Now that you’ve made the (smart!) decision to attend this year’s WasteExpo, it’s time to strategize to ensure you’ll make the most of your time there.  It’s important to prove the ROI of the event to both your organization and yourself. 

A good way to approach WasteExpo (or any event, really) is to set goals before you arrive—and your goals might be different year to year.  Here are some questions to ask yourself before you land in Las Vegas:

1. What’s your top challenge, need, or interest this year? 

Is your company looking for a new solution to meet its hauling, food-waste, recycling, or other challenge?  If so, you might review the exhibitor list ahead of time and prioritize which booths you want to visit.  Alternatively, maybe your main goal is to learn all you can about the latest industry trends and best practices across the country.  In which case, you’ll want to zone in on the educational sessions that meet your topics of top interest.  Whatever your defined goals, plan out a schedule for yourself so you’ll be sure to check everything off your “to-do” list. 

2. Who do you want to meet at this year’s event?

If there is a supplier you especially want to meet, try to set a meeting ahead of time.  The same goes for any industry experts speaking on the program or peers you know will be attending.  Things can naturally get hectic, and schedules fill up, once the event is underway.  So, do as much prep work as possible to ensure that you’ll get to connect with the people you really want to connect with, whether during the opening reception, over lunch, or at some other mutually agreeable time. 

3. What questions do you want answered by the time you leave the event?

Jot down a list of questions that you want answers to—everything from clarifying specs and functionality of a potential vendor solution, to a question you want to ask in a particular session, and everything in between.  Refer to your question list periodically during the event to make sure you are getting the information you need and want. 

Ultimately, putting in a little bit of effort and thinking in advance of WasteExpo can lead to great rewards once you’re there.  We wish you a very successful conference and hope you’ll be the best attendee you can be!