Visiting the Farm Business Innovation Show 2019

Earlier this week I attended the Farm Business Innovation Show, at the National Exhibition Centre Birmingham. It was a super day, not only were there many great exhibitor stands, there was also an extensive programme of seminars. Two of the ones that I attended were Tara Punter of Tara Punter PR, and Kelly Chandler, wedding consultant. Tara talked about her five golden rules for PR, and Kelly talked about the current and future trends for arranging weddings. Both really interesting subjects and will certainly help me and my business.

Attending the show made me think about all the preparation beforehand and how much time is taken up with it.

As a virtual assistant it also made me think of how I could help rural business owners plan for this kind of event, and that turned into a list of things I could help with, for instance:

Booking and registering for tickets.

Researching travel and accommodation.

Booking accommodation.

Researching parking and arrival at the venue. Not all venues are as straight forward as the NEC!

Planning your schedule.

Booking meetings with exhibitors or visitors.

Assisting with last minute changes.

After the event

Transcribing notes from meetings.

Sending information.

Thank you for reading

Anne

Anne Clarkson of Strawberry Office provides flexible administrative support services to small businesses. If you are interested in outsourcing your administrative work contact me by email at anne@strawberryoffice.com to arrange a free Discovery Call.

8 Tips for Attending a Conference

Attending business or trade shows is a great way to connect with businesses, network and learn new skills. Here are some of my tips to help you prepare for your next conference.

1 Plan ahead. Preparing ahead is so important. as time spent preparing and planning will help to ensure you arrive in a calm, organised and timely manner. Time spent planning your travel and accommodation will also help to make sure you find the most cost-effective options.

2. Study the agenda. Have a plan for the day to make the most of your time. Plan which seminars you will be attending, and check who is attending. Many conferences have social media accounts specifically for the event, which provides a great opportunity to connect with businesses prior to the event.

3. Print your tickets. Another option is to download to your phone. However, don’t forget to have the image of the tickets saved in an option that does not rely on access to the internet. As there may not be a connection at the entrance / registration area.

4. Business cards. Remember to take a good supply.

5. Arrival at the Venue. Arrive early to avoid spending time in a queue at registration, and to maximise your time at the event.

6. Event Venue. Familiarise yourself with the layout of the event to save time and ensure you are in the right place at the right time.

During the Conference

7. Take Notes. Write notes on the back of business cards as a reminder when following up at a later date. Or if you prefer a digital option use a system such as Evernote to make notes, creating a notebook specifically for the conference.

After the Conference

8. Follow up. Follow up on connections made, ideally the day after the conference whilst it is still fresh in everyone’s mind.

Thank you for reading.

Anne

Anne Clarkson of Strawberry Office provides flexible administrative support services to small businesses. If you would like help with planning your next visit to a conference or business event, contact me by email at anne@strawberryoffice.com to arrange a free Discovery Call to discuss how I can help you.