Making the Most Out of Your Week

In this week's episode, we talk about the extra events that help foster new relationships, networking, and connections when the trade show wraps up and the demos are done for the day. 

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Welcome back to Fuse to Finale, the official NFA podcast where we take you behind the scenes and give you everything you need to know leading up to our annual expo. This year we're answering some questions you might have and giving you a behind-the-scenes scoop of what you need to know before you arrive in Fort Wayne, Indiana. We've talked about what's new, we've talked about the auction, and we've talked about some things that you may need to know before you get there. But this week I want to talk about something a little different. I want to talk to you about how to make the most out of your week at the expo. Because if your plan is go to the trade show, go to the demos, maybe catch a seminar, and then go back to your hotel room, you're missing a lot of the fun. There is so much happening outside of the trade show floor this year, and honestly, some of the best parts of the expo happen after the business is done for the day. So today we're gonna walk through some of these events and more importantly, how you can actually make the most of them. So let's light the fuse and let's get started. We're not gonna do that. We're not gonna follow logic here, right? I want to talk to you about the events that we're really excited about and we're really pushing people to join us for, and those start on Monday. So we have our kickoff cocktail party before the demos, and we have our kickoff after glow after the demos. Let's talk about those. On Monday, we're gonna start things off with our kickoff cocktail hour. And if you're coming into town and you're thinking, I don't really know anybody, I'm new to the industry, this is my first expo, or maybe you know a handful of people, but you're still relatively new to the NFA, go to this. Seriously, this is probably one of the easiest opportunities you have in the entire week to get started with meeting people. You've got a drink in your hand, complimentary, because everybody gets a drink ticket when they walk in, everybody's getting settled in, the week hasn't gotten crazy yet, and there really isn't an agenda other than getting together. There'll be snacks, a bar, everybody gets one drink ticket when they walk in, and then it's a cash bar after that if you want to keep the party going. And it's just a way to sit down, say hi to people, and get relaxed before the demos start for the evening. Here's something I want to challenge you to do. Talk to somebody you don't know. You don't have to walk up with some big pitch, just hey, where are you from? What company are you with? Is this your first NFA? How long have you been coming? That's it. Because those five-minute conversations at the beginning of the week really do make the rest of your week better. Now, when you see that person in the trade show, you know somebody. You see them at demos, you know somebody. You walk into another event, you know somebody. That's how you start building your NFA circle. I do want to give a huge thank you to Brothers Pyrotechnics. As our diamond sponsor, they also did sponsor our kickoff cocktail hour. So thank you to brothers for that. One new thing about the kickoff cocktail party this year is last year we piloted it and we did it at the convention center before the demos. This year we're doing it out at the demo site to encourage people to get out there early, mingle with people, and then you're out there for the demos. And all of those great companies that are shooting on Monday have the attendance of people who came in early. And then after the kickoff cocktail party, we have our demos. And after our demos, we have our kickoff afterglow. By this point, people are in town, everybody's getting into expo mode, getting ready for the following day, full of seminars, the trade show opening, all of the things, and we're ready to have some fun. The biggest thing I want you to know about Afterglows is that they're not just parties. Obviously, we want you to have fun, but these are some of the best networking opportunities of the entire week because everybody's relaxed, you're not trying to catch someone between meetings, between seminars, you're not trying to talk to them five people deep in a booth, nobody has to run off to get to the next thing because the schedule is so tight. You actually have time to talk. So again, don't spend the entire night talking with the same five people you came with. You're probably gonna be sick of them by the end of the week anyway. So meet someone new. Sticking with our afterglow conversation, we are bringing back our themed afterglow on Tuesday night. Last year we did a 90s night. It was an amazing time. We had a karaoke room, we had a DJ, a photo booth, all the things. Great food, great drinks. We encouraged people to dress in theme, and we are bringing that back this year with a twist. This year we celebrated America's 250th birthday, and we are really leaning into that theme. So we are going to be having an all-American 250 themed afterglow. This is definitely one of those nights where I really want to encourage people to come and have a good time. We're gonna have drinks, we're gonna have food, a photo booth, a DJ, karaoke, all the things that make a fun event fun, we're gonna have it. And by Tuesday night, something else starts happening. You've met people, you've seen people at registration, at the demos, in the seminars, you've met people at this point. So you know these people, you have these contacts, you can strike up a conversation, follow up with them. This is where the networking becomes an actual relationship. Instead of just saying hello again, ask them, how's your week going so far? Did you see anything cool at the trade show today? What did you think of the demos? What was your favorite demo of the night? Are you going to the auction? Did you find anything that you really want to bid on yet? You've got something to talk about. And honestly, this is when the expo starts to feel less like a convention and more like a reunion. So we've talked about two of our afterglows. We've talked about the All-American 250, we've talked about the kickoff. We are adding in a third afterglow this year because somehow we get to the end of the week. And that's where we have our see you later send-off party. And at this point, you're probably exhausted. I know I will be. Your feet hurt, your voice is questionable, your phone is full of pictures, and your bag is stuffed full of stuff from trade show booths. Probably thinking about the drive or the flight home, but don't disappear just yet. The send-off party is your last opportunity to get everybody together as we officially wrap up another great NFA expo. This will be out at Cruise Plaza after the last demo wraps up and after we have our grand display. Once that wraps up, we head back inside to Cruise Plaza. We have some drinks, we have some snacks, and we just send off the week and we end it with a bang. This is your last call for those. We should talk after the expo. Send me your information. I'll get connected with so and so. Get the phone number, scan the QR code, connect on LinkedIn, connect on social media, send yourself a note, whatever you have to do, because once you get home, regular life starts back up and it can get lost in your daily shuffle. Okay, we cannot talk about making the most of Expo Week without talking about our auction. If you've never been to the auction before, you have got to experience it. I did an entire episode with Tom Wilson, our beloved auctioneer, a few episodes back. It's called Big Bids. Go check that out with all the details of the auction for you. I'm not going to repeat all of that here, but here is one of our bigger events of the week. It is our annual fundraising auction. Every bit of the proceeds go back to the organization. It helps support our advocacy efforts. It helps us put on our great trade show. It helps us do all the things that make the NFA the NFA. Here's my biggest tip for this: don't wait until the day the auction starts to figure out what you're wanting to bid on. We will have the items out for you to be able to look at during afterglows, during lunch, before and after the keynote speakers. You will be able to see what is going to be auctioned off. We are going to be adding things every single day as people bring them to donate. So walk through, look at everything, figure out what catches your eye, maybe set yourself a budget. Whether you stick to that budget or not is between you and your bank account. But the auction is really one of those NFA traditions that you just have to experience once in your life. And once you experience it once, you're gonna want to come back every year. There's competition, there's usually some friendly trash talk, and there are things that you didn't know you needed until somebody else starts bidding on them. And most importantly, you're supporting the NFA and our mission. And if you're planning on bidding this year, make sure you check out those cool pyro donkey paddles. Courtesy and big thank you to Wisely Pyrotechnics for being our platinum level sponsor and sponsoring our option. Next up is Ladies Day, and this is the one that I especially want women coming to the expo to have on their radar because this gives us a dedicated opportunity to step away from everything else happening and really just prepare ourselves for the week. It doesn't have anything business related, it's literally just a fun little get-together opportunity for the girlies to sit and yap. I talked to our president Stacy about starting a Ladies Day, and she said, Well, you know, we actually used to do this. And so my wheel started turning and I started thinking about what we could do that's engaging. It doesn't really take a lot to get off of site. How can we make this an event to just kind of start our week for the people that are coming in on Sunday before everything really starts on Monday morning? And thus, Ladies' Day was brought back to life. This year's Ladies' Day, we are doing a cookie decorating class. Amy Bakes is a local Fort Wayne baker and she puts on a cookie decorating class. So she will be bringing in all of the supplies we need: the cookies, the icing, the instructions, everything that we need, she will provide for Ladies' Day. She'll walk us through step by step of decorating six fall-themed cookies that we then get to take and snack on later. This is a ticketed event, but your ticket includes all of the cookies, all of the materials, the live instruction, a drink from the bar, and light snacks. So you want to make sure that you're signing up for this as spots are limited. This is going to be at the convention center so you don't have to travel anywhere else to get there and have fun. On a personal level, the ladies that I've met within the NFA, our great president Stacy, our secretary Sabrina, our committee members, all of the great vendors, all of the great members, the people that I've met and the women that are sticking together in this business are incredible. You don't want to miss out on this opportunity to make some new friends. Here's one thing I really don't want getting lost in the shuffle of the week our product spotlight presentations. These are new for 2026, and we talked about them in our What's New for 2026. We're talking about events. This is a new event. I want to invite everyone to come out to these. The whole idea behind these is simple. The trade show is fantastic for discovering products, meeting companies, but sometimes 10 minutes standing in a booth five people deep just isn't enough. Maybe you want to see how something actually works. Maybe there's technology involved. Maybe you have more questions. Maybe a company has something new that deserves more explanation than they can realistically give you while they're also trying to manage their booth. That's where these product spotlight presentations come in. Companies are getting dedicated time to come in in an environment where they can talk and walk you through what they're offering. We are constantly adding new product spotlight spots so you can find that information on our website and that QR code that is there, you can scan and the schedule is updated in real time. So here's my recommendation before the expo, or at least at the very beginning of the week, look at that schedule. Pick the ones that might apply to your business or just sound interesting to you. Put them on your schedule. Don't say, oh, I'll remember. I won't, you won't, we won't. There's way too much happening. Just put it in your phone. We have a lot of great companies signed up for product spotlight presentations so far, including some technology-based companies. We have some companies that are revealing new products. We have a lot of great presentations. So you want to make sure you check out that schedule and build some time in for it. I'm going to give you a challenge for Fort Wayne. I'm actually going to give you a few. Don't hate me. During Expo Week, here are your challenges. Meet five new people. Not just a hey, nice to meet you. Actually have a conversation. Number two, go to one event that you've never attended before. If you've always skipped the afterglows, go. If you've never done Ladies Day, which most of us probably haven't, go. If you've never been to the auction, see what happens. You're not going to be upset that you came to a great event. Number three, go to at least one product spotlight presentation that could help your business. And finally, number four, don't overschedule yourself so much that you miss the people because that's really what this all comes back to. Yes, there are products, there are booths, there are demos, there are seminars, there's business happening everywhere. But the NFA is also a community. And we have people coming to Fort Wayne from all over the country who understand the industry, understand the business, and probably understand and have some of the same challenges that you face in your daily business life. Take advantage of having all of these people in one place. So your expo event checklist, Ladies' Day, kickoff cocktails, kickoff afterglow, all American Afterglow, Auction, Product Spotlights, Send Off Afterglow. Your job, don't just put them on the schedule. Show up and have a good time. We are getting so close to Fort Wayne. And at this point, all of these pieces that we've been talking about are starting to come together. And I cannot wait for you to see what we've been working on. Keep watching the NFA website, Expo Communications, Facebook page, and the official schedule for exact times, locations, and updates. And if you're listening to this thinking, okay, maybe I actually will go to the Afterglow this year. Good. I'll see you there. Make sure you subscribe to Fuse to Finale wherever you get your podcasts Apple, Spotify, Amazon, YouTube, all of the places, all of the things. And make sure you're tuning in every single week for an update and a new look at the NFA Expo. Until next time, everybody sees the finale and we're starting to notice the fuse. I'll see you in Fort Wayne.