Trade Show Survival Tips

Those nightmares at the airport aren't the worst of trade show trips, alas. Our focus here is on things you can do to make the rest of the trip more survivable.

When you pack for the show, carry one more change of clothes than you'll actually need, but beyond that, don't overdo it. Also, pack a bag in your bag – typically, an empty, flattened soft-sided bag in a suitcase – to afford extra room in both when you inevitably leave with more than you brought (generally true of freight but not of money). Prepare and pack an extra luggage tag or two.

Remember that you're going to be working a show feet-first, not head-first, and your feet are going to have to carry more than their usual load once you start hauling your ever-accumulating haul around the floor. So start your thought process from the ground up. Go for the most comfortable shoes you can find that don't make you look slovenly, and make sure this is far from their first wearing. Get in some walking before you head to the show to help strengthen your ankles, thighs and calves; this works best if you do it at a much faster pace than you usually walk.

If you cart your haul around the halls on wheels, do some light weight work to strengthen your biceps and triceps, and work your abs to toughen your torso. Dragging a load creates a tendency to lean forward, which will lead to back aches, even when you prep. Take along your favorite analgesic and always have some with you. If you tend to carry a shoulder bag or tote a handled bag, move the exercise focus to your biceps, triceps, shoulders & neck.

Think hard about how annoying that pain can be when you decide what your working load should include. Is it really all that useful to have your notebook with you on the floor or can you do your filing back in the room? Solid state pocket voice recorders can cover a lot of ground & are almost weightless, or work at ad hoc PCs & shuttle stuff with a pocket USB drive. You can get a long way with just a pen & a legal pad (your ancestors did).

Any time anybody wants to hand you anything treat it like it has a terminal case of the cooties, both literally (because hand contact is the way many diseases communicate) & figuratively, because you really don't need to suffer the indignity and pain of hauling it.

Do carry hand sanitizer (tiny bottles or wipes), tissues, an eyeglass cleaner, analgesics and a convenient substitute for missed meals (like a favorite Slim Fast meal bar).

The one item you are most likely to deny yourself at a trade show that will do the most to work against your health, energy and comfort is (can you guess?) water. No matter where you go or what they have, force yourself to have a glass of water before you have anything else.

If they're serving alcohol, eat something dense before the first glass is even a quarter empty. Good choices include a bagel, cheese, shrimp, nuts or a banana (depending on the degree to which your dietary needs can accept carbohydrates, fat, triglycerides, fats or calories, respectively). Choose an alcoholic beverage you are most likely to just sip.