pro·to· col Continued from page 67 Watch the Dollars and Cents ness cards. What good do they do sitting in your desk drawer? Go ahead. Bring the whole box. And make sure you have some cards handy at social events, too. One trade show veteran suggests that you have an “in” spot in your badge or pocket for the cards you receive and an “out” spot for your own cards. You might suddenly find yourself talking to the person you’ve been trying to get on the phone for weeks. Now is the time to make a good impression, and you don’t want to fish around for your card or hand them someone else’s card by mistake. Your first trade show may also be the first time you have an expense account. Make sure you understand the rules, the dollar maximum for meals and the customer/dealer “entertainment” you’re allowed to pay for. Get in the habit of collecting receipts for everything so you can easily record the amount even if no receipt is required. Have one place where you put all your receipts. You may be surprised by what the company will cover. For example, I worked for a company that would gladly pay for your in-room movie. The company reasoned that it is a better deal to pay for a movie than to pick up a much larger bar tab. It can be confus- ing, though. I remember one newcomer to business travel who placed his dog’s kennel fees on his expense report and was stunned when the company wouldn’t pay. Another employee was thrilled to discover he could simply sign for expenses at a hotel and it would go on the company’s master account. He thought this applied to the hotel’s golf shop as well, and he bought himself a pair of shoes. And, when you return home, file your expense reports in a timely manner. Don’t Lose Your Nametag Don’t leave it on last night’s suit jacket either. One year when I was the show coordinator for my company, a firsttime attendee breezily approached me 68 avionics news • april 2012http://www.matrixaviation.com