2. At the Event - Booth and Engagement:

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Pre-Event Preparation:

Target Audience Identification: Before the event, companies would define who their ideal attendees were (e.g., job titles, industries, specific companies) to focus their efforts.
Attendee Lists (if available): Some event organizers provided attendee lists in advance (usually physical printouts or basic spreadsheets). Sales teams would review these to identify key prospects for targeted outreach at the event.
Pre-Show Mailings/Faxes: Sending personalized direct mail or faxes to key prospects, inviting them to visit the booth, attend a specific presentation, or schedule a meeting.
Briefing Staff: Thoroughly training booth staff on product knowledge, key messaging, and, most importantly, lead qualification questions and lead capture procedures.


Compelling Booth Design: While not as technologically advanced as today, booths aimed for visual appeal, clear branding, and easy access. Key elements included:
Prominent Displays: Large graphics, product displays, and clear signage communicating the company's value proposition.
Product Demos: Live demonstrations of products or services were highly effective for canada phone number list engaging attendees and showcasing capabilities.
Engaged & Knowledgeable Staff: The most crucial element. Staff were trained to:
Initiate Conversations: Go beyond "Can I help you?" to ask open-ended questions.
Qualify Prospects: Ask questions to determine Budget, Authority, Need, and Timeline (BANT) and identify pain points.
Listen Actively: Understand the prospect's challenges and articulate how their solution could help.
Giveaways & Incentives:
Branded Merchandise: Pens, pads, keychains, and other useful branded items were common.
Drawings/Contests: Running a raffle for a desirable item (e.g., a TV, a travel voucher, an early model PDA) in exchange for a completed entry form (which served as a lead capture mechanism).
Valuable Content: Offering "gated" content like whitepapers, research reports, or detailed product specification sheets in exchange for contact information.
3. Lead Capture Methods (Mostly Manual):

Business Card Collection: The most ubiquitous method. Booth staff would collect business cards from interested attendees.
Manual Lead Forms/Pads: Simple paper forms or pre-printed pads where staff would quickly jot down contact details, qualifying notes, and specific interests for each lead. This was crucial for adding context beyond just a business card.
Badge Scanners (Limited): Some larger, more technologically advanced trade shows might have offered rudimentary badge scanning systems provided by the organizer. These would capture basic contact info from an attendee's badge. However, the data collected was often minimal, and the focus was still on manual notation of qualification.
Fish Bowls/Entry Boxes: For contests or giveaways, a simple bowl or box where attendees dropped their business cards or filled-out entry slips.