverse-owned businesses and generated more than $62 million in tax revenue. The story extends beyond the numbers – it reflects the tangible benefits brought to small and diverse-owned businesses, fostering economic empowerment in their communities.
MGM Resorts also supports the development and business skills of diverse-owned businesses through investment, mentorship and education. Through the MGM Resorts Supplier Diversity Mentorship Program, the company identifies, mentors and develops diverse-owned businesses to fill its future pipeline, while providing businesses with tools and resources to empower and uplift. Since 2017, the program has successfully graduated 105 diverse-owned businesses and is on track to achieve its goal of 150 graduates by 2025.
MGM Resorts’ commitment to supplier diversity not only enhances its business operations but also plays a crucial role in uplifting communities and fostering economic development. This approach reinforces the idea that diversity is a powerful driver of innovation and resilience, benefiting both the company and the wider community.
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