Houston Trade Show

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the National Halloween and Party Show in Houston, Texas. We had seriously considered having our own booth at the show to introduce our new wholesale division to the industry but due to the economy we weren't sure how well attended the show would be and decided to wait for a different show.
For those of you unfamiliar with this show, it was held in Chicago for over twenty years, with several of those years running concurrently with IBAC (International Balloon Arts Convention). Last year the show moved to Las Vegas. There was a split this year among the vendors and one show was in Houston and there will be another one in Las Vegas in March. The purpose of the show is to introduce new products and trends for the upcoming year/season. Our interest is in the Party Show since we do not carry products for Halloween even though we are able to find some treasures we can use - such as skulls for Under the Sea Centerpieces or mask for Mardi Gras.
In years past I would often notice a particular new trend throughout the show. One year it seemed everyone was wearing themed necklaces. One year it was boa's. Another year LED lights were introduced. Last year, themed sunglasses were popular. This year it was a combination of all the above without any one item particularly standing out among the others.
In our business, we are always thinking of unique ways to use a product in our centerpieces. When I see a boa, I don't think about wearing it around my neck - I start thinking how it would look if it was cut up and used to cover a base, stuffing it inside a clear column in the center of a centerpiece, or pinning it around the edge of one of our Glamour Bases. The challenge is to find a product that will look good on all sides of a centerpiece, such as a mask which is made to be worn.
Attending a trade show or just going to a hardware store, gets the creative juices flowing. I'm anxious to get back home to put those ideas into production but when I arrive home, the daily responsibilities of running the business face me and before I realize it, my 12-14 hour day is over and I never made it to the design table. "There's always tomorrow".
This was my first trip to Houston. Being from a small town, learning the public transportation center is always a challenge. Often we were jumping on the bus or tram at the last second but it always worked out. The weather was cool for Houston but got progressively warmer each day. We took one day away from business to visit the Johnson Space Center. The day we left we decided to walk the half mile to the metro station dragging our luggage in the humidity, to catch a bus to the airport. A few hours later, we found ourselves landing in Indianapolis, Indiana in the midst of a winter storm. Our trip home from the airport took longer then our flight from Houston but we were thankful to arrive safely.
I have to admit, I didn't buy a single thing at the trade show. I am not an impulse buyer and even though there were specials at the show, I would rather come home and look over catalogs and web sites before making the decision to add a new line.
Later this week, I will be traveling to Arkansas to spend a few days with our full time web master. She is the person that has designed and maintained our web site since the beginning. She is part owner in the business and my sister. Don't let the sister part make you think we will be having a vacation. Anyone that has seen us "in action" know that from the moment I step out of the van until I leave we will be talking business. When I leave we are mentally and physically exhausted. If we accomplish 10% of our ideas in the next 6 months, it will be a successful trip.
When I arrive home, we will begin the process of moving into our new warehouse.
The economy has affected our business but we are still moving forward, just at a slower pace then we had planned. People are choosing to DIY with one of our kits or supplies is a way to cut cost but still celebrate those once in a lifetime events. Children only have one Sweet16 Party, one Bar/Bat Mitzvah, or one Quinceanera and making it special is still important even in these times of economic uncertainty. DIY Centerpiece kits are also a good idea for award banquets and company meetings. Kits can be used as a team building exercise plus a way to reward your employees by giving them away after the event.
Several years ago I attended a balloon workshop and one of the "ice breaker" exercises was to give each table a bag of decorating supplies. I was amazed at the creativity and designs people made.
I need to get back to work and hopefully today I can make it to the design area before the day ends.