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I've
been
covering
T.R.A.F.F.I.C.
conferences for almost a decade now (ever
since the first
one in October 2004) and from
the start the only downside for me has
been running out of time before
seeing everyone I wanted to see during the
fast paced event. So, it was a very
welcome development to see co-founders Rick
Schwartz and Howard Neu add a
couple of |
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pre-show
"Cabana Networking" days
to the conference schedule in recent
years. For the upcoming show at the Ritz
Carlton on Fort Lauderdale Beach,
those days will be Friday and Saturday,
October 18 & 19, with the show
officially opening Sunday evening, October
20 (and running through Wednesday morning,
October 23).
A
view of the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. cabanas just
before last year's show got underway at
the Ritz Carlton on Fort
Lauderdale beach. The cabana row is
just below the pool deck and guests can
walk back and forth between the two levels
via a short stairway on each side of the
pool and cabana row. |
The
thing about T.R.A.F.F.I.C. is that a single
conversation can lead to a business deal
that pays for your entire trip to the
show (and continue to pay dividends long after
the show is over), so it obviously helps to have
as many of those conversations as you can. In
many cases, the more informal the
setting, the better for chatting and
that's where T.R.A.F.F.I.C.'s cabana networking
days shine. With
just a few dozen early birds on hand there is a
lot more face to face time with those
people (in one of the world's most beautiful
settings) than is possible once the show is in
full swing with several hundred people on hand.
More importantly, the few dozen that get into
town early include some of the most interesting,
successful and passionate people in the
industry (if they weren't passionate they
wouldn't be there early)! 
Some
of the 2012 T.R.A.F.F.I.C East early birds
on the Ritz Carlton pool deck the
Saturday before the show opened. If
you are going to T.R.A.F.F.I.C. anyhow, it makes
sense on a lot of levels to join the growing
flock of early birds. The only added cost is a
couple of more nights in a hotel. Those who come
in Friday (Oct. 18), as Diana and I will,
can enjoy an added free bonus (beyond a
day of networking in the cabanas and around the
pool). The Ritz Carlton will be hosting one of
their most popular public events that night -
their All
Hallow's Eve Party under a full
moon on the pool deck overlooking the
Atlantic Ocean. The T.R.A.F.F.I.C. crowd
will stake out a prime piece of deck turf for
that event so early birds can count on enjoying
their first evening in town. There
will be another full day of networking in the
sun Saturday (Oct. 19) followed by an
evening when people can head out in their own
dinner groups to the many restaurants within
easy walking distance of the hotel (the Ritz is
right in the middle of everything on Fort
Lauderdale Beach). 
A
large group of 2012 T.R.A.F.F.I.C. East early
birds at a pre-show dinner hosted by
DNForum.com owner Adam Dicker at Shula's
on the Beach. When
the bulk of the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. crowd arrives
Sunday you will be well ahead of the game
(with two days of networking already under your
belt and a pretty nice tan to boot)! What
more could you ask for? Whenever
you will be getting into town we will look
forward to seeing you there. October usually
produces some of Florida's most beautiful
weather (we are enjoying a gorgeous day as I
write this) so pack your swimsuit and sunglasses
alongside your business cards and come on
down!
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