Dance With Strangers

Sure, we’ve talked about some of the things you can do to succeed at a trade show like integrating social media, placing news, coordinating email, and more. But one aspect of trade show preparation must be taking very seriously and this time it has nothing to do with your marketing strategy. What type of workout are you doing to be physically prepared for that long trade show week.

This week I’m on the show floor at RSA Conference in San Francisco. Each day I’m walking around the show floors for hours, dashing to the press room for a briefing and talking with folks in our booth. We all know what a long day it can be and when you have 3-4 in a row (plus going out to the parties at night) it can take a toll. Many people start getting a sore back and feet right away, while others struggle to avoid a nasty cold or even bad allergies from the recirculating air. All in all it can seem like an infirmary on the show floor.

Now, how can you prevent these ailments? Here are a few tips I have, but share your secrets to staying healthy at a trade show:

1. Your Core is Core: Make sure that you start doing a good regimen of core exercises leading up to trade show season. This will be critical in supporting your trunk to handle the beating it will take on that hard show floor. Some of my favorite core exercises I found in Runner’s World.
2. S T R E T C H: Stretching is really important before and during the trade show, particularly your hamstrings. The tighter your hammies the more difficult it is to move around and you over compensate with your lower back. Now you shouldn’t stretch cold muscles so when you get to the show floor walk the perimeter at a nice pace, then find a quick place to stretch out those hamstrings, quads and calfs. Keep that lower body as flexible as possible.
3. Don’t Lose Your Routine: The best thing you can do is hit the gym every day during your trip and fortunately most hotels have decent gyms these days or use MapMyRun to find local places to get in a run or ride. I know it is much easier said then done, particularly with long nights and time zone changes, but even if you get on a treadmill or elliptical for twenty minutes it will keep you fresh during the show.
4. H20: Keep hydrated on the floor. Did you know that a healthy male should have 13 cups of water a day and a healthy woman should have 9 cups? Make sure you get in your water throughout the day because you are losing a ton of it just talking to people, not to mention walking around the whole day.

Keeping healthy on the show floor is not only important for your physical fitness, but it corresponds directly into your mental fitness and consequently your production during the show. It is great to get your team prepared with all the marketing and sales enablement tools, but make sure you get them physically ready for that next show.