Legalweek 2018 Exhibit Hall. Photo: David Handschuh/ALM.

With one week left to go, you are probably already in the process of preparing for Legalweek. Here's helpful tips from savvy marketers to make the most of the show.

Amy Juers, CEO, Edge Legal Marketing Website: www.edgelegalmarketing.com Email: [email protected]

A bit of advice after attending Legalweek for nearly 20 years:

1. Look at your feet. Apologize to them profusely. They are about to endure some serious torture. Wear comfortable shoes and become very familiar with the Hilton and Legalweek layout before you go.
2. Craft a good elevator pitch and rehearse it. This isn't just for exhibitors. Whoever asks you what you do, be prepared with a short, specific and meaningful response (and bring plenty of business cards).
3. Tip a glass, but not the whole bottle. If you partake in libations, enjoy, but keep things in check. You don't want to be the person I saw passing out in front of the Hilton (true story, name withheld—still trying to find new employment).

Bob Berger & Valerie Chan, Plat4orm PR Website: www.plat4orm.com; Email: [email protected]; Email: [email protected]

If you are attending and haven't had time to plan, try these few tactics:

1. Go to the keynote. It will give you fodder for networking. If you are an exhibitor, you can position your company in real-time if need be.
2. Plan to go to the happy hour and after parties. Friendships and personal relationships happen at the happy hours or after parties.
3. Pick a good meeting location: Didn't get a Skybox? Don't worry. Nothing beats meeting with a client, a prospect or media just off the show floor. Seating is available in the hallway next to the Skyboxes. If all else fails, share Focaccia in Bridges Bar with clients or prospects.
4. Check that you have the right information in your calendar before the show starts. Remember to include details like meeting location, title, cell number and headshot of the person you're meeting (if you haven't met before).
5. Research the person you are meeting. Personally knowing a person's background and outlining your agenda based on their background helps personalize the meeting.
6. Build at least a 5-minute buffer between meetings.
7. Write follow-up notes traveling to the show. Create personalized follow-up notes ahead of time. Schedule your email to be sent after your meeting with applications like boomerang.
8. Create a Legalweek New York after plan. Nurture your Legalweek relationships by creating an after plan for consistent, helpful follow-up.

Christy Burke, President, Burke & Company Website: www.burke-company.com; E-mail: [email protected]

There is nothing like Legalweek New York. It's one-of-a-kind. I remember entering the Hilton for my first Legaltech with reverence and awe. While the show has changed over the years, it still has the same core qualities that make it outstanding. Take advantage of all it has to offer.

Vendors: You'll have an opportunity to reinvent yourself, your company's brand and your products anew in front of a live audience. Legalweek provides chances to make a first impression as well as reignite connections with longstanding customers and partners. Channel the show's kinetic energy to deliver an action-packed demo, even if your feet are killing you! Also, talk about something other than your wares once in a while.

For folks who have attended the conference for many years, the challenge is to find new reasons to get inspired and excited about legal tech. Fully invest yourself and fill your calendar with interesting sessions, innovative vendors and intelligent people. Make the most of your experience—you can always catch up on sleep when you get home!

Ari Kaplan, Principal, Ari Kaplan Advisors and member of the Legaltech Content Advisory Board Website: www.arikaplanadvisors.com; Email: [email protected]

I have been attending Legaltech/Legalweek New York for about two decades. While the event has evolved, the frenetic energy and collegial atmosphere remain an indelible part of the conference adventure. To maximize your experience:

1. Reach out to your colleagues, clients and prospects prior to the event. With all the sessions, demos and giveaways, scheduling time to connect is exponentially more difficult once the event begins.
2. Schedule meetings for the day before the conference starts. People will be less rushed and you are more likely to get a seat at the nearby Starbucks. Ask your contacts about their challenges and goals and who they would like to meet so you have an organic reason to follow up.
3. Use Legalweek as an opportunity to reconnect with colleagues. It can be as easy as a LinkedIn message or email asking whether they will be at the show. Even if the individual is not attending, you will have sparked a conversation that could yield a new opportunity. With Legaltech now part of Legalweek, you can also exponentially expand the number of individuals with whom you could meet.
4. If you are active on social media during the show, include the event's hashtag (#Legaltech19) and handle (@LegalTechShow) in your posts to maximize your reach.

Cathy Kenton, Chair, Legal Vendor Strategies, LLC Website: www.lvstrategies.com, Email: [email protected]

Legalweek/Legaltech is evolving. The signs of change are everywhere, from the programming to the tradeshow floor design and the schedule. In a vertical that resists change and emphasizes precedent, there will always be those who oppose change, but now is the time to celebrate and embrace it. Legalweek 2019 will be exciting!

Legaltech is more than 40 years old. While in recent years it has been a fading flower, with both attendance and exhibitor defections due to the stale offerings, this year is an opportunity to celebrate the event's reinvigoration. To make the most of Legalweek this year, consider all the education and networking opportunities and choose the events that matter most to your career and your business.

Chelsey Lambert, Co-Founder, Legal Tech Media Group Website: www.legaltechmg.com, Email: [email protected]

Legalweek is a marathon, between exhibitor responsibilities and attending countless extracurricular events it's hard stay on track for success. Be mindful of these five factors that will help you maximize your investment:

1. Set Targets: What is measured gets managed. Set goals for appointments or conversations at the show to leave feeling accomplished.
2. Stick to a Schedule: Legalweek can be difficult to navigate especially for first-time attendees. Provide specific instructions and transition time for onsite meetings. Be diligent about your calendar as one late appointment will throw off your whole day.
3. Space is Key: Meaningful conversations require a place where you can hear each other without distractions. Consider meeting your best prospects away from the noise of the show floor, in a common area, demo suite or off-site location.
4. Sleep: Even a seasoned salesperson will struggle to deliver a presentation after a run of late nights. Don't let sleep deprivation rob you of an opportunity, rotate the morning shift and turn in early whenever possible.
5. Show-ready Sequences: Email follow-up sequences or special offers should not be an afterthought! Have your campaigns tested and ready to send before the show begins.