If you want to show attendees and exhibitors that you’re truly accessible and open to feedback, take a cue from the Shooting, Hunting Outdoor Trade Show and Conference (the SHOT show). The show offered a live online chat this month to field questions on both its most recent show in January and the upcoming show in 2011, giving attendees and exhibitors face time (well, Web time) with Chris Dolnack, the Senior Vice President of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the show’s owner.

During the event, the crowd (mostly exhibitors) chatted with Dolnack about everything from signage to the show’s location to drayage rates. Those who could not attend the chat could check it out on the show site in replay mode at their own leisure.

Why is it a smart tactic? It’s an easy, relatively low-budget way to allow constituents to voice thoughts and concerns after they’ve had a little time away from the most recent event. By having a high-level organizer man the chat, attendees and exhibitors are more likely to attend — and know that their voices will be heard at that level.