{"id":1187,"date":"2015-02-25T15:17:52","date_gmt":"2015-02-25T15:17:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bidlink.net\/news\/?p=1187"},"modified":"2015-02-25T18:19:27","modified_gmt":"2015-02-25T18:19:27","slug":"government-trade-shows-could-improve","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bidlink.net\/news\/2015\/02\/government-trade-shows-could-improve\/","title":{"rendered":"Government trade shows could be better"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Defense<\/a>
Defense Industry Trade Show<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Government\u00a0sponsored trade shows are B2G events that bring together buyers and sellers. \u00a0On the surface, it sounds like a great idea to increase competition for Government business. However, many companies are finding that\u00a0the leads generated from these shows do not\u00a0turn into business.<\/p>\n

B2G shows are often packed with buyers, who\u00a0process requisitions from managers and end users. \u00a0Their job is to solicit items and services, ensure competition where possible, and make sure the procurement adheres to the FAR. \u00a0Buyers can invite new companies into a procurement, but they do not decide what\u00a0products and services are needed by the Government.<\/p>\n

SPY PHONE BOX<\/p>\n

At a recent trade show,\u00a0the booth next to us at BidLink was a company selling a secret spy-phone<\/a>\u00a0signal blocking box, for top secret conference rooms. \u00a0It was basically a cone-of-silence for cell phones, with radio signal blocking, sound deadening and speakers that generate white noise. \u00a0Secret agents could put their phones in the box, close it, and have\u00a0private conversation without the prying ears of spies. People in secret meetings can honestly say, “Honey, the phone never rang. I swear”.\u00a0\u00a0It was a great idea, that will never gain traction at the typical B2G show. \u00a0This is because buyers, the most common attendees at B2G shows\u00a0are not the folks who would make a decision that the Government needs a few secret spy-phone blocking boxes. \u00a0Program managers and other higher-ups have this authority, but it’s simply not the buyer’s job to decide what\u00a0the Government needs.<\/p>\n

A few booths down, there was a company selling industrial supplies. He had a catalog of over 10,000 items; everything from generators, to wash buckets, to paint,\u00a0to\u00a0industrial toilet paper. \u00a0B2G Shows are perfect for this type of company. \u00a0Drive\u00a0around any military base and you will see hosing units, stores offices, and lots of people. \u00a0These people need\u00a0every day things, and the Government buys lots of them. \u00a0A vendor selling\u00a0commonly purchased items could\u00a0forge a new relationship with many buyers at a B2G show. \u00a0Especially if they are 8a or small business. \u00a0Buyers love to\u00a0bolster their set asides.<\/p>\n

BETTER\u00a0NETWORKING<\/p>\n

We see lots of companies selling IT solutions at these shows. \u00a0They sell\u00a0innovative solutions to Government problems, including staffing, supply chain, and even BidLink,\u00a0who provides a tool for sourcing, pricing, and finding\u00a0out almost anything about an NSN. \u00a0These services do not have a clearly defined market in the Military, but they provide efficiency that could save the Government money and time.<\/p>\n

If you are trying to introduce something new to the Government, you may find it difficult to get any traction from a Government trade show. \u00a0This is because most of the attendees at these shows are either buyers, who only buy items that are requisitioned, or end users with no buying authority.\u00a0We have met with very few program managers at these shows. \u00a0Program managers have the authority to decide if a new product or service could be of use to their group.<\/p>\n

The idea of getting business and Government together make sense. Companies have difficulty reaching the right contacts in Government, so hosting meetups is a great idea. The disconnect is that sometimes\u00a0these shows are filled with people\u00a0who alone, cannot make the decision to buy your new product or service.<\/p>\n

What might improve these trade shows would be\u00a0for program managers as well as\u00a0several of their personnel to attend the show together. \u00a0Often the program manager might not\u00a0directly use the product or service, but has the authority to decide if it\u00a0should be purchased. Program managers roaming a trade show with a couple of end users, who can evaluate the service would provide a powerful combination. \u00a0Combining the need to buy (end user) with the purchasing authority (program manager) allows companies with new ideas for the Government to showcase their wares to folks who may actually buy what they offer.<\/p>\n

BidLink.net is a provider of defense industry information for contractors worldwide. This data includes millions of defense contracts, procurement history, part numbers and vendor details. This unique combination of resources allows BidLink to monitor and extract important information for the defense contracting industry.\u00a0BidLink.net<\/a>, based in Washington, D.C., provides bid search and notification services, competition analysis as well as part number\u00a0(NSN) lookup<\/a>\u00a0to many military activities and thousands of private companies around the world.<\/p>\n

For the news and tools to compete in the defense industry, go to www.bidlink.net.<\/p>\n

By Tom Gerbe, \u00a0Defense Industry Analyst.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Government\u00a0sponsored trade shows are B2G events that bring together buyers and sellers. \u00a0On the surface, it sounds like a great idea to increase competition for Government business. However, many companies are finding that\u00a0the leads generated from these shows do not\u00a0turn into business. B2G shows are often packed with buyers, who\u00a0process requisitions from managers and end … <\/p>\n

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