As we enter an increasingly digital age, the focus has been hugely geared toward online marketing. As we’ve all experienced, the business community has begun to spend more and more of their time engaging online. Connecting with customers via email, phone calls, websites, and social media pages have made digital marketing the name of the game. This transition has left sales calls and office visits an afterthought. 

However, the marketing world has seen a rise in more structured face-to-face marketing (such as tradeshows and educational conferences) and the theory for the increase boils down to that these interactions provide benefits that digital marketing can’t. At its most basic, face-to-face marketing matters because it enable companies to make personal connections with customers – something that can’t be done as easily within the digital marketing space. 

Here are 5 steps to make the most of your Northeast Cannabis Business Conference experience:

1. Review the exhibit floorplan and course guide: Conferences and tradeshows can surely cause sensory overload and attention exhaustion. Taking time to create a schedule and get the lay of the landscape will ensure that you receive the biggest ROI for the time you’re spending at the show.
2. Create a ‘Must Visit’ list for the exhibition hall: It is easy to get distracted with so much happening on the tradeshow floor. Exhibitors are excited to connect with attendees and are hoping to get as much attention as possible. Use the #NECannaBizCon app to ensure that you meet with the exhibitors whose products and services are most valuable to you and your company.
3. Schedule appointments with exhibitors and potential clients that you’re most excited to connect with: The conference can get hectic, as well as the individual exhibitor booths. As you narrow down your selected ‘Must Visit’ exhibitors and prospects, we highly recommend scheduling an appointment. This small but impactful ask will keep you on schedule and provide you with the undivided attention you need to maximize your time.
4. Attend networking and learning events: Conference organizers want to provide you with every opportunity to elevate your visit to the show. The networking and events schedule will provide you with many opportunities to learn from experts and connect with other attendees. Lean in where it feels right because the potential to learn something impactful and meet a great connection is huge.
5. Take care of yourself: As mentioned above, being a conference attendee can be tiring. It is important to get plenty of rest, eat well, and drink a lot of water. A good piece of advice is to bring a refillable water bottle and toss a healthy snack in your bag… just in case.

The connections you make and the information you learn are sure to elevate you and your business. Being organized with your time and intention is invaluable – a small amount of prep work will ensure that you get the most out of your time at the conference. Don’t forget to bring your business cards and wear your step tracker… you’ll be surprised how much you walk! 

register today

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Rhiannon Andersen has served as a CMO and Co-Owner of Steelhead Productions for over 13 years and a marketing consultant for some of the most exciting brands in the country. She is an event marketing educator and her company, Steelhead, has been awarded Exhibitor Magazine’s Top 40 Providers in the event industry. As a marketer, Rhiannon has overseen brand development, business development internal and external marketing as well as all forms of communications for the companies she owns and has consulted for. She guided her company, Steelhead Productions, through the greatest recession of our time and gone on to help grow the business by over 630%, while becoming one of Inc. 5000’s Fastest Growing Companies in America.

In addition to her duties at Steelhead and as a marketing consultant, she has served as the president of the Las Vegas chapter of the Exhibit Designer Producers Association and is the current president of EO Las Vegas, a global organization for entrepreneurs. Andersen believes that marketing, done well, has the power to transform any business.

Rhiannon will also be speaking on the panel: The Power of the First Impression – Exhibiting at Trade Shows 101