After a number of false restarts over the years, it’s no wonder there might be some skepticism regarding our return to active life. And if truth be told, we were a bit skeptical ourselves. But the facts of the matter are clear cut. The stars have aligned in epic style. The time is now. There is no turning back.

So, let’s go back almost 20 years and remember the aftermath of 9/11. The tradeshow and event industry took a big hit. It seemed catastrophic at the time. Tradeshow Blues was conceived in the Fall of 2001 primarily to divert some of our thinking away from all the negativity and help us to see our work and the industry in a little different light. A lighter light if you will.

What happened next is a long story and we’ll be telling some of it as we go here. Not all of it is all that interesting, but we’ll try to sift through and deliver some of the nuggets that might be. You can decide.

I said the stars aligned and that made the return of Tradeshow Blues inevitable. And when I say the return, I’m referring to the full platform. Our social media accounts have remained in place since the beginning of time, around 2008 (SMT). TradeshowBlues.com has been offline for quite a few years. Not sure how many, but if pressed, I’ll search for an answer.

Like I said, it’ll be 20 years this Fall since the birth of TSB. So, it’s an anniversary of sorts. But think about the parallels. The difficulties we felt after 9/11 seem to pale in comparison to what we’ve gone through in the last year with the pandemic. I’ve said for many years that the decision as to whether or not we ever brought TSB back in full force would not be made by me or anyone else.

No… I knew the Universe would tell us. And frankly, that’s about as spiritual as I’m gonna get at the moment, only to say that I’ve learned over the years to watch closely, listen carefully and avoid unnecessary expectations where possible. It is simply time to move forward.

It’s not entirely clear exactly how all of this will play out. There’s no detailed business plan. Been there. But there is a destination. And as I’ve said many times, especially at the signature close of my podcasts over the years, the first rule is to stay focused on the destination. Rule number two is to keep all the options open on how you get there. So that’s how we’re gonna do it.

This is a year-long revival, renewal, regeneration, and celebration. And there’s no hurry. There are no deadlines. No rush. It will all happen incrementally. Some things faster than others. But as Richard Erschik would say, “there’s no reason to do anything faster so we can do nothing with it sooner.” Wise words.

Stay tuned and stay in touch. It’s not difficult. You can do all of that right here.