WetzelArthur984

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Working a Boat Show To your benefit

When purchasing your first boat, the boat show is a great place to begin. It is also a great spot for veterans to learn what's new, be it in boats, electrical or laws changing.

In an interview with Joe O'Neal, show director for that New England Boat Show in Boston, he talked about his definitive goal for the show. "The goal is," according to O'Neal, "to produce a industry for the dealers and the manufacturers to market all their products. And to create a marketplace for the customer in the future in and hopefully in one few days days, view everything they need to view to make a decision. You can imagine how much time, effort and money you have to put in to visit from dealership to dealership trying to figure out what you want for any boat. So, it's actually a win-win situation for the consumer and the dealer."

list of boat shows

The show also offers a variety of seminars for example: knot tying, navigation, qualifying for any captain's license, radio communications, boating for women, etc.

boating expo

Working the Showroom Floor Efficiently

At first glance, walking to the showroom floor could be overwhelming. In order to get the most out of your entire day, you need to have an action plan. So, what is the best way to make the most from a ship show?

   Grab the exhibitor list while you enter the hall then walk round the perimeter of the show and see who's there. Look to see which booths are busy. If your booth is empty could it be because there's nobody there or perhaps is it not attractive to the visitor. Would be the exhibitors all waiting for talking to each other with hands in their pockets; could they be eating, reading or actively engaging with prospects? What kind of raffles are they having? Does the raffle represent the business's product or could they be simply using the raffle to seize your attention? When the later, don't expect a call from their store for business.
   Make notes next to the exhibitor's name of which you want to go back and speak with.
   Check out the agenda for the different seminars and make note from the ones you want to participate in. Make note of in which the seminars are now being locked in case you need to get back there in a hurry.
   Once you've circled the place, then go back and begin speaking with those you need/want to see, grab their information (brochures, business cards, etc), talk to others within the booth (both exhibitors and boaters) and climb on board the boats you're interested in. Don't forget to take notes on the way to examine later when you are home. At home, go through all the information you've collected and your notes. Research the boats online, call your boating buddies and/or ask questions in a variety of forums (ex. TheNauticalLifestyle.com or MassBaySailors group in Yahoo). Then go again to the show equipped with pointed questions.