Uh, Brian -
Thank you for the encouraging words! But here's a little insight: It takes us several days to prepare for a conference or show. We gotta do an inventory of (the many) hand-outs, figure what we might need, then print it - and prepare single soil test packages - all depending upon the type of event we're to attend. Then we gotta figure out what banners we're gonna take. Then we gotta figure out what clothes and other stuff we need to take & pack all that up. Then we gotta load up all the stuff into the car. Then my wife, Pat, rearranges it all so she can see out of the rear-view mirror and the side/back windows.
After we get to whatever town (if there even is one) we we're going to, we gotta find the mo/hotel & check in. Then we gotta figure out how to get to the show location - then we gotta find out the unloading arrangements. Then we gotta get our badges, find our table, then unload and set up the table. Sometimes, it is quite a walk from the car to the table - carrying or pushing stuff (we generally take at least 20# of candy with us (we've always got the best table-candy in the house). Sometimes, we end up in "interesting" places - outside, or in a barn or some kind of building with the doors open for air circulation. As our deal is mostly papers, we gotta come up with some creative things to keep them from blowing away.
Long periods of time can pass when the place is dead - popular presentations going on - where we all sit around, wondering if we're gonna die of old age before we ever get outta the place. Someone has to stay with the table, regardless of how interesting a presentation might be, because the table has to be always attended - I haven't seen a presentation for several years... It doesn't take very many of these events to discover that they are all pretty much alike - if you've done one, you've done all of 'em... Except for ACRES... We have so many old friends there - and meet so many interesting people - and finally meet clients that we've only corresponded with - and see so many new things - that even after doing a dozen or more events for the year, previously - we still look forward to that. And, of course, ACRES and the lab go way back...
Then, there is the move-out. When the announcement is made that "the show is closed", there is a stampede to get outta there - and everyone wants to do it at the same time... Often, we stay an extra night at the hotel, so we don't have to check out and pack and load up before the show for the final day opens, then re-park, then de-park & drive around, then load up the the show-stuff, later, then hit the road.
The shows are really hard upon all of us. 99% of the time, I ask our Chief Analyst to join us, to answer the really technical questions. He has to bring his computer with him, as our REALLY BIG DEAL is maintaining advertised turn-around times for reports. That means that when he gets up, he cranks out reports on stuff he had gotten from the lab from very late the previous day. Then he is at the show all day. Then he gets back to his room and cranks out still more reports on stuff that he has gotten during the day. He tries to stay up by turning on his computer during the "slow times" at the show. But there is always still more stuff for later... On toppa all that, he does not have all of the resources he needs to do thorough reports on his little note-book thing - so he is constantly calling the lab for more detailed information...
Then, after the show, each day, back at the hotel: As you may know, the REAL action happens in the bar. Because he is upstairs cranking out yet more reports - that means I gotta drink his drinks for him and entairtain in his behalf... At my age, that is getting harder to do... So, at the end of the day, we all end up working 14 - 16 hours - but he ends up in better shape - and I have to suffer... Definitely not anything for wimps...
Then, when we get back here, we gotta deload it all, so that we can be ready to inventory it all again, for the next round...
So, trust me: Be grateful that you are "only" an attendee - you can come and go as you like - and you don't have to drink all of those drinks, later... And you don't have to mess with a whole lot o' heavy stuff... (And buy another $100+ more candy for the next time...the olive growers really cleaned us out, this last time)
Maybe this explains why we're only gonna do a few (hopefully, no more than a half-dozen) commercial growers' (plus ACRES) conferences, next year...
By the way, the spell-check on this thing is sorely wanting...
