Trade Shows & Field Notes
Abdullah Erkam Polat
Business Development Manager — Birdem Gıda · 6 min read
When people think of trade shows, most think of the stand.
Design, products, catalogs…
But when you look at the field a little more closely, you see this:
A trade show actually starts long before the stand, and ends long after the stand.
In the early years, we also thought the trade show was just those 4–5 days.
Set up the stand, arrange the products, talk to whoever comes by…
But over time, we realized this:
The outcome of the trade show is determined not during those days, but beforehand.
Who are you going to reach?
Who do you really want to meet with?
What are you going to say?
If these are not clear, the trade show becomes just a crowded organization.
The biggest misconception about trade shows is this:
“Let’s go and take orders.”
Yes, sometimes that happens.
But most of the time, a trade show is not where the sale is made, but where the sale begins.
A good relationship built at the stand
can turn into an order 3 months later.
Sometimes 1 year later.
But if that relationship wasn’t built properly,
even if you offer the best price, nothing changes.
You talk to dozens of people during the day.
But they are not all the same.
There are some meetings that last 2 minutes but tell you a lot.
Some last 20 minutes but go nowhere.
Over time, you learn this:
It’s not about talking a lot, but about asking the right questions.
Who is your product truly valuable for?
What is the other person looking for?
The moment this becomes clear, the trade show gains meaning.
I think this is the most valuable aspect of trade shows.
You’re not just explaining yourself,
you’re also seeing yourself.
Where is the market heading?
What are competitors doing?
Where do you stand?
Sometimes no orders come out of a trade show.
But you return with a very clear awareness.
And that is more valuable than most orders.
Trade shows are exhausting.
Both physically and mentally.
But every trade show adds something on top.
The biggest difference between the first trade show and the last one is this:
Now you explain less and understand more.
What you call a trade show
is not about setting up a stand.
It’s about gathering people.
Building relationships.
Improving yourself.
Whether orders come or not…
If done right, a trade show is never wasted.
