PREMIUM: Business Matchmaking Tradeshow || Capturing Vendors' Data

Observations from NMSDC 2023

Round up of supplier diversity outreach tools at NMSDC 2023 in Baltimore, MD

Apple Supplier Diversity

The team utilizes a virtual interviewer to capture information from vendor. A vendor stands in front of a camera and mic and is prompted to answer questions that presumably converts their recording into searchable text along with a more personal introduction to the vendor.

Benefits:

• Automates data capture by having a virtual personality ask the questions that the team wants to know.

• Creates intrigue on the tradeshow floor as vendors look like newscasters and wait in line to be interviewed.

Photo from NSMSDC 2022

General Motors Supplier Diversity

They made it so simple by asking vendors to complete a short form as the vendor stood at the booth with the intention of sending a longer form later. This made it easy to communicate and categorize the vendor for future outreach.

Benefits:

• Saves time writing notes about vendors they were most interested in — the information is instantly easily accessible.

• Gives vendors a heads-up to expect a longer form to fill out asap.

In a previous Voices of ESG Supplier Diversity + Inclusion post I shared a best practice about using forms to capture basic data at the booth instead of waiting for vendors to complete a lengthy one after the event. – click here to view post