5 Tips to Maximize Your C+P Experience

COMPOSITES+POLYCON is one month away. To make sure you get the most out of your investment, ACMA has compiled a short list of things you should do beforehand to ensure a beneficial and enjoyable experience.

View the Show Website. Visit www.acmashow.org for all the up-to-date information you need to plan your trip. Our Conference department has spent countless hours finding deals for attendees, so take advantage of them. Venture past the show homepage to side tabs. There you will find exhibitor information, the conference program, maps—you can even make restaurant reservations!

Create a Game Plan. A show is meant to benefit your business, so make the most of the short amount of time you’re there. If you’re going alone, remember that you represent the interests of your entire company. At least one month before the show, sit down with fellow employees (remember their time schedule is not the same as yours) and review the exhibitor list. Discuss people they need you to contact, booths to visit, questions they would like you to ask and information they need you to gather or disseminate—and write it down!

Schedule ahead. If possible contact exhibitors ahead of time to schedule an appointment. The My Planner option of the Web site can help you find exhibitors and budget your time. Debbie Ayres, senior director of Membership at ACMA, also suggests looking at the attendee list. “See who you know and also who you want to know ahead of time, it will save fruitless searching and time at the actual show,” she says. Then, on your own, rank educational sessions that you would like to attend. Rank a few classes that you feel you can’t miss and have a back-up session in case the first is not what you expected.

Contact Information. Remember to leave the appropriate contact information with your coworkers and on your voicemail for clients who may call in your absence. To save yourself the post-business trip scramble, set your out-of-office reply to one day after you actually return. That way, your first day back is spent digging through emails without the expectation that you respond to everything in one day.

Check the weather. Before you pack, check your destination weather, and choose business casual appropriate clothing. Suitcases and shipping cost money, so use space wisely! Bring the right kind and the right amount of anything you need, and no more.