With the 50th season of Survivor debuting this past month and many major trade shows happening recently, it had me thinking of how to best survive meeting season. Spending several days in a convention center can make you feel like you’re stuck on an island, just trying to make it to the end. Here are a few tips to have in mind for future trade shows and meetings that will help you to outwit, outplay and outlast like you are on Survivor.
 
  Outwit: Make a plan
Get a good lay of the land ahead of the meeting by first checking the website to find the schedule for speakers or special events. Check out maps of the trade show floor to see where all of the booths you want to visit are. Many major trade shows have mobile apps that provide notifications for anything you’d like to attend and house the information you might need. Be sure to download it before you leave home.
 
Outplay: Find your tribe
 One of the best parts of attending trade shows and meetings is the opportunity to network with new people and see old friends from around the country (and globe). Now you won’t be doing any scheming to see whose name will be read by Jeff Probst for a big cash prize, but you’ll be making connections that will be helpful for your career and personally fulfilling. Make time to see people outside of the meeting if you can, because you’re more than likely in a unique location. Go out to dinner, share a coffee or adult beverage, attend a sporting event, or watch live music, and more than anything else, establish meaningful relationships.
 
Outlast: Forgo fashion for comfort
It’s no secret that standing and walking on concrete floors for several days will have your feet aching. When I was starting my career, I made the mistake of routinely wearing my nicer leather cowboy boots to trade shows. Sure, the boots fit the agricultural audience better. Unfortunately, my feet usually ached each day. Now I stick to more comfortable options like lace-up moccasins or slip-on leather boots from Twisted X while still having a Western look.
 
What are some of your top tips for surviving trade show and meeting season? Let us know by emailing the Byline editor, bspiegel2880@gmail.com. 

– Bechtel is a PR Supervisor at Broadhead