Tricks of the trade show: Making the most of your field research [ABSTRACT]
Jinfo Blog

By Judith Binder

Abstract

Industry trade shows and conferences can be so big that you just don’t know where to start. But don’t be put off; follow this advice from Judith Binder and capitalise on the wealth of business and market information that can be gleaned if you take the right approach. Make sure you plan how you will come away from the event with key competitive intelligence … without giving too much away yourself!

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“If there’s a more ‘target-rich environment’ for the collection of competitive information, I’ve never seen one.” (John Nolan, Competition)

Industry conferences, trade shows and seminars can be the single best place to collect market and business information that can be developed into competitive intelligence. You can learn about customer needs, emerging technologies, government directions, competitor plans, how to compete in specific markets, and more at a fraction of the cost of traditional research methods. Making the most of intelligence gathering at an event requires planning and preparation. Working smart at the show requires focus and organisation. A set of Key Intelligence Topics (KITs) facilitates the identification and definition of intelligence needs.

Making the most of intelligence gathering at an event requires planning and preparation. Working smart at the show requires focus and organisation. Recognising if a particular conversation is elicitation or merely an innocent question can be difficult. Ultimately, it makes no difference to one’s need to be aware of what can and cannot be said.

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