April 2023
For an independent inventor, especially one new to an industry, there is no place better to learn and to network than a professional trade show (a large public display that promotes awareness and sales of new products within a particular industry). Inventor Kenton Brett unpacked for us many of the benefits this tool offers.
• Meet people who can help you.
Engage with anyone who wants to interact with you. Everyone there wants to do business and you never know who might be able to help you. Someone who might become your friend, business partner, or client; who can answer your questions (now or later); who can connect you to the industry and make you feel like an insider; or who can give you a contract.
There are no company gatekeepers at a trade show, so it is often easy to talk with a company’s leaders. Scan the exhibitor directory to see who might share your interests (maybe the president or head of marketing of a company), note where their exhibits will be, and either just show up at the exhibits or call ahead of time to make an appointment.
You can meet helpful people in many other places too: sharing a cab ride from your hotel to the show, standing next to someone in line, or sharing a table with someone at lunch.
• Help yourself become an expert in your field by learning what others are doing.
Attend educational sessions at the show to get a better understanding of the industry and of your technology.
Visit exhibits to help you learn quickly who some of the important players in the industry are and how they compare with each other. Exhibitors can tell you which companies practice open innovation and in which countries your industry resides.
• Get ideas about what to invent.
You can have more confidence in the value of your invention if it is not displayed and if similar inventions displayed are inferior to yours. If someone at the show displays your invention or a better version of it, you know to move on to your next great idea.
If your invention is protected by a patent application, consider showing prospective clients and others (not your competitors) a short video of your invention in action. You might also show them a sell sheet and your best prototype (if your product is small). Ask for their honest feedback on what they like and dislike about your invention.
Visit exhibits that interest you in general, whether or not they relate directly to your invention. Both impressive and not so impressive inventions might inspire you to modify your current invention or to start work on a completely new one. Engineers and scientists, not salesmen, can tell you about technology. Salesmen can tell you about customer complaints and about what customers want but can’t get.
• Learn how to communicate your invention.
For people you meet, prepare a 2-3 sentence description of who you are (eg, a product developer) and what you do (eg, develop products that solve some specific problem).
Listen to the exhibitors and learn how to clearly explain what problems a product solves and what a product is and does.
• Learn how to go about marketing or manufacturing your invention.
Talk with exhibitors to learn which companies practice open innovation, which of those fit your invention, and who in those companies can decide to give you a contract. Ask exhibitors displaying products similar to yours about their manufacturing process.
• Have fun.
Enjoy the displays and the people. If the show is in a big city or resort, consider spending an extra day there for recreation.
Cutting costs can make your trip more enjoyable. Stay at an inexpensive hotel and drive to the show location the night before to look for nearby inexpensive parking. Get free food at the show in exchange for watching a presentation. Wear an old coat and hide it in some out of the way place instead of spending time and money at the coat check.
• Put some thought into which trade shows will benefit you.
For example, if you want to know how much it will cost to manufacture your product, consider attending the Design-2-Part show. If 3-D printing interests you, consider the Rapid + TCT show. An international directory of trade shows is available here.
• If you are new to an industry, go to learn, not to exhibit.
• You might want to avoid a trade show dedicated to inventors or to licensing.
Often the companies there are trying to sell services to inventors.
• If you are not an exhibitor, don’t try to sell your product at a trade show.
It’s fine to ask informational questions so you can follow up with an appropriate person after the show. But exhibitors pay a lot of money to sell their products at the show and tend to take a dim view of free riders.
If you haven’t made an appointment at a booth, wait for someone to approach you and demonstrate the products. When he asks what you do, say you are a product developer and ask if his company accepts outside submissions. If yes, get his business card, but don’t try to sell. Follow up after the show. The trade show directory has everyone’s telephone number.
• Dress business casual and wear comfortable shoes.
Thank you, Mr. Brett, for sharing your insights and enthusiasm with us!