June 2013

Exhibit A

Look in the bin, and you’ll see a carrier bag full of bumpf. Just after I’d photographed it for this post, someone else put their bag of bumpf in the bin too.

Why?

To start at the very beginning, let’s talk about what happens at an exhibition…

You are given a bag of bumpf at the registration desk. If you look at any of it, it’s the exhibition guide so you can see if anyone you know will be there, and to find your way round the stands.

As you walk around, you give each stand a maximum of three seconds to grab your attention. You are trying to avoid making eye contact in case the exhibitor talks to you. Most stands will offer free sweets, so you might grab a few of those and eat them on the spot or put them into your bag for later. Some stands will offer other free goodies, such as branded mugs, mouse-mats or pens. You might collect those too (note that you will never contact, remember or buy from those brands). Many stands will have a free Champagne draw in return for your business card, so you pop your card in the bucket just in case (note that the bottle won’t have the company name on, so even if you win, you won’t remember who they were). If you do get trapped talking to someone on a display stand, chances are they will give you more bumpf for your collection.

If you bother to take the bag home, you will probably give the freebies and any leftover sweets to your kids, and put the bumpf straight into the recycling bin (note that you will never read it; you might not even flick through it).

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