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The latest news on COVID-19:

During the COVID-19 crisis, get updates and information at ADA and your state’s website. Please follow the official guidance, stay safe and help limit the spread of the coronavirus.

Contact Us if you have more questions and thank you for your cooperation.

Another Opening – Another Show

Author: Dental Geek
05.18.10 / 10:11 am

I think that many of us feel that we need to attend another dental trade show like we need another hole in our heads. I have not been to the California Dental Association meeting in five years. I have capable staff that attend on my behalf. Something came up this year; an important client wanted to do some focused research, and I immediately said I could do it. Well, CDA Spring was to be the location. For a couple of days I dreaded: a) the long flight from NJ to California; b) Orange County; and c) the sheer volume of time, effort and energy it takes just to be at a dental trade show.

I tailored my trip so that I could get in and get out: Fly into California on an afternoon, get a good night’s sleep, conduct the research and get out on a red-eye flight back home.

So on the flight out there, it really wasn’t that bad, iPad technology kept me busy for the six-hour flight. The minute I got to my hotel, I ran into numerous dental friends, which put me in a good mood. I had coffee with a super client and then decided to call it a night. The beautiful 79-degree, sunny weather also didn’t hurt. I ran into several more clients, publication friends and KOL doctors over the next twelve hours; I actually conducted some good, new business.

I got to spend time with three of my favorite dentists, as well (individually): Dr. Jeff Rohde from Santa Barbara, CA, Dr. Tom Giacobbi from Phoenix, AZ and Dr. Marty Jablow from the great state of NJ. These three doctors have a passion for dentistry that makes me feel like a fool for dreading coming to the CDA show. These three docs are definitely geeks like me, and I found myself smiling all day with a renewed outlook on dental shows.

Sitting in John Wayne Airport awaiting my red-eye flight back home was bittersweet. My colleagues Howard and Danielle were there for the rest of the weekend to meet client needs. In a weird way, I kind of wanted to stay and spend more time with the great folks of the dental industry (granted, I ran into a couple people that I should have run the other way from!).

But now I just realized why I might have been feeling that way, I never stepped foot on the show floor! No, it couldn’t be that could it?

Dental Geek

Dental Geek

2 responses to “Another Opening – Another Show”

  1. I wonder… how was the traffic for CDA… will companies ever pull the plug on their tradeshow presence? Is it a “company A and B are their so company C has to be there as well” attitude in the industry?

    Costs aside, I think companies can in fact do wonders for their brands at tradeshows if they are smart and approach the tradeshow not as a stand alone event, but rather as another piece of their overall marketing picture. Integrating a tradeshow presence with online and offline marketing is a very successful tactic and one that I wish I would see more of in the industry.

    MC

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