What to ask/do when attending a conference full of our target users

Question

We are building a web based solution right now and it is almost ready to roll out, but I felt we have not really verified our initial hypothesis about the problem domain we are trying to solve. So I decided to attend a conference where most attendees are our target users. What I want to get out from the conference are

1) verify if our initial hypothesis is true

2) if the hypothesis is true, is our solution addresses the problem in a user friendly way.

3) will they use or eventually buy it.

I only have about half day.I am thinking a few options here:

a) walk around and show demo to people.

b) do more listening and ask questions.

c) collect as many business card as possible, and connect after the conference.

Any suggestion on how i can do these most effectively? thanks

Answer 1

Get a marketing department.

Answer 2

Get the flu.

Answer 3

It's tough to ask people "given x would you buy it for $y" and draw a real conclusion unless they are actually buying it for $y. People tend to answer "Yes" more easily when no real money is involved and no consequences are faced. It could be a gauge but don't overemphasize it.

Networking is definitely a key...a few types of relationships we seek at tradeshows:

• Potential customers who could provide honest and direct feedback
• Potential partners to integrate into system or exchange data with
• Industry insiders who are excited about your product who could potentially be a sales rep or pay-per-lead
• Industry organizations and associations to partner with (creating content for, discount programs, etc)

Answer 4

You might be interested in this advice that I found on a discussion board for marketing web apps.

Unlike sponsorship, conference registration is inexpensive and success can be ensured if you plan ahead. To maximize your success utilize tools like EventVue to prearrange meetings with attendees, schedule meetings with organizations in the region, and meet with your passionate users who are local. Executing these three items will make any conference a success.