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Letters

PIE, Trade Shows, and RFK Jr.

June, 2008

Mr. Van Horn:
We’ve met at the IPI show a time or two.
First, I sent my #2, Kathy, to the Parking Industry Exhibition (her first exposure to a parking conference and our first to PIE), and she roundly enjoyed it and found it to be meaningful. ... We’ll be back!!
Second, regarding your CEO friend, my instant thought was, “There is a means; it’s called a ‘private’ showing at the Trade Show.” I’ve done a couple of them over the years, after-hours, all pre-arranged. It’s a great opportunity for the intimacy with serious customers that he rather wishes to make contact with. I found them to be very good and would think that the two vendors found it to be the same.
Third, I’m wholly unimpressed with RFK Jr., and would skip that one. Waste of resources, I say. You’re right that he’s a “big name,” but most of that is piggybacking on his dad’s name. I realize that green initiatives aren’t the hallmark of Texas (I hail originally from Washington, where they are), but we probably could’ve found someone with more knowledge and less “name.”
I very much enjoy the mag and your blog; you’re a good egg!!
Greg Lawrence, San Antonio


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