Change is Inevitable

 

I attended my first Halloween Show in March of 1996. Walking into the Rosemont Convention Center was overwhelming to say the least. At the time, I had no idea of the magnitude of this event. Row upon row of vendors, each one with multiple booths, spanning the length and width of the entire facility. Enormous barely describes what I experienced that day. In 1996, this show was dominated by independent and regional retailers, looking for the latest and greatest of what the manufacturers had to offer. Over the next few years, the show grew even bigger as did my opportunity in this industry. Happily I found my niche helping new manufacturers gain entry into the Halloween marketplace. Year after year, my team grew and grew. The Vasa Sales army would show up with a dozen helpers not including the nation wide network of independent sales reps that I cobbled together into what was at the time unprecedented in the industry. Alas, change is inevitable. Nothing lasts forever. Large national chains started acquiring smaller regional stores. 1 or 2 buyers now controlled what 15 or 20 once did. Independent retailers found themselves struggling mightily to hang on. Change was upon us. Like any good rollercoaster ride, the uphill climb would eventually lead to the whirlwind down hill race. All I could do was hold on tight and hope to not get thrown off the ride. In the end, that ride eventually came to a halt and I found myself sitting in a motionless car. The opportunities once afforded to me were gone. The ride was over. It was time to move on to the next ride. Yesterday was day 1 of this year's smaller version of what once was "The Greatest Show on Earth". The industry, and the Halloween show itself has survived albeit in a much contracted version of it's former self. Do I regret not being there? Not in the least. Do I miss the glory days of times gone by? Absolutely! More importantly, I am glad I had the foresight to realize what was changing around me and adjusted my presence on that landscape. Change is good! Painful at times but always a good thing!

Keep Telling the Stories! 2023