Bytes, business cards and blisters – the ultimate guide to surviving the biggest edtech show of the year!

Whether you’re a delegate or fellow exhibitor, with Bett just around the corner, it’s important to get ourselves mentally and physically prepared for the four-day extravaganza. Set to be the biggest yet, Bett is going to be an exciting one for both veterans and first timers; to help you get through it, here’s our survival guide for the week.

The first, and probably the most important, thing to think about is your footwear. Both exhibitors and delegates will spend their days on a lightly carpeted concrete floor. Standing talking to delegates all day or walking around the maze of nearly 1,000 exhibitors; Bett can be harsh on your feet. Comfortable shoes and blister patches are essential, get this wrong and your time at Bett is doomed. Don’t forget to pack your dancing shoes as well for those evening soirees!

If you’re a delegate, pre-planning is key. There is so much to see and do over the four days that it can be easy to miss important parts of the event. To avoid this, make a plan of exhibitors and seminars that you’re interested in visiting. Remember to factor in time for wandering and unexpected distractions. Bett have a downloadable app available on their website that will assist you in creating your plan of action, as well as a visitor zone that will help you pick out your favoured exhibitors.

Unless you’ve got a superb filing system or a bag that replicates that of Mary Poppins, it’s best not to pick up everything you see. Doing so, will only result in no free hands, lugging hefty bags around all day and a very sore back; pair that with your aching feet and its going to be a long event for you.

The first thing to do when you get into the exhibition hall is to locate your nearest toilet. The Excel is a very large venue and finding your nearest water closet should be at the top of your to do list.

Delegates, don’t forget to pre-register your attendance at the event; the registration queue is something you’ll definitely want to swerve.

Here are some essentials that may just save your life:

• Business cards – you’ll never remember everyone you meet, taken business cards means that you can refresh your memory when you get home.
• Blister patches – you’ll need them.
• Berocca – to give you that quick-pick-me-up after the previous night’s shindig.
• Refreshing wipes – a mid-day face refresher will go nicely with the Berocca.
• Hand sanitizer – there will be many, many hands that you will shake over the course of the event and not all of them may be so clean
• Floor plan – just in case you get lost.
• Snack – in the event that a seminar runs over.

The biggest thing you need to realise is that you’re going to be talking…a lot. Your mouth is going to get dry, your throat is going to be croaky and your breath, well, I’m sure you can imagine. Combat this with a pit stop at stand E140 which is fully equipped with bottles of water to refresh your throat, mints to revitalise your breath and if you’re still around that the end of the day, beers to get your night started. So, make sure our stand is must stop on your list of places to go!