How Growth-Focused VARs Successfully Tackle RetailNOW (and Other Big Trade Shows)

All SMB leaders wish they had more time, and that’s especially true for VARs and ISVs attending a large trade show. We asked a dozen reseller executives during a recent RSPA VAR Business Growth & Development Community meeting how they plan to successfully navigate RetailNOW 2024 which expects to attract 180+ exhibitors and 1,600+ attendees July 28-30 at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas.

Among the avalanche of advice the VARs shared were these golden nuggets:

  • Begin internal conversations 60-90 days out on what types of vendors/products to target at the show
  • Review the RetailNOW 2024 show floor map (updated as new exhibitors sign on) to determine your top priority vendors
  • Develop a list of vendors you want to see and divide them into separate “top priority” and “want to meet” lists
  • Email the RSPA Member Services Team at Membership@GoRSPA.org asking them to make warm introductions on your behalf to “top priority” vendors so you know who to ask for when you visit their booth
  • Understand the areas where you won’t play in the near future and eliminate those vendors from your “want to meet” list
  • Dedicate most of your time on the show floor to learning about new vendors; schedule meetings with current vendors during meals, networking events, or after hours
  • Leave time open on the show floor for serendipitous moments; meet with someone you don’t know, learn what they offer, and see what happens
  • Don’t permanently write off any vendor; their offering might have changed and you could be a fit for each other now
  • Send multiple team members to the show and make sure they are present at all show activities to learn as much as possible during the event
  • Split up to attend breakout education sessions and be exposed to as many show speakers as possible
  • At the end of each day (or the start of a new day) at the show, have a brief team sync meeting to share what you learned and to understand what’s left on your plan to execute
  • After you return home from the show, have staff members present to each other what they learned from the breakouts they attended
  • Arrive at the show a day early to collaborate with fellow solution provider attendees

Don’t miss the retail IT channel’s #1 trade show, education conference, and networking event July 28-30 in Las Vegas! Visit the RetailNOW 2024 website and register today.