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The Business of MeetingsAuthor: Eric Rozenberg
If you are an independent business owner in the meeting and event space, this podcast is for you! Your host, Eric Rozenberg has created this show to bring you strategies, tips, and tactics to help your business grow. With more than 20 years in the event industry and planning events for Fortune 100 companies, Eric is prepared to let you in on the insider tactics so you can be successful too! Language: en Genres: Business, Education, How To, Management Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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343: More than Attending IMEX: How to Turn Three Days Into a Year of Opportunities with Eric Rozenberg
Tuesday, 6 October, 2026
Next week, Eric and thousands of others in our industry will descend on Las Vegas for IMEX America. Today, Eric explains how to turn a trade show into an investment, not just an event. Stay tuned for more! Before IMEX Before you go, identify three main outcomes you want from your attendance. You might want three conversations with potential clients, two strategic partners, to understand what buyers are saying about AI, to reconnect with five relationships that matter, or to find one idea that could materially improve your business. Who You Meet Be intentional about who you need to meet. Research the exhibitors, speakers, and attendees you already know, and reach out now instead of hoping to bump into them. Prepare Your Luck Serendipity matters, and some of the best connections can happen unexpectedly. But don't count on serendipity alone. It's not enough. Prepare your luck by doing the work beforehand, while also leaving room for unexpected opportunities. What Do You Do? When someone asks what you do, be ready to answer clearly. If it takes you three minutes to explain your business, IMEX will expose that weakness very quickly. Be ready to communicate what you do in a way that can start a conversation. Stop Collecting Contacts During the show, stop collecting contacts and start creating conversation. Being interested in the people you're talking to is far more valuable than simply collecting business cards or batch scans. Stop Pitching Pitching is tiring, and it doesn't work, so don't do it. Ask engaging questions, like what people are seeing in the market, what has changed in their business, where AI is actually helping, what clients are asking for today, and who they think you absolutely need to meet. Don't Over-Schedule Don't schedule yourself from 8 a.m. until midnight. Some of the highest-value conversations happen walking between booths, over coffee, while waiting for an Uber, or because somebody says, "You two should meet." Leave time open for spontaneous conversations that are both genuine and worthwhile. Market Intelligence You'll be surrounded by customers, competitors, suppliers, technology companies, destinations, hotels, associations, and industry leaders. Use that access to study the industry. Look at what people are buying, problems that keep coming up, the type of language customers are using, where money is moving, which capabilities are becoming commodities, where margins are being created, what AI could eliminate, and what clients will happily pay more for. Enjoy the Show Enjoy IMEX, enjoy meeting people in the industry, and enjoy the evenings. Nothing replaces being there in person, and nothing replaces the magic of in-person connection. Follow Up Block time to follow up within 48 hours of returning. Make the follow-up useful. If someone mentioned a problem, send a resource, a person, or an idea that continues the conversation. Keep Building Your Network Not every contact will become an opportunity. Separate contacts into buckets for opportunity, relationship, and intelligence. The industry is vast, and people are moving, so continuously building your network is extremely important. Three Things That Matter When you leave Las Vegas, take a blank piece of paper and ask yourself: if IMEX is a great investment this year, what will have happened by the time you come home? Write three answers. Your objective is to come home with three things that can change what happens in your business over the next 12 months. Prepare, Then Execute Prepare, and then leave room for serendipity. Meet fewer people, have better conversations, ask better questions, and listen to what the market is telling you. When you come home, execute and be accountable. That's how you turn a trade show into an investment. Connect with Eric Rozenberg LinkedIn Facebook Instagram Website Listen to The Business of Meetings podcast Subscribe to The Business of Meetings newsletter
