You didn’t have a computer on your desk in the pre-digital world.
You didn’t have a phone in your pocket either.
Phones stayed on desks.
And they needed to be plugged into a socket in the wall.
We did have access to a fax machine.
And a Telex.
It rattled out paper messages from all corners of the globe.
And we replied to them the same way.
Are you wondering how on earth things got done?
What about attendance lists?
Vital then and now to trade show organisers.
A printout would arrive at the office a week or so after a show closed.
A3 pages listed every attendee, the company they worked for and their job title.
The binders were large (I worked on events attracting over 25,000 people).
From memory, there were usually two or three for an event of that size.
Each binder stood about four to five inches high.
They made excellent doorstops if you chose to use them that way.
Saddo that I am, mine never went near a door.
I read those tomes cover to cover.
Better than that, I used them to make sales.
My favourite game to play in front of a prospective exhibitor was “Name that company.”
You can probably guess the rules.
It was a game where both sides won.
What nuggets of gold lie buried in your list?
Do you need help digging them out?
If so, we should talk.
I work with list experts who can build and clean lists quickly.
To start a conversation, drop me a line @ david@theexhibitionagency.com