I wrote most of this last year before the GIS in San Diego. And yet, it’s good. Needs a little update. Here it is. Wisdom!
You are going to see all kinds of “Tips and Tricks” for doing the Golf Industry Show. Most of them all the same. Because, hey… its a trade show. And in one form or another, all trade shows follow a certain pattern. You wanna read about having a plan, getting there early, drinking lots of water, fine. It’s out there. I have a different take on things. And herein, you are gonna get some info that you probably won’t see anywhere else, in the more PC world of doing the GIS.
1. Leave Your Extra Clothes and Stuff at Home. Over packing is a sin. Don’t be a sinner. You don’t need 12 shirts, 12 pairs of pants, 12 sets of boxer and 6 pairs of shoes. No. Resist the temptation to take your whole wardrobe. 2 decent outfits. 2 casual outfits. 3 sets of undies. 2 pairs of shoes and a minimal toilet kit. I can travel for a month with this setup. So you can do a week. What does this mean? Yup, you’ll have to do some laundry on the road. It will cost a few bucks, but even the lower end hotels can get this done for you. Bag check fees are steep. Laundry service is cheap. Rule: Take half the stuff you think you need and you will be just fine. Yes, this means that you may be seen in the same windshirt or blue blazer twice. Big deal.
2. Shoes. It’s a trade show. Bring your best most comfortable shoes. Fashion isn’t important when you feet hurt so bad that you can’t walk on day two. That new pair of running shoes that are supposed to be bomb for walking? Give them a good shakedown at the local mall before you put them in your bag. Ladies, heels? Nah. Forget it. Unless you are one of the 1 percent who can do that kind of thing. We all have lots of fun with shoes; it’s cool seeing what everyone wears. My Yeezys and my Chucks will be in my bag. My FootJoys? No joy. My Cole Haan wingtips? Nope. Be a little outrageous. It’s fun.
3. The Weather. Orlando can be all kinds of things. So even though I told you not to bring too much stuff, understand that Florida can be cold or and it can be really nice. Prepare yourself for both. Even though no one wants to see your white legs, some shorts are a good idea for evenings. And so is a jacket.
4. The Mouse. No one can ignore Disney. Especially with the acquisition of the Star Wars universe, it’s better than ever. Don’t miss the opportunity to avail yourself of something that Disney does. Something. Anything. I feel like the pricey bits are worth it. So much. And even if you are older, go have fun. Not to leave Universal out, because they rock too. Go. Really.
5. Just Say No. In the weeks leading up to the event, you are going to be inundated with people asking you to meet them, do things, come to things, etc. Guess what? You can’t do it all. You just can’t. I laugh hard at the people who have themselves scheduled down to the minute. All it takes is two “old friends” to bump into you and that whole thing is out the window. Think hard about the things and people that you want to spend time with. And then, honor those commitments. Saying a polite No is so much better than just not showing.There are 22 bazillion turfheads at this thing. They all want to see you. You can’t do it all.
I laugh hard at the people who have themselves scheduled down to the minute. All it takes is two “old friends” to bump into you and that whole thing is out the window.
6. Uber Up, Pup. Orlando has not great taxi cabs and really good Uber and Lyft Service. Get both apps. Use them. It’s by far the best way to get around. Think twice about a rental car. Parking is a hassle and can be expensive. Never use Uber before? There’s a YouYube video for that somewhere. This rule applies just as much as ever.
7. Pay Your Own Way. Scenario… Five Turfheads sit down for a sandwich and a few beers. Tell the server right away that everyone needs their own checks. Don’t wait until it’s time to go to figure out the bill. Everyone is on some kind of expense deal and you don’t want to be the one who is the nice person at the moment and then has to explain to the GM why you picked up the check for the gang from the clubs richer than yours. At the same time, don’t be a douche and stick others with the bill. A class free move. Please understand your commercial friends are not the ATM. They probably have constraints on what they can spend, so finding the salesperson to pick up the bill may sound like a foxy move, but it is just plain skeezy. And the worst? Crashing a party you don’t belong at. Yeah, I get it. You don’t care for organic fertilizers, until you hear that the organic fertilizer people are buying free chicken wings and sushi and you show up to see whats up. Classless and Stupid. And if you think it goes un-noticed, you are wrong.
Please understand your commercial friends are not the ATM. They probably have constraints on what they can spend, so finding the salesperson to pick up the bill may sound like a foxy move, but it is just plain skeezy.
8. Get Smart. There are so many opportunities to see great speakers at this event. Don’t miss them. Seriously. One of the things I hate the most is missing great talks. Show up early to get a seat and realize that its really hard to get as much knowledge in one place at one time. If you don’t do yourself the honor of hearing some great talks, then what the hell are you doing there in the first place?
9. Too Much of A Good Time is a Bad Thing. Look, I get it. There are plenty of opportunities to be social at this event. Plenty. But if you think you are going to drink all the craft beer in town you are being stupid. Don’t. Enjoy. Be happy. Get up the next morning early and see number 6 above. Once upon a time it was OK to show everyone that you were at the Golf Show to have the biggest hangover. Those days are over. Long ago.
10. Don’t Be Shy. See someone you recognize or want to meet? See a nametag with a place on it that you either know about or want to know about? Say something! Introduce yourself. I think one of the best things in the whole wide world is meeting a Turfhead. Making some small talk about grass. Learning something about them. Want to hang with the same old people that you see at home all the time? That’s cool for a moment. But why not meet some new friends? Make some impressions. Put some new email addresses in the smartphone. Do it.
11. The Most Essential Piece of Gear? A battery pack and a charger cord. Seriously. Get on Amazon right now and get yourself a 10,000 mAh aux battery pack. It will be priceless. And a while you are at it, one or two new charger cords. Pack them in your man or woman purse. You’ll thank me for this. You will.
That’s it. That’s the list. Updated to 11 as all good things should be. Go. Make GIS 2020 count.
