Surviving METS – an insider’s guide
With METSTRADE next week, Mike Shepherd, director of MAA (specialist marine marketing agency), offers this advice.
BEFORE YOU GO
Plan your day, book appointments where you can. Most exhibitors are there to meet dealers and customers from all over the world. Make sure you’ll get the time you need.
Print your FREE train ticket before leaving for Amsterdam. You can’t buy a ticket easily at the Rai station when you are rushing to get your plane.
Book a restaurant if you want to eat out. You might be hard pressed to find something on a whim as they fill up with marine companies entertaining their distributors.
TRAVEL NETWORKING
One of the best ways to network is on the way to the event. The flights out of Southampton are full to the gunwales with marine people.
The Number 4 Tram goes straight from Amsterdam Central to outside the Rai, and is another excellent opportunity to network. Make sure you have a few Euros in change for the conductor or driver.
(Be careful crossing the roads. If you haven’t been before, you’ll quickly see there’re cars, trams and flocks of bicycles).
ON ARRRIVAL AT METS
Have your METS Trade ticket/email ready for when you enter the hall. This way you go straight through the scanning system.
If exhibiting, find the press office early and leave your news releases so the press can pick them up. The press office has free coffee, fruit and rolls: you’ll find the world’s top marine journalists there.
SURVIVE THE DAY
Wear comfortable shoes that you can walk a long way in, the show is BIG!
Venture into every corner of the show, there’s stuff to see and people to meet all over and often in the most unlikely of places.
Grab a copy of the Show Guide, this is your marine trade bible for the next year
AFTER THE SHOW
Head to the Old Sailor to meet the ‘after hours’ marine people. As the restaurants empty, this old favourite fills up and spills out onto the street – Oudezijds Achterburgwal 39-A, 1012 DA Amsterdam.
Have a great time.
