Making the most of WTCE

As he prepares to visit WTCE for the first time, Onboard Hospitality's new Editor, Stuart Forster, asks experienced attendees to share tips on how he can make the most out of his time in Hamburg.

Everyone has told me comfortable shoes are a must for this trade show in the Hamburg Messe. Lots of standing around and walking between stands distributed across the vast halls clearly make trusted footwear a no-brainer.

“Study the exhibitor list, work out who you want to see and divide them into halls A1 and A4. Although the halls are side by side they are also a walk apart, even in the flattest shoes,” says Jo Austin, Taste of Travel’s curator, who recommends scheduling meetings around the floorplan to avoid doing too much unnecessary walking.

Meeting people

“You meet so many friends and colleagues en route that you need to give yourself extra time to get from A to B too,” explains Jo, emphasising that those unplanned interactions can eat into time set aside for refreshments, downtime between meetings and bathroom visits – all essential if you want to stay effective through every day.

Jo is keen to see as many people as possible at the Taste of Travel Theatre and recommends attendees check the programme and use WTCE Connect to plan attendance at discussions and cooking demonstrations.

“Slot the Taste of Travel sessions you want to attend into your diary –you might get a free lunch or glass of bubbly!” she says. And the strength of the wi-fi signal around the Taste of Travel Theatre is another reason to visit, as is a chance to just sit and listen.

Polly Magraw, Event Director at Reed Exhibitions, also suggests that attendees should log into WTCE Connect: “Even if you’re not pre-scheduling meetings, you can use the tool to discover recommended exhibitors based on your selected registration preferences."

“If you have a VIP badge, don’t forget to visit the VIP Lounge for a break away from the show floor,” she adds referring to the multi-use space used for networking, working and relaxation.

With representatives of suppliers, airlines and rail companies arriving into Hamburg from around the world, you don't have to wait until WTCE gets underway on Tuesday to start catching up either. "Try and start your meetings on Sunday or Monday,” suggests Simon Yaffe of Buzz Products. “You would be surprised how many meetings we have on those two days in advance of the Tuesday to Thursday mainstream,” he adds, emphasising the value of remaining available throughout the full course of the Thursday rather than heading home early.

Review Time

As a seasoned attendee, Simon suggests setting aside 30 minutes to review appointments towards the end of each day and then revisiting the people who were of most interest.

“It’s a great opportunity to ask followup questions while you are there and it’s still fresh in your mind,” he adds.

There are often fewer people at stands towards the end of each day, meaning meetings can be less formal.

Effective time management does not necessarily mean planning meetings throughout all three days. Blocking time to walk the floor, view stands and get new ideas is also beneficial.

Other people suggested that I should combine work and pleasure while strolling between stands to taste the food and drink offered by caterers and suppliers. Skipping breakfast or doing so around lunchtime were suggested to avoid consuming too many calories.

Suppliers tend to be generous in giving away samples of their products at WTCE. So much so that one past attendee suggests you bring a suitcase with sufficient space to transport home the samples that will inevitably be collected while visiting stands.

Accepting invitations to evening events means being able to spend longer getting to know people. In addition to off-site dinners and parties, the Onboard Hospitality Awards (16.30-17.30 on Tuesday) and the WTCE Official Drinks Reception sponsored by Heineken (17.00-18.00 on Wednesday) offer great informal networking opportunities.

With representatives of so many businesses present, even the bestplanned visit to WTCE is likely to leave people wishing that they could have crammed in more meetings.

Prioritising and maximising in-person meetings helps attendees make the most of a trade show that is renowned for helping to forge connections and ultimately close deals.

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