Physician specialty conferences are one of many recruitment tools that in-house recruiters depend on to source the candidates they need. Every fall and spring, the PracticeLink team gears up to exhibit at more than 15 shows across the nation, so our team is well versed in the dos and don’ts of all that is involved in securing a booth, traveling to these events and driving traffic to our booths. I’ve compiled four easy, exhibiting tips for active recruiters to help save both money and time, as well as drive booth traffic:
- Know exactly what you’re getting for your money before you sign your exhibitor contract. For example, does the initial booth fee include electrical utilities and WIFI access? Is carpet provided, or is that an additional cost? These seemingly small add-ons could potentially bust your budget if you don’t know about them in advance.
- Know the early bird deadline and order your materials by that date. Most exhibition companies offer a discounted price on booth space if you sign and pay by a specific date. Be sure to add this date to your calendar and secure your space to receive the discount. If you happen to miss the date, don’t stress too much, most companies will allow you to take advantage of the discount anyway, all you have to do is ask.
- Post-show; be sure to study your invoice. Comb through your paperwork once you get home from each event, sometimes you will find “mystery” charges that you can dispute. Don’t hesitate to give the exhibition company a call and ask about these charges either. Remember, sometimes it’s the little amounts that add up.
- Ensure you stand out from the crowd on the show floor, get creative about how to drive more physician leads to your booth. Remember the number-one reason to attend these events is to get face-to-face time with potential candidates. We recommend adding fun activities in your booth and they don’t have to be costly. For example, PracticeLink purchased a spinning wheel that travels to each show. While there was an initial investment in the piece of equipment itself, we now own it and it provides a fun way to give away the conference goodies that we would already be giving away in our booth. We’ve had people line up just to give it a spin!
Remember these tips before you make any commitments to upcoming shows. And if you’ll be on the road at a physician specialty conference in the future, be sure to stop by the PracticeLink booth to say hello! On the flip side, if you don’t have the time or the budget to exhibit, be sure to check out PracticeLink’s 2016 inPerson Conference schedule and allow us to do the traveling and lead collecting for you at a fraction of the cost of exhibiting on your own!
See where the PracticeLink inPerson team will be next!
