Convention Inventions

My dear friends at Deeper Roots Publications overbooked themselves again. Many of you may remember what happened last year, when they asked me to do the convention (Florida Association of Christian Colleges and Schools) for them since they would be out of state. I was so amazed that they actually wanted me to do it again!

This year, our booth was half the size it was last year. I also noticed there were fewer vendors. In these economic times and with the gas prices being what they were just last month, I wasn't surprised that more vendors are being selective on the shows they attend. At this particular show, they don't allow the conventioners a lot of time to visit the vendors.

Here's my wee booth. The point of the show was not to sell books as much as it was to get curriculum samples in the hands of school principals and administrators. I handed out every sample Howard gave me! I was also able to sell some books, which was a good thing.

I love this curriculum, which is what makes it so easy to talk about it to browsers. I use it with Kelly and Glenna. It truly takes children beyond biblical knowledge and into spiritual application; there's no rote answers, either. They have to dig deeply into scripture and into themselves for the answers, with life-changing application!


Here's my ready and able convention assistant:

Who wouldn't want to stop and visit a booth with a smile like that, huh?



As I stated earlier, this particular convention doesn't allow the attendees a lot of time between sessions to visit the vendors, particularly when the sessions run later than scheduled. This gives us vendors plenty of down-time. Glenna and I did some exploring of the vendors closest to us.
This guy had all sorts of magic tricks, puppets, and this blue gorilla. He assured me it was a quite comfortable suit, with an actual fan in the headpiece! I'm not sure exactly what the purpose is, but he says the kids really get fired up with the blue gorilla. Maybe at pep rallies and stuff.

The owners of this both also did several magic tricks to people as they walked past, then they'd do them to their fellow vendors when we were bored which was 3/4 of the time.



The vendors right next to us had a very interesting display for child safety.
In the screen behind Glenna, you see pictures of several children. This company installs a security gate with a laser-reader. Each parent is given a bar-coded sticker (or card, if someone else needs to pick up the child) that they apply to their vehicle.

The vehicle passes the scanner, which allows the gate to open, and the child's photo is displayed to alert the school staff. They then send the child to the curb to be picked up by their parent. Clever! And yet, a little scary that this is what we've come to.

The guys had three miniature cars, a VW Bug, an SUV, and a Porsche (for the parents with a lotta moolah, whose children can afford to attend private schools evidently!). They had a Barbie doll posing as a soccer mom and stuck her in the VW. When I questioned this, they said Barbie is now eco-friendly and wouldn't think of driving the SUV or the Porsche. Right.

The vendor deftly demonstrated his remote skills by pulling the Porsche up to the sensor, which triggered the gate, and then driving around again. Then, he let Glenna try.


Glenna hit the fence. Not once, but repeatedly. She pushed it back about five inches.

I asked him if he wanted me to fix it - he said not until the insurance adjuster arrived.

Ha ha.

Funny Vendorman.


The booth directly across from me had a lot of scrap. I can't say the word I would normally use for such items, because in my family that word has been banned since my two-year old used it in a complete sentence.
I have never seen so much stuff in one place. Stuff without any function, except for maybe the ties and watches. It's a booth of teacher trinkets and there were two such booths at this convention, unrelated to each other, but with the same scraps.


Not surprisingly, this booth was constantly busy with customers. This picture is blurry because I was tryiing to take the picture inconspicuously.
They loved that stuff! They would pick something up, laugh at the cute "saying" on it, show it to five of their friends, then buy it for their principal or teacher friend, or whomever. I wonder how many "I'm not worried about my job, no one else wants it!" mugs a principal can use?


This is a choir from SomeSuch School. They looked so classy as they filed past.


This booth was the highlight of the convention. You make a certain number of baskets and win a free basketball! Those teachers stood in line to do this, cheering each other on. Then, of course, they had to see how many baskets in a row they could get. Then, of course, they had to break their previous records.

They actually install gym floors and basketball hoops. Everyone knows exactly what they offer since their booth was so effective!


The timing of this convention is such that there's one last general session before it ends, which should give the attendees one more chance to walk past the vendors. This is also the second day, and pretty much everyone has seen what everyone has. We're not allowed to break down during the general session, which is held in the same hall. Some vendors read the writing on the wall and scoot out of there before the last general session.

Emptiness to the right of me. Good-bye, remote control car guy!


Emptiness to the left of me: Good-bye, Mr. Auto Test Scanner guy!


The people who had the booth next to the Scrap Booth weren't even present during the convention. They set up their table and posters, put out a bunch of brochures, then headed for the pool I guess. They knew enough to shut down before the last general session, though!

That's when Mr. Scrap Booth Man made his move:
He started arranging the abandoned tables to his benefit, so their customers could have more room (his booth was as tiny as mine, so there was NO walking space). He didn't actually use the tables to dispay more scrap (that would have been illegal and the convention police would have shut him down), but he did have them ready to spread out for their break down.

Glenna and I weren't quick enough to get out before the last general session, plus we wanted to make sure we didn't sell Howard short by leaving early. We knew no one would come after general session (they're thinking lunch and cheese fries at this point!) so we ever so quietly started putting books away during the speaker and choir. The convention police never heard us.

I love doing these shows! As tiring as they are, I love talking to people about curriculum, home schooling, and books.

Thanks again for the opportunity, Howard!