Navigating Events

Attending exhibitions and events is a fantastic way to expand your professional knowledge, discover new products and services, network with fellow OTs and gain vital CPD for your portfolio. However, large exhibitions can be overwhelming and you can run the risk of coming away from an event like this without actually achieving the CPD goals you wanted to. It is important to make the most of these events, especially if you have financially invested in attending or had to take some precious time off work. There is no point in wasting your time there, so we have come up with a guide on how to make the most of exhibitions and events you are attending this year.

It is of the utmost importance that you do your research before you attend any event. Most events and exhibitions have a comprehensive website outlining the conference programme or seminar line-up, and keynote speakers will be highlighted as well as workshops and demonstration opportunities. Familiarise yourself with the seminars that are taking place to help you narrow down the ones of most interest to you. It is a good idea to print off the schedule so you can circle the talks you most want to attend. In some circumstances there may be a clash of seminars that you want to see, so prioritise the ones that are most important for you and look into whether you can catch up on the other ones via an

online recording – this is something more and more events are doing nowadays to enable them to reach a wider audience and offer more value to attendees. Once you have decided on the seminars and workshops you want to attend, write down the times and theatres or areas they are taking place in, so you can set out your running order for the day. This will allow you to plan some time in for exploring the exhibition, for coffee breaks, and lunch too.

Meeting product experts on their stands at an exhibition can be a great opportunity to find out more about a product or service, and to ask any of those burning questions you have, but have not had the time to sit on hold on the phone for a prolonged period of time waiting to get through to a human to discuss specifications. Getting face-to-face time with the experts is so valuable as it allows you to ask specific questions relating to a client or patient you are working with and it will allow you to assess whether the product is right for them. If it turns out that it isn’t what you’re looking for, you know that you are now armed with the knowledge for a future potential client. Seek out the exhibitor list for the event and highlight the companies you want to visit to speak to someone or see a demonstration of a product and make sure you take down their stand number so you can easily find them on the day. Be sure to factor in some free time to allow you to simply wander around the event taking in all the different products and services on offer, it’s amazing what you can discover when you are not looking for anything in particular. This may seem like an obvious one, but some people don’t realise just how far you end up walking around exhibitions – your step counter will be off the chart! Put on your comfiest shoes and clothes for pacing the exhibition floor, it’s one less thing to worry about. The other vital item you should consider is a small pull along suitcase or shopping trolley bag – trust us when we say you can end up laden with information. Every stand will have leaflets, catalogues, magazines, booklets and free gifts like pens, stationery, toys, measuring tapes and more to give away, and you will want to take it all. The problem is, if you have only a small handbag then you have nowhere to store it all, making your leisurely wander around the exhibition a bit of an ordeal as you try to precariously balance everything in your arms without dropping it all. A pull along suitcase or shopping trolley bag is the ideal solution for storing everything in, allowing you to comfortably tread the halls with one hand free for a coffee – which you will most likely need at some point. Doing this will also make using public transport much easier or even making the long trek back to the car park easier for you. You can relax, knowing everything is kept neatly tucked away for your reading pleasure when you get back to the office or when you are looking for some light bedtime reading. Don’t forget to carry a bottle of water with you too, and maybe even pack a snack or a lunch to enjoy when you find a seat, exhibition centres have notoriously high prices for food and drinks, so if you can be prepared and avoid these extra costs you will be a much happier attendee.