Hybrid – Live – Virtual…Wait Why

01 May 2021 Leave a comment

by tradeshowgypsy in Wait....WHAT?

Make your presentations visually epic!

Making the decision to host an event is a huge undertaking as is making the decision to spend budget dollars on events. With travel limited, venues under opening restrictions and lower percentages many things have to be taken into consideration to meet objectives and price points.

Hosting a hybrid evet seems like the most viable option, this will give the live version a chance to get back off the ground with the limited capacity and have live interaction. Adding in the streaming segment to reach the virtual attendees or participants can be a value add or a significant loss of money if it isn’t publicized enough to get Virtual attendance and draw in the live audience to give the event more engagement.

Some of what we found hosting Virtual events were the missing elements of interaction and physical energy that creates that feeling of excitement and show buzz.

Knowing what was missed helps define the issues, now to find the solutions.

Get your idea bag out this is going to call for creativity and skills in creating show buzz.

As a host it will be a collaborative effort with your sponsors/exhibitors. As an Exhibitor reach out to your show organizer.

Work together to create excitement with product launch announcements with games and contests. Send announcements, use social media with teasers for the event and new product launches. Free offers with sign-ups that will entice social media sharing.

Your live portion has to be exceptional in presentation skills. They have to be dynamic to garner the audience and create the excitement. Leaders in the industry or products that have everyone waiting to hear about. Keeping active in respective industries by presenting is always good, but in this environment you have to get the most skilled presenters in your groups.

At the live portion don’t skimp on presentation design, create an inviting atmosphere. Having a couple of chairs and a logo is just like every other Zoom meeting you attended this year. Create visuals behind each speaker that can change and give the viewer that wow factor. Add in audio that is unique before each presenter give an audio visual element that both attendee groups will remember. CES of course does fantastic with this just attend any of their shows and see where everyone congregates. The screen room with outstanding visuals. This is expensive but could be the main financial investment you make that can be used throughout the event. Work with AV teams and videographers who have those mad skills. For you smaller groups who are feeling left out – reach out to your colleges and see what they have available, some have graduating students with great ideas who would be able to meet your needs and price point.

Don’t forget to use your experienced staff too, many have seen and done many different styles of presentations and can contribute a skillset and ideas that may not come from the new kids on the team. Really, it will take a village to get the most out of your event.

Research a software that meets your needs for visibility and lead generation. There are quite a few now and many have upgraded to accommodate events with and without a show floor. Not all lead gen is created equal, make sure the stats gathered are useable and specific to your needs or can be tailored to what you are tracking.

Keep your positive show energy up! I just know that F2F shows will be back bigger and better than ever once we get past our unique situation. During this goooey time clean up those wagons, get rid of old emails and do research on hybrid events in all industries, that is a great way to be ready with ideas that you can adjust for your events. Be ready to add the hybrid element to your events or ready to launch full force into your live event. Keep your sills honed and your research up to date. Many are on furlough or have had to take jobs outside the events industry. If you love events like I do, don’t give up.

They can’t keep a good Tradeshowgypsy down!

Advertisement

We will go, VIRTUAL!…wait, HOW?

01 Aug 2020 Leave a comment

by tradeshowgypsy in Wait....WHAT? Tags: , ,

V I R T U A L EVENT !

When years pass and you haven’t written anything on your blog, maybe it is time for a regroup and refresh. Yes, that is definitely where my latest adventure in trade shows has taken me. Of course, not just me, but an entire global population and my beloved events industry! The miniscule invader known as #*!@#^&, (I will not give it the dignity of naming it on my Blog). You all know that invisible show wrecker! My heart definitely goes out to all who have suffered and lost lives over this attacker!

As an event industry professionals we have been seriously impacted, and are still in the war of safety and livelihoods. Being the toughest gypsies in the land of events, we get up and fight back! There are many societal and political things going on, but our enemy will not defeat us. We will go VIRTUAL!

Yes, darling gypsies it is time to skill-up and figure out how to keep our industries alive and keep from going insane without human interaction. Addressing the Virtual platforms has been an adventure for certain. Pitfalls of a variety of platforms who had to spin up so fast, that groups are purchasing them while they are still in development! The variety of options and connectivity is a firehose of information. For starters, determining what will work and still meet the needs of customers, attendees and purchasers and the ever needed tech support. Pricing can also be a wild ride of base+ modules and features and staffing. Due dillegence pays off in spades! Get your team together on a call before hosting representation from all aspects of your company, product marketing, sales, finance, design team. *If you are all of those like someone I know, get presentations from many and look at reviews, try to attend events they are hosting and write down, what worked well, what did not and give a review to these companies. You may need the super software platform of the world, or you might need a few web pages with some interaction capability. There are several groups, look at reviews and contact the people who used them, find out if there were any gotcha’s. Servers and bandwidth are a huge issue for all of them. So with chaos comes opportunity, virtual event developers are working round the clock and hiring like mad!

There are added elements to the Virtual platforms that are being missed. After attending too many events to count the Virtual show buzz is missing.

Fun, lightheartedness, pleasure of having some kind of connection that is visually appealing. Many groups are so concerned with getting their content out, staying on their roadmaps with product releases, and learning the new platforms; shows are falling flat.

Marketing and Sales teams have to develop together with Virtual platform managers to assure that there is more than just content videos streaming ad nauseum. Add in some pop up trivia quizzes (industry related or not) – treasure chest pop ups, pizza gift cards, coffee gift cards, happy hour networking opening night with a signature drink recipe! On the show floor people troll around for the giveaways (half the fun of shows) but are still in their professional capacity as buyers and suppliers. If you have an open to the public show, help lead generation with share giveaways for 10 friends who join in with verified registration, and you get a Unicorn (or gift of custom design, luggage tag with special 2020 Virtual design, something). Social Media us and we will give you a special event pass for such and such home concert. ( With many artists giving concerts from home, someone is surely available to perform for a select group for a much discounted price).

Nothing will replace the energy and networking that occurs in face-to-face events, I don’t care how global your reach is online. There are only so many Zoom face boxes you can see and interact with. The physical energy at any show builds and congregates when companies are showing their products. Show buzz is real, and is a physical and emotional reaction with excitement. No way to replicate online. So get creative gypsies, break out that crystal ball, it is going to take some real magic to make your event pop!

By the time we are all in the safe zone again, and go back to live shows, they are going to be magnificent. Humans need physical and social interaction, it is a necessity. The electronic visual does not exchange human energy. We need exposure to each other to build the strength to fight off all kinds of invaders, we can abide by the rules, but we also can be responsible for our own health. During our down time, reskill, prepare by getting our own health in order, keep an open mind to all the new, ask questions, and know our industry will thrive again!

Of course, this is all my personal OPINION, but hey it’s my Refreshed, blog.

Image Courtesy of Ivan Radic, Flickr Images

Monkey Innovators! Wait…What?

15 Jan 2014 1 Comment

by tradeshowgypsy in Wait....WHAT? Tags: , , ,

Get ready to get your Innovation On!

Get ready to get your Innovation On!

Are we running or flying in 2014! The afterglow of the holidays did not even get a chance to occur before I was flying to the first show of the season. I hit a smaller show which was as well attended as ever even with all the weather delays and cancellations. Next on to the big decider for the year!

Yes attending CES for 7 years in a row has proven my theory! Tradeshowgypsies are great watchers and purveyors of the show scene and energy, even with the said, 150,000 in attendance. All the hustle and bustle and booth antics come to a stop when that eagle eye of tradeshowgypsy takes over, to not only see what is going on but feel the energy! Yup, it was buzzing at a high-frequency and in vivid HD-3D-with voice commands! WOW! What a great start to the year!

What does this mean? It means hold on to your magic bag gypsies it is going to be a wild year of “innovation” new 2014 buzz word! There are so many great start-ups who have grown and are now in the running with everything they can get their hands on to either be a part of or support the large food chain of electronics. Granted this is one show and it has an international appeal and maybe your market is not quite there. It doesn’t matter, the fact is that once innovation hits, it is like wild-fire, everyone gets inspired and the energy changes and companies who have had R&D back in the depths of your trade show equipment closet, are now asking you to move your stuff, they need the space to “innovate” or get left behind.

If you get into the 100th Monkey Effect; which some say is a false set of data, etc. etc., and can be found on Wikipedia (such a valuable resource of somewhat correct information) with several people cited as saying, yes or no if you have not heard the theory. Basically the gist of it is, one day said monkey washes his sweet potato and after a time monkeys on an island start washing their sweet potato too. How does this happen? I think that when innovation and inspiration spark it lights more than one candle! But as a gypsy, what can I say, I am with the Monkeys! As an observant tradeshowgypsy, watching one company design a (whatseewhoozit); and traveling to Europe to see a similar (whatseewhatsit) sitting on a counter of a start-up; well could be copying, could be the nature of the product and the industry next step; could be anything, but no matter what that innovation is moving!

That is how my year began! This week is still moving at warp speed – this time it is me who is in the innovators position!

I wish you health, happiness, luck, and a GREAT, GREAT, GREAT trade show and event year!

(Image used in this post is from http://www.hundredthmonkey.org/)

2013 Is Really the New 2014!…Wait…what?

22 Nov 2013 4 Comments

by tradeshowgypsy in Wait....WHAT? Tags: , , , , , ,

Are You Kidding ME!

Are You Kidding ME!

The show season is not winding down contrary to popular perception. More events are moving into the November/December timeframe as it seems there is a surge in “let’s get ahead” mentality. As the holidays all get shifted earlier and earlier and overlapping all over the place, the same thing has happened with tradeshows!

Organizers have figured out that hosting events November/December are no longer for that particular year – they are giving their sponsors and exhibitors the jump on the next year! Exhibitors and sponsors alike are using that platform to promote the next year’s “available soon” products; or announcing the new product taking orders NOW! The end of Q4 which tended to be the lagging month for some has now become the Q1 intro to business revenue! Garnering clients who they can get to before the first of the year!

Your booth is hanging on by its last bit of floral wire and duct tape and now you have to make it look new with little to no budget left; and make the best out of products that have been packed and repacked 20 times over and handled like unpacked toys on the toy aisle! Now we have to make things look like we are progressing to the next year with a fresh look!

Yup, can’t get engineering to give you one more thing, budgets are on lock down, and you will be using whatever you have left even if chewing gum and super glue are in the mix!

Well, here is one little idea that might help get you through this year with the shift already taking place – generate show buzz! Take a little note from all the movies that are promoted – send out short snippets through social media channels to get those teasers out there for Q1 products. Get your most dynamic speakers on that platform whether it be in actual speaking sponsorships or in your booth with scheduled meet the expert time invitations! PR needs to step it up here and get those press appointments on the show floor! Lead generation can be significant if you are targeted with your invites and promotions. Your ROI will be much more direct with this kind of promotion than if you leave it to the organizer to draw in target clients who you would like to see in the coming year.

With all of this shifting around of product promotion/placement/pricing – many will say, “yeah this has been around for years”. Well, not in every industry and market segment and certainly not as aggressively as it is right now in 2013, check out the show line-up for the end of the year in whatever industry you are in and you will find many more events in those last 2 months than ever before. 2014 is definitely already aligning with even more fever; just ask any organizer working to get a venue!

How to work with this little nuance “wrench in the ringer”? Well gypsies here we go, AGAIN! Need a new potion for this one. So we will throw in a little “new” into the mix to kindle the fires for next year until we can rearrange the graphics, budgets, new booth, marketing campaigns and that little thing we call a marketing plan! Sit down with your management, sales, BD, engineering, and marketing teams and get the word out the tides have turned and let them know that you need something to feed the restless early adopters as the holidays are not the only dates that are jumping way ahead to gather business early!

Oh, and keep track of how you make your miracle because end-of-year reviews will want to know how you made the company money! By saving them money of course!

You can do it gypsies – you are the magic-makers of the company!

Marketing/Sales/Social Reach?…Wait…What?

04 May 2013 1 Comment

In the Blink of a Gypsy Eyelash!

In the Blink of a Gypsy Eyelash!

Yes dear gypsies, your marketing/sales/social reach for events! Internal or external events require that an events/tradeshow/conference manager is also in the marketing mix as far as branding and assuring that all the marketing and sales touch points are met.

With that said, some companies have individual marketer’s that manage each segment of this process or some use the Product Marketing team/manager  and sales to make those contacts. However, we are in the age of more with less and this task often falls to you, or it just falls!

We all know that having a certain marketing campaign needs to assure that all the pieces that are created have the same language, or that the PR efforts are coordinated with the right editors and media groups to keep the message flowing. However, what if there is nothing new, or a campaign is on the down side of fizzle.

Well, it is time for more gypsy magic to make something happen out of very little to nothing.  We are a clever bunch, so we generate SHOW BUZZ! That’s right, we create the buzz for shows so that we have something new to say to those few unaware customers, or maybe secondary customers, partnership alliances, and even suppliers. With social media venues and blogging we can generate a, Did you see? or Did you know? message in the blink of a gypsy eyelash! Thus planting the seed, assuring that readers are given just enough information to want to attend the show/event.

The ROI for shows and events is so mysterious that when we really get down to the numbers it is extremely difficult to pinpoint that actual touch point that linked the customer with the sale. To help our sales teams we try our best to add more oomph to each event. One way is to make sure we have another value-add quantifier. Keep track of these touch-points for sales –  partnership alliances, media, analysts, supplier relations, and dare I say it…the competitive analysis that goes on at shows with those mystery guests (engineers in plain clothing – no logo), that go around and gather intelligence. Find out at the end of the show what can be added to show reports that might be of value for either the next show you are participating in or the next year show. Try to keep the “gossip” to a dull roar, as show buzz is different from the latest acquisition speculations. Get those numbers as well to find out if you are getting this type of activity at your events, and if not, why? If so, why?

In the PR world of making companies have the best possible message, reputation, and product lines; there definitely needs to be a trail to information. Keep a timeline to make sure things flowing smoothly with “completely accurate” information. Integrity in your writing is essential to keep the company out of trouble with media and analysts that are just waiting for a “OOPs” quote. Keep things clear and direct, save the fluff for the promo items! Verify your information and make your announcements of participating in a certain event or show a big deal. If your announcement consists of, “come visit us in booth #…and win a …, well that is as much effort as your attendees will put. They will come by and get scanned to win the ….”. That is not a big deal, that is a lame hook and will garner many sucker fish!  If you want customer attendees or VIPs, send a limited release press release to those individuals you want to set meetings with, and make it a personal invitation to see/hear about ….. product/service, and get your teams to collaborate with due diligence as to why those people would want to meet with you, what are they doing in their organization that would warrant them coming to see you.

Show BUZZ – don’t forget to get into every speaking opportunity you can get your hands on, these are critical to being a “real” player in the industry you are in, and you reach that critical social media touch-point by having someone film the session for a webcast/YouTube video and future marketing activities. Having this option is always left for the 11th hour when someone thinks of it, and I know you gypsies have your hands full of daggers as it is, and adding one more to the mix may take someone out! YIPES! But do consider it, and make it an option to find a college intern to help you out in the city you are in, however make sure to get clearance from your legal departments or corporate marketing to assure there will be no issues with making this video or hiring an outside contractor.

Sponsoring a meeting space on the show floor can be extremely valuable to you and your partners by splitting the cost and having that VIP status meeting space. It looks professional and certainly is convenient to have several meetings in one day with the right people. But make sure you do not neglect to have a booth as well if you have products/services to show.  Having the booth gives your VIP the value that you have in your products/services by either having a booth space large enough to have a meeting space in your booth and it gives the impression of having invested money into your product promotion because you have a great product/service.

Ok, my gypsies I am out on the road again this week, off to Viva Las Vegas for Interop! Always interesting to feel the vibration of shows in Vegas.  They can be off the charts or way down…I have an intuition this one is going to be OFF THE CHARTS!  I can hear the wheel spinning already!

Image by tradeshowgypsy

Lessons on love, joy and the power of dreaming from the world’s oldest CEO

18 Apr 2013 Leave a comment

by tradeshowgypsy in Wait....WHAT?

I have not done this in the past, but I really liked this and would like for more people to see this article. This is an exceptional way of doing business … success comes to those who love what they are doing!

Pam Grout

“Behold infinity every day and all that you see shall be given you.”—Glenda Green

I’m writing a story this week about Denver’s Rockmount Ranch Wear. It’s a six-decade business that was started by “Papa” Jack Weil who joyously ran the company until he was 107. He showed up every day, sat at his little wooden desk in the front of the store and was widely regarded as the world’s oldest CEO.

He wasn’t, as far as I know, a student of metaphysics, but the reason his business was so successful and that his snap-button Western shirts are the go-to shirt for everyone from Eric Clapton and Tom Hanks to Robert Redford and Paul McCartney (he wore not one, but two different Rockmount shirts the night he hosted Saturday Night Live) is because Papa Jack believed the following things:

“It’s not who you are that matters. It’s what your dreams are.”

View original post 421 more words

Wait…what? Making a FIRM Decision…I’ll get back to you on that…

12 Mar 2013 Leave a comment

by tradeshowgypsy in Wait....WHAT? Tags: , , , ,

decisionDecisions are often difficult in uncertain economic times. The catch-22 of; we all know we have to work, and the “what if” projections make business struggle, even the smallest firm decisions become difficult.  The plans that many organizations may have in January often shifts, by March and so on and so forth quarterly throughout the year. Therefore, creating a plan that is financially sound which will still meet the needs of the shifting budgets and marketing efforts is more challenging than ever.

We hear all of this on a daily basis. The rhetoric makes me crazy, because I am one of those gypsies that believes in self-fulfilling prophecies. You say it, hear it, write it enough and WHAP! you are dumbfounded as to why it happens! Well, I say enough is enough, time to get down to real business sense here and make smart decisions that will keep companies not only in business but visibly active and not sitting on the fence waiting for the next rock to make contact.

In order to be smart about things, decisions and show selections have to be done early enough so that you can plan and if absolutely needed cancel.  Where in the past sometimes the dates for such things could slide, they often cannot now because of the “the bird-in-the hand” financial commitments that are done for everything involved with shows/events.  Some insurance that can be used is to check into what opportunities for early marketing exist with the show/event so that if there is a penalty you can capitalize and still get marketing out of your deposit before the event or after cancellation.  Ask, if non-exhibiting sponsorships are a possibility that you can apply your deposits/exhibiting fee to, should anything occur. There are many ways to work your gypsy magic, make sure you ask the questions before sending in your application and get the options  in writing.

Getting a firm decision seems to have evaded many management teams and they are waiting until the last possible moment to make that commitment or are in hopes that things will pass and just go away. Meanwhile, the cow is in the next pasture and could very well end up on someone else’s table!

Early commitments do save money and can bring great benefits if you are vigilant and keep up-to-date with those emails that might get thrown out before they get read. Get in on the social media marketing extensions and PR opportunities to begin marketing immediately, upon sign-up.  Consider how much is spent in social media/network lead generation and that will take some of the burden off of your event costs/ROI and this information may also help to bring insight for your management teams.

Well it is, very true that the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and I always have my wagon squeak free! I do not like being a pesky gypsy, so I work to make/get commitments done early so that the persistence does not get overwhelming. I do this straight from the heart to assure I have done the best I can do and so that fellow gypsies will continue to do business at shows and events. I am in hopes that management teams become champions once again and kick the indecisiveness to the curb and help the staff keep their organizations healthy and growing.

My wagon is hitched up to attend a show in Anaheim next week…(Spring Break)…always fun to see the mayhem of hotel guests that need to work the next day and those that are vacationing.  I tend to make the spring break shows an adventure and make sure I allow myself enough time for everything, that way there is no frustration and I can enjoy my work and travel!

Happy Decision-making and Safe travels gypsies!

2013 – The Race is ON!…wait…What?

05 Jan 2013 1 Comment

by tradeshowgypsy in Wait....WHAT? Tags: , , , , ,

running gypsyJanuary 2013 is here!! Yippee, whahoo, can’t wait to get started, last year was so stressful!

ZZZZIPPPP…did you hear that?  Yup, that was that beautiful new rug that was underneath those ready to dance feet that was just snatched away and packed back into the cart!  There seems to be new challenges for the gypsy coming into play; the addition of figuring out where the cuts have taken place and in which market segments (all is not as it appears); tighter venue schedules, switching staff, and the latest electronic shuffle game is in play! Yes, those dreaded nuts out there shifting from it’s a good thing to it’s a bad thing; the speculators of the world economy and outlook! This makes for a fast year of switching from show to show and making the most out of one gypsy!

So, here we go! This year is going to require that a gypsy have magic at the ready because things can change in a flash.  Make sure to commit early and save money in all early-bird cases, this is critical and so is extending those dollars to include extra marketing initiatives. Get those executives or technical specialists to speak and keep involved in their respective industries, too many changes occur and this is one way to make sure everyone has the same information.  Get the best communicators out on the road and that includes some of the R&D and engineering folks as well; if they are going to survive the uncertainty they need to support the company by getting in on the “what’s really happening” conversations so they know what to develop and how fast!  Times like this call for smart/creative “LEADERS”, people that have the vision and guts to take on the world and say, “not only are we going to try we are going to succeed; we are smart and innovative and we are going to work together and make it happen!”

As a gypsy, sometimes the feeling is that this type of issue is for the upper management teams to decide, but if you are a keen gypsy you know that you can not only help get things done, but put out into the world at large the innovation taking place in your company with exuberance and confidence. Make the dollars count so that there is enough to get as many events in as you can and make sure you are not going because you have been doing an event for years, expand and review other events that may have come into the market/industry.  Don’t shy away from suggesting that you hold your own event, and get the industry together to have an “innovator’s day” or and internal “success meeting”.  This takes you gypsy to plant the seeds and nurture them to make sure you have a great garden come the end of the year, of well spent dollars, excellent customer service, and new business growth.

The 2013 kick-off show for this gypsy is next week and this show always gives me a gauge as to how the year through at least mid-summer will go.  Last year true-to-form people were anxious and wanted to know more, more, more as if they could not get enough information because time was running out, the squirrels had found the nuts and were hoarding for a long year. Watch your audience and feel their energy, find out what they are thinking and if it is not what you want at your show or event, make the necessary adjustments and get it going in the right direction, make it more personal, talk to people, make appointments, get the right people together and set press appointments. COMMUNICATE!

All gypsies on deck, and make sure you are ready to move quickly and that all of your equipment/show collateral is in order, organized, and packed extra careful (shipping/receiving will be extra aggressive to keep up), this show year is going to be a fast paced race to the finish! Make sure you stay in good health and keep your wits about you when that shuffle game appears; you have the magic, use it!

 

 

Twas the week before…wait WHAT?

21 Dec 2011 Leave a comment

by tradeshowgypsy in Wait....WHAT? Tags: , , , , ,

Twas what?

Twas the Week before Christmas – a  BAD but almost funny – Trade Show Gypsy Poem

Twas the week before Christmas, when all through warehouse
all the creatures were stirring, especially the mouse.
The crate locks were missing the bungee cords hanging with care,
In hopes that St Fixit soon would be there.

The sales staff were nestled all snug in their cubes, While visions of bonuses danced in their heads.  (You know these folks are dreaming/drinking!)

And Assistant in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just rattled our brains for a long winter’s inventory.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the step ladder to see what was the matter.
Away to receiving  I flew like a flash,
Tore open the garage door and threw up the latch.

The moon on the “ruts” of the new-fallen snow
Gave the view of the ruined objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a huge honkin semi, and eight broken crates there.
(Ok maybe a stretch on that one)

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Driveit. (Fixit is AWAL!)
More rapid than eagles his curses they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them documented names!

Now Demolished! now, Smashed! now, Pounded and Fractured!
On, Clobbered! On, Splintered! on, on Defective and Disaster!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now trash away! Trash away! Trash away all!”

(Ok, so I skipped a few verses!)

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself! (Writing myself up right now!)
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
He gave me that look to know I had a lot to dread.(Writing him up right now!)

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the dumpsters, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose, (WE WON’T GO THERE)
And giving a nod, back in the semi he rose!

He sprang to his seat, to his radio gave a whistle,
And away he drove like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!”

 or maybe it was

Happy Christmas to Me and to you “a good luck with that Gypsy!!!

MAY YOU ALL HAVE THE MOST WONDERFUL OF HOLIDAYS – AND ENJOY YOUR LIVES TO THE FULLEST! AND MAY WE ALL HAVE A VERY, VERY, VERY PROSPEROUS 2012!!!

 

Winding down or up?…wait…What?

06 Dec 2011 1 Comment

by tradeshowgypsy in Wait....WHAT? Tags: , , , ,

AAAAHHH!!!!

The season for 2011 is getting close to ending for the year. Traveling is now one of the biggest challenges for gypsies and show attendees! The year has been a full one with a variety of results all along the year of shows, conferences, events, training (maybe 1), and internal planning sessions. Gathering the gypsies at this time of year is a tough sell; as everyone has had enough travel, selling and business. Keeping that optimistic attitude and keeping the team focused can be an all-consuming energy drain. You can do it! Make every show count there will be a reward at the end.

Compiling year-end reports, personal year-end performance appraisal materials and the general “where did all this paperwork come from?” With the holidays here  and the realization of having to take vacation as the year is running out…don’t panic gypsy – there is plenty of time, take a deep breath and one day off – completely off – no email, voicemail, shopping, family, no one but you!

Now is the time to use your gypsy spirit and run away – go to a spa for the day (what money you say) – go to your nearest Massage School and get a good rub down on all of those sore body parts for a lessor fee if you are watching your nickels, and head for a museum or quiet hang out place, a library, a boutique hotel lounge.  Yes, as a gypsy there are certain things that are like the shoemaker’s kids that do not have a shoe in sight – return to your second home a hotel but this time enjoy the space and facility.  Invite your significant other to join you at the end of your day and have a nice dinner and spend the night.

Take your day but make sure to get out of your house, otherwise you will get roped into a variety of should do’s, or it will feel like a sick day – get out and do something for yourself – anything that will help you get away from it all – take a drive to a scenic area – a wind down not up day – no skiing or gym to the point of over do…wind down! Change your thought process to, I deserve … get your image of a dry eraser board and eraser, every time work, home, bills, guilt for taking the day, or anything negative; erase that baby right off the board, and enjoy life!

YOU Gypsy have worked very hard all year, battling everything from changes in complete show venue’s due to political issues in certain countries this year; internal cuts or consolidations that have doubled or tripled your schedules and workload – not to mention the daily nemesis of every gypsy – SHIPPING! Makes me shake my head just thinking about it!

So before you have to gear up and get into the planning stage and dig through all of that paperwork that will carry over into your weekends fraught with holiday madness – take a day – you will be much more productive and re-energized to get through the last shows of December and the reporting cycle of budget reconciliation for this year and planning and readjusting (for the 3rd time) your budget for next year.

I can smell the rose petals now!

Previous Older Entries