What not to do at a conference booth

I’m at Ignite this week. So are more than 20,000 other techies.

Folks are walking around with the swag, and people are of course looking for the good stuff.

Someone walks past the booth with a light saber coming out of their backpack. One of my friends wants one. I go ask the guy where did he get it. He pulls out the swag, shows me the logo and points to the other side of the expo hall.

I’m off.

It takes a few minutes, but I find them. No swag in sight. But a group of 5 or 6 booth folks in a circle chatting to each other.

I ask if they have any more light sabers.

Nope.

I attempt to engage in a conversation. I walked all the way over, so I should learn about these folks and what they do. No?

Me: Well, it seems they were a great hit at the conference

Booth folks: (nodding and shrugs)

Me: I mean I had never even heard of you before and now here I am, at your booth, asking you questions.

Booth folks: Yea.

Me: I don’t even know what you guys do, but your swag got me over here.

Booth folks: Yea.

I was wearing my speaker shirt. With the MVP logo on it. Even if you didn’t know ME, I was fairly obviously identified as an influencer at this conference.

I walked away, still not knowing what that company does.

They really really couldn’t even swing at the slow pitch softball I pitched.

Booth space at these conferences is not cheap. Sending that many people to a conference, not cheap. Paying 6 or more people to be at the expo hall for 5 days, not cheap. Light sabers, not cheap. Do you not want some kind of return on that?