INDUSTRYNEWS
Get the Most out
of Exhibitions
Exhibition season is here again, bringing with it
lots of opportunities to expand our networks
and our businesses. But how many of us also take
the opportunity to expand our knowledge?
We often characterise exhibitions as places
where people try to sell us things, and while
this is true, there is often a lot more going
on.
Many exhibitions also include
comprehensive conference programmes.
Sometimes a fee is charged, but often there
are free seminars and workshops that you can
attend as an exhibition delegate
With so much to see at exhibitions you
might ask yourself why you should make
time to attend conference talks and seminars.
The answer is quite simple -- to expand your
knowledge.
Granted, some talks focus on specific
products and may feel like sales pitches, but
there are also many sessions which genuinely
focus on sharing knowledge and starting
debates about ways forward in the sector.
Furthermore, the variety of talks on offer
means that you can get a snapshot or taster
of new and/or unfamiliar topics without
committing too much time to the cause. There
may also be the added advantage of gaining
Continuous Professional Development (CPD)
points for seminar attendance.
How do I get the most
out of seminars?
Be selective. With so much choice it is easy
to get bogged down and attend too much.
This often means you don’t get anything useful
out of any of the sessions as you get bored of
sitting and listening. Have a good reason for
each talk you attend, whether it’s to find out
about something new or because you want to
meet the speaker.
‘Look up speakers
prior to their talks’
Do some preparation. Look up speakers
prior to their talks to get an understanding of
their background and perspective. Read the
abstracts for talks, as a well written abstract
can be a good indicator of a good talk.
Leave the office behind. You will gain
nothing from the talk (or the exhibition) if
you are too busy worrying about what is going
on in the office. Turn your mobile off for 30
minutes!
Ritec chose last month’s hugely
successful FIT Show to launch its latest
product, the ClearShield Eco-System™
- and booked again for 2016.
Sit next to someone you don’t know.
Seminars give you a good excuse to make new
contacts and network.
Be open to hearing something new. Go
into talks with an open mind.
Jot down useful information, but don’t
write down everything. It is tempting to try
and take notes on the whole talk, but only
make notes when the speaker says something
particularly pertinent to you.
Make a note of key questions. If a question
arises during the talk, make a note. It is
possible that the speaker will go on to answer
your question as part of the talk, so you can
just jot down the answer as it presents itself.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions at the end.
Link what you hear to what you know.
Try to make links between what you hear and
what you know. It is useful to assimilate new
information and see how any good practice
might be embedded into your work.
Don’t be afraid to contribute, but don’t
take over. Speakers often welcome views from
the audience, so don’t be afraid to share yours.
But avoid being combative or dominating the
Q&A session.
A decade of dedication!
Bridlington-based fabricator Precision Trade Frames
is celebrating its 10th anniversary with VEKA.
Joint Partners Gary and
Angela Snelson (centre) with
Fabricators Stuart Dixon (left)
and Kevin Dawkins (right).
34
JUL 2014
The company has been using
PVC-U systems from VEKA
since 2004.
Gary Snelson, Partner, explains:
“We like to think of ourselves
as a window manufacturer with
a difference. Despite expanding
quickly, we’ve retained our
personal touch and we like
to deal with our customers
directly.
“Our reputation is crucially
important to us and a large part
of this rests on the high standard
of the windows we produce. We
need to be confident that the
PVC-U systems we use are of the
best quality and that’s why we
continue to fabricate VEKA.
“We’re Precision, not just
by name, but by nature! Most
of our work comes through
recommendation or repeat
business and we’re proud to
be able to consistently supply
the right product at the right
price. We’re looking forward to
celebrating the next 10 years (and
more) with VEKA!”
Gary and the team received a
commemorative VEKA clock and
a bottle of bubbly to mark the
occasion.
To read more, visit www.clearview-uk.com