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March 26, 2008
ExpoWest Fun
This is my very first blog entry and I'm feeling a little bit shy. Who's reading this? Do you think that "blog" is a funny word, too? I'm afraid I'm going to like this too much and I'll become another Perez Hilton (don't pretend you don't know who I'm talking about). Here I go...
For those of you in the industry (I'm talkin' about natural products here), you know all about ExpoWest. For the rest of you—ExpoWest is the huge tradeshow in Anaheim, California for "natural" products. Spending the first portion of our trip in the Anza Borrego desert was a very smart move (warmth, relaxation, beer, wildflowers), but once we were in Anaheim we hit the ground running. There's so much going on—all under one roof (with awful florescent lighting)—it can be very "soul-crushing" in the moment, as someone so eloquently put it. Now that I'm re-energized, I can tell you that it's not that bad. Our booth was rockin' with constant traffic and activity! Everyone seemed to know who we were—or wanted to learn...we were finally the popular kids! Believe me, we've paid our dues. If you've ever attended a tradeshow, you know that there are good areas to have a booth and very, very bad areas. We have graduated from the bad areas and this year seems to be the turning point for us. There is now no respite from the masses...and I'm not exactly complaining—just a little bit. Seriously, though...not to sound dorky, but it's really amazing to be a part of something that's garnering so much attention. Juniper Ridge deserves it. Check out this photo of our fabulous goods—doesn't it make you want to consume?
Our booth is pretty darn great—it's made entirely of reclaimed wood. Some of the wood is local (from an old chicken coop) and other parts are old plum drying trays (for making prunes). We're quite happy in our little booth—it's a welcoming place since most booths are comprised of plastic and metal. This tradeshow takes place right down the street from Disneyland, so we decided to try our hand at "themed" attire (Juniper Ridge-style)—think Deadwood meets Even Cowgirls Get the Blues meets I don't know what—we got a little bit lazy about it.
Just when I thought I was going to hit a wall from talking to so many people, Hall had the brilliant idea to infuse some Maker's Mark with white sage and mint (we did this in our "hippie shed"—the part of our booth where we store odds and ends - and it felt kind of naughty—like bootlegging). Now I really don't want to tarnish our image or anything, but I want to make it very clear that tradeshows are not conducive to wholesome behavior. I know that there's this "lifestyle" that we try to uphold, but it's hard to be perfect all the time (just for the record—I, myself, am not all that wholesome...I'm not going to speak for the rest of the Juniper Ridge crew). You all must know that Hall's drink was quite fabulous—you can make it at home with our sage and mint teabags. Now for a photo of Hall—ruler of the roost...
Here's to another successful year at ExpoWest! I guess we better start wildcrafting...
Posted by alli at March 26, 2008 12:30 PM