October has come and gone again, so quickly. We started preparing for the NACS show back in January, and before we knew it, it was time for our team to take off for this year’s show in Atlanta. The planning, the budget, our itinerary… everything clicked perfectly and we were ready to go. Nothing forgotten, not this time. Demo laptops: check. Every cord known to man: Check. Booth lights: Check. Everything shipped on time, and word on the street was the booth and supplies had made it safely to the expo center and were waiting for our arrival. When we got there, everything continued to fall into place. We were ready to get started!
Being on the exhibitor side of a big trade show like NACS is a completely different experience than being an attendee. Walking into that empty exhibit hall is like hiking to the top of a mountain to view the great valley on the other side. It seems so vast and undefined, yet as you get closer, the details begin to form. During set-up, this huge empty space quickly began to fill up with booths from all segments of the convenience store industry. We were full of nervous energy as we set up our own booth, excited to be able to connect with attendees the next day.
And connect we did. For us, the connections we make at the NACS show aren’t about taking home names and contacts. It’s about bringing home wisdom from the faces of the industry. That’s you. From the small operators to the chain stores to the manufacturers and distributors, every year we learn more about what you, as an industry, need from us. Our presence at the show year after year has been instrumental in our growth and success. Many conversations that have taken place in our 200-square-foot booth space have resulted in lasting relationships, partnerships, and even friendships. Every year, we have the opportunity to speak with many different people at the show, learn about their companies, hear their challenges, and sometimes even begin building relationships. When we attend a trade show like NACS, our goal is simple: to meet and connect with the people on the other end of the line – the faces of the industry and the success of our company.
Being at the NACS show isn’t about selling our training services. It’s about developing and perfecting our training services. Every person walking down the aisles of the expo has different needs, different challenges, and different reasons for being there. Every one of those inspires us to learn and grow. The connections we make at NACS ignite our drive and dedication to success. We know we share that level of commitment with most everyone else on that expo floor, including the NACS organization, attendees, and other exhibitors. That shared drive for success is what makes the experience so inspiring.
After a week of trade show madness, you’d think we’d be exhausted but, instead, we are excited. Excited to share the stories we heard with the rest of our team. Excited to get to work solving some new challenges. Excited to build on our reputation of being not just a training vendor, but a partner in you and your employees’ futures. For those of you we were lucky enough to talk to at the show, thank you for visiting our booth. For those of you we weren’t able to connect with, we hope to see you next year. We’re already starting to prepare!
