Parcelsea tips on how to get the most out of a business festival!

Win! With such a perfect weather, the external demo area at the largest business festival in the Baltics is definitely a place where we can stand out as a startup company! We booked a spot and started waiting for August.

We had also visited the Laagri Home Cafes Day the same summer, where several cafe visitors got to know our smart mailbox. At least a hundred people inspected our smart mailbox, asked questions, and had a real vision of the machine after seeing it only online. We understood that seeing the smart mailbox in real life was necessary for the client. So, we imagined the same situation on sTARTUp Day – probably several hundred festival visitors will be interested in our products. 

Therefore, for the festival we planned:

• Several different prize games and puzzles for the visitors.
• We delivered the oven-warm smart mailbox to the spot.
• We booked the calendars of three team members for going to Tartu.

When it was the last working week of August and the sTARTUp Day festival was here

The extremely rainy last weeks of August also hit Tartu and the festival. The crowd, that we imagined to be outside between the seminars to get a nice sip of fresh air, were safely staying inside. In addition, the demo area was much more spacious than we expected, and therefore our area seemed to be unfortunately empty without a big masses passing it as they did in our imagination.

We realized that since we were present for the first time both as a company and in person, we will learn a lot about one business event and that we are quite beginners compared to veteran startups.

To illustrate: other companies had brought carpets, plants, walls, shelves, and even a campfire around which they could have conversations with other companies or investors. At the same time, we had a smart mailbox and two standing tables. Also, we put all the emphasis on introducing the smart mailbox to the regular visitors, and not for companies and investors alike in a business festival you should do. Luckily, we were able to adapt quickly – we took inspiration from other companies, and wrote down our thoughts on how to prepare for the next business festival:

1. Think of the event like a family reunion. We are all in the same boat, embarking on the same journey and sailing through the stormy sea of startup life. Now is the time to listen to each other’s stories, learn from them and maybe find a solution together.
2. Make yourself at home and comfortable. Good conversations are also born in a good atmosphere – guarantee a comfortable seating area (sofas, armchairs, etc.) and decorate the area with homely elements (plants, books, floor lamps, etc.). Depending on the place, you can also consider bringing a blanket and a campfire. And just like with the guests – offer something good!
3. Be open, attend seminars and meet people. Such a business festival is a good basis for getting useful knowledge and acquaintances. At a business event, you have exactly the same people who have similar growth plans or who have already taken a similar path. Maybe that’s where you’ll find the business idea, direction, tutorial, or person you’ve been looking for!

All in all, the event was useful for us precisely from the aspect of socialization. We were able to meet many investors and co-startuppers face to face, with whom we had mostly interacted online during the corona times. The on-site conversations with them were long, instructive and exciting – something much more than through the internet! We received a lot of courage, feedback and constructive criticism to move forward. The energy that was put in us from sTARTUp Day is powerful and that is why we were more than satisfied with the event! Thanks to everyone who contributed!

You can keep an eye on our activities on our social media channels and also in the newsletter! ⬇️