Attending a trade show can be an overwhelming experience. Navigating huge exhibition spaces filled with thousands of exhibitors and trying to capture the most important bits, while conscious of the valuable time spent out of the office, can make for a pressurised trip.

Trend Bible attend numerous trade shows every year and report on the emerging trends in Home & Interiors and Kid’s Lifestyle products. Here we share our top tips on how to make this years visit to Maison et Objet a successful and stress-free event.

1. Send at least 2 team members
   There is often a lot of ground to cover and this will be far easier if there are more people to divide and conquer.
2. Brief your team and have a plan
   Decide before you go which sections of the show are going to be the most valuable for you and plan to cover these first. Brief your team on anything specific to look out for or be aware of.
3. Book a hotel close to the venue
   Especially when travelling to international shows – you don’t want to waste time travelling to and from the show or stuck in traffic.
4. Take notes
   If you aren’t press you won’t have permission to take photos which means noting down any thoughts as you’re going around is essential. Hand out business cards so exhibitors can email you high resolution photos and take a spare bag for collecting any product packs.
5. Analyse your findings
   What’s new this season? Are there any particular trends you should be paying attention to?
6. Cross-reference findings with your colleagues
   Collaborate with your colleagues to combine notes and create an easy to read document of your findings, so you can effectively use the information and share it with other colleagues on your return to the office.
7. Debrief your team
   One of the most important points is to debrief the rest of your team well so research is not lost and is shared throughout the business; maximise the value of your attendance.

If you are planning your trade show trips this year our Trade Show Reports can save you time and energy in trying to capture everything you need to. It provides our expert analysis of the trends with high resolution photographs in a digestible, inspirational format that is easy to share.  Look out for the full list of the trade show reports we’re publishing in 2015, including Maison et Objet, on our blog in the coming weeks.

Download a free edit of last years Maison et Objet report by clicking here.