Birmingham is not famous for being a place of natural beauty, but it is home to the UK's largest exhibition centre - the Birmingham NEC. The Spring Fair, which was the first exhibition to ever be held at the NEC after its opening in 1976, continues to be held every year, and starts this weekend.
Here is Spinning Hat’s top ten tips for surviving the Spring Fair, and Birmingham in general:
1.
Hangovers. Having been both exhibitors and visitors, our opinion is that a hangover helps the day go by. It seems wrong to be away on a business trip without one. Just keep it sensible.
2.
Blisters. You can try soaking your feet in vinegar - this may reduce the onset of blisters until the 3rd Hall, but as we are in Hall 4 then you need to work something out. We recommend comfy shoes (trainers, plimsolls, hush puppies....YES. High heels, brogues, flip flops....NO). There is no point sporting professional shoes if you are walking around in tears of pain.
3.
Nightclubs. Many of you will be spending a night in Birmingham. You may even be treated to a night out. So we think a word of warning is appropriate here - no matter how tempting the offer, avoid Reflex and Walkabout - honestly...its never worth it! If you want some good food, cocktails and a dance then we recommend The Living Room.
4.
Curries. If you can handle your curries hot then you are going to love the fact that Spring Fair is in Birmingham. If you have not booked a table then jump in a cab and head to the Balti Triangle. Ignore any suggestions that your taxi driver throws at you. Remember, the Spring Fair is a busy show so ideally phone up and get a reservation first. We recommend Itihaas or Asha's.
5.
Free Stuff. Next to taking pictures on someone's stand, asking for free stuff is probably top of the list for exhibitor's pet hates. Most exhibitors have limited samples available, and their stand will not have the same wow factor with no products left on it!
6.
Last Day Samples. This is different to requesting free samples on the 1st day of the show. This is often a good way to help save an exhibitor time when they are breaking down their stand. Many exhibitors and visitors alike can be spotted frantically running around the NEC at 4.00 on the last day, with a bundle of £20 notes, doing all their last minute shopping. But be aware, this is technically not allowed by the show organisers, and not all exhibitors will be as willing to part with precious samples.
7.
Wheely Briefcases. After half an hour of trade show trekking, you are going to be laden with more catalogues that you can shake a lanyard at. For the sake of your back and shoulders - upgrade to a wheely briefcase. Its also great fun running over the toes of slow moving trade show traffic.
8.
Getting to and from the Spring Fair. If at all possible, do not drive. The junctions that lead from the major roads to the Birmingham NEC become notoriously gridlocked before opening time. Your best bet is to stay in the centre of Birmingham, and catch the 15 minute train in to the NEC.
9.
Shaking off Pushy Exhibitors. The Spring Fair is a tradeshow, and the reason exhibitors pay all that money to exhibit there is because they want to sell you stuff. There is simply no time to be polite to everyone so we recommend a fast pace, avoid any eye contact, and perfect a grumpy growl if you are serious about shaking off unwanted sales people.
10.
Slow Movers. Its odd that this happened to come at the end of our top ten tips, as this features prominently on most visitor's grief lists. Trade shows are not the kind of places you go for a leisurely stroll and a chat - what is really required is a constant fast flow of traffic. If you like what you see jump off the aisle and get on the stand, if you don't like what you see then growl and move on.
.....We have the solution, combine a bit of the old with a bit of the new and store your photos in one of our SD Photo Albums. This funky little photo album is modelled on the iconic design of SD memory cards found inside digital cameras all over the world. It can store up to 60 4x6 inch photos and unlike its digital counterpart, it never runs out of batteries, and requires absolutely no technical know-how to get it working.
