Happy New Year All

I hope you are planning on attending the CHA Mega Show in Anaheim later this week.

I believe every independent retailer needs to attend these trade shows to stay on top of their industry.

Get full details at the CHA website  www.chamegashow.org

Below is my tips on working a show. I think you will find them helpful.

How to Work a Show
For as long as I've been doing a Business Tips article for The Collins Group and prior to that Fred Hill Inc., I've always published the How to Work a Show tips just before the major Shows.

The success of any show is dependent on the preparation you do prior to the show.
As a Buyer for Macy's Atlanta and other major department stores, I attended many Shows in my career.
 I was always instructed to do a detailed plan of how I was going to spend my time and the Stores money at the show. I was told that the Show was a trip to accomplish specific things that were planned in advance.

First I had to analyze my business. I had to know what categories and vendors I was getting the bulk of my business from.
I had to take advantage of the show specials that were being offered. And where these specials might fit into my promotion plans for the next few months.
I was also instructed to be sure I had specific appointments with my key Reps and Vendors.
Not just "I'll stop by the booth", but specific times to meet.
I'd have to put all of my plans down on paper and review what I had accomplished at the end of each day. I had to list my orders and dollar purchases daily to see where I was in relation to my plans and open to buy.
But I was also instructed to look for new interesting and exciting merchandise or new vendors at the show. I had a certain amount of open to buy allocated to this.

The above is a simplification of the planning process. But it is vitally important to the success of any business.

Sandy
Sandy Woodford Inc.