Exhausting but Successful
In case anyone was wondering or cares, this is the "exhausting but successful" day I mentioned in my last post.
On Thursday I took part in one of the conferences my company sponsors. I'd helped out at a trade show where we had a booth once before, but this was my first time working one of our own conferences, so I was very nervous. I would have to arrive at the hotel before 7am, set up the display booth, distribute our promotional material, and just generally be a booth-monkey.
Wednesday night I ran to our local Target to pick up a candy bowl and candy to put into it. Upon getting back, I looked at the candy (two bags of Hershey's Kisses, in pretty harvest-colored wrappers) and determined that it would not be enough. Back I went, and got a bag of every variety of Kisses I could find. Only about half of them got taken (most of them by the staff), but I think it was still a good call. Besides, I'm getting reimbursed for it!
Alarm went off at stupid-o'clock. I pulled on the red interview suit (which luckily I'd had the brains to lay out the night before), stuck the candy in my bag along with my good shoes, and toddled off through the darkness and rain. My goal was the Roosevelt Hotel, which is really beautiful but a bit of a pain to get to by public transit: I had to take the PATH to 34th, then the subway up one stop to Times Square, then the shuttle over to Grand Central, THEN navigate the weirdness that is east side around Grand Central -- again, in the rain, though by now the sun was coming up -- until I found the hotel.
I don't know if it was just me being tired, but I had more trouble than usual getting the booth up, even with help. It was lumpy, and at one point it fell over, which was kind of exciting and funny, especially since nobody actually got hurt. I was probably a bit flustered, as people were already starting to arrive, and I had to get the booth set up and simultaneously start harassing people for free memberships.
Apparently, I was a huge hit. All I really did was smile, and offer them free stuff, and wish them a good convention, all the while pretending my feet weren't killing me. Oh, and I put magazines in the ladies room. In a way it felt like roleplaying. I'm glad this isn't my full-time job, but it was enjoyable for once in a while, and I think they're going to ask me to do it again. It's nice to know I haven't entirely lost the knack of turning on the charm when needed.
On Thursday I took part in one of the conferences my company sponsors. I'd helped out at a trade show where we had a booth once before, but this was my first time working one of our own conferences, so I was very nervous. I would have to arrive at the hotel before 7am, set up the display booth, distribute our promotional material, and just generally be a booth-monkey.
Wednesday night I ran to our local Target to pick up a candy bowl and candy to put into it. Upon getting back, I looked at the candy (two bags of Hershey's Kisses, in pretty harvest-colored wrappers) and determined that it would not be enough. Back I went, and got a bag of every variety of Kisses I could find. Only about half of them got taken (most of them by the staff), but I think it was still a good call. Besides, I'm getting reimbursed for it!
Alarm went off at stupid-o'clock. I pulled on the red interview suit (which luckily I'd had the brains to lay out the night before), stuck the candy in my bag along with my good shoes, and toddled off through the darkness and rain. My goal was the Roosevelt Hotel, which is really beautiful but a bit of a pain to get to by public transit: I had to take the PATH to 34th, then the subway up one stop to Times Square, then the shuttle over to Grand Central, THEN navigate the weirdness that is east side around Grand Central -- again, in the rain, though by now the sun was coming up -- until I found the hotel.
I don't know if it was just me being tired, but I had more trouble than usual getting the booth up, even with help. It was lumpy, and at one point it fell over, which was kind of exciting and funny, especially since nobody actually got hurt. I was probably a bit flustered, as people were already starting to arrive, and I had to get the booth set up and simultaneously start harassing people for free memberships.
Apparently, I was a huge hit. All I really did was smile, and offer them free stuff, and wish them a good convention, all the while pretending my feet weren't killing me. Oh, and I put magazines in the ladies room. In a way it felt like roleplaying. I'm glad this isn't my full-time job, but it was enjoyable for once in a while, and I think they're going to ask me to do it again. It's nice to know I haven't entirely lost the knack of turning on the charm when needed.