Page 50 - BCM June 2024

BOWL EXPO EXTRA

Become a Champion Networker

10 tips for making new contacts at Bowl Expo… and keeping them.

etworking is one of the greatest new faces from di erent places and, the ones who are.
N bene ts of attending Interna- when you sit down, introduce yourself. 5. Work to establish real, mutually
tional Bowl Expo, and Expo sites are 3. Be an active listener. Whenever bene cial partnerships. Give others
selected, in part, based on how the facili- you nd yourself talking with someone, your support by sharing the little details
ties accommodate networking. pay very close attention. ey may say that have made speci c types of events
Here are 10 tips for getting the most something that is directly related to a successful at your center.
out of this key Expo component: challenge you’re facing at your center. 6. Repeat something the other
1. Always make proper eye con- Remember, you can’t learn anything person has said recently. e second
tact. It’s a sign of both respect and when you’re talking. time you spend some time with a person
trust. Repeat the person’s name often 4. Take a strategic approach. Move at Expo, ask them a question about what
until you have it memorized. out of your comfort zone and seek to you discussed the rst time. ey’ll
2. Be proactive. Don’t sit with the cultivate a highly open network. Not remember that you remembered, and it
same group for every meal, especially everybody will be willing to share their will reenforce your learning.
your friends from back home. Seek out stories of success and failure; seek out (continued on page 122)

BUSINESS CARDS ARE GOING DIGITAL

BY NICK DiMATTEO personal details, with a simple tap or scan of a QR code.
Digital business cards also enable users to add multimedia
Sometimes an unexpected interaction leads to a con- elements, such as videos and pictures, to enhance their
nection you want to continue, and business cards seem presentation. is helps them stand out from the competi-
like the obvious solution. But one or more of the people tion and can be a great way to promote a business process,
involved may not have a card with them. At a meeting or product or the individual and gain a competitive edge.
convention where you are on the move, a stack of business Personal convenience and e ciency are other bene ts
cards is bulky to carry, sometimes inconvenient to access in making the transition to digital business cards. You
in your wallet or bag, and the desire to exchange informa- no longer need to worry about storing or losing a contact
tion may occur when you already literally have your because you’ve misplaced a small piece of cardstock. e
hands full. one thing nearly everyone doesn’t leave home without is
e traditional business card has been an essential tool their phone, and it’s really all you need to exchange digital
in the arsenal of business professionals for centuries, and business cards. If your phone is lost or damaged, infor-
by the 19th century, they had become a global phenom- mation will be backed up or saved to an app and can be
enon. But today, is the traditional cardstock business card retrieved.
your best option in an increasingly digital society? Digital As technology advances, new products are emerging
business cards such as Popl provide a range of bene ts, that o er a stylish, e cient and cost-e ective alternative
including versatility and convenience. to the traditional paper card. ese are not your dad’s
From a strategic standpoint, digital business cards are business cards tossed in a desk drawer, only to be for-
a more robust tool for client engagement. In addition to gotten. You won’t need to worry about keeping track of a
enabling businesses to showcase creativity, companies can mountain of cards, writing on a torn corner of a magazine
bene t from increased productivity, more timely engage- with a borrowed writing utensil, or even opening up your
ment with prospects and the ability to track and measure contacts and entering in a name and number.
activity. e future of business cards is digital, and traditional
e need to wait for processing and shipping of new paper cards are becoming a thing of the past.
cards is no longer an issue as digital cards can be updated
or revised in a few clicks, providing new information to Nick DiMatteo is vice president of operations and business
clients nearly instantaneously. Users can easily share con- development for Pinnacle Entertainment Group. He can be
tact information, such as job titles, company names and reached at nick@grouppinnacle.com.

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