James Connolly has one word for what his first-ever IAAPA experience was like last year: “Hell.”
It’s not that he is not a fan of the weeklong convention, the world’s largest in the industry which this week is in Orlando; he enjoys IAAPA.
But he said he was ill-prepared last year for the hectic pace, throngs of visitors and quick-pitch nature of the convention.
“It’s just really busy, but it’s very interesting,” said Connolly, in Orlando on behalf of Bumper Boats Inc. from Newport, R.I.
This year, he said, he arrived a little bit more prepared.
As the convention center filled with an expected constant stream of foot traffic for four days, IAAPA veterans had some advice for those who were experiencing it for the first time.
They mentioned everything from proper footwear to being intentional in every conversation you have.
Jake Swegle of Paragon Commercial Concession Equipoment in Ames, Iowa, said the company previously made the mistake of trying to pack too much into their booth.
That left visitors with little room to maneuver to check out product or find a company rep.
“We had it all filled out and it was terrible,” said Swegle, whose company makes concession equipment like cotton candy machines and other gear you would see at state fairs. “We couldn’t move it anywhere. Now that we are a little bit opened up, we get more serious people who come over to talk.”
In LaGrange, Ky., the Cold River Mining Corp. provides family parks a chance to add a hands-on educational feature that lets visitors pan through stones and gravel.
As he slings the product alongside his family at IAAPA, Ryan Houchens offers newcomers some practical advice: Bring plenty of water and comfortable shoes.
“It was overwhelming,” he said of his first time attending seven years ago. “You’re just trying to take it all in.”
The IAAPA floor includes more than 550,000 square feet of exhibition space, so it can be a heavy lift to see it all, especially if you’re trying to do it in a day.
That’s why Space Coast-based Ken Brace has a system.
“There is a lot to see,” said Brace of Rapid Prototyping Services, which can turn a 3D model into a physical product within 24 hours. “I like to concentrate on the different pavilions one at a time before moving on to the next one.”
The sectioned-off pavilions do increase the massive floor’s flow.
On the surface, that sounds like a good thing.
However, if you take the advice of Tamar Kelly, international sales director for Light Up Toys, it’s also OK to take your time, if you are fortunate enough to have any.
“You need to enjoy every single moment,” she said. “Take it in. For me, IAAPA opened up my eyes on how everything works and it was awesome to see how big our industry is.”
As Connolly worked his magic on visitors to the Bumper Boats booth, much more comfortable than he was in Year 1, his boss across the aisle at Aardvark Antiques made stayed within his own system, honed from more than 30 years attending IAAPA.
Arthur Grover has advice for both buyers and sellers: manage your time by being decisive.
“You can’t spend too much time in one booth because you won’t see everything,” he offered to buyers.
On the flip side, Grover, whose business creates custom architectural structures like mirrors, bronze sculptures and fountains, said vendors need to decide quickly whether someone is a buyer or not.
“Within four or five minutes, you should know if they are interested,” he said.