The Whirlwind Winds Down...

Three days of constant talking, running, hauling, thinking of on-the-spot answers to questions, and drinking considerably less caffeine than I am used to, has worn this Diva out!!! (Note to someone, anyone: Build a Starbucks on the corner by the Comfort Inn & DenverMart, PLEASE!) My voice is pretty much gone at this point...I think I may have said no more than three words to my dear husband on the whole flight home. I gave every last bit of myself in my seminars and consultations, and that's all she wrote, honey!

The Denver Gift Show was a blast, let me tell you....
Many thanks to Evonne Eiseman and Carol Hash of the market staff, who took excellent care of me and Mr. Deb. They are such fun... Evonne is a brunette double for actress Diane Keaton - only not neurotic, just bubbly! Saucy Carol has some really cute clothes that I covet! These ladies both work tirelessly to make sure the shows are a big success, and they pull it off every time. I know he won't read this, but thank you, Wizard of Oz Craig for making sure the sound system was on its game. Except for one little ear-piercing snafu, which I think was entirely MY fault, 'the man behind the curtain' rocked!

I did get to meet Ray Gaulke of the Gift & Home Channel, and we had a great discussion about networking online and how it is changing business. Ray has asked me to participate in providing content for GHC, and I am excited about what we are going to do. Stay tuned...

I met so many wonderful people in Denver...attendees at my presentations, exhibitors who provided awesome products for my stage setup, show & market staff, and a few assorted characters (ahem...Woody, the jokester). I'll have several posts in the coming days to recap that and the content of my seminars. Which is hard, because I always include so much information in my presentations & handouts that it's quite a chore to condense them. But I'll try!

A shot of the stage setup and yours truly, yappin' away. (Thanks Mr. Deb, for the photos & video!) Take a gander at those yummy golden yellow walls...they painted the forum rooms and wow did it make a difference! Have you ever watched the Oprah show, and thought that the whole audience looks like makeup artists have gone out there and spiffed 'em all up? There, it's pink lighting. Here, it's golden yellow walls. Everyone in the room looked MAHvelous, dahlink! And there were LOTS of people in the room...

According to Evonne, I totally shattered the market record for attendance at a seminar. Twice. 147 people in the first seminar on Display (and it was at 8:30 AM, too!) and 89 in the afternoon session on Store Design. Evonne had to run out and make more copies of my handout while I was speaking, so that everyone could get one! I am always thrilled when I am interacting with a crowd of people who really are interested in these subjects. I mean, obviously they are MY passion, but to see retailers who realize the value of visual presentation in their stores makes my heart skip a beat. Thank you to every single person who attended my seminars in Denver - you made MY day!

PS: I just received an email from the Gift & Home Channel...we are on our way!
And I learned that I've already been mentioned in one of their blogs. Oops, I've asked that they make sure and correct my name on there! ;0)