13. Words like signage, drayage, priority points, rendering, lead retrieval, BEO and door drop are a regular part of your lexicon
12. The thought of light traffic is a very bad thing
11. Your buddies in the communications department now hate you for the unavoidable flurry of last minute, seemingly insignificant (note: seemingly) edits you request for text on signs and in conference publications
10. Your head nearly explodes when you spot an error on-site on said signs or in the conference publications you proofread so many times your eyes watered incessantly and you learned what ocular migraines are
9. You determine your route through the exhibit hall floor based on the booths with the most expensive carpet (think ultra-padded and so soft you almost have to grip it with your toes to keep from losing your balance)
8. On the last day of the exhibition you summon your best auditory and stalking skills and track down exhibitors attempting early dismantle
7. You utilize your newly-realized stalking skills to trail a suspected suitcaser, ninja-style, all the way from the exhibit hall to the other end of the convention center to catch him in the act
6. You are familiar with the term booth babe, but can’t help but smirk when you realize it’s not just limited to women
booth babe of the male species
5. You have perfected the stink-eye to the point where the exhibitor who continues to subtly turn up the volume of their microphone (despite repeated and strongly-worded warnings) stops dead in his tracks and obediently complies for the rest of the show
4. If you are lucky enough to win the temp staff lottery, you will use any means possible to keep your co-workers from stealing your star employee
3. You know how to spell and pronounce tschotske . . . and wonder what medical conference exhibit halls looked like before the PhRMA Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals
2. You witness firsthand that the stories you’ve read about what happens to exhibitors who are crazy enough to break union rules are not tall tales at all
1. Despite reasons 2 – 15, when the show closes and your work is done, you are at the hotel bar with your general services contractor, celebrating and joking about the did-that-really-just-happen-moments over a glass of wine (or two . . .)
Then you start it all over again!
This is a very funny and true post. Keep up the great work. You are smart, one of the few event pros that blogs. I enjoy reading it. Number 6 is great.
P.S. Check out my blog – http://www.impactentertains.wordpress.com
Josh Gair
I laughed out loud at this and it brought back many memories.
I’ll add a 14th one:
You think you should have become an architect or land surveyor because your spatial and measurement skills have become incredibly accurate just using the five senses. Yu can spot an exhibitor that hasa booth too high, beyond the contracted and written parameters and those that have their booth extending too far into the vacant space next to them.
Jeff, that is a great reason! Thanks for the contribution!
Glad I could make you laugh. Hope you meet you in person one of these days!
Cheers!
Great list Christina! Hilarious! #2 is an all too familiar one!
spot on!
Great job on compiling this list, Christina! I am about to retweet it so others can enjoy it , too.
I see i’m not alone as I also take the soft carpet route to our booth space. Great read!
Great list, and I agree with Jeff about spacial acuity. That transfers to #11, where you can see “typos” that are merely extra spaces in text.
Christina, there were hints how good a blogger you would be with all your great tweets, and yet you’re even better in long form. What a blessing to have your voice in the conversation.
Michael – thank you so much for these encouraging words. I’ve had a rough week and this is so motivating to hear. Will you be at Socon10 tomorrow by chance?
Hello Christina,
I was not at Socon10 last month. I will be at EXHIBITOR2010 in Las Vegas in March. I hope to see you there if you get the hall pass.
Pingback: 19 Signs You’re Addicted To Trade Shows