Our expectations beforehand? None – because we didn't know what to expect at a physical trade fair. And the digital trade fair in 2021 was definitely no comparison. We couldn't have dreamed of the absolutely inspiring contact with the visitors and all the great conversations. Of course, we had a rough plan for the fair beforehand: What would we bring? How would we design our booth? Where might we stop by during the fair to make new contacts with other companies?
But how did our first trade fair experience go in person, and how did we perceive it? We kept a trade fair diary, which we'd like to share with you:
May 5, 2022:
Arrival and booth preparation
After almost five hours, Rafaela and I arrived in Vienna with a fully loaded car and finally found the right parking spot to unload on our second attempt. When we went to register at the exhibition hall, we were greeted warmly by Johannes, the organizer, with whom we had already had very pleasant contact. At first, our booth was just an empty space of six square meters. But within an hour and a half, we were surprised ourselves by how impressive our very first trade fair booth looked. After double-checking the payment system, we headed to our accommodation. We quickly bought some provisions for the day at the fair and grabbed a bite to eat at a delicious restaurant in Vienna – then it was off to bed to be rested for the first day of the fair.
May 6, 2022:
Without expectations, into a completely new world
The day before, we made contact with some incredibly nice people at our neighboring booths. Even on the first day of the fair, before it officially opened, we met some very friendly exhibitors (we really came to appreciate the Viennese people in those few days – although the parking system in Vienna isn't exactly visitor-friendly). We arrived at our booth an hour early to make some final preparations and walk around the grounds again to get a better overall impression of the fair. Shortly before 10:00 a.m., a countdown was announced over the loudspeaker: "Just a few seconds until the fair opens... 10, 9, 8... 3, 2, 1." The BabyExpo in Vienna opened with applause. Pregnant women with expectant fathers and parents with small children immediately streamed into the exhibition hall. Within minutes, the aisles were packed, and many exhibitors were engaged in lively conversations. We, too, felt like we were constantly talking and increasingly enjoyed the exchange. We made our first sale at around 10:05 a.m. after such a lovely chat with a new mother.
At midday, we were glad things quieted down briefly and we could rest our voices for a few minutes. In the afternoon, Maria arrived to help us out with our coffee machine and mobile storage. Things were still quite busy until the evening, and we had a very successful first day at the trade fair. Afterwards, there was a get-together for all the exhibitors, featuring live music and delicious specialties from I EAT Vienna, Andis Arancini, and Wonder Waffles.
May 7, 2022:
Beautiful Vienna
Spin the wheel and let's go! Experience at BabyExpo in recent years has shown that weekends are significantly busier than Fridays. Saturday morning was busy, similar to Friday, but the hall emptied out by 3 pm. Nevertheless, Saturday was our strongest sales day. While Friday saw mostly couples and (expectant) parents, we were delighted to see many grandparents with their families on Saturday. In the afternoon, we visited several other exhibitors at their stands and discovered a great many fantastic baby products. All the other exhibitors were extremely friendly – a very welcoming and enthusiastic atmosphere. That's what makes a trade fair fun!
Rafaela had already explored Vienna's city center in the afternoon with our charging cable safety device, visiting baby shops and taking some photos. So it made sense for us all to meet up for dinner in the city center after the fair. Of course, we had to try a famous Wiener Schnitzel.
May 8, 2022:
Mother's Day
A toast to all mothers! A beautiful day to end the fair.
Our biggest "aha" moment of the day: packing up is so much faster than setting up. Everything was loaded within 45 minutes, and then we headed back to Munich, with lots of new experiences, inspiration, and great contacts in tow. Thank you, BabyExpo, for these wonderful days.
