Large trade shows like ITB Asia, where there are over 700 exhibitors and a extensive event programme, means that exhibitors have to stand out and buyers need to be wise in managing their time. Exhibitors have already spent a substantial amount of money on the booth, so it is essential that they find a unique way to gain more exposure.

“My suggestion to exhibitors is to not only focus on the prescheduled appointments but market themselves and stand out from the crowd,” says Nino Gruettke, executive director for Messe Berlin (Singapore). “I’ve seen fascinating examples from companies that have spent millions of dollars on their booth and on their marketing, to companies that had nice little ideas that cost less but the leverage was huge and sometimes higher than those that spent millions.”

Gruettke says it is important to think about how to attract around 7,000 visitors to a booth. It should be “something surprising, unique, that people will be interested in”. Whenever Messe Berlin exhibits the ITB Asia brand at other trade shows, it provides its own bandages at its booth because it realised that the percentage of females working in the travel industry is high and most of them wear high heels at trade shows. The bandages became sought-after items, drawing people to the booth, even if they had nothing to do with the trade travel industry.

“If you create a buzz at your booth and people are there, it attracts other people,” says Gruettke. “So invite your own clients to your booth. Everyone talks to the same people in the industry and you want to be the one who takes the initiative to invite your clients, not your competitor.”

For buyers to better manage the time split between the events and show floor, they can consider getting into the habit of studying the line-up of sessions first, and then planning their meetings around it.

To maximise opportunities for networking, pay especial attention to the supporting events. For ITB Asia 2011, Messe Berlin (Singapore) scheduled all evening events outside of Suntec Singapore to increase the chances for delegates to mingle, such as the TravelRave Party by the Bay at One on the Bund.

“By scheduling the evening events at venues where people have more chance to mingle, we are giving attendees a chance to do business in a non-businesslike approach,” says Gruettke.

After the show buyers should pinpoint missed opportunities as well – it could be a reference from a conversation or something that was in a PowerPoint presentation at one of the sessions. That is an inevitable result of spending three intensive days at a trade show where you are constantly having to absorb information.