I miss going to tradeshows. Not in the let’s party for 3 days straight sense, but the promise of all the business and advancement that can be made. In the moment, I love the high of being amped up and “ON”. For me it’s a fully immersive experience on the edge of insanity (sometimes past the edge”
I remember attending a tradeshow in Miami, I think it was XBiz, where we had been working for 3 weeks solid to prepare for this show. The company was sending 6 or 7 people and it was our job to coordinate all travel, hotels, setup the booth, marketing materials, make sure everyone had their badges and business cards AND then make sure we brought in enough business to ensure a health return on investment.
There was a ton of pressure getting everything all setup and then we jump right into the pit! On a supply run (because someone forgot business cards), I walked through a grassy area to flag a cab. Then I started getting pin pricks of pain in my feet. WTF? Was that an ant I just saw? OUCH another flash, and another! Goddamn! Is that a fire ant? Is that another? Holy shit! Pull over! I’ve got fire ants all through my feet!
I starting hopping like mad trying to get these ants off my feet while my colleague is losing it. He doesn’t believe in fire ants. Bunch of Canadians? Nah, fire ants aren’t a thing. Except my feet are fucking on fire! Finally I was able to kill enough of the buggers to get back to normal. Sure enough, I had red bits all over my feet but my colleague simply refused to believe I had been attacked by a roving gang of fire ants. FIRE ANTS ARE REAL! I swear it!
Now please remember, three days in the pressure cooker, things aren’t making a ton of sense and I’m not quite sure what is real, but I knew fire ants were and my colleague’s refusal to accept them was, well, just wasn’t acceptable!
I saw a police station and yes, it made total sense to me to go in and ask the desk officer to explain to my friend that fire ants ARE REAL and they ARE IN MIAMi. The officer must have known a show was in town, or has had similar challenges with fire ants because they patiently explained that fire ants are in Miami and are a nuisance. SO THERE.
Vindicated, we hit a convenience store, grabbed nachos and breakfast burritos (fuel for the rest of the show) and made our way back to the convention center. On our way back, I saw a crab pop up out of the ground, run ahead of us, and then disappear into another hole. Then another. Then another. I didn’t say anything ’cause this is just plain weird. My colleague? Apparently crabs are his fire ants!