Tips for the BETT show 2010

This week is the BETT show in London the biggest education show in Europe myself Chris McKinley and Mike Herrity will be on the Microsoft stand but I started to notice last week the a lot of people where using twitter to spread good tips for BETT #Tips4BETT so I thought I would gather 50 tips together in this blog post so please read the tips act on some and you will have a great show. And the one tip I left off was pop by the Microsoft stand and say hello and enjoy the show  

1. If using an iPhone, take a backup battery device, USB charger and mains charger.
2. 4goggas: If an online app runs slowly during demo, you can bet a dollar it’ll do worse on a school network. Avoid, despite sales pitch
3. grumbledook alternatively arrange for others to see sessions you can’t get to so you at least have some feedback on things
4. merlinjohn Be cool. Keep mind open/suspend prejudices so you get pleasant surprises. Avoid conflict and paper (heavy). Duck n dive. Weave
5. grumbledook try to arrange with others you know to see similar demos so you can compare notes later. It’s good to get different viewpoints.
6. ianaddison change your avatar to a proper pic and/or add your twitter name to your badge so we know who you are
7. grumbledook explain to colleagues that BETT is not a junket, but preparation for the expedition to the south pole! Fun but taxing!
8. deepexperience1 Hide the barcode on your badge or face a barrage of phone calls every Friday afternoon
9. orunner Take photos not brochures
10. orunner Has anyone said bring your own sandwiches yet … or take out a loan in order to buy lunch
11. chrisrat I guess the most important thing is to try and enjoy it. If you don’t, Bett is a loooonnnggg show.
12. digitalmaverick: take lots of stickers with your details on them easier than filling in lots of forms with your tel no & email
13. chrisrat if you want to save your back, a small backpack!
14. chrisrat along with a pinch of salt, take an open mind
15. lisibo – fill your pockets with raisins – they’ll fight off hunger pangs and work better than bread crumbs when want to find way back out
16. chrisrat plan, plan and plan again. If you don’t it can take days of wandering to find your way out!
17. chrisrat for exhibitors: stop staff members wearing perfume/ aftershave – if you are a large stand, it can be like walking into  
18. lisibo if you fail to wear comfortable shoes + get blisters, there’s a chemist over the railway bridge that sells blister plasters
19. lisibo – wear comfortable shoes – your feet will thank you (with thanks to @chrisrat for the reminder of last year’s agony
20. billgibbon – Don’t let techs see *any* educational software until after teaching staff have bought it, or they’ll find ways to ban it
21. martin88 Don’t let teaching staff see *any* educational software without asking tech first, they’ll want it!!
22. martin88 – Take away as much free pens, mugs, freebies you can get your hands on.
23. ClaireAshton – drink lots of water, don’t wear much – it’s really hot in there, get some fresh air, exercise in the hotel at night, if you
24. iusher wandering halls aimlessly is either (a) exhausting & pointless or (b) serendipitous – frequently both (the best tip!)
25. ClaireAshton: as a visitor avoid picking anything up off stands, other than pens, sweets and the odd mug. Bags of literature are dumped outside
26. ClaireAshton: come to stand D20, if only for a one in three chance to win a coffee and/or cake! And to spot me in uncomfortable shoes
27. grumbledook: – Don’t be worried if you don’t recognise people. Not everyone looks like their avatar. Some would worry you if they did
28. lisibo – meet up with virtual friends for moral support – helps you not to be freaked out by size of it – in my experience!
29. grumbledook Use a video camera (eg Flip) to make short 30 seconds comments to listen to later. You could also send yourself SMS about stuff!
30. grumbledook use a camera to photograph things that excite you. Make sure you get the stand name / number. More stand details from show mag
31. grumbledook don’t be scared to leave space in your plans. Many stands have fantastic demos so that you need to decide what to see on the day!
32. RayFleming Make sure you’ve spaced out your presentation viewing schedule to last the day. Better than all AM sitting and all PM walking
33. RayFleming Don’t wear new shoes. Better old, scuffed and comfortable than new and shiny – and painful by day
34. billgibbon Try at least to smile at the stallholders, even if you’re not interested in what they have to offer. They’ve got a hard job…
35. domnorrish If coming from cent. London, avoid the poorly served & very. crowded Olympia branch of the District line – walk 10 mins from Kensington high street
36. ianaddison: visit the Espresso stand – they had great chocolate and free bottled water last year. Much cheaper than buying!
37. deerwood don’t take a bag of any sort. If you see anything interesting, note details on your phone and get back to them afterwards
38. dannynic forage for food amongst the stands. Can last the day on mints, sweets and some stands even gave away water last
39. billgibbon Don’t think you can see it all in 1 day. Plan what you want to see, but allow time for some surprises
40. iusher if you can’t afford Olympia food, there’s a Tesco Express here http://bit.ly/8ZY8QQ -it sells out of sandwiches early-be swift
41. billgibbon Don’t rely on hearing your mobile phone if you’ve arranged for a contact – put it somewhere where you’ll feel it vibrate!
42. dannynic grab as many free pens as you can to last you the rest of the year
43. dannynic coordinate with friends to find out who’s giving away the best freebies
44. billgibbon Carry a bottle of water – talking a lot at a louder level (it’s very noisy) will do your throat in.
45. billgibbon: Wear your most comfortable shoes – the floor is really hard
46. theokk bring a wifi dongle and corkscrew
47. dtester: Take a sturdy rucksack to put the brochures and info THAT YOU WANT in, know why you are going and focus on that when there
48. iusher: better to come away with a couple of good, useable, ideas for use at school than umpteen 2GB memory sticks. Seek the former out
49. dannynic don’t grab every single flyer and brochure you are offered. You’ll end up weighed down
50. iusher: [1] pre-register so you can get your badge mailed to you [2] bring a chair [3] bring lunch so you don’t get ripped off

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