Pre-Show Scenes From The Trade Show Floor

For the past sixteen years I have spent at least two weeks of my life every fall traveling to, setting up, working, and then packing away trade show exhibits. It never ceases to amaze me how it all comes together. Looking around the hall today, you would never believe that in three short days this place will be transformed into a ‘wonderland’ of packaging machinery.

At this point, there are forklifts, golf carts, and tow motors running round the hall. Crates lay half-open spewing their contents and packing. Empty and half-full pallets are scattered throughout the aisles. Most aisles are undefined and un-maneuverable. Skeletal displays appear as if picked over by grave robbers. Machines sit unmoving with a battery of technicians crawling around them like surgeons orchestrating a multi-organ transplant. Everywhere you look there are people. Some are diligently unpacking and setting up furniture and display items. Some are putting machines together. Others are running wires and cables or laying carpet. There are a few who seem to just be watching others work, but they are the rare exception. To the uninitiated eye it is complete chaos.

Surprisingly, this chaos all comes together by opening morning. When visitors walk through the halls they will have no idea of the complete transformation that has transpired. They will gawk at the displays, machinery and booth staffers and take for granted that it is all there, set up beautifully, for their perusal. That is the magic of the Trade Show.

The author, Marge Bonura, is the Director of Sales & Marketing for New England Machinery, Inc. (NEM). NEM is a leading manufacturer of bottle unscramblers, cappers, orienters, retorquers, lidders, pluggers, pump sorter/placers, scoop feeders, hopper elevators and much more. The company has been in business since 1974 selling to the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, chemical, household products, automotive and other industries. For more information on NEM, visit their website at www.neminc.com.