Booth: check. Travel and hotel: check. Lead scanner: check. The annual HR Technology® Conference & Exposition is coming up fast, and you’re all set. Don’t get lost in the midst of mindless scans. In this e-book, we worked with Human Resource Executive® to put together six tips that can help you get the most from your investment as a vendor at the show. In this e-book, you’ll learn how to: — Make a real connection — Get more out of networking events — Schedule briefings with analysts, journalists, and influencers — Get face-to-face time with customers and prospects — Follow up effectively after the show — And have fun doing it Just like a sailor doesn’t set sail without a compass, make sure you get your copy of this actionable field guide to get more out of your experience at the event.

1. FEAR AND
BADGE SCANNING
IN LAS VEGAS
Six Ways to Get Beyond the Scan and Get More From
the HR Technology® Conference & Exposition
By: Lance Haun & Lizzie Maldonado

2. We were somewhere around Las Vegas in the
middle of the desert when the scanning began
to take its toll.
I remember saying something like, “I feel a
bit awkward; maybe you should scan …”

3. Your booth is set. Your hotel
arrangements are made. You’ve got your
lead scanner locked and loaded. You’re
ready to take on the HR Technology®
Conference & Exposition! But something
is missing. In the midst of those
mindless scans you tell yourself:
THERE HAS TO BE MORE.
THERE IS.

4. WANT TO MAKE THE
MOST OF YOUR TIME AT
HR TECHNOLOGY®?
When it comes to getting the most from your time
as a vendor at the show, it’s about more than
showing up and scanning badges. Truly engaging
attendees and getting the most bang for your
buck doesn’t have to be complicated — but it will
take a little bit of work.
We’ve put together six tips that can help you get
the most from your investment at the show. Let’s
get down to brass tacks.

5. TIP NO. 1
MAKE A REAL CONNECTION
Whether you’re working the booth, taking
prospect or client meetings, or going to
sessions, it’s easy to go on autopilot. But
attendees — and, ultimately, your buyers —
want to connect with people. Talk to them
about their biggest challenge at work, the
questions that keep them up at night, or who
you could recommend talking to at the show.
They’ll remember you, and it could make all
the difference come buying time.

6. ----------------------
BEYOND THE SCAN:
Connect personally with three people at
the show, even if they won’t necessarily
turn into clients.

7. TIP NO. 2
NETWORK AT
NETWORKING EVENTS
Between the opening night reception,
breakfast, refreshment breaks, and lunch in
the expo hall, there is a lot of time to make
genuine connections. These networking
opportunities give you the chance to see
people who have been busy in sessions
and meetings, and may not be in the expo
otherwise. Instead of talking to people you
know, make a point of talking to someone
new every chance you get.

8. ----------------------
BEYOND THE SCAN:
Take turns manning your booth so you can
roam the floor during the official reception
and at least one of the breaks, but keep your
sales materials in your booth; they cannot
be distributed outside of your booth spac e.

9. TIP NO. 3
SCHEDULE BRIEFINGS WITH
ANALYSTS, JOURNALISTS,
AND INFLUENCERS
Analysts, press, and other influencers spread
the word about what’s really happening in
HR technology. If you have something new
that you need to share, or if you just haven’t
spoken to this group of movers and shakers
before, it would be worthwhile to schedule
some of your time in the pressroom and
blogger room to share progress and discuss
trends. To access a copy of the press list,
email Devon Group’s Jeanne Achille at
jeanne@devonpr.com.

10. ----------------------
BEYOND THE SCAN:
Select a handful of analysts and
influencers you want to talk to and reach
out personally to them before the show.

11. TIP NO. 4
GET FACE-TO-FACE TIME
WITH CUSTOMERS AND
PROSPECTS
The opportunity to get this much face-to-face
time with customers and prospects is
a rare one. The HR Technology® Conference
brings your top customers and buyers to the
same location. Though some vendors do big
client and prospect dinners, you don’t need
to do anything that complicated. A simple
drink at the show will suffice — and should
be fairly easy.

12. ----------------------
BEYOND THE SCAN:
Get at least 30 minutes of face time with
one VIP prospect and customer. The more,
the better.

13. TIP NO. 5
FOLLOW UP AFTER
THE SHOW
It may be tempting to just drop all the names
you scanned into your CRM database when you
get back and have your sales team follow up.
Some companies don’t even do that much. But
a personal email or call from the person they met
with at the show — with specific information,
if they asked for it — makes a huge difference.
Talk to attendees about their professional pains
— what is their biggest challenge at work — and
try to offer a solution in your follow-up, even if
it’s not necessarily related to your technology. If
it’s not the right time to buy, a hard sales push
won’t change that. But open a door by becoming
a resource — and when the time to buy is nigh,
they’ll think of you.

14. ----------------------
BEYOND THE SCAN:
If you can’t follow up with everyone, have
each person who attended the conference
follow up with anyone they made a
personal connection with at the show.

15. TIP NO. 6
HAVE FUN
Don’t be a robot at the conference. You’re
there for a purpose, but that doesn’t mean
you can’t have a little fun while you’re
working the booth or taking meetings.
And — hello! — you’re in Vegas. There’s
hardly an end to the fun things to do — go
to a show, bungee jump off the Stratosphere,
take a helicopter tour — do something that
will make your experience complete.

16. ----------------------
BEYOND THE SCAN:
Show attendees that you’re having
a good time and they’ll enjoy the
experience that much more.

17. Like we said, it’s not difficult to get the
most out of the HR Technology® Conference
& Exposition. But it does take a little work.
With these six tips, you won’t be wondering
whether your decision to invest in the show
was worth it: You’ll know it was, and you’ll
enjoy it a lot more, too.

18. WANT TO LEARN MORE?
InfluenceHR — being held the day before the HR Technology® Conference & Exposition
in Las Vegas — is a symposium for marketers who want to maximize the impact of their
initiatives and increase marketing velocity. As an exhibitor of HR Technology®, we want
to offer you an exclusive discount to attend InfluenceHR. Use the promo code HRTECHEXH
when you register at www.InfluenceHR.com to claim your vendor discount and get the
insight you need to make a difference in HCM.