This is more of a rant than perhaps a lesson, but it’s been on my mind lately. When talking to prospective exhibitors and sponsors, I am honest and sincere about what the show will be like. It does me no good to get their money for one show, have them be unhappy, and not exhibit at show #2. That’s not the way to grow an event. If you advertise something - it makes sense to be able to back it up!

I was an American Express Platinum Cardmember until just recently. The steep $300 annual fee is promoted as a way to get extra VIP service. One of those services is “The Platinum Concierge Service.” They are supposed to be able to get tickets to sold out events, handle unusual gift requests and generally make things happen. I’ve tried it twice now without success and I finally downgraded to a Gold card at only $75 per year. In the last incident, I was taking my daughter and wife to New York City to see the musical Beauty and The Beast. “Beauty” was actually being played by a young Disney television star that my 6-year-old daughter adores. So I called the Platinum Concierge Service and asked if they could help me get my daughter backstage after the show to meet the actress.

After four days their answer to me was, “The producer doesn’t normally let people backstage to meet the actors…” Uhh, yeah… that’s why I asked you to help me. If they normally let people backstage I wouldn’t have called you. The point is not that they couldn’t make it happen, but that they advertise that they can make these things happen when they really can’t.

It’s a reminder to deliver on your promises. If you say you can make something happen for a sponsor, you better be able to.