Risky Business

Gearin up for the Expo!

 Hi Everyone!  

…It’s almost here, the best event of the year for our Expediting Community…the 2011 Expedite Expo held at Roberts Convention Centre in Wilmington, Ohio Friday, July 22nd and Saturday, July 23rd.

Some exhibitors will be arriving Wednesday evening so that we can start “set up” bright and early on Thursday.   The beautiful trucks are brought inside first, polished and shined for the CIS Drivers’ Choice Award Competition.   Then the rest of us spend the afternoon setting up our booths, taking plenty of time to catch up with old friends…to be continued over burgers and beer that evening.

Friday at 9:00 am the doors open wide and the Expo begins!   Be sure to pick up your Registration form that says “CIS $1,000 DAILY CASH GIVEAWAYS” so that you can vote for the truck you think is “Best in Show” for our CIS Drivers’ Choice Award.  

As you roam through the show, look for the truck that catches your eye.   On the windshield will be that truck’s number.   Write that number where it says “Official Ballot” on the flip side of your Registration form.   Drop that Form into any of the white contest boxes you’ll see throughout the facility, including my booth (where you can tell me WHY you thought it was best if you like!)

AT 3:00 I gather up the boxes, review to make sure no more than 1 vote per person (duplicates are disqualified…not that I think there could be ballot stuffing!)   Then at 4:00, the first drawing begins!

You must be eligible to win, and you must be able to provide a photo I.D.   I’ll start pulling names out of the bag, read the name…and if no one responds, we’ll all count “One,Two….Three!!!!...”

…and if that person doesn’t show themselves…they’ve just lost their shot at $1,000 CASH!  

The first person who’s name is called as winner, IS PRESENT AND RESPONDS IMMEDIATELY…will drive home with $1,000 in their pocket…how fun is that?

At that point we close up the trade show portion of the show, grab a bite to eat…then MORE fun begins at 7:00 pm with the CIS/Progressive Casino Night!    This is our second year to sponsor this event…it was such a blast last year that we had to!   If you didn’t hear about it, talk to someone who was there…the DJ and Dealers provide 3 hours of creative, WILD fun while gambling for FunBucks “tickets”.  

Be sure to hang onto your tickets, because at 10:00 pm when the “gambling” officially ends…the “drawing” for prizes begins!

I'm totally impressed with the generosity of the Exhibitors prize donations at this year’s Expo…we have so many things to draw for that I don’t have room to list them here…but you’ll like them…trust me!

Then party, party, party the rest of the evening out on the patio, get some sleep, then back at the Expo again at 9:00 Saturday morning.  

Be sure to check out the numerous workshops both days that are there for your educational advancement in understanding and SUCCEEDING in Expediting.   (John Mueller w/ PTL and I will hold one Friday morning at 10:00 on Safety and Insurance in Franklin Room 2.)    

There will be fun events & drawings throughout both days.   (Personally, I’m looking forward to watching Jungle Jack Hannah with his animals over at the Panther booth both days at 2:00.)   Panther is providing some healthy TV/DVD combo “GiveAways”, with EsparParts.com generously offering a spectacular $1,200 value Espar Heater at 3:00 on Saturday…way to go, Ray!)

Then, while everyone is at EsparParts.com booth #180, I’ll be gathering up the white boxes again at 3:00 that contain the CIS Drivers’ Choice Award ballots for Saturday.   This is when I squirrel away to count the ballots for the truck that will receive this award for Best in Show by YOUR VOTES.

At 4:00, we’ll gather to present all of the exhibitor awards for the Expo including the CIS Drivers’ Choice…and also when we draw for ANOTHER CIS $1000 CASH prize!  

So be sure to stay all day on Saturday, you have a tremendous shot at winning because our show isn’t that big…and someone from our Expediting Community will go home with $1,000 in their pocket!

As you can probably tell, I’m very excited about this year’s show…I think the stars are aligned for strong growth in our industry for the 3rd and 4th quarters of 2011…with 2012 stronger still.   So be sure to come, take advantage of everything it has to offer our Expediting Community has to offer, and Network, Network…Network!

Shelly Benisch, CIC                                 [email protected]

Commercial Insurance Solutions (CIS booth # D3…moved from #167)

www.MyCISagent.com