Get ready for the trade show

Set your objectives. Trade shows are a fountain of opportunity for wheeling and dealing, so decide what you want to achieve. You don't want to go home having failed to make that sale or meet that important contact.

Plan your slots carefully. Arrange your diary in advance and you'll be much more effective.

Follow the dress code. That Daffy Duck tie might be a hit with your mum, but strangers may not appreciate your eccentricities, so match your clothes to the occasion. Be comfortable too - standing all day in painful four-inch heels will do little for your professional demeanour.

Get connected. Take the opportunity to network with the great and the good of your industry, but allow opportunities for others too - they will remember you for it.