What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger
Everyone knows the trade show biz is cyclical. It’s busy in August, September, and October. November is a snoozer. December is always a gamble. Then comes January, February, March, and April when all hell breaks loose. And just when you can’t possibly work any harder or sleep any less, it’s late May.
Suddenly, no one calls. No one faxes. Your morning emails are from someone in Russia promising you, well, something 6 inches bigger.
You have a choice. You can panic, tell co-workers the “sky is falling,” and spend the day smoking Lucky Strike heaters for the next two months. Or, you can embrace the freedom of the summer doldrums. I choose the latter.
So take a moment and forget the smell of propane exhaust and B.O. from the trade show floor. Forget the navy blue logo that was supposed to be printed in vibrant magenta. And try to forget your 90-120 day Accounts Receivable report.
10 Reasons to Love June and July:
- 40 Hour Week. It’s not really a vacation, but let’s face it, you wouldn’t know a real vacation if it smacked you in the forehead like a Moscone drayage bill.
- Quick Ships. “Need your display to ship in 7 days instead of 10? No problem!”
- Brillo Pad. The annual spring cleaning of your computer keyboard and mouse.
- Pretty Picture. Trade show graphics always look better in sunlight. Add a warm gentle breeze and it’s just about perfect.
- Getting to Know You. Every order has a name, a face, a personality, and a story.
- Social Studies. More time to explore social networking. Join 20 MORE exhibit-related groups in LinkedIn. Then start a Pinterest site where you share adorable photos of your dog Wiggles and your cat Smoochie.
- Free Hula Hoop. Suddenly, no marketing promotion is considered too wacky.
- Refill Please. A break from lunches from a plastic bag and noon conference calls.
- Website Revisions. It’s time. Your home page has a photo of you at TS2.
- E2MA Red Diamond Congress. This year it’s in Chicago from July 30 to August 1. If you haven’t been, you should. It’s not a trade show. It’s a conference where you connect with industry colleagues, trade show managers, and LEARN. I’ll be there.
The Red Diamond Congress (RDC) is the annual conference of the E2MA. The RDC attracts more than 200 of the top corporate exhibitors and event managers with six and seven-figure annual budgets from throughout the U.S. The draw for these buyers is more than 45 seminars and general sessions devoted to the urgent issues that drive exhibit marketing today. The Red Diamond Congress also offers strategic level insights into what senior level event managers should do to optimize their event production for maximum business value.
Get some sun while you can. You’ll need the Vitamin D. There’s a good chance you won’t see much sunlight for the next nine months.
Please share your reasons you love the trade show business during the summer. After all, you probably have a little time on your hands right now. 😉
–Mel White
http://www.linkedin.com/in/melmwhite
mel@classicexhibits.com
Classic Exhibits Network (LinkedIn)
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Tags: E2MA, exhibits, LinkedIn, Lucky Strike, Trade Shows, TS2 Show
The doldrums of the summer always get me antsy. I want to work more those months but it’s hard to fight the tide. Thank you for the tongue-in-cheek suggestions. My keyboard is filthy.