Conventions and trade shows can give your business a boost or be a monumental waste of time. It all depends on what you do. Here are some tips for good conventioning.

1. Plan ahead. Get all your attendees together ahead of time to discuss the upcoming event. What is important to see? What companies must you talk to, and what is the agenda? What do we want to come away with, in terms of information, negotiation, sales, and relationships?

2. Bring a list of the booths you want to visit. If it’s a large show, map out your route so you don’t slip into the mode of just wandering around.

3. For key booths, schedule an appointment so you’re sure the people you want to meet are there and not tied up with other customers.

4. Never eat alone. Schedule meals with customers, suppliers, and alliance partners. Get them all together if it makes sense.

5. Divide and conquer. At a big show, it’s hard for one person to see everything. Assign specific booths to specific people. Similarly, spread the wealth on meals. Instead of five of you dining with one customer, can you schedule five dinners with five different customers?

6. Go to the meetings. This is a tough one for me. I always see myself being stuck in a stuffy room listening to a boring speaker with 200 PowerPoint slides. But more often than not, you will ge an education. Speakers cover topics directly relevant to your industry. And, meetings can be excellent networking opportunities as well.

7. Schedule your time at hospitality suites. It’s usually better for the host to know you’re coming–don’t just show up. Private cocktail parties are superb networking opportunities–not just with your host, but with other guests. Find out when and where the major events are going to be, and make sure you’re invited!

8. Debrief. Bring your crew of attendees back together as soon as possible, before everybody forgets what happened at the show. Run through your pre-convention agenda and see how you did. Let everyone share their experiences and impressions of the event.

Bottom line: planning makes perfect. Any other tips? Please share!