〽️ FabTech Part 2: Beyond the Booth

FabTech Expo Article part 2: Beyond the Booth

How to Turn FabTech Into One of the Best Investments You'll Make for Your Business

When most people think about FabTech, they think about welding machines.

Or robots.

Or laser cutters.

Or all the free hats, stickers, and pens they can carry home.

They're not wrong...

But they're also missing the biggest opportunity sitting right in front of them.

FabTech isn't just a trade show.

It's one of the few places in the world where almost every major company in the welding and metal fabrication industry gathers under one roof. Owners. Engineers. Marketing teams. Product developers. Social media managers. Sales representatives. Trainers. Influencers. Educators. Distributors. Customers. Future customers.

Everyone is there…. And that doesn't happen very often.

That's why I don't look at FabTech as a trade show anymore. I look at it as an opportunity.

An opportunity to learn.

An opportunity to build relationships.

An opportunity to better understand where our industry is heading.

And maybe most importantly...

An opportunity to meet the people behind the brands.

This article isn't about getting free swag or seeing the newest welder.

It's about getting more value from every hour you spend there.

While this article uses FabTech as the example, almost everything you're about to read applies to any industry trade show, manufacturing conference, supplier open house, or networking event you attend throughout your career.

Your Goal Shouldn't Be To Collect Brochures

Your goal should be to collect relationships.

That might sound cheesy... But it's true.

I've seen people leave FabTech with two suitcases full of catalogs, hats, pens, and promotional items.

A month later... Most of it is sitting in a drawer somewhere.

Meanwhile someone else leaves with three new friendships.

A conversation with a company they've admired for years.

A phone number.

An invitation to tour a manufacturing facility.

An opportunity to test a new product.

A future collaboration.

Which person do you think got more value from attending?

The relationships.

Every single time.

The Booth Is Only Half The Story

Every company spends months preparing for FabTech.

The booth.

The equipment.

The displays.

The demonstrations.

The giveaways.

Everything is designed to showcase the brand.

And that's great.

But what interests me even more are the people working inside those booths.

Because companies aren't brands. They're people.

Sometimes we build opinions of companies entirely from social media.

We watch their videos.

Read their captions.

See their advertisements.

We think we know who they are.

Then we meet them.

More often than not...

I end up liking the company even more after meeting the people behind it.

I've had conversations with engineers who spent twenty minutes explaining why they designed a machine a certain way.

Marketing managers who genuinely wanted feedback from creators.

Sales reps who weren't trying to sell me anything. Just stoked on what they are talking about…

Owners who took time to shake hands and ask about my business.

Those conversations changed how I viewed those companies.

Products matter.

People matter more.

But Sometimes The Opposite Happens

And this is important too.

Meeting people works both ways.

Sometimes you'll meet someone you've admired online...

And realize they aren't the person you expected. That's okay.

It's better to learn that in person than after signing an agreement to represent a company.

This is especially important if you're interested in becoming a brand ambassador, influencer, educator, sponsored welder, or content creator.

You're not just choosing products.

You're choosing people.

You're choosing who your audience will see you standing beside.

You're choosing who you'll represent.

That's a decision worth taking seriously.

They're Evaluating You Too

Here's something I don't think gets talked about enough.

You aren't the only one deciding whether you'd like to work with a company.

They're deciding whether they'd like to work with you.

Every conversation.

Every interaction.

Every handshake.

Every introduction.

Every social media post.

It all matters.

I've heard people say...

"I'm going to FabTech to get sponsored."

No...

You're going to FabTech to build relationships.

Sponsorships happen because relationships happen.

Not the other way around.

Companies are paying attention to things most people never think about.

Are you respectful?

Are you genuine?

Are you easy to talk to?

Do you treat booth staff with the same respect you give the company owner?

How do you treat your friends?

How do you act when things don't go your way?

How do you carry yourself?

If they invited you to represent their brand...

Would they feel confident putting you in front of customers?

Because that's exactly what they're asking themselves.

Follower count matters.

Character matters more.

Be The Same Person Everywhere

One of the best pieces of advice I can give anyone...

Be the same person online that you are in real life.

Don't create a character.

Don't try to impress people.

Don't pretend to know things you don't know.

Be yourself.

Because if you eventually work with that company...

They're going to get the real you anyway.

I'd much rather someone decide not to work with me because they know exactly who I am...

Than work with a version of me that doesn't actually exist.

Authenticity builds trust.

Trust builds relationships.

Relationships build careers.

Networking Doesn't Start At FabTech

This might be the biggest takeaway from this entire article.

Most people think networking begins when they walk onto the show floor.

I don't.

Networking starts weeks...

Or even months...

Before the event.

Think about it.

If you know you're attending...

Why wait until you're standing in front of someone's booth to introduce yourself?

By then you've already lost weeks of opportunity.

This is where I think many people unintentionally make networking harder than it needs to be.

Because they're trying to build an entire relationship in a five minute conversation.

Instead...

Start building it today.

We'll talk about exactly how to do that next…..

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