At this point all the deals have been done, all the business cards and contact info has been exchanged and everyone is ready to go (including me). The show is only open to 2PM instead of the usual 5PM, and nobody wants to haul all the candy/products back home with them so just about everything is being given away now – and everyone knows it. The amount of looting and pillaging that goes on is almost scary. The show gives you a single small bag each day that is allowed on the floor and can be used for samples but NO other bags are allowed. On the last day, everything goes. (Pictures coming)
Despite all of this, I walked the floor on Day 3 not looking for freebies. Ok, I was looking for a few freebies to give to my six-year-old daughter and some milk chocolate for my wife – I promised. I was really looking to see who I missed talking to the previous two days. I managed to find a number of companies that I had meant to talk to but hadn’t yet and I made some great contacts.
We also took our turn in the “Treasure Room” today. This is a large room full of candy samples from many companies and you’re given a single small bag (for reference, it might hold a dozen soda cans) and you can fill the bag up with all the free candy you want – but the bag must be “leveled-off” with candy – no overstuffing. This is a one-time trip – you get one trip through the Treasure Room for the whole show. It was like an adult Trick-or-Treat session, without the begging. They play various pop songs overhead about candy like “Candy Girl”, “Lollipop, Lollipop”, “The Candy Man”, etc. The press room is right next to the Treasure Room so you can hear those songs from there too. If I never hear the “I Want Candy” song again, it will be too soon. There wasn’t really much in there I hadn’t seen before and my luggage was already jam-packed with candy so I had to be picky with what I took. I didn’t even fill my bag… you know there was a lot of candy at the show when this Candy Addict didn’t fill his bag full of free candy.
Pictures coming….
Yeah, I was unimpressed with the Treasure room. It was all stuff they had in the press room anyways! :)
September 21st, 2007 at 10:43 amAs a buyer attending the show, I was somewhat shocked at the behavior of other attendees! Grown men in business suits were stuffing their pockets in the treasure room. All for the love of Neccos!
As far as the rule regarding no other bags, I witnessed many attendees with large tote bags, brought in empty to the show and filled to the brim on the way out. It made me a little envious by the end of the day, toting around 12 lbs of brochures and price lists by hand and my little sample bag of candies!
September 24th, 2007 at 5:49 pmi would be like a kid in a candy store , and im 45 years old ! LOL !
September 20th, 2008 at 2:26 pm