One of the easiest ways to discover new ideas that could help boost your business is to attend free seminars at a major trade exhibition like PATS.
Many visitors to shows often stumble across talks from retailing experts. They’re probably grateful of somewhere to sit down and rest their feet after walking around the event and talking to exhibitors. But once they start listening to the speakers they’re pleasantly surprised to find that the talk is of genuine interest to them.
Seminar programmes are designed with a particular purpose: To add value to the visitor experience. A lot of time and effort is exerted in organising a strong list of speakers and ensuring that a wide range of topics are covered.
One of the best attended seminars at PATS Sandown in March was given by animal healthcare specialists Merial, where visitors earned Continuing Professional Development points. Because of its success the seminar is being repeated at PATS Harrogate on Sunday and Monday, and is ideal for Suitably Qualified People looking to secure their CPD points for the following year.
It’s worth checking out what subjects are being covered by the seminars. If there’s a subject that catches your eye then make a mental note of the time or write it down in your diary so you don’t miss it. Important topics covered include understanding your shoppers, creating customer loyalty, internet shopping and reptile retailing – all things that could give your business a boost.
Most seminars last about half-an-hour so there’s no time to become bored. In fact, because of the time limit, there’s a lot of information packed into such a short session and often it’s a good idea to take notes or write down bullet points. Usually, the speaker will take questions at the end of the talk, and some will actually invite people to email them with any queries they might have on a particular topic.
Guy Blaskey, from Pooch and Mutt, has given talks at PATS for the past three years and he says: “At every show the audience seems to be full of people who are really interested in pushing their businesses forward and learning about modern marketing techniques.
“I always get some very interesting questions at the end of the talk and people are welcome to follow up with questions via email/ twitter/ facebook.
“A good indication that my talk contained useful advice for retailers was the fact that PPM used a transcript of my talk from Sandown on their website and in the magazine, which generated more interest.”
Taking in two talks will involve just an hour of your time, and as well as resting your weary feet you’ll pick up some free tips and ideas to take back to your business.
To check out the seminars at PATS Harrogate click here
