Every year at the beginning of December the racing industry invades one of Orlando’s Convention Center buildings. PRI was described to me at the show as “the racers SEMA.” Geared more towards the actual performance of the car and not the appearance that SEMA has become known for. We made the trek down to Orlando on Nov 29th to ensure we were there for the famed Industry Roundtable discussion that was happening the day before the show started.
The isles were packed with buyers, exhibitors, media, etc.. Lots to take in and figuring out of plan of action to get around this place was a tad big overwhelming to say the least. The only complaint that I have with their system is that you can’t tell who is a driver or who is just someone wanting to come poke around at the exhibits. The drivers we were able to locate Beth Chryst and Emme Hall and several other drivers that we have come to know via Twitter and Facebook. They came prepared to shake hands and rub elbows with the exhibitors to lock down some partnerships for 2012 for their prospective series.
As much as we use Social Media, and push all of our clients to use it, nothing beats face to face networking. Talking to someone who you want to work with in an environment such as PRI is priceless. When talking to people in situations like this you need to make a killer first impression and be memorable! A great way as a driver to be remembered is to have something to pass along to who you are speaking with. A great business card or even your hero card, if you have one, is a great way for them to commit you to memory. A fantastic example of this is Emme. She came prepared with a printed and bound proposal, complete with pictures of her off roading adventures. Her next adventure is something many in here in the US have never heard of, Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles. It’s unique rally that is an all female field, with no GPS, no chase crews, just navigating using an outdated map and a compass. She had a great time explaining to those she spoke to about her future plans. Anyone who she spoke with will definitely remember her! You can follow her blogging about the upcoming Rally preparation over on FemaleRacingNews.
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