New York Times Travel Show

my inner rory gilmore was absolutely screaming with excitement at the chance to attend the NYT Travel show—and with a press pass, no less!

truth be told, i had no idea what to expect. so, i did quite a bit of research before the "big day" in an attempt to not stick out as the trade show novice that i was.

my first inner question should probably have been, "ok, maggie, what's your objective? what do you want to accomplish here?" instead, it was, "holy. shit. what do i wear!?"

i made the wise decision to reach out to someone who's has attended a few trade shows to offer up some outfit advice. (thanks katie boué, not only are you my favorite outdoorist of them all, you saved me from a morning of clothing crisis/outfit-indecision induced panic attacks)

tip # 1: when in doubt, ask for advice...and figure out what you're wearing in advance 

with my outfit chosen—ironed, and laid out for the morning (hi, OCD)—i was ready to rock.

i'd never been to the javits center before (i know, i'm a bad new yorker...), so, i was a little nervous about navigating the expansive building. rather than walking in and flailing around like a chicken without a head i decided to go over the map and floor plan that was provided. not only did this allow me to familiarize myself with the building, it also allowed me to better plan my time inside the exhibit.

tip # 2: familiarize yourself with the floor plan/map...it will be your best friend 

fun fact: the building was actually not hard to navigate...like, at all. in fact, NYT/The Javits Center did an amazing job organizing the event. although, it was the 14th annual travel show, so i'm pretty sure they've got it down to a science by now. 

i grabbed a few booklets on my way in and made my way over to the press desk to grab my badge. 

why is it that as soon as you get to a sign-in area you suddenly start freaking out that you're not actually supposed to be there, or that you're not going to be able to get in because your name isn't on the list. when i finally got to the front of the line the woman behind the counter asked for my name. 

"maggie peikon?" i half asked, half told her. her brow furrowed as she typed something into her computer and i thought, that's it. my novice is showing. they're not going to let me in. it's over. 

no sooner did i start sweating than did she print out and hand over my press badge. ahhh, sweet relief. she told me to grab a red lanyard and head downstairs to the press room. 

side note: i was way too stoked about getting a lanyard. it felt so official. 

lanyards galoreeeee

essential costa rica (costa rica tourism board) was one of the event sponsors. their press conference was one that i didn't want to miss for a multitude of reasons. 1. it's my favorite place on earth and i'm always eager to learn about what's new and what's happening there 2. i had just went on a press trip to costa rica in november and 3. the woman that organized my trip was going to be there and i was so excited that our paths were going to cross again. 

tip # 3: know what you want to see, plan accordingly 

there are a lot of press conferences and seminars throughout the day. dozens to choose from, a lot of hands to shake, a lot of information to take in. realistically, you just can't make your way to every single one—much as you might want to. so, take the time to go over the schedule and decide what your absolute non-negotiable can't-miss talks are. 

just a few of the day's seminars — so much to see!

thankfully, two of the press conferences i wanted to sit in on most were back to back...and in the same room, so i didn't even have to move. 

i started my morning bright and early with a 9am press conference with essential costa rica, and a 10am with REI. ordinarily, i'm not one to start my morning with coffee (i've been off caffeine for a while now), or chocolate, but when you walk into a room with fresh costa rican chocolate AND coffee, you make an exception. 

after listening to these two talks i felt so inspired—and so ready to book my next adventure! it was amazing getting to learn about new initiatives, new programs, sustainability efforts, and new places to visit straight from the source. you really feed off the energy of the people giving the presentations, too, their passion is contagious. 

tip # 4: bring back up phone chargers 

i noticed a few people using their cell phones/iPads to record segments of the presentations while i was feverishly trying to jot things down. using the voice recorder sucks the life out of my phone, but it probably would've been easier than writing. hence tip # 4....

also, before settling into any seminars or press conferences, make a pit stop at the press room. 

this is like home base. 

you can leave your coat here, have a seat at a table, get your sh!t together, have a drink or a snack, and just breathe for a minute. you can also charge your phone here, too (though my best advice would be to bring a back up battery) because you might not have enough time between seminars to head back to the press room for a re-charge. 

tip # 5: don't forget to re-charge yourself, too 

the actual exhibit didn't open until 2pm, which meant (for me at least) a full 5 hours of talks, press conferences, and seminars until that time. you've got a lot going on. the day is long, and while it's probably a bit more fun than sitting at a desk (read: it is more fun) all day, you're still technically working. you deserve a break today just as much as any other work day! so make sure you take one. 

the javits center has a full cafeteria area so there's plenty of open spaces to sit, relax, and have a little bite to refuel. you'll want to be energized and exuberant as you walk around the trade show floor and meet the countless exhibitors! 

tip # 6: prep for mayhem 

i knew there were a lot of people here, but i swear 99% of them showed up just before the ribbon cutting! 

if you're someone who feels overwhelmed by crowds, or if you just don't want to push your way into the exhibit consider waiting a few minutes (10-15) for the crowds to disperse once the ribbon is cut and the exhibit is open. 

tip # 7: bring more business cards than you think you should 

...because you'll end up handing out just as many waiting outside the red ribbon as you do once you're past it. another tip: never miss an opportunity to make a connection, even if it feels a little awkward. i overheard two people (read: i was kind of eavesdropping) in front of me talking about possibly coordinating a FAM trip. it sounded amazing. so, i decided to politely interrupt and hand over a card because, well, why not? will i get a call for the trip? possibly. if not, i tried. 

it's so much better to look back on experiences without having an "i wish i had..." moment to speak of. 

once your inside the chaos only kind of dies down. it's certainly no less crowded, but with people moving around the hundreds of exhibits it definitely feels less congested. 

i floated from booth to booth, learning about new places, connecting with people, entering contests, taking photos in front of machu picchu (thanks REI), and interacting with fellow writers. to be honest, it was a little overwhelming. there was so much going on, and so much to see. 

my advice is take your time. be sure to visit the booths you planned on stopping at, and be sure to save time to wander around and stop and chat with vendors that spark your interest.

like i said, never miss and opportunity to make a connection, you never know where it may take you...and at the new york times travel show, the possibilites are endless. 

xx mp