7 Tips To Gear Up for Mobile World Congress 2012 – Go Barça!

Are you starting to feel the MWC 2012 fever?! You should be since it’s right around the corner and much of your success will depend on how you prepare for show. Cliché but it’s true. Here are a few more helpful truisms to help you make the most of the event.

First, a little background info - The Mobile World Congress is a four-day fair that welcomed more than 60,000 visitors from 200 different countries in 2011. Next year the fair will generate an estimated 300 million euros, in addition to thousands of part-time jobs. The expected economic impact on the city of Barcelona over its six years as the Mobile World Capital is 3,450 million euros.

1 – If you don’t know where you are going you can’t get there

Be specific. Know what you want to get out of the show; technology partners, investors, clients, press, increased brand awareness… whatever. But if you don’t clearly define your goals you can’t evaluate or celebrate your success!

2 – Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance

Do your research. You should know who is attending and how they can help you reach your goals. Scour lists of current and past sponsors, attendees, journalists, bloggers, analysts, speakers and so on. Reach out to them prior to show to introduce yourself and your technology, as well as request meetings. Get a list of the corporate sponsored events, find out which hotels (usually the more expensive ones) where can be found VIPs – and plan to be there! Also, take the time to read up on your competitors and the market before you go. The latest and seemingly insignificant Tweet might be the  hot topic of the day.

3 – Everything is in the Details

Missing deadlines, incorrect shipping addresses, misspelled names, incorrect street addresses, out of synch time schedules, wrong adapters – all waste money and time. Take the time to read the conference package and exhibitor manual thoroughly, and like Santa check your lists twice. It will save you in the end.

4 – You can call me anything as long as you spell my name right

Make sure they have access to your contact information in the way they want to use it.  Something as simple as integrating a QR Code in your booth can enable visitors with smart phones to instantly register for raffles, a follow-up database or just visit a dedicated landing page.

Help your prospects get in touch with you. You should be present and available in all the relevant and multiple channels in the vernacular appropriate to that channel. Be creative. Go beyond your website and blog, Facebook, Twitter, Your Tube, MySpace and the usual suspects. Be a part of significant forums, like Quora, specific LinkedIn groups, and more.

5 – Go Big or Go Home

This is your chance to make a big impression. Be ready. Have professional marketing materials ready, both online and off. Think about: leveraging your website and social media properties, developing PR pitches for your various markets/verticals, preparing daily updates for your multiple media outlets, hosting engaging contests and distributing relevant give-aways that reflect positively on your brand.

FYI – Show hosts promote all year round – get in on their emails, website, newsletters, PRs, etc – that way your prospects can see you all year round

6 – Think Local, Go Global

Make an effort on your web properties and in print to prepare materials in the language of your target market. Don’t forget that Africa (English and French speaking countries) host massive, growing mobile markets.

7 – Follow-up or Don’t Go

You spent the money and the time, so why not do the follow-up. Make your life easy and prepare an email template, database, info packets (print/PDFs), post-show landing pages, telephone scripts, and deferred give-aways, preset your tweets, prepare the kick-off of a low touch sales push… whatever your follow-up plan requires BEFORE the show. That way you just need to hit the button and start waiting for your prospects to respond to your overture.

Planning on attending MWC2012? Start networking right here! Share a comment about yourself and your company below or join our Mobile App Marketing Alliance LinkedIn group and introduce yourself to the other members.