Issues At The Expo

I recently attended what was supposed to be one of the most exciting expos of the year—an event I had been looking forward to for months. The buzz around it was huge, and with the lineup of vendors and speakers, I expected to leave inspired, maybe even with a few new tools or contacts for my business. And to be fair, the expo mostly delivered. The venue was great, the energy was high, and most vendors were engaging, knowledgeable, and clearly there to make connections. But unfortunately, one vendor—one very unprofessional vendor—tainted the entire experience for me.

Let me set the scene: I walked up to this particular booth because their product was something I was genuinely interested in. Their branding was slick, their demo video loop was impressive, and their setup made it look like they really had their act together. But as soon as I engaged with the representative at the booth, the whole thing went downhill.

First, they barely acknowledged me. I chalked it up to them being tired—it had been a long day—but then I realized they were chatting with their coworkers and scrolling on their phone instead of paying attention to anyone. When I finally got their attention and asked a few questions, I was met with vague answers, eye rolls, and what honestly felt like annoyance that I was even talking to them. At one point, I asked if their product had a warranty, and the guy literally shrugged and said, “It should.” It should? That’s not exactly reassuring when you’re considering dropping a few hundred dollars on something.

To make matters worse, I later overheard the same rep complaining about attendees being “too needy” and “asking too many dumb questions.” At a public expo. Where networking and customer interaction is literally the whole point.

I ended up walking away from that booth frustrated and disappointed. It made me question how many other vendors might just be good at looking the part but lack any real customer service or professionalism. It’s a shame because, had that interaction gone differently, I probably would’ve made a purchase and even recommended them to others.

Moral of the story? One bad vendor can really sour an otherwise great event. Hopefully, next time, the expo curators vet their participants more thoroughly.