Nine Months Later: Our First Trade Show

Almost nine months to the day since we launched www.lifesaflipflop.com, we found ourselves at our first trade show!  We attended the Georgia Society of Directors of Volunteer Services (GSDVS) annual meeting at St. Simon's Island as a vendor and sponsor.  Our goal was to get feedback about our products, learn how hospital gift shops choose and buy products, and see if we are a good fit for that market.

Our Booth at the GSDVS Annual Meeting

We were overwhelmed with the positive reaction the attendees had to our product line!   It was a relatively small group, with only about 40 or 50 attendees and about 10 or 12 vendors.  But, we were the new kids on the block, and our colorful, fun, playful booth drew almost everyone's attention.  Even the other vendors stopped by to say how cool they thought our products were!

One of our favorite visitors, though, was actually   one of the hotel employees.  Let's just call him Billy.  He was so young, he barely had whiskers.  He worked as part of the banquet team, serving delicious hors d'oeuvres to the guests.  We kept noticing him coming by our booth and glancing at our products.  Each time, he'd come closer and closer but he would never stop and talk with us.

Finally, we asked him right out: "You keep coming by here.  Are you interested in our products?"

In a beautiful Southern drawl only heard (and perhaps appreciated) in that part of Georgia, he replied, "Oh, yes, Ma'am.  I just love your products.  I only wish I could get something for my girlfriend.  She's having a tough time right now and I just know she'd love one of those pink tee-shirts. I'd love to give her that as a gift to help cheer her up."

Of course, we were thinking, "This guy definitely gets what we're all about:  Sharing the gift of LAFFter!"

"Billy, we'd be glad to sell you one at our wholesale prices..."

"Oh, no Ma'am.   We're not allowed to do that while we're working.  But I sure do like those pink tee-shirts, Ma'am."

"Well, here...take a couple of koozies and a magnet which has our website on it, go online, order something, and remind us that we met you here and we'll throw in a little something extra for you and your girlfriend."  As we gave him a couple of koozies wrapped up in a lime green LAFF wrist band, he blushed from head to toe.

"Ma'am, that is so kind of you.  Thank you, Ma'am.  Yes, Ma'am, I'll go on your website tonight and order one of those tee-shirts for my girlfriend.  She is gonna love that.  Thank you, Ma'am."

Karen with Fred Farkles (a.k.a. Bart from Augusta)

So Billy was one of our favorites (other than the fact that being called "Ma'am" makes us feel old).  But, we also met Fred Farkles (a.k.a. Bart from Augusta), Daryl and Leigh (who were so helpful in helping us get registered), Gloria from Northside in Forsyth, Jean from St. Jo's, Jill from Jesup,  Lori from Wellstar, Lynn from Dalton, Tracie from Dublin, Tammy from Dallas, and a bunch of other really, really nice people.  Our overall impression of the group was that everyone was so nice!  Without exception, they thanked us for being there and supporting them!  Which really surprised us!

Until we we stopped to think it through.  These are the Directors of Volunteer Services for hospitals.  They may be volunteers themselves.  They are not on a corporate junket.  They don't have unlimited budgets for trade shows and conventions.  They must carefully pick and choose the conventions they attend, sometimes paying the registration fees and travel expenses themselves.  Although we didn't know it before we got there, the fee we paid to learn about this industry may have supported some of these volunteers in their ability to attend the conference, learn new insights about volunteerism, and mingle with friends old and new.  We unwittingly and unknowingly contributed to their experience.  In doing so, we gained a new perspective and a greater appreciation for the people who run the volunteer organizations at hospitals.  They are committed, sincere, hard-working, and no doubt, under appreciated.  But we surely appreciated them and their great feedback on our LAFF line.

And, along the way, we made some new friends, LAFFed for hours, and sold a couple of tee-shirts.  Does it really get any better than this?  Really?

Who knows, one day soon you may start seeing our LAFF products in a hospital gift shop near you!  We sure hope so!

Remember, always share the gift of LAFFter.   And, LAFF, in spite of everything!

Karen and Debra
March 13, 2012