1
"I think there will be a resurgence in teaching old-school sales skills, which can be the difference between getting two or 10 new clients."
— Thea Vinereanu, co-founder and chief business development officer,Trade Show Stars

2
"I predict staff training will become more widely used, but its effectiveness will be diluted by lower-skilled and less-knowledgeable trainers."
— Matt Hill, president, The Hill Group

3
"First impressions count, so booth staffers need to be cognizant about the first thing attendees notice about your company."
— Katie McTammany, exhibit designer, Mirror Show Management Inc.

4
"The most difficult behaviors for staffers to unlearn are passiveness, talking too much, and not asking enough – or the right – questions."
— Jefferson Davis, president, Competitive Edge LLC

5
"Staff training is critical because the quality of your staffers' interactions with attendees can make or break your exhibit-marketing program."
— Vanessa (Shaner) Schultz, CTSM, senior manager, corporate marketing events, Illumina Inc.

6
"Before long, staff training will likely include an interactive online program in which artificial intelligence will play a big role."
— Keith Reznick, marketing and sales trainer, executive coach, Creative Training Solutions

7
"Today, dress codes for staff are not as formal. The traditional seriousness of trade show showmanship has given way to a more relaxed philosophy."
—Peter LoCascio, founder, Trade Show Consultants

8
"Most organizations send their sales teams to work the booth, but salespeople are often distracted and may not optimize your presence."
—Roger May, partner manager, Teradata Corp.

9
"Training staff on in-booth technology is important for each event. But the learning curve needs to be nominal, since each show is completed in such a short time frame."
— John Dixon, national sales director, Exhibitors Connection Inc.

10
"In the past, training focused on products and technology. We need to refocus our attention on demographics."
—Barry Siskind, president, International Training and Management Co.