If you've been in the business even a few years, you don't need me to tell you how important it is to get to at least one or two trade shows every year. You know how important it is to see your favorite vendor's new designs and freshest colors, or to get your hands on a new piece of equipment to really put it through its paces. You know how important it is to take advantage of the right education programs. And you know how valuable it is to talk to retailers or builders from other parts of the country - or world - to see how they approach the same challenges that confront you. And I hope you will attend your favorite trade show for all those reasons.
But there's one completely selfish reason all of us at AQUA hope you hit the trade show circuit this year: We want to meet you!
We encourage our readers to share their ideas, concerns and needs throughout the year, but there's nothing like a face-to-face chat to really get a good idea of how we can serve our readers better. Sure, we're at the trade shows to promote the magazine, but the most important task for the editorial staff is to get out and meet our stakeholders.
This year AQUA editors will be at 10 trade shows or conferences, including our favorite, the AQUA Show & Conference Nov. 15-19 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, regional expos and also shows for related industries like billiards and home recreation, casual furniture and ponds/water gardening.
So add one more item to your trade show to-do list. Stop by the AQUA booth to say hello, tell us about your business and let us know how we can better serve you. It will only take a few minutes, plus you can show us your comfortable shoes.
