Whether you’re traveling halfway across the country or world or setting up shop for your promotional company at a convention center or facility in your hometown, there are several steps you can take to seize your role as a brand ambassador and make exhibiting and marketing your organization’s products or services more manageable.The key to surviving the day without completely exhausting yourself is a well-laid out plan.

Promotion companies and organizations often fly brand ambassadors to out-of-town trade shows very early in the morning and expect them to be peppy and in marketing mode as soon as their plane touches down in the city where the show is taking place. A short—or long—taxicab ride later, and you’ll be at the convention center or trade show facility. In this case, you’ll want to pack in an efficient manner. That is, lightly. Bring a travel bag with a change of clothes, but you’ll probably want to make sure you’re dressed to impress before you leave the house in one city and arrive on the exhibit floor in another. You may want to pack our Trade show Survival Kit too!

Keeping in touch with colleagues and other brand ambassadors who will help set up your organization’s booth, or booths, is a must. Make sure you have the phone numbers of everyone in your promotional company who is or will be on the ground floor with you. Also keep at the ready the numbers of any colleagues, including IT employees, back at the office that can troubleshoot problems you may encounter traveling. Speaking of phones, you’ll want to make sure yours is charged and ready to go and that you have its charger. You’ll also want to pack plenty of pens, notepads, business cards, and, of course, a back-catalogue of inspiring sales stories. Any other marketing materials should be shipped directly to the facility beforehand or contained on a USB drive or flash drive to hand out to prospective clients or interested parties.

You should have schematics of the convention center or facility downloaded to your smartphone or tablet or printed out so you can charge through the facility in an efficient manner, bypassing a bevy of morning-groggy people and getting down to business on the exhibit floor. Assuming you are not responsible for setting up your organization’s exhibit booth or booths, you’ll want to walk the exhibit area and quickly locate your organization’s booth. Before the doors open to exhibit-goers, familiarize yourself and other brand ambassadors with everything that will go on in the booth—memorize speeches and inspiring sales stories, acquaint yourself with in-booth trade show games to draw people over, and make sure your appearance is spotless. Smile a lot. It is now time to start interacting with other promotional staff, potential customers, and interested parties.

To survive the rigors of the exhibit floor, know the location of the nearest bathroom and the most efficient manner of getting there. Knowing the location of the nearest café or on-site coffee shop is also key—convention centers often have full cafeterias with numerous fast-food options, in addition to several small satellite cafes, some of which are even on the exhibit floor. Caffeine is essential for most, but if it’s not your thing make sure to drink plenty of water and stay hydrated. While employees of some promotion companies err on the side of being fashion-forward, comfortable shoes are essential to making it through the day. You could be standing up for hours on end, shaking hands with numerous people, sharing inspiring sales, and connecting people with your organization or promotion company’s products and services.

Trade shows can be a long haul for both attendees and exhibitors. Be sure to take breaks when necessary, and try to get some fresh air. Don’t forget to sign up to receive our Survival Kit, perfect for keeping you and your team running strong all day.