After working a half day and arriving in Nashville 3 hours late, I was seriously ready take to take a nap. Unfortunately, that was not to happen.

A quick press of my suit and some preening (yes, I preen – get over it) and I think I am ready.  It turns out, though, that nothing can prepare you for this kind of experience.

With all of the months of research, interviews, the GMAT and an assortment of neurotic panic attacks, I walked into Owen’s business school building and it all slammed down on me – this is real.

Luckily, I think the feeling placed me in good company.

The general consensus was that we were all having a great time meeting person after person and trying desperately to remember each other’s names. Tips, questions and handshakes flew faster than I had ever seen at any previous networking event.

The verdict? In the words of one of my esteemed co-workers, “It’s a good thing.”

Currently reporting from my hotel room in the Crowne Plaza – Foster City, CA

If you happen to be one of the 3 people that check this site regularly, you will have probably noticed a lack of activity on my part.

You can attribute that break to the GMAT, which I took last week and have been dealing with the 6 weeks worth of “to-do’s” that have been piling up ever since I began studying.

Though my second attempt at the GMAT didn’t exactly turn out the way I had hopped, I was still able to at least attempt another shot at a higher score. What’s more; I returned from the test center to find a chance to once again hit the skies on behalf of my company.

This time, I am off to San Francisco for an internal meeting with one of our key industry partners, a well-known financial giant, on a part of their 2007 marketing plans. As you can imagine, after 4 hours in the GMAT testing center, I was glad to go anywhere as long as it had windows.

Never having been to San Francisco, I am eager to take the time that I do have to go out and explore the city so I will make this a brief post. I will also take this time to tell you I am here with one of my favorite co-workers who I never get to see so you are probably going to get at least one interesting story out of this .

Tiring is one way to describe the last few days here in Colorado. Exciting, engaging and completely exhausting would probably be better descriptors, however.

Picking up where I left off in my first post; I was able to get at least some work done between the mornings’ opening session and the lunchtime presentation. The afternoon found me dropping in on a couple of lecture sessions as well as doing some light networking.

One of the more interesting networking sessions actually occurred when took off for a secluded set of couches to check my e-mail. When I got there, I found one of the other vendors, attempting to catch a quick nap before the next set of breakout sessions began. After an awkward moment or two, we stated up a conversation. We ended up talking about direct mail marketing and how my company views it. It turns out we share a lot of the same ideas around responsible use of customer lists and after some back and forth, he had a strong interest in joining one of my company’s programs. It just goes to show you that if you ever find yourself in a strange situation, just roll with it and you might turn the awkward moment into a great relationship opportunity!

After the main sessions, it was once again time to assume our positions in the vendor hall. Unlike the previous night, all of my prime targets were there and I had to make the best of the time I had left. The shtick was pretty simple; toss them the giveaways, give them the “grand industry” strategy spiel and then get them to go one-on-one about what is going on in each of their companies. They asked some pretty great questions and I had a fantastic time playing up some of the jokes our company’s chairman had made at the opening session.

Overall, I picked up a ton of leads and walked away with at least four-dozen business cards. After packing up the booth, I took a quick lap around the reception hall to thank some of the attendees and pick up some of the leftover vendor giveaways. (Hey, they way I look at it its not just free stuff, its competitive research!)

The leftover materials dropped off and my staffing session technically completed, I wandered wearily back to my hotel room. It occurred to me that it’s a shame that I didn’t have more time to enjoy the natural beauty of the Rocky Mountains. Exhausted and supremely hungry, I followed one of the bridges to a little Mexican restaurant where I bellied up to the bar and ordered the house specialty, chicken Relleno.

Over what I have to believe was one of the best Rellenos I have ever dug into, I had some light chit-chat with the bartender and realized that this is what business travel really was. It’s not about exotic locations but long days and solitary nights all the while searching for relationships and a deeper understanding of why we landed where we did in our careers. (Ok, the last one might just be me.)

I have to say though that through the physical and mental pressure of such experiences, that Relleno was pretty damn good. It was a celebration of sorts. The stress and opportunities of a single trip – simplified in the joy a plate of rice and a stuffed pepper.

Now, as they say, it’s time to hit the sky. It’s time to resume the realities and drama of the home office and of course, start writing my follow-up and lead reports. It was still some damn good Relleno though!

Currently reporting from the Starshmucks in the middle of Copper Mountain Resort, Colorado.

Ok, so in all fairness it’s a really nice coffee shop with huge windows, looking out on the majesty of the Rocky Mountains. Besides the fact it’s a Starshmucks, it’s really not that bad. In fact, I have some time to kill now that I just ducked out of the morning conference session and it seems like as good a place as any to send out my travel log post.

To set the background; I am currently staffing a Colorado state association meeting at a resort about two hours north of Denver. My job is to show up at the two evening attendee receptions and talk to people about the products and services my company offers. I also had the distinction of making sure a large prop check got too our company’s past chairman for his speech, this morning.

Other than that, like the other vendors, I really have nothing to do.

I have learned some things though; like the fact Colorado has some great barbeque and that the air up really does affect your ability to toss back a few without feeling like a Mack truck is parked on your head in the morning.

I should have some more to report later – including my 5 best vendor sales lines I’ve heard so far. For now though, I am actually going to get up off my but and see what there is to do around here.

Check back later because I am sure I will have an update and more pictures.

Personally, give me a clean room, an old, classic hotel with classic service and I will be in heaven.

I digress though…enter the Heavyweight; Marriott Hotels and Resorts. Not only have these guys designed their own bed, but they are also making a major marketing play for the young professional market.

Marriott is indeed going MUCH farther with an entire room designed around the needs of the younger, more technology and ergonomically aware consumer.

The way their doing this is through the mSpot, a mobile hotel room complete with a stage on top. It’s currently touring the country and introducing itself to corporate expense accounts everywhere by way of massive block parties and VIP tours. I caught up with the mSpot in New Orleans where it had lined up a host of local talent including Kermit Ruffins, Jeremy Davenport and Ingrid Lucia for a massive Canal Street party coinciding with JazzFest.

When I toured the room, John ‘Spud’ McConnell (a local celebrity and character actor most remembered for his “Stay out the Woolworth” line in O’ Brother, Where Art Thou?) was there chilling out in what I can only describe as one of the most comfortable looking club chairs imaginable. It was a great touch given that around New Orleans, this guy’s popularity and likeability is somewhere up there around grits and gravy. So, as Spud made classic New Orleans quips and showed us around the room, I couldn’t help but notice that the room had every cool amenity known to mankind.

First the electronics…Appealing to massive techno-geeks like myself, the room has a full desk console complete with widescreen TV. Now, you might say that is par-for-the-course these days but what hotel do you know of that has a handy, arms-length series of connector ports where you can use it as your monitor. The room also has a touchpad safe built into your desk drawer to stash the laptop, which is a nice touch.

Completing the room is stylish decor, ergonomic lights, a swivel desk and a bathroom Caesar could die for (or so I am told, the show version of the mSpot comes sans royal throne).

Now, at this point I have to direct your attention to the fact that the mSpot New Orleans may have fallen short of its intended audience. The block party itself was incredible but I didn’t really see that many press outside. In fact, I may have been the only person that could even mildly pass as press which is a big concern given I am a bit bias towards Marriott in this case.

Something tells me though with the line of VIP’s waiting to take a tour, there wasn’t much of a need for press. Besides, when’s the last time the AP put up for a premium suite?

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Podsafe Music:
“Drive” by Jimmie Bratcher
http://www.jimmiebratcher.com/

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Links:
http://www.huckabuck.com
Yahoo! News – Marriott’s mSpot – Nola

Podsafe Music:
“Happy” by Jimmie Bratcher
http://www.jimmiebratcher.com/

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There are some that might say that the inability for me to get online and have my plans and eat them too should be sign that I should just chill the hell out and resign myself to having fun. Then again, it’s the challenge of the thing and I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED!

Anyway, so I am outside Café Du Monde waiting for my friends to grab our breakfast. The fact that its now 11:35 and I still haven’t had my coffee this morning disturbs me. After this, we still have to drive out to JazzFest, find a parking spot and walk to the fairgrounds. This is becoming a battle of wills I tell you.

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Thanks to the un g-dly amount of equipment I have with me for this trip (mic, laptop, video connectors, etc.) my bag got the luggage equivalent of a deep cavity search. During said search, the screener was rummaging through my toiletries bag when he stopped, looked back at me and gave me the “oh really” eye. For discretion sake, I won’t say what I think it was that caused the eye, but there it was anyway.

Usually, the TSA screeners at National (which we in the District never call by its official name, “Regan National”) are perfectly lovely. They are friendly, humorous and can be incredibly efficient when they want to be. This one though went a bit too far with the eye thing though. I mean, this guy has to see some strange stuff but then again does that warrant the “oh really” eye?

Something tells me this is the kind guy that compares sizes in the men’s room. The point is, don’t judge me…I have better hygiene than you will ever have you scruffy government nudnik!