Upfront: Plenty of obvious and not-so-obvious reasons to attend GIE+EXPO 2009

By Steve Noe

I recently returned from a fun-filled weekend trip to my alma mater, Michigan State University (MSU), where I was attending a reunion celebrating the 100th anniversary of the student newspaper.

As I drove home, I reflected upon all of the good times from the weekend and the two-plus years that I had the great honor and privilege of serving as a sports writer/editor for the award-winning, weekday newspaper. I also began to look ahead toward my next big trip, which is to Louisville for GIE+EXPO Thursday, Oct. 29, through Saturday, Oct. 31. Then, my two trains of thought collided as I pondered the importance of attending the show.

This year, there are many obvious reasons, which are well chronicled in this special GIE+EXPO preview edition of OPE. For starters, the show will have two exciting new features: the High-Performance Service Department, a how-to pavilion simulating a highly efficient service department, led by OPE Contributing Writer Bob Clements and his team at Bob Clements International; and the New Products Arena, where new product launches will literally take center stage in a stadium-like setting. With a theme of “Get Switched On,” the Dealer Experience will return to provide additional educational opportunities with high-caliber guest speakers and dealer panelists. And when the show ends each of the first two days, the fun begins in downtown Louisville at 4th Street Live with free concerts by Eddie Money and the Briggs Bluesbusters on Thursday and The Grass Roots and the Blues Brothers Band on Friday.

However, there are also many not-so-obvious reasons to attend GIE+EXPO, which became much more obvious during my reflective ride home from MSU. I realized that going to Louisville for GIE+EXPO is a lot like going to a reunion. It gives you a chance to renew old acquaintances and make new ones. You will be hard pressed to find another place on the planet to visit more people in our industry in a three-day span than GIE+EXPO. Going to GIE+EXPO also reminds you why you entered this business, restores your sense of pride, recharges your battery, and rekindles your competitive fire.

I realize that many of you are suffering through tough times and may be holding back from making the financial commitment to go to GIE+EXPO. However, I’m a firm believer that you cannot put a price tag on face-to-face interaction, especially in this heavily relationship-oriented industry.

If you have yet to register for GIE+EXPO, now is the time to do so. Pre-registration for a three-day pass to GIE+EXPO is $10 per person. For those who wait to register onsite, admission will be $50. To pre-register online or for more information, visit www.gie-expo.com or call Sellers Expositions at (800) 558-8767 or (812) 949-9200.

Hope to see you at GIE+EXPO!

OPE Editor Steve Noe
snoe@m2media360.com