Day 2 of the trade show was another exercise in "Ugh". Exhibit hours were 10a-6p, and though I only worked about 12:15-6 I felt completely wrecked by the end.
Booth traffic was still pretty strong today. Not crazy like Monday evening when the line to use our claw machine was routinely 15 people deep. Usually it wasn't more than 5-7 people deep today. What is it with the claw machine anyway? We're in a terrible location, in the back corner of a large and crowded exhibit hall, and people somehow still find us— and gladly wait to play our game. And most of them still don't know or care what we as a company do.
The attendees I'm talking about are not children. They're not even college students. They're working IT professionals. And they're completely transfixed by playing with a claw machine to see if they snatch a free gift like a t-shirt that we used to just give away without requiring people to "win" it from a rigged game. If that isn't peak Las Vegas, I don't know what is. 🤣
On the plus side, we had a lot of good conversations in the booth today. Several people actually did care what we do as a company, and got way more interested as we explained it. I gave a few quick product demos, as did some of my colleagues.
Still, though, it was a long day. I remember checking my watch, thinking, "It's got to be almost 6 already." It was 4:30. By the time 6 rolled around I was wrecked. My feet were killing me. Apparently whoever configured our booth didn't understand the value of under-the-carpet padding. (At most shows it's an added-cost option, and it is worth it for anyone who has to stand in the booth hours a day!)
At 6 my colleagues were discussing where to go for dinner. For some reason they were only interested in looking at stupid-popular restaurants at conference hotels on the Strip that were way crowded. I talked up the benefits of going off-strip, where excellent food can be had for 1/2 the price and with no lines. They acknowledged the value of paying less and not having to wait, then went back to debating which overpriced and overcrowded Strip restaurant to go to. I noped out of the deal and walked back to my hotel.
Back at my hotel— which is in a big casino on the Strip but isn't one of the official conference hotels— every restaurant had immediate seating. There were no crowds. Everything was still way more expensive than it should be— think "airport prices" or "sports stadium prices"— but at least it was relaxing. I ate dinner, retired to my room, and was in bed around 9.
Booth traffic was still pretty strong today. Not crazy like Monday evening when the line to use our claw machine was routinely 15 people deep. Usually it wasn't more than 5-7 people deep today. What is it with the claw machine anyway? We're in a terrible location, in the back corner of a large and crowded exhibit hall, and people somehow still find us— and gladly wait to play our game. And most of them still don't know or care what we as a company do.
The attendees I'm talking about are not children. They're not even college students. They're working IT professionals. And they're completely transfixed by playing with a claw machine to see if they snatch a free gift like a t-shirt that we used to just give away without requiring people to "win" it from a rigged game. If that isn't peak Las Vegas, I don't know what is. 🤣
On the plus side, we had a lot of good conversations in the booth today. Several people actually did care what we do as a company, and got way more interested as we explained it. I gave a few quick product demos, as did some of my colleagues.
Still, though, it was a long day. I remember checking my watch, thinking, "It's got to be almost 6 already." It was 4:30. By the time 6 rolled around I was wrecked. My feet were killing me. Apparently whoever configured our booth didn't understand the value of under-the-carpet padding. (At most shows it's an added-cost option, and it is worth it for anyone who has to stand in the booth hours a day!)
At 6 my colleagues were discussing where to go for dinner. For some reason they were only interested in looking at stupid-popular restaurants at conference hotels on the Strip that were way crowded. I talked up the benefits of going off-strip, where excellent food can be had for 1/2 the price and with no lines. They acknowledged the value of paying less and not having to wait, then went back to debating which overpriced and overcrowded Strip restaurant to go to. I noped out of the deal and walked back to my hotel.
Back at my hotel— which is in a big casino on the Strip but isn't one of the official conference hotels— every restaurant had immediate seating. There were no crowds. Everything was still way more expensive than it should be— think "airport prices" or "sports stadium prices"— but at least it was relaxing. I ate dinner, retired to my room, and was in bed around 9.