Live demos let you pressure-test solutions on the spot. Ask hard questions, walk through your specific use case, and get a real feel for the product — not just a slide deck. It’s due diligence without the formal procurement process.

Some of the best investments local governments make start with a casual booth conversation. You came in looking for one thing and left with a solution to a problem you’d written off as “just part of the job.”

In one afternoon, you can speak with multiple providers in the same category, compare approaches, and get a market overview that would take weeks of research back home. No coordinating calendars, no back-to-back Zooms.

Run into a fellow manager at a booth? That’s a goldmine. Some of the richest conversations happen when two attendees compare notes on the same vendor — what worked, what didn’t, what they wish they’d known.

The best vendor relationships start with a handshake. Meeting the people behind the product — before you ever sign anything — changes the nature of the partnership. You’re not a ticket number; you’re a contact they remember.