While I was blogging last year, I couldn’t tell you at the time how intimidated I was by the whole scene. I mean, c’mon, I had scarcely been on the Pet Connection staff a few months. Gina (the only one on the entire staff I already knew personally beforehand) was asking me to help cover the largest pet product show in the world, being held in a convention hall that seemed to be intentionally designed to get you lost in its cavernous expanse. I barely knew who Ericka was until we met at breakfast before the first day — that breakfast staff meeting, an hour before hitting the show floor, was also when I met Dr. Becker for the first time.
After the first day, the only thought running through my head was how much my feet hurt. Somehow (and I have to admit, I don’t remember all the details), it all went ok. Better than ok, according to Dr. Becker and Gina. I learned some important lessons through the experience.
The big, glitzy, well-lit booths in the center of the hall have the cushiest carpeting and the best food for visitors (don’t be stupid – stop by there and look interested!), but for the cool stuff you have to walk to the perimeter areas. With the “little guys,” you won’t speak to paid representatives, but instead you get to chat with the president and founder of the company. They don’t just know the products, they built them themselves. That’s a whole different ballgame. Their passion for what they do is infectious.Pace yourself and take very good notes. One small corner of the hall can easily take two hours, and in short order you can walk by hundreds of items spanning 15 categories. It’s all a blur after ten minutes. Good notes are key, so was thankful for my journalism training from way back when dinosaurs still roamed their earth…I wonder what their trade shows looked like?Your experience isn’t everyone’s experience. In our meetings, one person (sometimes that person had a beard and was named David) would say “this was absolutely the dumbest product in the hall,” and two others would immediately point out why it was actually very creative and deserving of another look. Remember our motto “Question everything” that we repeat all the time? It applies in trade shows, too. Of course, then I’d have to walk another 489 miles to get back to that product I originally didn’t like, and those booths never have the good snacks.The big staff victory dinner the last night of the trip — worth all the work that preceded it. Let’s just say there’s nothing like a great victory meal with friends.Another important truth: as engaging as he is on television and in print, Dr. Becker is much more magnetic in person. There’s no other way to say it. You have to meet the man to really understand what I’m talking about, and I love watching people’s reactions when they realize ‘That is Dr. Marty Becker!’ After working with her for just two days, Ericka became a dear friend, and I couldn’t wait for March 2011 to roll around so we could all be together again.
During the rest of the year, my staff role evolved. Now, I help Gina and Christie “keep the trains running” on the blog. When it came time to strategize for this year’s GPE, the circumstances were very different. I wasn’t the new guy anymore. I knew the drill. I knew how the floor was laid out, what went into the selection process, and how the blogging process needed to work. More importantly, Gina and Dr. Becker are now in the last minute stages of preparing for the Big Bus Tour, which is like figuring out the world’s biggest Rubik’s Cube. In a phone call a week or two ago about something else entirely, Gina said in an offhand way “Oh yeah, I want you to run the coverage for us. You know what you’re doing. It’ll be fine.”
My response to Gina, no matter what she’s ever asked, has always been “Ok, I’m on it.” Here was the latest challenge. Coordinating the coverage and selection process would have been terrifying if it hadn’t involved such a tremendous team. For me, this year involved at least double the work as last year, but it’s also been double the fun. The proudest moment for me was yesterday afternoon in the press room when, after our roundtable meeting (Dr. Becker, Gina, Ericka and myself), I knew we had our list and our winner. It was a team effort, and there’s no team better than Team Becker. The products are outstanding, and although there were a few choices that required some discussion, in a way they almost picked themselves.
My biggest regret? I have to wait another whole year to do it again.
Photo credit: Team Becker at Petmate’s GPE booth
I know the rest of the PetConnection team has already written their blog posts, but this is honestly the first time I’ve had a chance to sit down with my laptop. As usual, I’ve been on the move non-stop since Teresa and I got off the plane. I walk every inch of the trade-show floor, several times, and usually have a handful of commitments to sign books, act as a master of ceremony for one presentation or another … and of course, I know just about everyone here so I can’t make it 20 feet without stopping to say hello. I never used to “cover” Global Pet Expo, but since Gina and I became writing partners we’ve really had a blast building a reporting team and coming up with a list of our PetConnection crew’s favorite products from among the tens of thousands on display.
Petmate – 
On the next stage (yes, there are several stages), there’s an international Bollywood musical going on. Beautiful men and women in eye-popping costumes are dancing and singing the story of how Himalayan Dog Chew got its start in humble beginnings on yak and cow farms in the mountains near Nepal. The latter part, at least, is true. 
Because my husband is a bicyclist, one of my favorite products at Pet Expo is the 
Back by popular demand is the talent show and beauty contest to determine “America’s Veterinarian Idol.” Dr. Marty Becker, author of the new “