Trade conventions

Every year I attend several trade shows for the dental industry. Every year I wonder "why".  I'm a vendor so for starts I have to pay a lot of money just to be there.  The hope is that we will meet new customers and learn about new products available to our customers.  The reality is that we spend the weekend smiling and watching them pass by with out a chance to say hi because they are always in a hurry to get to the next seminar or they turn their heads away from the vendors for fear that we might want to show them something new.  Truth is for over ten years now I have always looked at the trade shows as a great chance to let the dentist know I'm still in the business of helping make their offices run smooth and to remind them that its not all about the sale, more important is the service and value of the life long relationship with their practice.  It seems that the shows don't help with business, but I fear not being there could cost us business.  Stop by and say hi to your vendors at the next trade show you go to, after all we are all trying to just make a living.