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EDITOR'S VIEWPOINT By Ron Donner, Editor 6 MAY 2016 AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY TRADESHOWS Careful planning will provide you with the greatest benefit from your tradeshow experience I t's Saturday morning, the sun is shining through the window and I'm thinking I really should be outside enjoying the Upper Midwest spring time weather. I'm leaving Monday morning for another aviation industr y tradeshow so I need to finish up some work first. My calendar says I've already attended, well let's just say, numerous aviation tradeshows, industr y conferences, and local aviation events. And, as I look at the months ahead I have many more planned throughout the year. From the largest tradeshows with thousands of exhibitors and hundreds of thousands of attendees to local events hosted by area aviation groups, there's great benefit in attending any size industr y event. Small local events are great, and an easy way to stay connected to your local aviation community. Aviation organizations host many smaller events and these settings provide you time for casual conversation with old aviation friends as well as some one-on-one time to discuss business with local companies. I recently attended the Minnesota Business Aviation Association's April luncheon. After another Minnesota winter it was nice to see many colleagues and catch up with the happenings in my local aviation community. Large industr y tradeshows are a different experience. They provide attendees the ability to visit with any number of exhibitors, speak with suppliers, learn about new products and recent developments, attend technical, business and educational sessions, or you can take an up-close look at new aircraft parked in static display areas. Just back from the MRO Americas in Dallas, TX, the highlight for me was reconnecting with many former airline colleagues. But it wasn't all just visiting with old friends; the list of business meetings was long. PLAN CAREFULLY Depending on what you want from your tradeshow experience, you may want to consider developing a personal tradeshow plan. You or your company has recognized the investment benefit so make good use of your time while there. Take note of the physical size of the area and exhibitor locations. Some trade- shows are huge and you may have to walk long distances from one exhibitor to another. Review the event exhibitor list ahead of time. Choose carefully the exhibitors you want to actually have a meeting with vs. just stopping by to introduce yourself. Contact exhibitors prior to the show and schedule a specific day and time for a meeting. Exhibitors at these events can be extremely busy. Don't forget to look at the aircraft. Some tradeshows may have aircraft on display at a nearby airport requiring extra time for travel to and from the static display area. Take note of the educational sessions available and attend those of interest to you. Networking events are always valuable and provide great conversation and industr y contacts. Most impor tantly, take time to sit and rest your wear y feet. Enjoy your next tradeshow, Ron Published by SouthComm Business Media, LLC. 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