The Water & Wastewater Equipment, Treatment & Transport Show provides an overwhelming amount of innovation, education and networking. It’s easy to spend a few days there and feel like you’re drinking from a fire hose.
But the experience is great and you’ll find yourself leaving with a mass of information. When the plane lands, the expo badge is retired and you’re back in the office, that’s where the real work begins. Now it’s time to translate a wealth of new information, contacts and ideas into tangible improvements for your co-workers and business.
Don’t delay
Right away, get organized and review the materials you brought home. Take time to sort through the business cards, brochures and digital notes collected. I do this same thing when I return with leads for stories I gathered. I prioritize which leads seem the most eager, committed and fit for the magazines and correspond those to the issue that I need stories for the soonest or where they best fit and follow up with them accordingly.
Prioritize your immediate needs and categorize potential vendors based on that, perhaps separating them into categories like “immediate equipment replacement” or “future technology upgrade.” This organization is crucial to prevent the valuable contacts and product insights from fading into a disorganized pile.
Next, prioritize the knowledge transfer to your team. If you attended educational sessions, schedule a formal or informal debriefing to share the most relevant takeaways with your colleagues. Focus on one or two high-impact ideas that can be realistically implemented soon. This process ensures that the investment in your attendance benefits the entire business.
Follow up
A critical step is following through on equipment and technology leads. Do not let the momentum stall and reach out while you may still be fresh on their minds. Exhibitors see a lot of people, but they remember your correspondence so contact the vendors of the equipment that impressed you most, especially those that align with your plans and business ideals. Request detailed quotes, schedule follow-up demonstrations or site visits, and discuss potential financing options if needed.
Just like the vendors, reach out to the industry peers you connected with to solidify those relationships. Share information, ask follow-up questions about their experiences and offer to keep them updated on your own progress. These connections form an invaluable support system for troubleshooting, sharing knowledge and advancing the industry as a whole.
Follow through
Execution is often where the ball gets dropped. Bringing home ideas and brochures for new technology and equipment is the easy part. The hard part is committing to evaluating and applying the new operational best practices, and investing in new equipment.
Review your current protocols against the information you gathered at the show. Dive into the cost versus benefits of investing in new equipment and follow through. It doesn’t all have to happen at once. Develop a schedule for implementation and start small by piloting one new idea and track its performance to build a solid case for long-term adoption.
Learn and prepare
Another important thing when the show is fresh on your mind is to take notes about your experience and jot down things you would like to do the following year. Are there people and companies you want to follow up with in person a year down the road? What areas did you find the most helpful? Do you want to spend more time on the show floor next time around or dedicate more hours to the educational sessions? Would your team benefit by attending the show with you so you can divide and conquer?
As always, thanks for reading Onsite Installer.
