What is your farm show strategy?

What is your strategy to get the most of a farm show so you feel like the experience was worthwhile and you made the best use of the time?

We went to the #cdnag Twitter family to gather some ideas. Here are a few good ones:

  • Look at the agenda and identify the presentations you want to attend. Organize the day around those presentations. Think of questions you want answered by the presenter.
  • Select the top 3 booths you want to visit and visit them in the morning when people are still fresh.
  • Identify the key changes you want to make to the business this year, and use the show to find answers. One person on Twitter noted that he once dedicated two whole days at a farm show to researching seeder openers.
  • Take advantage of the opportunity to talk with equipment company representatives about support for recent purchases, extras for new purchases or other maintenance issues. The shows often have the right people on hand to help with those questions, and meeting them face to face helps.
  • Set aside some time to explore and see what’s new.
  • Network. Use the show to meet with people who could be strategic to the business, like retails, elevator staff, research leads, etc. This can take some effort, especially at shows where you may encounter a lot of people you know. One Twitter comment: “Do not let someone you’re not interested in talking to dominate your time. Be polite but firm that you need to go.”
  • Bonus tip: Stop for lunch early (around 11) to beat the line ups.