Things I have learned over the years at CHA Shows.

1. It is impossible to leave the show floor without at least one speck of glitter on your person.

2. No matter how much you try, you cannot make every appointment you have in your schedule or fulfill every promise to stop by. You will end up feeling guilty. It's unavoidable. May I say if I missed you, please know it wasn't intentional it is trade show dysphoria.

3. If I stop by your booth when it is good for me, you will be busy with a customer. If you swing by my booth, I will be in a meeting of the other side of the show floor. However, we will meet up in the ladies' room or in passing on the escalator enroute to other appointments at least a dozen times.

4. Members of the media will collect their body weight in press kits and catalogs and when they get home, still not find that one critical piece of info you KNOW you picked up.

5. You always have too many clothes or not enough clothes and no matter how many pairs of shoes you bring, you end up wearing the same ones every day.

6. You should always be nice to any CHA staff member.That person is running on 10 hours of sleep over the past 4 days and they are still trying to be nice and helpful to you.

7. Strangers are always surprised when you address them by name, even when they are wearing a big badge with that name spelled out in half-inch  letters.

8. When you get together with colleagues from different offices around the country it feels like the last night of summer camp when it is time to go home.

9. Somebody always gives some kind of crazy headwear as a novelty.

And finally..... no matter how much craziness ensued in the weeks up to the show, you go back to the office and start coming up with new ideas to do it all over again in six month.

Congratulations to CHA on another great show. I am back to the East Coast tomorrow morning to finish up and get our April/May issue out on Tuesday.

To borrow a greeting from my colleague Patty Craft....  I wish you travelling mercies-- Beth