EXHIBITORLIVE was the first trade show I attended as a journalist in the events industry. My mentors described it to me as the trade show for trade shows, which I thought fabulously meta, and I wore my press badge with pride. The two-inch heels I wore were a mistake I made exactly once. As I met industry professionals at pre-show events, nearly everyone shared the same piece of wisdom with me: If you last more than six months in this industry, you'll never leave. Obviously, these were the people who made it past the six-month mark, and they handed this insight to me with intention – as if it were a challenge. “Here's a gift,” they were saying. “What are you going to do with it?”

At one of those pre-show events, I shared a cocktail with the right person, and he invited me to the show floor during load-in. I'll never forget the cacophony that greeted me that morning. The sounds of roaring engines, the beep of reversing vehicles, and the happy shouts of reunion ricocheted off the bare cement floor. More than one string of four-letter words burst from behind half-built booths as parts were discovered missing or damaged. A man sat on the floor in a tangled nest of wires and tipped into anger while trying to get an LED wall to do his bidding. Every time I stopped to chat, I ended up in the path of a forklift and would shift my position only to find another behind me. Constant movement seemed my safest option. The scene was pure chaos, and I couldn't imagine how this event would be ready for thousands pouring onto the show floor in just a few hours.

Yet the next day, everything was in place. There wasn't an errant sheet of plastic in sight and that LED wall was working perfectly. It seemed miraculous and reminded me of all the things I love that seem to almost require a path through controlled chaos to be properly pulled off – a community theater production, a flawlessly executed dinner party, a gorgeous magazine.

I don't mean to bore you industry lifers with my description of what is likely commonplace in your lives. Rather, I tell this story to remind you of what it all felt like when it was new because several research studies from the 18 months say that about 50 percent of the suppliers and events organizers you will encounter in 2024 are brand new to the industry. That's a lot of wide-eyed recruits for forklift operators to avoid.

I remember the first time my son noticed tree bark during a very early morning at the park. He army crawled from our blanket to the shard of wood and shoved his prize into his mouth before I could take it away. And in sharing his delight, I was reminded that trees – ordinary, everyday trees, that, like trade shows, I take for granted – can awaken a deep sense of awe when seen with fresh eyes. If those of us who have been in the industry for decades can view events through the eyes of a rookie, not only may we rediscover something extraordinary in what's become ordinary, but we'll better connect with new peers getting their first glimpse of a potential career ahead of them.

We're preparing for EXHIBITORLIVE 2024 with this landscape in mind and our team's goal to engage seasoned professionals, educate novices, and create connections between their worlds. You'll read all about the networking opportunities in our EXHIBITORLIVE section. And for those novices confused by the jargon pouring from the mouths of colleagues, don't miss our glossary. No one will judge you for taking a peek during your sessions. Our industry and the people in it are indeed a gift. We occupy a unique space where sales, marketing, networking, creativity, and theater converge. And now that we're firmly entrenched in the first quarter of 2024, the question on everyone's mind is: What are we going to do with it? I can't wait to find out. E