Some of life’s best lessons draw from unexpected and chance encounters. This weekend I enjoyed the annual Kettle Moraine Jazz Fest in West Bend, Wisconsin (kudos to the West Bend Sunrise Rotary Foundation and their sponsors on the causes they support and the unique festival they put together). The closing performance of the festival was a well-known group, albeit not as appreciated by purist smooth jazz aficionados, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy who put on a fantastic show. In addition to inspiring my wife and I to dance a little in the aisles, they also managed to teach me a few things which seem fitting to note for anyone striving to be their best:

1. FOLLOW YOUR PASSION. If you don’t love what you do, it’s hard to imagine you could be as successful or as happy in your career otherwise. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (BBVD) tours with their original seven members (along with two more) and have been sharing their talent with the world and one another for over 18 years. They continue to enjoy themselves on stage and it shows. Do you bring that same level of enthusiasm to your job each day?

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy at the Kettle Moraine Jazz Fest, West Bend, WI

2. DON’T BE AFRAID TO ZIG WHEN THE REST OF THE WORLD ZAGS.

Glen "The Kid" Marhevka playing his Bach trumpet, courtesy of Conn-Selmer, Inc.

Big band music was not well popularized in the early 1990s. Forging a swing-revival group was a brave thing to do back in 1993. Despite only isolated instances of hit songs by others, Scotty Morris and his band pushed forward and developed a following. To date they’ve toured globally, performed at the Super Bowl Halftime Show, recorded from the legendary Capitol Studios and have become the mainstream poster-children of well-dressed swing revivalists. Pushing your craft forward in life mandates a certain degree of risk. If you want to become a leader, don’t be afraid to take it from time to time.

3. BE YOURSELF INSTEAD OF TRYING TO BE EVERYTHING TO EVERYONE. Not everyone appreciates the music that Big Bad Voodoo Daddy plays, and that’s okay with them. They’ve performed some recent works to more of a dixieland jazz style at times (which makes for a great listen), but they’ve never tried to sell out and shape their music for the latest trend. I don’t expect to hear them playing acoustic guitar on  Sirius XM The Coffee House anytime soon. That’s okay by me. I listen to them for who they are, not who I want them to be. The same holds true in the business world. Be genuine. Don’t try to shape your own or someone else’s image into someone they aren’t. It won’t result in memorable success for either party.

4. KEEP IT PERSONAL. BE ACCESSIBLE.

The BBVD guys take time to greet their fans

After the show, all of the members of BBVD took the time to personally shake hands, sign autographs, and pose for photos with their fans. I’ve always known them to do this, even at this venue which marked the close of an 11 day tour and they had an early flight home the next day. That speaks volumes for their generosity to their fans. I’m disenfranchised with another band I have seen in concert repeatedly. Witnessing them in a small venue, this unnamed trio eagerly pimped merchandise and charged a premium for signed copies of CDs, only to disappear to their green room after the show. In contrast, I’m guaranteed to buy Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s next work as soon as it’s released. (The sneak previews they played at Kettle Moraine Jazz Fest sound great!) In modern business, it is abundantly clear that we are social creatures and need to connect off-stage to build relationships with the world. The public we encounter just might prove to be our most valued source of input.

[One final anecdote and a stunning example of a consummate professional making himself accessible: While posing for the photo with the band, my wife expressed our personal appreciation for their work. She mentioned we had used one of their songs as the first dance at our wedding, and upon inquiry we revealed which song specifically. After the crowd had passed and the photos and autograph session was complete, we were blown away when Scotty Morris approached us away from the group and relayed some truly personal details about where and how the song was inspired. What a way to establish a connection and win some fans for life! I can only dream to make my professional encounters as endearing as this.]

Scotty Morris (3rd from left) next to my wife while posing for photos

Well played, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy! I tip my fedora hat to you for a great show and the unexpected inspiration. And of course the sound is that much sweeter knowing that many of you play on Conn-Selmer, Inc. instruments!

I recently had a chance to attend the worlds largest hospitality technology show, I had this opportunity thanks to two of Echelon’s newest clients Cetis, Inc. and Intelity who were exhibiting.  Cetis, Inc. is a leader in hospitality and enterprise phones, you can trace their roots back to 1983 (who doesnt love the 80′s).  Intelity is a fairly new technology company that gives guests of the hotel the capability to order any and all services offered by the property through the use of your iPad, iPhone and other devices.  Simply put, you can order room service, valet service, etc all with one touch on your favorite device.

The Cetis exhibit was a custom rental that we designed to be warm and inviting, a place that you might want to sit down and hang out in.  We accomplished this by including a raised conference/meeting area, using rich colors, large fabric identity sails, an architectural wall and a large product display area.

Intelity is also a custom rental, our goal was to attract attendees to the exhibit with the use large story board graphics and highly visible demo areas.  We provided a overhead hanging sign, a conference space on the interior, and six custom kiosks that were used for product demonstrations and provided excellent space for large graphic murals.

I enjoyed working with both teams and was pleased to hear great feedback about the show in general as attendance was up from the 2009 show.

I hate cars. As much as I rely on them to get me around, I despise the care that’s needed to keep them running. I’m automotive illiterate. My dad showed me how to change a tire, change the oil and other basics for car maintenance, but I quickly learned as an adult that opening my wallet keeps my hands clean from dirt and grime. Even still, I tend to avoid an auto mechanic like a pack of rabid raccoons.

Recently, I had been in need of brakes from my car, but as my quest was to avoid the automotive dentist, I put it off and put it off….until I noticed a nasty grinding and squeaking sound from my car. It was unavoidable now. My presence was known for miles with the hideous sound and making the issue an afterthought had now become the first thing attributed with me on the road.

Tradeshow exhibitors often fall vicim to this routine. From exhibit planning, service orders, shipping, graphics and more, there’s a number of items, intentional or not, that are often overlooked. Some exhibitors accept this as part of the process. They sacrifice here to ensure their resources are spent over there. This stigma is simply bogus and the battle for tradeshow sanity can be won if you commit to the battlefront with a proper strategy. Avoid your small oversights and negligence to grow into a nasty representation of your exhibit brand.

Have a Service Team – If you’re a event marketer for your company, nothing would be better of your time than to do that. The saddest thing to see is a marketing strategy that has been killed because of the hours a company has spent simply getting to an event. Enlist members from your company to handle the logistics and services, while you can focus on making your event a success.

Exhaust your Resources - Are you working with an exhibit company? If so, let them take some of the pressure from you and your team. Many exhibit companies will coordinate service logistics and many have ties to best management practices. Is your event in New York but you live in Phoenix? Ask your exhibit company to assist with recommendations for carriers and local labor if you’re in unfamiliar territory. Often times their knowledge and relationships with these service providers means cost savings for you.

Detail your Shipments – There’s one undebatable waste of dollars – Time. Your time, employee’s time, laborer’s time is not meant to be utilized tracking down your newly printed set of brochures on a floor of crates a boxes. Take the time to itemize every box as to its content, and develop a system to easily identify items for quick and easy access. If you’re missing a critical component for your exhibit success, that success may take a vacation.

Don’t Sacrifice Quality for Quantity - Be wise with your budget. Having a large 50×50 island is nice, but does little good if you’ve sacrificed accurate brand representation to get in that space. Instead, construct a vision for your brand and identify it through all levels of representation; exhibit structure, graphics, colors, lighting, etc. Let your brand dictate the space and not the other way around.

Chances are, you’ve been successful in building an image, a brand around your company. People associate your company’s name with an identity, be it quality, service, professionalism, etc. Afterthoughts are little gremlins who  attack those attributes and even the littlest one can overshadow the most firm strategy. Destroy those gremlins with proper planning and systematic execution.

Chances are, you’ve been here before: You fight early morning traffic, search aimlessly to find a parking space at the convention center, walk a short marathon to your exhibit space, only to find out that half of your tradeshow components have yet to be delivered, if any at all. Despite honest attempts at scheduling you, your employees and show labor around an agenda, there are ways to prepare for this headache that will keep your crew productive and prevent you from bleeding time and money.

Look under your Nose

More times than not, missing components are simply overlooked. If you have a small box or package you are searching for, check behind, on top of or underneath other materials. Check neighboring exhibit spaces as well. Before shipping your components, be sure to clearly mark your booth number and make your items easily identifiable to you to avoid losing your supplies in a sea of boxes and crates.

Develop a Recovery Plan

Be sure to bring copies of your bill of lading and packing lists for all of your materials. Verify exactly what components are missing and contact a service administrator immediately. Don’t assume, even if you’re missing a single crate or box, that your materials are making their way around the corner. Long delays and sometimes lost properties are not an impossibility, but knowing will bring you closer to finding.

Have the administration first verify with your carrier if the properties were delivered to the convention center. From there, you’ll know which direction you need to continue your tracking. Keep connecting the dots until you’re able to pinpoint your material’s location.

Be Productive

Verify Electrical

Despite being slightly empty handed, spending the time to verify each electrical location is a good practice, even when your exhibit properties are on time. Go beyond a visual inspection and use a tape measure. Also verify that your original electrical estimates are accurate and make necessary changes while you have the time. Modifying any electrical, simply moving a location as little as six inches, can be a major expense if done after carpet and structure is upright.

Inventory what you DO have

Once you’ve determined what is missing, deal with what you have. Open and verify the contents of each crate and box. Check for damages that may have occurred during shipment. As soon as you verify what you can work with, unpack items that you and your crew can assemble and set aside until you recover the rest of your materials.

Get “Later” done Now

Take an inventory of additional service needs. Can you fill out empty stickers? Do you need to order cleaning service? Are you hosting or attending a meeting that needs your attention beforehand? The goal is to reorganize your installation schedule to avoid additional time and resources being wasted.

(image by Morgan Worth)