It still appears that trade shows are a wonderful marketing channel for brand awareness, especially as face-to-face conversations are becoming harder to coordinate.
Look for shows with enough popularity to make attendance worthwhile. Even if you attend for the interactions and skip the exhibitor booth costs, there are opportunities to find new leads.
Just make sure you focus on the quality of each conversation and follow up with every business card!
Inform fans on your social media accounts that you will be at the show, to give everyone a heads up. A lot of salespeople coordinate meetings with fellow attendees before the show even starts.
Be proactive with your trade show strategy, and you will see tremendous benefits for your network and business.