 | Listen to the full unPACKed podcast: P&G Insider Tips for Attending PACK EXPO Las Vegas |
Trade Shows are a major undertaking for brands of any size, and first-timers can often struggle to strategize.
Luckily, Ervin Hardee, Procter & Gamble senior engineer and expo veteran, has advice on how he plans to conquer PACK EXPO Las Vegas this September. (exact dates on screen)
Hardee takes an inventory of current and future projects and highlights companies to visit with tools like PMMI’s Game Plan. On the first day of a major event like PACK EXPO, he tours the show floor for what’s new and notable.
“I take that and mark the vendors. We’re looking for long-term relationships and what they can offer, but then I make that list so I can come back and talk to them at the end of the show," Hardee says.
After the show ends, the real negotiations begin.
“We normally start the conversation really quickly. Follow-up meetings, calls. Sometimes that vendor will visit our site, or we visit their site," Hardee says.
Hardee considers factors like cost, safety, and throughput as he gathers several competing quotes and negotiates from there. From prep to post-show deals, companies big or small can pull from P&G’s blueprints for their own success.
