This is the time of year when what happens in Vegas definitely does not stay in Vegas.
In fact, that's the whole point of the AQUA Show. You get to take it home with you, whether it's new merchandising ideas to bring your dealership up to the cutting edge or a new perspective from a college-level, fully accredited 20-hour class at the Genesis 3 Design School.
This year, with the expanded Genesis 3 Design School, the offerings are so extensive that you'll have to choose what you can take this year and what will have to wait for 2006. In addition to the five 20hour design courses, high-profile designers like Anthony Archer-Wills, Janet Lennox Moyer and Mia Lehrer will share their unique perspectives on water environments. You can take these ideas back to your business and put them to work the next day.
And what about that stack of business cards collected from the vendors, experts and — most importantly — the peers you met at roundtable discussions, a social event, or just in the hallway between sessions? That had better not stay in Vegas.
The true value of the networking that you do at the AQUA Show may take a little while to develop. And it takes a little effort. You have to stay in touch once you're back home; you have to call that retailer with the store that's a lot like yours but in a different time zone, and ask questions and compare notes. You have to follow up with that vendor who sells the fabulous handmade tile, once you find a client who wants it in his pool. And you have to take a few minutes to talk to a less-experienced colleague when he has questions and you have the answers.
At the AQUA Show, you get to learn and do all kinds of things you don't get to do at home. But the beauty is that it doesn't stay in Vegas.
