For those of you that have never been to a trade-show of any kind let me tell you they are massive.  Hundreds and hundreds of people walking and milling about, mincing around each other. At this year's NSS over 800 booths with Exhibitors from all over the world displayed beautiful and creative products. This is not your plush carpet event so your feet are talking.  Lines for food and/or drink are long and its always best to have your phone or other electronic devices with you to take advantage of the wait. Maybe some Depends too. It's crazy man crazy!

 

                                    The Booth! ('fros on the right)


Day One, Sunday, May 19, 2013 9AM – 6PM

 

8:00 AM – In line for Starbucks

8:20 AM – Still in line for Starbucks

8:22 AM – Give $5.00 to Barista to pay for venti latte and tip. Correction-give $6.50 to Barista which includes Javits Center costs, misc. fees, use of New York air, and, tip.

8:25AM-Walking back to my booth approximately one mile away

8:30 AM-Final booth touch ups-straightening greeting cards, organizing catalogs, chit chat with my friends from MSLK, Sheri and Marc who are helping me out, combing out afros (not really), Sheri gets us breakfast…

 

9:00AM- ...And we’re off! Laws prohibit exhibitors (me) from standing in the aisles to lure people into my booth so trying to read the name tags folks, looking for RETAILER, on their lanyards. Note to self-next year invest in binoculars.

 

9:15AM-Decide to focus on saying hi to everyone to get them in my booth and not focus on the name tags. Sheri and Marc are getting folks interested in the ‘fros so we got a lot of photo taking going on.

 

11AM-Learned how to use the scanner software to gather secret intelligence on RETAILERS.

 

12AM-Retailers and Buyers and Artist all need their tags scanned before they go back into the exhibit area as a security precaution. Exhibitors do not require their name tags scanned. Restaurant Delivery Personnel apparently pose no security threat as they come and go willy nilly.

 

5:30-End of day assessment-Met great folks and made great contacts!

 

6PM-Limp to the shuttle bus.

 


                         Me and my Booth having a moment


Day Two, Monday, May 20, 2013 9AM – 6PM

 

10AM-Learned how to keep smiling when folks are non responsive to my cries for attention, quickly turning their heads lest they make eye contact with me.

 

11AM-Really good time as a lot of Big Box RETAILERS are checking me out all at once! I refrain from cart wheeling down the aisle.

 

1:00PM – Talk to booth neighbors and compare notes.

 

5:30-End of day assessment-Met great folks and made great contacts!

 

Day Three, Tuesday, May 21, 2013 9AM – 6PM

 

10:00AM – Kind of slow (argh!!!!) Interesting fact-I have calculated that it takes five steps at most to pass a booth, and, if you’re facing in the opposite direction you can easily miss 100% of the booths on the other side.

 

2PM-The floors are cement so my dogs are hurting.  

4PM-My friends Ingrid and John who joined me on my trip have been coming by every afternoon to relieve me so I can walk around and check out other booths.  When I return they share their experience of strange looks as they are white and my cards are not. Really? Puhlease! What century are we in??

 

5:30-End of day assessment-Met great folks and made great contacts!

 

Wednesday, May 22, 2013 9AM-12PM

Done and Done!

 

I can’t believe it’s all over but it’s all really just begun. Lots and lots of work to do and new cards to create. I love it!  To read about my first day in New York check out Parts I and II on my blog. 

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