Prepare for Meet the Buyer South

It can be daunting walking through the doors of Meet the Buyer South as a visitor, especially if it is your first time attending a Meet the Buyer event.

With a fantastic range of interesting exhibitors to entice you, there is plenty you can do in advance to prepare yourself to ensure you make your visit profitable for you, no matter what size your organisation is!

1. If you haven’t already, register via the Supplier Development Programme website!
2. Do your homework! Look at the exhibitor list on the Meet the Buyer South event page and consider which buyers you wish to meet. Once you have decided who you would like to engage with, go to their websites, read their contract procurement reports, and have a look at their contract registers to see if they buy things that your business offers. If you have questions for a specific buyer, make a note of these.
3. Prepare a verbal introduction of your business. Make sure you open the discussion with your company name, where your business is located and what your business does.
4. Plan your arrival. Be sure to plan your journey to the venue, consider where you may park (as there is no parking onsite), and your arrival time.
5. On the day, join the queues at the exhibition stands and gather leaflets, flyers, and information from the exhibitors. Buyers are encouraged to display upcoming tender opportunities, business support and other useful information that you can read while you wait.
6. Make a point to connect with other suppliers. Be sure to introduce yourself to suppliers attending the event, as you never know – they could become your next customer!
7. Finally, now you have found out all you need to know about future public sector contracts, brush up on your tendering skills with SDP’s free training! Why not take the next step, and improve your bidding skills with expert trainers? SDP offers a range of courses to suit every level – whether you are new to tendering or have extensive experience. Browse the free tender training on offer from SDP!