The exhibition and conference AI&Big Data Expo North America started for us with a bootcamp at UNIT.City from CRDF Global. There, after a two-day program of lectures, project presentations and work with mentors, we won an $8000 grant to travel to the Valley and participate in this event. As we bring LOOQME service to the US market, there was a great opportunity to talk about yourself, gather contacts and try to establish the necessary connections. I think startups with similar plans will need our experience.We divided our goals into two categories: for the trip as a whole and for the exhibition. A total of ten days were spent in the United States, two of which were dedicated to the A& Big Data Expo.

‍Travel goals‍

• expand the local network of contacts;
• get acquainted with the maximum number of PR and marketers, conduct cusdev interviews with them, understand how our product is ready to solve their problems and problems;
• get investor contacts, which we will connect later.

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Objectives of the exhibition

Networking with three types of participants:

• investors. You need to get acquainted, present the product, talk about plans to attract investments, agree to maintain contact;
• representatives of big business. We understood that the topic of AI&Big Data would attract few PR and marketers. But it will gather many participants from large companies where there are PR and marketing functions. Accordingly, you need to get acquainted and ask to contact us with colleagues;
• AI & big data, machine learning specialists. We need to gather a circle of editors and mentors, because recently we started working on a PR prediction model based on artificial intelligence.

With the grant, we received the most complete tickets of the exhibition participants, which opened the following options:

• place for an exhibition stand;
• access to all lecture streams;
• access to networking parties for speakers and holders of such super tickets.

As a result, it turned out to compile a list of tips on what works at such events and how to spend time efficiently.Checklist: prepare, pass, return with the result

To the exhibition

‍1. Formulate goals.

Definitely do not go for content. Events of this scale are streaming, you will not receive unique information. Nothing that can not be read in a book, on a specialized resource, learn from a webinar or learn on a course.

‍2. If your goal is networking, start preparing as early as possible.

‍The exhibition is a great opportunity to hold 10-15 meetings in one day, which is impossible under normal circumstances. But do not expect to easily agree on fifty the first time. First you need to do a lot of homework with contacts.

Work them in several directions:

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• list with contacts of all exhibitors. It can usually be purchased from the organizers. If you have a sales department, ask colleagues to filter the list and contact suitable companies in advance.
• list of speakers from the program. Connect with the right experts on LinkedIn.
• list of personal contacts. Work out all your contacts and the contacts of your contacts. LinkedIn to help. Understand who can be useful to you and why. Always ask to contact specific people, and not to find someone who could talk about some issue and so on.

Do not send standardized messages and letters with an offer to meet at the exhibition. This applies to all contact groups. It is especially important to prepare the personalization for the specific experts that you need. Show them that they did their homework well. Follow the activity on social networks, find out their interests, problems and plans. Clearly articulate how you can be useful to each other. Cool, if you offer to connect them with someone useful from your friends.I worked out 50 personal contacts. At the exit, we held 10 meetings. Of course, this is not exactly a direct conversion, but a chain of intermediate communication, recommendations, etc.

‍3. Check your LinkedIn profile.

Fill in, update information, check English. There they almost do not exchange business cards, when meeting, they add each other immediately to LinkedIn. You only need a QR code. If there is a stand, make signs with a qr-code for your accounts.

‍4. Schedule a time for the meeting.

‍Set aside at least one full day for possible meetings after the exhibition. Plan time slots, do not offer everyone at the same time any convenient time for them. It is likely that you will have to postpone the agreement several times.5. Think about whether you need a stand, handout, etc. A stand means that at least one person is excluded from the “hunt”. Yes, he collects part of the quality audience, but it is worth evaluating in each case separately. It is important to remember that just a good design has not worked for a long time. The interactive attracts attention - the queue will be to the VR glasses, and not to the superstand with illumination. The same applies to handouts. Information about the company in the booklet will not help if the interlocutor is not interested. Rather will give him the opportunity to quickly escape by grabbing the brochure. Everyone loves useful things and fan. Well, and candy.By the way, the place under the stand is just an empty place. A table and a couple of chairs will have to be rented for $500 for two days. Or buy at Target ten times cheaper;)

At the exhibition

‍6. Be active. Remember that nothing will happen by itself. Do not spend time on reports. Only if you need a specific speaker for further communication.

What did we do?

One of us was constantly present at the stand, two - were in the field. First, we went around the stands of the participants to see how others present themselves, chat for training and gather some of the contacts of specialists with AI. Then we met the audience at coffee breaks, lunches and parties. If you are not a mega-extrovert, prepare some phrases that will help you join a group of people and start a conversation. Trite, but it works. Do not dine with “your”. Join other participants and chat. For example, this is how I met the speaker (Head of AI Volkswagen). There are no other secrets here.7. Prioritize correctly.If you have agreed to meet a very necessary person, but he constantly passes the time, disappears and spontaneously arises with new promises, do not wait for him. Keep a balance and do not sacrifice other opportunities.

After the exhibition

‍8. Maintain a relationship.Within a few days, send letters and messages of gratitude to everyone you meet. Try not to delay. This also applies to those contacts that are not needed now. And develop the nearest cooperation agreements according to your scenario. For the first time the material appeared on AÏN