By Jenny Davis, ThePartnerChannel Magazine

This week you’re hearing from Jesse Byam of Etelligent Solutions and Lisa Steinhart of vSync, an Accellos company.

If you’d like to supply a Convergence tip for a future post, please contact Jenny@thepartnerchannel.com.ThePartnerChannel


VAR Tips from Jesse Byam

1. Create a plan specific to your customers. Each year we make an easy-to-review agenda that details the day’s activities which most apply to them and their needs. Be sure to include where they can meet with your team and some customer focused events.
2. Sit down with each customer and discuss the sessions that will be best suited to the needs of their organization. Most of our customers have questions about which sessions offer the most value and you get to showcase your value in helping them make good decisions.
3. We always keep the attitude that we are there for the customer. Making sure they have the right information and access to the right people is a key factor in the success of the conference to them. Be available to your customers throughout the conference and make sure to take an interest in what they are trying to achieve (Even if that is having a good time at night!).


ISV Tips from Lisa Steinhart

Six logistical tips to save time and money when planning for your exhibit…

1. Prepare and think through logistics ahead of time to save money. For example, be sure you coordinate with the AV provider and talk with them about your booth setup so they’ll be prepared with the right brackets and other equipment needed for mounting your video screens. Anything that you order at the show site is going to cost double what you would’ve paid with some advance preparation.
2. Bring 3-4 pairs of shoes and switch them every 3-4 hours, more if you didn’t order double padding and 40 oz carpeting.
3. Think about storage in your booth for your staff’s “stuff” (bags, laptops, etc). Consider renting a lockable cabinet for these items, or install magnetic hooks on the back of your booth for coats, etc.
4. Pack a supply kit of office supplies (stapler, paper clips, scissors, cleaning wipes, etc.) and include products such as blister covers, band-aids, shoe inserts, breath mints, aspirin, Velcro, and duct tape.
5. You may have packed your booth efficiently to get it to Convergence, but booths have a way of not being able to fit in the same boxes in which they arrived. Take pictures or create a list of how your booth should be packed before it is picked up by your shipping carrier. Post these images or the list in each box. Often in the rush to leave the show floor you have multiple people helping to pack up the booth and they don’t know how the boxes should be packed efficiently, which can result in “booth bloat” and damage. Label what goes in what box and the order the contents that should be placed into the boxes to minimize damage and get everything back in the same number of boxes. The added bonus is you’ll know where to find everything when you need it for the next show.
6. Make notes during the show of things that worked well – and things that didn’t – as well as things you forgot, things that need to be replaced, etc. Pack these notes in your shipping boxes so you’ll remember to address them for the next show.

Want to see past installments of the Convergence Tip of the Week Festival? Click here!