10 simple tips for the Indian visitor to Ipex

Editorial - Indian visitors, need to be skeptical of the typical trade show clichés. Since the past two months, we have been speaking to vendors and manufacturers (and of course visitors), and we realise there are quite a few stereotypes which abound about trade shows.

04 May 2010 | By Samir Lukka

More than 2,190 visitors from India have already registered for Ipex 2010. By the time, 18 May arrives, I expect this number to double.

There's no doubt that this is an important show for Indians.

Remember, you're travelling (and investing).

Here's a list of 10 things you should be wary of:

  1. Meetings that waste everyone's time.
  2. Sales-persons who offer out-of-the-box solutions. And then, hand you one ton of company brochures.
  3. 24/7: No one works 24 hours a day.
  4. 25% more effective.  How can you measure this? Besides, why would you advertise that the previous product was 25% "worse" before they fixed it?" Also, what exactly does it mean when the latest ink makes your print job 30% more vibrant.
  5. Marketers who hurry you into sealing the deal.  Remember you can always say: ‘Let's return to this at a later date.'
  6. People who walk genuinely slowly in front of you in the NEC hallway. Or talk loudly on their cellphone during a presentation.
  7. A cancelled demo at 8.30 am for which you have rushed in a cab. Alternative: line up your options. Fix a back-up appointment, at all times.
  8. People that talk about every product that they have seen - without knowing what they are talking about. Alternative: None.
  9. Visiting the same stall, again and again.
  10. Don't impulse shop. Make your Ipex shopping list now. If in four weeks, you still want what's on your list, then budget for it.  Otherwise you don't really want it.


And finally: see you at Ipex. Have a safe trip.
 
PS: PrintWeek is producing the Ipex Daily. If you've any news for Ipex, please eMail at ramu@haymarket.co.in