Time for a Cool Change...

Article titles and content sometimes come to me in the strangest ways. This one came to me as I was enjoying the cool weather outside the Long Beach Convention Center, as the 2013 SAAC Show was about to begin.

Some of you may not be familiar with the Little River Band's classic song Cool Change, but it was a Top 10 hit in 1980. OK, I'm old. This is odd because I haven't thought about this song for many years. It was a hit record. Remember records? If you remember this song, I should probably apologize for the earworm I just gave you.

Earworm: A song that sticks in your mind, and will not leave no matter how much you try. The best way to get rid of an earworm is to replace it with another. Be prepared to become a jukebox.

I truly enjoy the cool weather and peaceful location on the water that hosts the Specialty Advertising Association of California's annual trade show. An hour up the road where I live, it's HOT. At the SAAC Show it's a nice, comfortable 78 degrees.

There are some strange lines in the song that I don't quite get, like: "The albatross and the whales, they are my brothers". ...Really?? I don't have any of those kind of siblings. But another lyric applies perfectly to this trade show and industry involvement in general: "Lots of those friendly people, they're showing me ways to go. And I never want to lose their inspiration."

There are many trade shows in our industry and I really enjoy all of them. As the lyric mentions, there are lots of friendly people in our industry. Through education and networking I've experienced through the years, I'm inspired. Were it not for these relationships developed through industry involvement, I wouldn't be where I am at in by career today.