I recently spent several days with a client at a major trade show. I was there to evaluate the effectiveness of the exhibit staff, the appeal of the exhibit itself and the reaction of visitors to both.

Everything seemed to be just as we had planned -- the staff was well prepared and understood the objective for the event and I felt the exhibit had the "pulling power" we had envisioned.

Part of my job was to talk to visitors after they left my client's booth and find out how they felt they had been treated -- Had they received the information they wanted? Was the staff knowledgeable and courteous? Did they feel their time was well spent by visiting our exhibit?

In most cases, the responses were favorable. Those visitors who had adverse comments were quick to share their feelings. They also praised the company for making an effort to review its performance.

There was, however, one area where we did not live up to expectations -- I'll call it "security". No, I don't mean people were fearful while in our exhibit. I'm talking about those little lapses we all can make if we aren't careful -- the extra claim made to validate a statement, the slip of the tongue that reveals proprietary information, careless note taking and in some cases poor housekeeping that could endanger booth visitors.

After cautioning my client about these lapses. I decided to play the role of visitor at other exhibits to see how good their security was.

At one exhibit I was able to see a list of all the customers who had visited as well as the staff person assigned to followup with each of them. Good for lead followup -- not so good for security. The information was in plain view to anyone who had a conversation with the person staffing the reception counter -- where everyone was given a gift for visiting the exhibit!

At another exhibit an eager staffer was so involved talking to an associate about a new product that was "in the pipeline" that he didn't notice that I was within earshot of the whole discussion. Had I been a competitor his lapse could have been costly.

The cellphone, today one of man's most needed appendages, was responsible for the last dastardly slip of the day. As I approached a staff person in one booth, another staffer told me to wait because he was on an important call. While I waited two or three minutes, I overheard all the details of a change of production schedule that he discussed with someone on the other end of the line. Had I been a competitor the information could have had great value to me!

For years, I have been advising my clients to go outside of the booth if they feel they must use their cellphones. I tell them to be aware of their surroundings if the call is of a sensitive nature.

Make no mistake: industrial espionage is alive and well -- and trade shows are a perfect cover for those looking for inside information.

What can you do to ensure that your are not the victim of an unintended slip.

1. Make the staff aware of subjects that are not to be discussed with anyone in the confines of the booth. The list might include: production schedules, new products to be introduced at a later date, pricing policies, shipping schedules, etc.

2. Thoroughly train your staff in the art of qualifying visitors before giving any information that may be of a sensitive nature.

3. Do not leave any information -- staff lists, organization charts, show schedules, hotel assignments -- in public areas of your exhibit. It's best to keep such information away from the show entirely.