Retirement. It’s a concept I have spent very little time thinking about… until the last six months.
If you had asked me six months ago when I was going to retire from this industry I would have asked you why I should do that when I still really enjoy what I am doing. I am working with clients to create incredible experiences at their exhibitions and events. I’m working with my team and our dedicated partners to solve any challenge sent our way. I’m contributing time and energy to the Experiential Designers and Producers Association (EDPA) Board and the board of the Randy Smith Memorial Golf Classic to support our industry.
But the last six months have found me thinking more about this retirement thing. The reality is I am well past the traditional retirement age. I did my first tradeshow in 1981… just a few years (and decades) ago. My wife retired from a long career as a critical care nurse just over a year ago. We have met with our financial advisors and have been assured we are good to go for retirement. Several friends have retired recently and are enjoying their newfound freedom. And several other families and friends are dealing with developing health issues.
All of this has caused me to rethink the concept of retirement. I’ve had more conversations with friends inside and outside this industry who are close to or already retired. And then a friend who owns a local distillery has offered me a side gig working with his team when I retire. I’ve literally started thinking about when the best time would be to exit this industry based on how to make the transition easier for my current clients and coworkers.
And then this happens…
I am writing this while sitting at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, having just spent the last 10 days working at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) show at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC). I have been here since day one of installation through the completion of dismantle, supporting five long-standing clients exhibiting at this show. And this was year 27 for me working this show.
It is by far one of my favorite shows. While I could compile a long list of shows I’ve enjoyed working—from the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) Show, National Restaurant Association (NRA), and Food Marketing Institute (FMI) shows in the food industry to the Farm Progress Show and Husker Harvest shows in Boone, Iowa and Kearney, Nebraska for the agriculture industry—the aviation industry has been one I’ve been involved in since the beginning of my career.
In the last 10 days I have been working with long-standing co-workers, friends and industry partners, catching up on life stories. I have seen this convention center transition from a bare concrete floor to an energy-filled experience for all attendees and exhibitors. I have spent time talking with clients about their goals for the future of experiential marketing. And I have literally stood in the aisles of the hall just taking in the full experience of being on the show floor.
The thought of this being my last NBAA kept creeping into my thought process… my last time working LVCC; my last time staying at my favorite hotel; my last time hitting my favorite restaurants; my last time seeing industry partners and friends that I have known and worked with for literally decades.
Can I really stop doing this? I think this is yet to be determined…
See you on the show floor…perhaps!
Image: From ECN Archive
This story originally appeared in the Q1 2026 issue of Exhibit City News, p. 44. For original layout, visit https://issuu.com/exhibitcitynews/docs/exhibit_city_news_-_jan_feb_mar_2026/44.
