Resolute This! Word on the Street — December 30th thru January 3rd

Trade Show Blog

What to Be Resolute About

Word on the Street by Kevin Carty

Happy New Years!

I trust you had a safe and happy New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Like most folks older than 40, mine was quiet and involved sleep. Although I actually did stay up until midnight PST and am still paying for that mistake. I find the older I get the more sleep I need, but that might also have to do with having seven year old twins.

But, I digress . . . There are some things that never change year after year with the whole “New Year’s” thing. The absurd amount of weight loss ads that hit TV and radio starting on New Year’s Eve and run for the next two weeks incessantly. The same thing for “Quitting Smoking.” And the one I love the most is the insane number of people who suddenly turn into “runners” on January 1.

In my neighborhood alone, I saw six people (the same six from last year) running on New Year’s Day. By about the 10th of January, I notice that I haven’t seen them for a couple of days.

I am all about resolutions and changes for the better, especially when it comes to health and family. But why such a focus on New Years? I mean I get it, a new year . . . a new you and all that. But REALLY? After the 4th or 5th year of failing, I would suggest choosing a different date. Start on June 8. It seems like a good day, and think of how much LESS pressure there is on June 8 to make a life change.

I digress once more . . . I always enjoy reading the lists of the most failed New Year’s Resolutions. Call me a sadist. But here are some that are most likely to fail.

1.  Lose Weight — Historically, this one was a challenge for me, but I found a better date. Super Bowl Sunday was my date. After I gorged myself two years ago on melted Velveeta Con Queso at a Super Bowl Sunday party, I along with 12 others started a weight loss competition the next day. One that still exists. We have all lost weight and are doing well.

2. Save More Money — Really. Right after Christmas your plan is to save more money? The real challenge for most of us is to pay off the credit cards from all the Christmas shopping. This one is doomed to fail.

3. Be Happier and Stress Less — Well, if you’re going to attempt 1 and 2 with any passion, then this one is sure to fail. Besides, why wait until Jan 1st to decide to adjust your life so that you can be happier and stress less?

4. Quit Drinking — For some of us, this is less a resolution than a necessity. You can’t achieve the first three without #4. 🙂 In all seriousness, I am leaving this one alone.

5. Fall in Love — Sweet thought, but in the end, this requires another person. You are at best 50% in control of this one ever happening. Might I suggest that if you are determined enough to achieve 3 out of previous 4 on this list, then your odds on this one increase a great deal

6. Spend More Time with Family — Again, why do we feel like January 1 is the kickoff day for this one? Shouldn’t this just be a given? But again, if your uncle resembles Cousin Eddie from the Vacation movies, I can see why this might pose a challenge.

Here are some funny ones (which I hope none apply to you):

  • I will do less laundry and use more deodorant.
  • I will avoid taking a bath whenever possible and conserve more water.
  • I will assure my lawyer that I will never again show up drunk at a custody hearing.
  • I resolve to work with neglected children — my own.
  • I will read the manual… just as soon as I can find it.
  • When I hear a funny joke I will not reply, “LOL… LOL!”
  • I will not say, “it was the dog,” when I fart. I reserve the right to change this if I get a dog.
  • I will find out why the correspondence course I purchased on “Mail Fraud” never arrived.
  • I will start buying lottery tickets at a luckier store.
  • I will always wear clean underwear, “just in case.”
  • I will eat more nice things like candy, Big Macs, popcorn and ice cream. Eat less crap like fresh fruit, vegetables, and soy nuts.
  • I will spend less money on buying useless stuff like this new DVD Rewinder from QVC.
  • I will never again take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.
  • I will stop saying, “Ooh, that feels nice” whenever the security guys frisk me at airports.

Anyway, I hope you had great Holiday Season and I truly look forward to working together in 2014.

Be well and have a great weekend.

–Kevin
https://twitter.com/kevin_carty
https://www.linkedin.com/pub/kevin-carty/3/800/32a

[subscribe2]

Filter by Category

Filter by Year

Recent Posts

What Cats Can Teach Us About Trade Shows

We are a nation devoted to pets, whether they’re on the farm or in a purse. They learn from us, but we learn from them as well. The other day while watching Animal Planet with a cat in my lap, one on the sofa, and another puking upstairs ( it sounded like the world’s worst ventriloquist), I realized that we could learn a thing or two about trade show marketing from our feline companions.

Who is Our Biggest Trade Show Competitor?

Recently, I’ve been on the road, visiting Classic Distributors in the Midwest and South. We chat about industry trends, new products, and challenges in their market. Occasionally, they will ask me about competitors. That’s a topic, to be honest, that makes me uncomfortable.

The 3 Essential Trade Show Marketing Questions

These are questions every designer should ask their client before designing the ideal trade show display. If the client walks in just thinking about the nuts and bolts of the project, they may miss an informed conversation on why they are exhibiting in the first place and that can fundamentally affect the design of a booth. The Why can greatly impact the How in Exhibit Design.

What You Should Know about Exhibit Marketing

Exhibit marketing is all about marketing your products or services to buyers at expositions, conferences, and trade shows. A successful exhibit marketing program will be rewarded with increased revenues, referrals, and industry networking. The goal is to understand how exhibit marketing differs from the other types of marketing.

Managing Your Trade Show Budget

Trade shows are expensive, and some costs are often puzzling to exhibition newbies, but there are multiple ways to manage those expenses with a little planning and some assistance from an experienced trade show professional. Don’t be afraid to tap into that expertise.

Why Are Trade Shows Important for Business Growth and Branding

With the rise of online meetings and ecommerce, business experts have predicted the death of trade shows and live events for 40 years. Yet, the benefits of trade shows and events have never been more important for businesses. There were over 13,000 separate events in North America in 2025 alone.

Best & Biggest Convention Centers in the US for Trade Shows

What are the biggest and best convention centers in the United States? And does overall size and location matter when it comes to a convention center? Unless you’re a trade show nerd (like me), you’ve probably never wondered if the Las Vegas Convention Center is bigger than McCormick Place in Chicago. Or if the Orange County Convention Center is in FL or CA?

People’s Almanac of Trade Show Knowledge

We all love working with an informed client about trade shows and trade show marketing. They ask our advice. We give it. Sometimes we state facts. Sometimes we offer opinions. And sometimes, we should send them to an expert.

Life as a Traveling Sales Representative

Snake Oil Salesman or Snake Charmer. The traveling salesman has always had slightly negative, slightly shady reputation. If you’ve ever seen The Music Man, particularly the opening scene on train, you’ll know what I mean. I would like to think business has changed from the days of the “snake oil salesman” to what we now refer to as a “manufacturer’s rep.

10 Online Tools for Classic Exhibits Distributors

At a recent Shared Knowledge University, we reviewed ten online tools available to all Classic Exhibits Distributors. The attendees told us that these tools are invaluable to their sales, marketing, and customer service teams and are unique within the exhibit industry. 

Why Small Businesses Fail to Grow by Jay Goltz

Excerpt from the “Art of Running a Small Business.” Many, if not most, Classic Exhibits distributors fall into the small business classification as defined by the Small Business Administration. Small businesses have challenges that larger businesses do not.

Top 12 Trade Show Bad Habits

All animals, humans included, are creatures of habit. We learn how to survive, then follow those routines day after day. Trade shows are no different. Exhibitors and attendees find their safe space and get comfortable: same shows, same people, same message.

Your Trade Show Marketing in 2026

When it comes to trade shows, many exhibitors don’t have a detailed plan on how to market their company. They purchase a display, which they think is the key to a successful show. Your exhibit may be the star of the show but it’s only one element in a comprehensive strategy.

IMEX America Hosted Buyer Lounge (Condensed Version)

IMEX America 2025 brought together 17,633 participants, including more than 6,000 buyers from 75 countries, reinforcing the event’s position as a high-value marketplace for the global meetings industry. At the center of this ecosystem was the CORT Events’ Hosted Buyer Lounge, designed as a dedicated environment.

40 Weird Things You Do @ Trade Shows

Trade shows can be a strange world whether you are an exhibitor, attendee, or an industry insider. While many behaviors might seem normal to you as a member of the trade show community, others are downright bizarre to those who rarely set foot in a trade show hall.