I always feel uneasy before a major trade exhibition.

The entire planning of it, usually six months in advance, just fills me with utter dread… I’m ‘that’ person in the office that has at least three back up plans in case things start to go pear shape (much to the amusement of my colleagues!)

Organising the logistics, assigning task lists to several members of the Tomcat team, ensuring the equipment we take is available and fit for purpose, looking at the pre-event marketing strategy and aligning this with post event actions with the sales team…the list goes on…;)

That is, until I’m actually on the stand. Day 1 of the exhibition and it’s all somehow come together seamlessly. I smile at the first person that approaches the stand and shows an interest in what we have to offer and I say, “Hi, how are you doing today, are you just browsing or would you like me to answer any questions about our products that you may have?”. And the conversation begins…from then onwards until the end of the exhibition I am buzzing! I remind myself that this is why I love managing events – it’s all about the incredible people you meet and the energy they bring to the stand. The stories that are shared, the market research that takes place, the suggestions that are made to make the product more accessible to a group of individuals you haven’t considered…the possibilities and opportunities really are endless.

So, after day 2 of the Occupational Therapy Show, although I was ‘dog tired’ I left with a huge grin on my face. Another fantastic event that’s been so insightful, particularly because the team had so many encouraging conversations with OTs that were interested in Tomcat SNI Ltd’s Soloseat and shared our vision of the potential it has.

Find out about the soloseat by visiting https://tomcatuk.org/product/occupational-and-lifestyle-aids/tomcat-chair/