Marketing Me! Travel notes and Shoemoney

Welcome Shoemoney readers! After my comment on Shoemoney, I have had a number of visits from Shoemoney. Thanks for stopping by and please visit again or add Marketing Me! to you reader!



Am on the road at a trade show. Yippee.

Here are a few worthwhile suggestions for those who have not traveled in awhile.

1) Keep printed copies of where you are going (directions, address), how you get there (flight numbers, car rentals), where you are staying (hotel res and address and directions), who you will be meeting (names and phone numbers!) and what you will be doing there (agenda, itinerary).

You never know when electronic copies might go AWOL....

2) Charge your phone/PDA before you go, in the car while you are going and whenever and wherever you can find an outlet, even for only five minutes.

And if your device is not charged, there go those electronic travel plans!

Many planes have chargers equipped in the middle seat where ever you see a lightning bolt on the bulk head. Amazon has a neat charger for taking advantage of this power source for your phone or laptop.

3) Use the restroom as often as needed and whenever a clean location is available. O also carry some anti-bacterial wipes with me for cleaning certain parts of public facilities, (if you know what I mean).

4) Keep antibacterial wipes or gel with you. There are small bottles available in the travel or sample section at your favorite retailer for less than a buck.

Travel is a dirty business.

5) Drink water. On the plane, ask first for water. Since the cups are small, ask for two. Tell them no ice (it defeats the purpose of bottled water!). I also pick up a large bottle once in the terminal past security.

6) Pack some sort of snacks. I always carry a few certain things like nuts, hard candy, a protein bar or two, dried fruit. Avoid cheap candy bars and junk food. They will only provide a brief sugar rush and bad health.

Shoemoney recommends protein shakes, but those cannot be brought past security in carry on luggage. Otherwise, they are a great purchase once at your destination.

7) Know how to get on the Internet wherever you are. If your PDA supports Internet access, all the better. Otherwise, have a HotSpot account or Freedom Link, Boingo, you get it.

8) Eat when needed. I had the worse headache today because I skipped meals.

9) Use insole pads if you are on your feet. I tried those Dr. Scholl pads once and found they provided some comfort. My best recommendation is to have high quality shoes when traveling.

10) Book a good hotel. Once in Vegas, I booked an off strip hotel recommended by a well known friend. What a mistake. The hotel was loud, dirty and full of tourists not associated with the trade show I was attending. I checked out after the first night and paid extra for a centralized hotel.

10.5) Purchase a smart phone with email and web capability. You will be glad you did. Also, bring along that back up phone. I carry one phone on T-Mobile and another on Verizon. My Verizon phone has email and web available. My customer's and friends can always find me!

Also, book at the conference hotel if possible! At last year's NADA show I stayed at the Hilton next to the convention and took full advantage of the proximity and convenience of my choice.


My feet are killing me from standing all day long. I can't wait to get home.