Are you still struggling to tell your BEX from your NEMEX and think ET is a cute alien from outer space?

The sheer scale of SustainabilityLive! is, of course, one of the main attractions but can also be a bit daunting.

So here are a few tips for first timers – which might also be useful for the old hands.

  • Take time to plan in advance – go through the programme and make a note of the seminars and stalls you want to see. It’s worth spending a few extra minutes to see what’s on offer. There’s nothing more frustrating to have sat through an hour-long presentation which might have the odd useful snippet, only to discover there’s been a talk packed with need-to-know information going on just around the corner.
  • Know your show – it might be stating the obvious, but it’s vital that you figure out where you’re going to find the most useful information and the people that are likely to be helpful to you in your business. Your ‘core’ show should be easy enough to spot – but be aware that there might be important contacts to be made elsewhere who are more easily overlooked. Ideas for water efficiency measures found in IWEX or microrenewables in NEMEX might be of interest to the green builders who will be spending most of their time at BEX, for example. See our brief guide to the shows below.
  • Co-ordinate with your colleagues – just because you came with a team, you don’t need to go round mob-handed. Sometimes it’s good to split up and take more in, but make sure you also plan in time to catch up and share information too.
  • Make sure to browse – while a plan of attack is definitely going to help you get the most out of the exhibitions, be sure not to make it too rigid and give yourself plenty of opportunity to just wander; sometimes it’s the accidental contacts or technologies you weren’t even aware of which can bear the most fruit.
  • A contact can be for life, not just SustainabiltyLive! – remember that while it’s a three day show, its usefulness does not have to end at 4pm on Thursday. You’re not going to have time to do everything, so grab those promotion packs and collect cards – they can always be followed up at a later date.
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