It’s been two weeks since the 2024 World Ag Expo came to a close, and Sam Baldivia is already seeing the benefits of another well-attended farm show.
“As soon as the expo is over, I’ll wait a few days before reaching out to potential customers that I met there,” he says. “It’s a process of saying, ‘Hi, we talked about irrigation or other business at the farm show. When can we revisit this and take things from there?’ I think the customers really like that contact.”
As the Irrigation Sales Manager at Fruit Growers Supply, Baldivia knows the value of good communication and genuine relationships. To him, that’s what the World Ag Expo is all about.
“The expo is great for exposure,” he explains. “It’s very important that we show up, shake hands, introduce ourselves to people who don’t already know us, and let the growers know we’re there for them. I’m at the expo to represent my company and explain what we’re all about.”
He wasn’t the only person from FGS who showed up this year.
“Matt Shekoyan, our COO, was there for a few days,” Baldivia adds. “[General manager] Jovina Lucas was there, too. I think that really helps, because people want to know who the bosses are. Matt and Jovina showed up to meet customers, talk to vendors and put names to faces. They really did their part.”
Customers showed up in high numbers, too. This year’s attendance passed last year’s total of 108,000 people. For Baldivia, one of the highlights of the week involved spending time with those customers not only at the FGS booth — which featured multiple chairs, encouraging vendors and attendees alike to sit down together and communicate — but also at the tailgate party that FGS hosted with several partners.
“Customers and vendors came to the RV section, and we had a BBQ as a thank-you. Sometimes, it goes from 4 to 7. Sometimes, it goes until midnight or 3 in the morning, depending on how crazy you wanna get! It’s just a thank-you to our vendors, to our employees, to our customers. We have a lot to be thankful for.”