Trade Show

Pro Tips for Everyone at the Trade Show

from a Former On-Site Member and Current Vendor Member

by Heather Johnson, DevDigital

My name is Heather Johnson and I have been a proud member of the Greater Nashville Apartment Association for coming up on my seventh year. The GNAA has always been an amazing resource for me. Whether on site or as a vendor, I always have loved the different events and learning opportunities to get together and network with my peers.

It can come as no surprise that the annual trade show is one of my favorite events each year. When I was on site, the energy surrounding the trade show was so fun and exciting! Working for a management company, you know your comrades at your other properties, but rarely do you get an opportunity to get together.

What better opportunity is there than to put on a matching themed shirt and show off your pride in your company as you walk in together with your team members! I still smile when I think about all the fun we had walking around the booths looking for our favorite vendors, playing different games each booth had, or marveling over the amazing way each vendor’s booth was set up. After all, combining hundreds of multifamily professionals for a night of games, networking (sometimes recruiting), amazing prizes, and nonstop fun sounds like an amazing time to anyone. It is the team-building event of the year!

Our vendors were definitely a big part of what I loved most about the trade show. I loved being able to walk around and see the latest products they were offering and to meet vendors I did not know. As a GNAA member, our team has always supported our vendor members. Being able to walk around and having all vendors in one place was a great way to find out about new improvements that could be made to our property. And of course, to make sure you get that business card into their drawing for their giveaways! News & Events Pro Tip: Bring extra business cards! You’ll thank me later.

This year will be my first year as a vendor and I am so excited to be able to spend a whole night of networking with some of multifamilies’ most influential leaders in Nashville. As soon as I knew the trade show was coming up, I knew I had to make sure I got a booth. The trade show is an amazing opportunity to show your clients your latest and greatest products and be able to network in a nonpressured environment. I mean, come on – they come to you! What is better than that? For most vendors this is their number-one lead generating event of the year!

Every year the vendors compete for the best booth. I can remember so many outrageous themes through the years. It is hard to imagine a favorite year, but I especially enjoyed the Band Together theme.The costumes were just hilarious!

But wait! I have a pro tip for you first-time vendors as well. Use the theme to your advantage. The more fun your booth is, the more traffic you will generate. If you have interactive games or fun giveaways, the decision makers will surely flock to your booth. Keep in mind, if you have a photo booth you want to be able to incorporate groups of people, as leasing teams rarely are able to get a picture with everyone in the photo.

I cannot wait to see everyone’s ideas for this year’s theme! If you have not reserved your booth for this year’s trade show, now is the chance! Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to have decision makers come to you to hear what you have to say and how you can improve their property. To reserve your booth today reach out to Ginny at 615-365-3047 or by emailing ginnyjohnson@gnaa.org.