SoftLayer attends 60+ tradeshows a year. That may not sound like much too some people, but when it means you’re only home for six days in a given month, it’s pretty daunting. Some think that going to a tradeshow is a “free” min-vacation, but in reality it’s exhausting work. You’ll get lucky at a few shows where the booth time is only 4-6 hours, but most of the time, you’re on the hook for 8 or 9 hours. You never know how much you use your leg muscles by just standing until you do it for nine straight hours. After being on your feet for that long, the first thing you want to do when the show closes is go to dinner just so you can sit down. Now think about doing this for three or four days in a row, and it doesn’t sound like a vacation anymore.

Before I turn you off tradeshows altogether, I should admit that they are actually quite fun if you’re a people person. I love getting to meet new people and show them what SoftLayer has to offer. It’s a rewarding experience to see that light in someone’s eyes who has never heard of SoftLayer and then finds out how we can make their business better. I can’t help but think to myself, “Yeah, we are kind of a big deal.”

Given my extensive experience in the conference and tradeshow realm, here are a few key pieces of advice for the non-experienced SoftLayer tradeshow traveler (adjust for your brand as necessary):

Attire

• Guys should wear black slacks with a polo or button down. For the more casual shows, nice jeans (no rips, tears or holes) and any kind of SoftLayer shirt is fine.
• Girls should wear black slacks or a black skirt with a polo or button down … And now you have the option of a SoftLayer dress.
• It’s always a good idea to wear slacks the first day to “test the waters” of the attire for the show. After that, you can plan your next day’s attire accordingly.
• Always wear black shoes. Girls do NOT wear high heels … You will regret it 30 minutes into the first day. An great alternative for the ladies are black flats, these will look great with pants, a skirt, or a SoftLayer dress.
• Sometimes it gets extremely cold in the conference hall, so I suggest bringing a jacket – even if it’s 110 degrees outside. When wearing a jacket over your attire, make it one of the branded SoftLayer jackets – a SoftLayer logo should be visible at all times so attendees know you’re not a random stranger in the SoftLayer booth.

Behavior

• I know how easy it can be to get carried away when other attendees get a little wild, but that is NO excuse to be late, completely absent or operating at less than 100% when you get to the booth the next day.
• You should always have a smile on your face when talking with attendees. You’re talking about great stuff when you’re talking about SoftLayer, so you should be happy to share it with the next potential SoftLayer customer.
• This should go without saying, but there should be NO cursing, yelling or arguing with anyone at the booth.

Last but not Least
The number ONE rule for the non-experienced traveler: ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS know your stuff before going to a tradeshow. Nothing is more embarrassing for your colleagues (or SoftLayer in general) when you are asked a simple question about what SoftLayer does and you do not know. If you do not know something, ask a colleague or simply look on our website. We have plenty of information there and numerous datasheets that explain in detail the products and services SoftLayer offers.

-Natalie