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Truck show season kicks off in March, and it’s all I’m hearing about these days. Apparently, MATS is going to be one heck of a show – we’ve heard from all kinds of people about all kinds of neat stuff that’s going to happen there. I’m going to be brutally honest and say it’s my least favorite show, because of the immensity and sometimes bizarre layout, but it definitely has the best parking lot party of the events we attend, and I think I’m looking forward to seeing Tony Justice do the OOIDA stage in the Papa John’s lot as much as seeing The Marshall Tucker Band at the show.
It’s going to be a blast.
The shows are a great way to recharge and fellowship. It’s awesome to see people we only see once or twice a year, and catch up on new things coming out. There are free classes and seminars, and tons of information on how to make your business better. Also, if you walk around the showroom floor with a big sack, you can collect 972,000 ink pens, and no one hates you for it.
If you have the opportunity, and happen to be rolling through Louisville anytime March 26 through 28, it’s a fun thing to participate in. If you register in advance, it’s free admission, and if you park in the Papa John’s lot, you can get a shuttle back and forth to the convention center at no charge. Be advised, the P.J. lot fills up pretty quick – but it’s almost as good as the show-truck beauty competition going on down the street at the show. I saw some incredible trucks in the lot last year, and I’m looking forward to seeing more this year.
Louisville is definitely the best bang for your buck when it comes to sheer size. It’s almost like two shows in one, because of the parking lot element, and if you’re looking for the show that every single gadget dealer in the business attends, it’s your paradise. Word to the wise – the truck parking area around the convention center has been a mud-boggin’ nightmare the past couple years, so I’d think twice before putting the truck there, but other than that, it’s a humongous place. Be prepared to walk. A lot.
We look forward to seeing our “internet friends” — it’s always nice to put a face to people we interact with all year. And while I will never get used to random strangers yelling, “Hey!! It’s George and Wendy!!” I love to meet our friends from the road.
So come on down to Louisville, enjoy the show, buy some cool gadgets and be around people who won’t look at you funny when you talk about your glad hands in public. All the cool kids are doing it.
