>>"I'm a literate person and I've probably already combed through your website. "
You'd be surprised. The vast majority of people haven't done any research on the exhibiting company at all. It's a real treat when they have visited the website! Unfortunately, not the norm.
Fair enough, I can see the frustration with that... and I do understand from you and the article that recruiters do have it tough, too.
I would usually pick out companies who I would want to talk to and research them a couple of days before the event. The key here is that I'm looking for something from the recruiter that I can't get from the website, be it an edge or further insight with experiences about the company. Simply repeating the company's mission statement and handing me the website equivalent on glossy paper isn't all that much of a help(this isn't too frequent a case but it's happened).
I agree that employer exhibitors have to be just as prepared! Our company treats it just like any trade show. And any good exhibitor will tell you that you need to have one specific goal to work towards. Without it, you're just the talking head with a brochure.
You'd be surprised. The vast majority of people haven't done any research on the exhibiting company at all. It's a real treat when they have visited the website! Unfortunately, not the norm.