Call it the aftermath of the IMS show. Like the aftermath of a major storm, it requires a cleanup or reorganization. It calls for sorting through business cards for those folks with the most urgent needs, and sifting through leads from the show booth for those that might be real versus those who were "literature collectors." For anyone attending a major trade show, being at the show provides a rush of adrenaline and almost an escape from the day-to-day duties of a job, whether it be in design engineering, marketing, or sales. But the week after, the adrenaline wears off and the job responsibilities return, often magnified by a factor equal to the new leads and business acquired on the show floor.
Trade shows are many, but there is only one IMS each year. And it is important for those who attended and/or exhibited at the show not to let the enthusiasm of the show floor fade away. Ideas are exchanged between friends and acquaintances, old and new, and plans to develop a new product line, or bid on a project, or visit a research lab that expressed interest in your product lines. Many opportunities arise from a major show floor like the IMS but, all too often, the day-to-day details that come with a return to work distract from those opportunities. For those returning from the IMS, the advice is simple: "Just do it!"