The seller expos at main authorized conferences are all the time enjoyable to walk, particularly in case you want a sugar repair. There’s sufficient free sweet to maintain your dentist busy. Branded pens, espresso mugs, and beer koozies are additionally in abundance.
Not way back, I used to be strolling within the aisles earlier than I keynoted. It was about 10 a.m., and I came across a tray of airline-style, plastic liquor bottles set out on a silver tray. I did a double-take. Possibly it’s a joke, and they’re full of soda? Nope, they have been legit. Bacardi, Dewar’s, and Jack Daniels.
The seller actually knew its viewers. Possibly they learn the identical examine I did. In a occupation the place over 20% of licensed attorneys qualify as alcoholics, it might appear the right lure. There was a time once I would have rushed again to my room, ripped the valet laundry bag off the hanger, and arm-swooped all of the bottles into it. With 17 years of sobriety, I merely backed away to a protected distance and watched. Who was going to partake?
Hook them in, get them smashed, and promote the product. Thirty minutes handed, however no takers. It got here time for me to talk. Afterward, I wandered again. Some bottles have been nonetheless there, however fewer in quantity. I went to lunch. Got here again once more, gone. Lunch consuming is extra well-liked than breakfast consuming. I don’t put this on the seller. It’s on the convention. It was actually outside-the-box advertising, however do we actually want that? One vendor was promoting anti-aging pores and skin cream I couldn’t afford. They talked me into it. No alcohol essential.
Brian Cuban (@bcuban) is The Addicted Lawyer. Brian is the creator of the Amazon best-selling ebook, The Addicted Lawyer: Tales Of The Bar, Booze, Blow & Redemption (affiliate hyperlink). A graduate of the College of Pittsburgh College of Regulation, he by some means made it by way of as an alcoholic then added cocaine to his résumé as a practising legal professional. He went into restoration April 8, 2007. He left the apply of regulation and now writes and speaks on restoration subjects, not just for the authorized occupation, however on restoration basically. He could be reached at brian@addictedlawyer.com.