Like a good entrepreneur, I’ve been trying to come up with a better way to describe what I do - since about 1999 - and I’m still not even close. For those of us who live and breathe tradeshows and conventions, you too have probably had a hard time explaining what you do at a party. Let me guess, your conversations probably go something like this…

Party Guest: “So, what do you do?”

Me: “I own a trade show company”

Party Guest:”What’s that?”

Me: “We organize tradeshows around the country in different industries”

Party Guest: “Oh, so you set up booths for other companies?”

Me: “Well, not really. Our company actually produces the show itself. We come up with the idea, lease the convention center, bring in the speakers. Basically everything from start to finish.”

Party Guest:”Oh so companies pay you to set up shows for them?”

Me: “Well, not really. They pay us but we own the show”

Party Guest: …blank stare…

So, I know what I have to do. I have to go back to what always seems to work, even though it is about as far from what I actually do - just so I can make a connection. And so I say,

Me: “Have you ever been to a Home & Garden Show?”

Party Guest: “Yes - we found our deck contractor at one!”

Me: “Well a company actually owns that show and organizes it for a profit - that’s what I do”

Party Guest: “So advertising those 2-for-1 coupons in the newspaper is pretty expensive, huh?”

Me: (deep breath)

Oh well, I’m sure I’ll come up with a one-liner someone understands right away some day.