Talking Stick - May/June 2008 - 27

University in Durham, North Carolina. “If possible, share the factors that have gone into the department selecting these vendors to work with.” Though they may be on their own when they get to the conference, young professionals need some initial guidance. “Make it clear they’re expected to be in the exhibit hall, visiting booths, asking exhibitors questions about their products,” says Janice Robinson and Evan Hilchey of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. “Ask them to look for products they think could beneﬁt [the] department – would improve the resident experience and/or our staff’s work – and point those out to their supervisor at the conference.” Understanding how one product differs from another can allow newcomers to be armed with information instead of feeling out of place or overwhelmed. “Understanding the nature of the exhibit hall is critical,” Gonzalez says. “It is not meant to be a sales avenue for vendors, but more an opportunity for products to be given exposure. Young professionals can capitalize on this by sincerely seeking out what differentiates one product from another like product. For example, asking a furniture exhibitor what separates their product from the others in the exhibit hall could yield interesting perspectives. At a minimum, it will teach a young professional what aspects of a product line are viewed as most important.” Gonzalez also suggests reminding staff to bring business cards to provide to exhibitors. to sign a contract. “This is an important message to send to both staff and exhibitors,” Robinson says. While they may not be the decision maker they are a decision inﬂuencer. She adds, “If a young professional can become informed about and takes initiative to talk knowledgeably about products and services with their supervisor, they won’t be a ‘young’ professional for long.” New professionals should try to take advantage of the wide array of products, gather information from as many sources as they can, and shop around. “The ﬁrst thing they [new professionals] should know is that ‘we do not bite,’ meaning that they should not be afraid to walk through the exhibit area,” says Wayne Smith, senior regional account manager at Mac-Gray/Web Intelligent Laundry Systems in Charlotte, North Carolina. “Exhibitors are there to help the attendees by letting them know about their products and services.” Lee Thompson Jr. from Southwest Contract in Temple, Texas, agrees and goes on to say, “I always want to listen to potential issues they are facing on their respective campuses. I then process information and see how it correlates to our products. Some of our new product ideas come from young professionals.” Angela Powell, manager of conferences and marketing for On Campus Marketing in West Trenton, New Jersey, describes the power of the buyer: “Vendors are always looking for feedback and information about how their product or service is doing. Decision makers provide good feedback, but additionally hearing from the residence hall director who has a product or service in their hall gives us great information as well.” Many vendors extend dinner or reception invitations, and staff need clear direction on how to accept these offers and what’s expected of them if they choose to attend. “Under no circumstance, should you or someone from your institution go to dinner or accept free items from companies when you are in a bid situation,” says Joe Mills, director of housing and residence life at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee. “For those who are customers and you are not in a renewal stage, it is okay to go to dinner with a company for which you work (as long as you don’t violate a policy on your home campus).” Staten says that she tells staff to act At the Show Every source for this story suggests that the newcomer shadow the exhibits veteran for some time. “I learned a lot about product building and buying the year I shadowed our associate director of facilities as he visited booths, asked exhibitors relevant questions about the product, and talked about his observations, experience, and insights,” Robinson says. But if newcomers do go it alone, they shouldn’t be afraid of approaching the exhibit committee’s customer service counter and asking for help or asking if someone would be available to show them around. Also, new show attendees shouldn’t feel that they can’t ask vendors questions about their product because they are not the decision maker or the one with the power May + June 2008 27
Talking Stick - May/June 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Talking Stick - May/June 2008
