Nervous Nelly Braces for Atlanta

Usually about this time of year I’m eagerly anticipating a chance to get on the road and get a chance to mingle with the familiar faces at national trade shows. But I don’t know, folks, this year I’m feeling a bit more trepidation about next week’s GlassBuild down in Atlanta.

For starters, my colleagues and I made the decision a couple months back to drive down to the show, our magazines and booth in tow. Seemed like a great idea at the time, until the reports started coming in about the terrible flooding the area is facing. Our hearts go out to those impacted by the floodwaters. But then too are the practical concerns, which began to worry me even before I chatted with Vitro’s Alice Dickerson about her downtown commute.

Assuming we make it to the show without problems, I know some of my coworkers are a wee bit concerned about the stories circulating regarding the H1N1 virus. Nowhere does a germaphobe live more in fear than in areas where large crowds circulate, eager to shake hands. So don’t be offended if you stop by Booth 2902 to talk with my colleagues Holly Biller and Katie Hodge, who will be manning the booth, and catch a glimpse of them heading straight for the hand sanitizer.

Then there’s the show itself. I’ve spent all day double-checking appointments, revising my seminar schedule and other such organizational tasks. Unfortunately, it feels like the second I’ve written down a booth number, that company is no longer on the exhibit list, so I’m nervous that we’ll have another mis-marked directory on our hands.

I’m not usually such a pessimist. And I am optimistically hoping that these concerns will fade by the time our van is stuffed with magazines, or at least by the time the appropriate driving music CD is blasting. But I think I’d feel a lot more optimistic if some of my co-attendees out there would drop me a line or leave me a comment here about what you’re eagerly anticipating at this week’s show … or if you’ve got your own organizing to do, just drop by the booth Wednesday to share some positive stories about your company that will help set the tone for this year’s event.