Who else went to Business East on 07 March? You remember, it was the day it threw down sleety rain. (Note to self: unless you have a car as part of your display, book a space indoors. March can be treacherous).
Once through the door at the Weston Homes Stadium (great venue - spacious, light, welcoming, easy parking), I received a warm greeting from the Jobserve Events team, and went through to a room that was already buzzing just fifteen minutes after opening.
Now, I’ve attended many exhibitions before, primarily those huge affairs at Olympia, Harrogate and such like, so I wasn’t too sure what to expect from a smaller, local event. Know what? I got so much out of it. The quality of the exhibitors was extremely high, and businesses had worked hard to make their stands attractive, interactive and appropriately targeted to visitors. In amongst the seasoned exhibition-goers were a number of first timers, and I suspect these had greatly benefited from the Exhibitor Training session run by Katy Roberts a month earlier. As a potential exhibitor next year, I had also attended that session, and it left me impressed by the level of support given by the Jobserve Events team to exhibitors throughout the preparation stages, the day itself and beyond.
Sadly, limited time meant I didn’t manage to take in any of the seminars on offer, some of which sounded particularly interesting and practical. But actually, that is a sign of how successful the main exhibition hall was in keeping my attention. At those bigger shows one gets used to walking past lots of stands that are not on your ‘shopping list’. The difference when you attend a local event is that you are networking with your own business community, and are foolish to waste the opportunity to find out more about everything it has to offer.
My outcomes from the day? A couple of new channels by which I will be marketing my business and the courses I offer; some early ideas about promotional items which is part of my planning for next year; a welcome nudge to join the Federation of Small Businesses; numerous new contacts on LinkedIn, many of whom I have spoken with since, and I have viewed two potential training venues. And some pens and sweeties, of course, which are always most welcome!
Thank you to Jobserve Events and all the exhibitors for providing an impressive showcase of businesses in our region. I shall have to think seriously about being a part of the event myself next year.
