When I thought of this as the topic for my premiere blog, it was the morning of my first full day in Vegas for The PPAI Expo. The exhibits did not open until the next day, but I was attending education sessions. I remember sitting in my first session, admittedly a little smug, thinking, “Why is everyone in sneakers and jeans?”
Oh, did I learn.
At the end of every day, I was yearning to put on sweats and climb into bed (around 8 p.m.). I can’t say I wasn’t warned. “Bring comfortable shoes” was among the first bits of advice I received before venturing on my novice tradeshow trip. Shoes were not the only notable wearables at the show. The ensembles of conventionites ranged from jeans and t-shirts to heels and miniskirts. My trials in convention fashion inspired me to outline some of the benefits and detriments of showroom style.
Branded:
Many benefits go along with branded apparel. You and your coworkers look like a team; finding each other in a crowd is easy and it brands your logo into the minds of thousands of distributor attendees. Well there really is no downside is there? It’s like wearing your catalog on your back!
Corporate:
Business casual is usually a safe bet at an event like The PPAI Expo. You look professional, put-together and it transitions easily from day to night. A difficulty with corporate apparel is footwear. A suit and sneakers might fly on Justin Timberlake, but that fashion statement does not translate to the real world. Dress shoes are only comfortable for so long, but, honestly, any shoe will hurt in the showrooms so just bring band-aids, insoles and a positive attitude.
Denim:
It comes as no surprise that people love jeans. They are easy, versatile and vast in style options. Plus, with the invention of jeggings (jean leggings for those of you not in the know), there is literally nothing more comfortable. The worry with denim is that it cannot always take you from daytime show-trolling to nighttime sales-pitching. Yet, in my surveillance of The PPAI Expo, I found that people dressed their denim nicely. In many ways, wearing denim showed that you were serious about the industry. I heard one woman joke that you could tell who was new at the show because they were not wearing jeans and sneakers.
Sports:
Suppliers have more leeway in the sport apparel department, especially those who sell it. From what I saw, wearing jeans was the most casual attire for distributors. Sport apparel is certainly comfortable, but it can be limiting. Sometimes you have to go directly from the showroom floor to a dinner or an event at a club. Sneakers and track shorts will inhibit your club-hopping abilities. For the sport apparel wearers, I’d suggest bringing a change of clothes so you are prepared for any post-showroom activities.
Revealing:
Every woman needs a dress that shows off her best asset. However, the show floor might not be the ideal venue for such attire. The biggest downfall of these skimpy ensembles was not the obvious over-exposure element: It was the frigid temperature on the show floor. It warmed up on day two when thousands of people swarmed the exhibits, but the temperatures dropped as the show’s visitors departed. The asset-bearing outfits definitely stood out on the showroom floor, but perhaps that was the point. Everyone has their own way of getting attention and if it means landing that sale, then flaunt your stuff.
Ultimately, attire at conventions depends on the message you want to convey to onlookers, whether they are your partners, customers or employees. Know your clients. Know your coworkers. And always know what looks good on you.
Nice first blog, Colleen. Look forward to reading more in the future.
Nice first blog, Colleen. Look forward to reading more in the future.
Good job…you keep writing…I’ll keep reading!
Good job…you keep writing…I’ll keep reading!
Good blog but I’ve attended many PPAI shows in Vegas, though I didn’t attend this year, & Dallas before that and I never wear jeans or sneakers on the show floor. Even though my feet do hurt some at the end of the day I wear my most comfortable dress shoes, slacks, a polo or turtleneck & a sportcoat (lots of pockets in a sportcoat). I’m a professional salesperson and my attire reflects that whether I’m in front of my end user clients or in front of my valued suppliers. So I take offense at the “joke” about you can tell who is a newbie at the show because they are not wearing jeans or sneakers.
Good blog but I’ve attended many PPAI shows in Vegas, though I didn’t attend this year, & Dallas before that and I never wear jeans or sneakers on the show floor. Even though my feet do hurt some at the end of the day I wear my most comfortable dress shoes, slacks, a polo or turtleneck & a sportcoat (lots of pockets in a sportcoat). I’m a professional salesperson and my attire reflects that whether I’m in front of my end user clients or in front of my valued suppliers. So I take offense at the “joke” about you can tell who is a newbie at the show because they are not wearing jeans or sneakers.
Kevin, don’t take offense to the “Joke” about how you can tell who is new. This was not stated as a “fact” of observation, rather a direct quote from the show by someone other than this blog’s author. As a professional salesperson one would think your skin should be thicker than that. What you wear at the show says a lot about you. Personally, I think the attire you describe denotes someone who is probably not new, rather a veteran of the shows. More and more I see people wearing more casual clothes. Not because it looks better or worse, but because the attending public allows it. There is no discrimination if someone is wearing casual clothes. Quite to the contrary, it seems casual clothes put you on a level with the attendees and makes them feel more at ease. I see a guy in dress shoes, a sport coat, and cufflinks and I immediately assume he’s not new, but someone who dresses the part as though it was still 1990. I have found that, often times, if you dress too formally it tends to put some clients off. They want to feel like they are on a level playing field. The simplest way to do it is not to overdress.
That being said, wear whatever you feel works for you. If you can’t feel comfortable in more casual attire than it will come through in your demeanor and that will more awkward than whatever you’re wearing.
Clothing makes the first impression. Before you can speak a word to someone, they will notice what you’re wearing. In the case of a woman, sure, if you have it let it show with tact. There is no denying the visual appeal of a person that carries themselves with an outward charisma. You will most likely spot this from across a floor before any banner or lighted sign. It’s just human nature.
I personally believe the corporate look that you describe is almost show-floor-camouflage. It immediately blends you in with the everyone else and labels you as a “veteran” of the trade shows. Some people still think this attire is appropriate, but this is generally going to be the more senior attendees.
This was a risky position to take as a first blog. Someone was inevitably going to pipe up and complain that casual attire is for casual moments. Business attire is for business. And to an extent, I agree. But these days business is less and less about the stodgy cologne-drenched, shiny-shoe, gold-cufflink appearance of the vintage days. It’s more about being close, personal, and transparent. Nothing aids that initial statement with a customer more than casual attire. or if you’re blessed to have a body that is worth flaunting, both as a man or a woman, it behooves you to use this natural advantage to the best of your ability. After all, attendees are bombarded with choices, and most won’t go to all the booths. I’d wear a clown outfit if I thought it would get me more respect. But thankfully, it’s jeans and sneakers!
Kevin, don’t take offense to the “Joke” about how you can tell who is new. This was not stated as a “fact” of observation, rather a direct quote from the show by someone other than this blog’s author. As a professional salesperson one would think your skin should be thicker than that. What you wear at the show says a lot about you. Personally, I think the attire you describe denotes someone who is probably not new, rather a veteran of the shows. More and more I see people wearing more casual clothes. Not because it looks better or worse, but because the attending public allows it. There is no discrimination if someone is wearing casual clothes. Quite to the contrary, it seems casual clothes put you on a level with the attendees and makes them feel more at ease. I see a guy in dress shoes, a sport coat, and cufflinks and I immediately assume he’s not new, but someone who dresses the part as though it was still 1990. I have found that, often times, if you dress too formally it tends to put some clients off. They want to feel like they are on a level playing field. The simplest way to do it is not to overdress.
That being said, wear whatever you feel works for you. If you can’t feel comfortable in more casual attire than it will come through in your demeanor and that will more awkward than whatever you’re wearing.
Clothing makes the first impression. Before you can speak a word to someone, they will notice what you’re wearing. In the case of a woman, sure, if you have it let it show with tact. There is no denying the visual appeal of a person that carries themselves with an outward charisma. You will most likely spot this from across a floor before any banner or lighted sign. It’s just human nature.
I personally believe the corporate look that you describe is almost show-floor-camouflage. It immediately blends you in with the everyone else and labels you as a “veteran” of the trade shows. Some people still think this attire is appropriate, but this is generally going to be the more senior attendees.
This was a risky position to take as a first blog. Someone was inevitably going to pipe up and complain that casual attire is for casual moments. Business attire is for business. And to an extent, I agree. But these days business is less and less about the stodgy cologne-drenched, shiny-shoe, gold-cufflink appearance of the vintage days. It’s more about being close, personal, and transparent. Nothing aids that initial statement with a customer more than casual attire. or if you’re blessed to have a body that is worth flaunting, both as a man or a woman, it behooves you to use this natural advantage to the best of your ability. After all, attendees are bombarded with choices, and most won’t go to all the booths. I’d wear a clown outfit if I thought it would get me more respect. But thankfully, it’s jeans and sneakers!
Glen: wow that was a long post. I have a very thick skin & am successful because I can handle no, don’t like it but I don’t take a no from a client or prospect personally. You might be surprised the extra time a supplier is willing to take with you when you look professional rather than jeans & sneakers. I love to wear jeans & sneakers but I’m not going to do it at a show or to visit a client even if they normally wear jeans and sneakers. BTW I don’t consider a polo shirt or turtleneck stodgy, maybe the sport coat makes it stodgy.
I guess my offense comes in that the person made assumptions that weren’t necessarily true. What you wear does say a lot about you & I hope that the successful people in our industry will wear appropriate clothes so we as an industry continue to shake off the image of people who just sell CPS, we need to be valued consultants & idea generators for our clients in order to survive IMHO.
Best to you for 2011!
Glen: wow that was a long post. I have a very thick skin & am successful because I can handle no, don’t like it but I don’t take a no from a client or prospect personally. You might be surprised the extra time a supplier is willing to take with you when you look professional rather than jeans & sneakers. I love to wear jeans & sneakers but I’m not going to do it at a show or to visit a client even if they normally wear jeans and sneakers. BTW I don’t consider a polo shirt or turtleneck stodgy, maybe the sport coat makes it stodgy.
I guess my offense comes in that the person made assumptions that weren’t necessarily true. What you wear does say a lot about you & I hope that the successful people in our industry will wear appropriate clothes so we as an industry continue to shake off the image of people who just sell CPS, we need to be valued consultants & idea generators for our clients in order to survive IMHO.
Best to you for 2011!
Hi Kevin. Well written reply. Suffice it to say you have to wear what works best for you. Maybe I could sell more in a clown costume if I was willing to take that risk as it would better suit my style, Alas, even I am not willing to take the chance. I think the suit/tie is more “Classic” than stodgy. Poor choice of words on my part. It’s just that it seems the younger the crowds the more relaxed the dress code seems to be. I wouldn’t feel comfortable in shorts, a concert t-shirt, and wayfarers, but who’s to say it won’t be there five years from now? Do we dare hope?
The first show I attended in 1995 I was given my dress code by the owner…khakis, sport coat, shirt, shoes. My only expression of creativity was my Garcia ties. I felt like an imposter wearing that stuff. But, I was new and back then the dress code wasn’t quite as relaxed.
As far as the person making observations goes, it’s just one person’s opinion. It’s not right or wrong, just an opinion. In retrospect it’s not surprising. I”m sure you know that. Regardless of how any one of us feels, the general populous will dress as they see fit. Different strategies call for different clothes. And if you can figure out factually and with proven data what works and what does not then you need to bottle that, change your profession, sell it and retire as people throw money at you for the answer.
Thanks for the blog entry. I don’t often read the blogs, but this one piqued my interest as it was so relatively light and off topic. And yet, seems underrated too.
Hi Kevin. Well written reply. Suffice it to say you have to wear what works best for you. Maybe I could sell more in a clown costume if I was willing to take that risk as it would better suit my style, Alas, even I am not willing to take the chance. I think the suit/tie is more “Classic” than stodgy. Poor choice of words on my part. It’s just that it seems the younger the crowds the more relaxed the dress code seems to be. I wouldn’t feel comfortable in shorts, a concert t-shirt, and wayfarers, but who’s to say it won’t be there five years from now? Do we dare hope?
The first show I attended in 1995 I was given my dress code by the owner…khakis, sport coat, shirt, shoes. My only expression of creativity was my Garcia ties. I felt like an imposter wearing that stuff. But, I was new and back then the dress code wasn’t quite as relaxed.
As far as the person making observations goes, it’s just one person’s opinion. It’s not right or wrong, just an opinion. In retrospect it’s not surprising. I”m sure you know that. Regardless of how any one of us feels, the general populous will dress as they see fit. Different strategies call for different clothes. And if you can figure out factually and with proven data what works and what does not then you need to bottle that, change your profession, sell it and retire as people throw money at you for the answer.
Thanks for the blog entry. I don’t often read the blogs, but this one piqued my interest as it was so relatively light and off topic. And yet, seems underrated too.