Commercial Construction Show Followed-Up

Oh, Commercial Construction Show. Bringing the best suppliers and end users in the retail, healthcare, and hospitality industries to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando for 3 days of educational seminars, exhibits, and cocktail receptions. Giving yours truly the opportunity to get out the office, enjoy some sunshine, and get some valuable industry event experience. Thank you.

As promised, here are some of my impressions of 2008’s Commercial Construction Show (my very first trade show):

No, I’m Not With Microsoft
Turns out the Orange County Convention Center is ENORMOUS. There are 3 different concourses that are large enough to be their own convention centers. CCS was in the West Concourse. Microsoft was hosting a shindig in one of the other two. We were asked quite a few times if we were with Microsoft. Regrettably, no. It did make me feel good to know that I looked smart enough to be a part of Microsoft though.

Working the Floor
They say that you should put together a :30 rundown of who you are and what your company does. From there, you can shorten it up into a calling card of sorts. I had a few good lines going into the show, but I found out fast that you don’t really get to use them at the booth. People stopping by have questions. It’s best to answer them.

The exhibit floor did not fail to impress as exhibitors pulled out all the stops to impress passers-by. From the Ladderless light demonstration to the countless water features that were Bluworld of Water’s exhibit, there was plenty to experience. My favorite was hard to miss as it was smack dab in the center of the show floor and the largest exhibit by far. It was a showcase of sorts, combining exhibitor’s green building products into an expansive, zen-like oasis that offered a glimpse of sustainable building’s future.

Playing the Name Game
Keeping everyone’s name straight is more than a little difficult when you’re meeting so many people at once, but here’s a situation that is too funny not to share. A few trade shows ago, our sales team met Joe Montana –not Joe Montana of 49ers football fame, but a floor rep who happens to have the same name as him. Joe happened to be at this show and he introduced one of our sales guys to Mark Brunell, another sales rep who shares his name with a different pro quarterback. Then a few minutes later, Dorothy Hammell (I know it’s spelled differently, but it sounds the same) stops by our booth and introduces herself. This is too much, right? Well, Dorothy’s partner lets me know that there is a guy just down the way that looks like Rod Stewart. I didn’t think CCS would have much pull with the celebs, but turns out they were all over –or at least their names were!

So yes, I survived my very first trade show, and I would like to say thanks to Patrick, Rachel, Renata, and Bemmie at Interplan, Donna and Josh from Gallant, Steve at Panda Express, Andrew with Baker Hostetler, Jim from Office Depot, the booth staff at Core States Engineering and Suddath Companies, and –last but not least- the FCD sales team for helping me get through it. It was a little nerve wracking at times and overwhelming at others, but everyone has to start somewhere, right?

Did you go to the Commercial Construction Show? We'd love to hear what you thought about it.