☝🏻One last Modex post and then back to regularly scheduled programming! There's a lot to unpack from #MODEX2024. I have been to dozens of tradeshows over the years, but this year I felt a shift. Here are my random thoughts. 👇🏻
1. Pre-show Outreach. 🗣️The amount of people who stopped by our booth and mentioned they either knew of us already or had us on their list of 'must see' exhibitors was more than I could have expected. As a small startup, this was music to my ears. Gone are the days where you can show up at a tradeshow and walk around waiting for something to peak your interest. Modex had 1,200 exhibitors. It’s impossible to see everything. Attendees are coming to shows now with a plan, more than ever before. Pre-show messaging is key! 🔑
2. Physical Presence. 😁We were small but mighty in the Startup Pavilion. Having a physical presence was beneficial beyond just talking to new prospects. We were able to engage with customers, partners, investors, and other startups all in one place. Face time can’t be replaced with Zoom. Seeing people in real life adds so much value. 💗
3. Social Engagement. 🤩Whose newsfeed wasn’t overflowing with pictures, videos, and demos? Engaging with colleagues, peers, and other exhibitor’s posts is so easy to do, yet so powerful. We’re all out here grinding. Supporting one another by clicking the ‘like’ button is the easiest thing we can do. 👍🏻
4. Use Your Network. 🫱🏻🫲🏻 We were so lucky to announce new partnerships this week. We met existing partners for the first time in person too. Having been in the industry for over a decade, it was great to also connect with former colleagues and friends. Using your network to make connections was also key this week. Word of mouth…speaks volumes. ✨
5. Say Hello. 👋🏻Because, why not? Whether you were walking the show floor, or standing in a booth, say hi. To anyone. These weeks are fun and exciting, but they’re also really long and exhausting. Be kind. Say hi and meet someone new. The longer I’m in this industry, the more I realize we’ll all meet at some point eventually. They say there’s seven degrees of separation, but I think in material handling and supply chain it must be less. 🫠
There were lessons learned and memories made. This week was brought to you by lots of coffee, too many sandwiches, and Emergen-C (just in case). I am so proud of the Paccurate team! Everyone crushed it, both onsite and behind the scenes. I can’t wait to see what happens next! 🚀
But first…sleep. 😴
