Getting the most out of a trade show
My Expo plans and advice for those attending for the first time (especially for introverts!)
š Notes from Jenn:
Iām feeling rather overwhelmed, as Iāve been dealing with food poisoning since Sunday (I can finally eat small bites), and this was supposed to be my recharge week before I head to Portland on Monday. I apologize if you see typos, grammar errors, or missing words that I havenāt caught. My brain is also still recovering.
Expo (one of the coffee industryās largest trade conferences) is next weekend. Iāll be in Portland on April 17-24 for it, and Iām quite anxious since itās my first big coffee event in four years. I think attendance is back up to the pre-pandemic level of 15k now. So if youāre in the industry and youāll be there, too, maybe Iāll see you at one of these places: Re:co, Expo Game Night (it returns! and Iām co-hosting!), Feeding Portland, Asian Producers Roasters & Baristas, Coffee Asians meetup, Coffee Prom, or sometimes in Acaiaās booth #909.
š Last week, paid subscribers received an update on some article topics and projects that Iām working on.
Getting the most out of a trade show
While I am incredibly excited to see industry friends in person for the first time in four years, Iām also cognizant of my limits. The last coffee event I attended was a qualifiers competition in Nashville in January 2020. There were just the right amount of people there.
My last Expo was in 2019 in Boston, and the whole trip was a shit show. I nearly got into two car accidents, both with drivers not obeying road rules. I lost my voice on Thursday (the day before the event began). Then when I finally got to go home, my flight was delayed, but they couldnāt book me a local hotel room because the Boston Marathon had just started. So instead, they sent me to Denver, where we landed around midnight, and then I was up at 6 am for the next flight home.
Iāve been to Expo enough times to prepare myself, but I always, inevitably, end up spending the week after avoiding all people and attempting to replenish my energy. I want to say thereās this silent agreement among many of us not to send those networking follow-up emails the week after. Working a booth saps you in a different way than only attending does. Either way, trade shows are exhausting. Itās best to know that going in, but there are definitely things you can do to get ready for it.
Here are some tips for making the most out of your next trade show, written from the perspective of a very introverted person:
Prepare: Set up those meetings with calendar invites (āIāll stop by sometime so we can talk sales!ā is not helpful). Put those social events on your calendar and know which ones you definitely want to attend and which would be nice if you had the energy. You do not need to attend everything. Know the booth numbers of companies you want to visit.
Know your social and sensory limits: This means listening to your gut. Even the most extroverted of people are exhausted after Expo. One time, I waited in a very long line to get into a party, and by the time I got in, I was hit with deafening beats and moving lights. I was lucky enough to run into a friend in the back outdoor space who took one look at my face and asked if I needed help leaving. She grabbed my hand, led me through the crowd, and waited with me for my Uber. Iād never hit the introvert wall that hard before; it was an intense shock to my system. In retrospect, I was probably also having a panic attack.
Set up small goals: Are you going for networking? Tell yourself that youāll make five (or whatever number) of connections a day. If youāre feeling okay to do more, then great. If not, then you hit your goal and congrats, you can go rest.
Bring all the business cards: I know in this age of social media, itās easy just to hit the follow button. However, peopleās profiles donāt always have their real names or faces. Put your social handles on your business card if you really want that connection.
Take notes: Write on those business cards you receive! Document details about the person, what you talked about, and if any follow-up is needed. If you didnāt get a business card, keep one big note for all the contacts you make. This way, when you follow-up, you can say, āHi, Iām Jenn, we met at Game Night, and we talked about plants we killed.ā Iām sure the email recipient will also be grateful for the detail, especially if they forgot how you met.
Do one big, quick loop: I donāt know what other trade show floors are like with exhibits. Expo has a lot of booths, and you can get distracted quickly. As early as possible in the event, I make one big loop, walking up and down every aisle. If you prepared, you already made your list of companies you want to visit. This big loop is to make sure you havenāt missed any. Once youāve narrowed it down, you can go directly back to those booths.
Leave the convention center: If youāre not locked into the convention center because of a booth or meetings, you should leave it at some point. You can always return later. Itās draining to spend an entire day in an enclosed space. Go out and grab lunch, visit a cafe, breathe in some fresh air, and explore the city.
Take the next day off: If you can, I highly recommend taking at least the day after off from work. After several days of talking to people, Iām sure you also need to recharge.
I know some of you on this list have attended many trade showsāIād love to know what advice youād share for those attending for their first time.
š¤ digital marketing
Twitter Isnāt a Company Anymore [Slate]: Itās been merged into a new entity called X Corp.
When The General Manager Is The Brand Manager [Branding Strategy Insider]: No one knows a customerās needs better than the General Manager because the General Manager lives and breathes it every day.
š interesting reads
Is Therapy-Speak Making Us Selfish? [Bustle]: On the one hand, itās good for more people to know the correct terms to use. On the other, it can also be weaponized.
Lucy*, 29 and from Kentucky, had a friend who repeatedly insisted on dictating meetups in the name of self-care. āWhen we would make plans, they would change them the day before,ā she says. āTrying to reschedule and rearrange events would be met with āThe plan has changed. Weāre going to do [alternative activity]. Iām setting a boundary.āā
The Influencer Industry Is Having an Existential Crisis [The Atlantic]: Exploring the possibilities of an influencer union. (content-gated but can be read in reader mode)
As certain kinds of stable and reliable work disappeared for many, making money on social media became a viable alternative. āThe influencer industry is both a symptom of and a response to the economic precarity and upheaval in social institutions that have characterized the early twenty-first century,ā she writes.
My Marriage Was Never the Same After That [The Cut]: A moving essay on what happened after the writerās poem went viral.
Once, in a meeting in my lawyerās office ā my lawyer and I on one side of the conference table, my husband and his on the other ā my husbandās lawyer used air quotes when she talked about my work.
When you were āworking,ā she said.

Thank you for writing this, Jenn! It's too infrequent that we support each other as introverts in a mostly-extroverted world. I love the idea to keep a running note of those I meet with context; my overstimulated brain struggles to remember details later.
My advice:
*Don't feel guilty about slipping away for a few quiet moments amidst the business, we don't have to be ON all the time. I love the Expo Science Poster area for this (outside the presentation times). I can read (or look like I'm reading) and decompress a bit in silence.
*Bring a real book to read in the evenings to calm your mind and spirit (tech-free, noise-free).
*I carry a relaxing essential oil blend in a roller with me and use as needed.
*And I agree with Laura on healthy snacks and water.
I always make sure to pack a water bottle and extra granola/protein bars. I usually forget to eat and drink water when at expo, especially while drinking so much coffee and tea.
A tip from a friend, Holly Bastin, you don't have to finish everything that's given to you. I take this heart.