The Amazing Power of Tradeshows and why I’d Love to Attend them All but Shouldn’t

photo courtesy of newyorkdailyphoto.com

I’m a tradeshow junkie. Love going there, have attended many of them, oh so many, from The Fancy Food Show to the International Beauty Show, Licensing Show, Car Show, Toy Fair, you name it. What I love most about the tradeshows is how much trendsetting power they have. Every time I go to a tradeshow, I feel so special, I feel like I’ll be the first to find out what’s the newest. It’s so fascinating to watch fads and trends and how fast they come and go. 

Taking as an example the International Food Show, one year I noticed the Sugar Free fad, the year later it was the Low Carb diet and that’s when all the bread and pasta company booths were screaming for business, the next tradeshow all went "back to normal."

I often play a game of guessing and trying to forecast what new products will survive, which ones will have a fast and short life and which ones will have a long existence and develop many variations.

I exhibit my jewelry collections at the International Gift Show and Accessories the Show. I like both shows, it’s so inspiring to be surrounded by fellow business owners and share, complain and cheer together. It’s great to be able to meet your clients in person and show them what’s new. The national and international exposure your brand gets exhibiting at tradeshows is amazing.

As a business owner, however, I constantly have to remind myself of not spreading myself too thin. One of dangerous things I’m doing is attending too many tradeshows, and I often do it just because I’m curious. So the upcoming tradeshows I’m attending are:

August 17th - 21st - International Gift Show - Javits Center - exhibiting

August 23rd - 24th - Pet Fashion Week, Metropolitan Pavillion - I can’t help it, I’m attending, I’m so intrigued by this cute industry!

August 31st - Sept 3rd - International Jewellery London 2008 - attending

Sept 19th - 20st - BlogWorld Expo, Las Vegas - attending

And trust me the list had to be reduced. I stopped giving myself excuses and attending just any tradeshow because "you never know who you’re going to meet". Being open is important but being focused is crucial to my career as a designer.

OK, I’m off to finishing some odds and ends for the tomorrow’s International Gift Show set-up. See you on the tradeshow floor!