TFP Admin Goes To Surfaces 2007

[TFP Admin]

I hope you will forgive me for this seemingly late report of my Surfaces 2007 trip that many of you contributed toward. Surfaces is the largest flooring convention in the United States and it had been several years since my last visit to Las Vegas, where it is held every year. The "log" of my trip was begun shortly after my return home in February of this year, but was stalled and eventually removed when there were problems with the blog application we had here.

The reasons I am adding it to this forum as a topic are several. First, you still deserve to know how this trip went because a number of you donated money to make it possible for me to go. Second, I want to go again because I think I have an even better opportunity, with the strides this site has made in the past year and a half, to gain the support of industry luminaries and organizations. In addition, there may be a chance we may be able to help one or more of our other members to go to Surfaces 2008 through contests or give-aways sponsored by some of those businesses and associations that I had experiences with during my trip and publicize in this trip log.

I know it's essentially 8 months late. I'm very sorry. But please follow along as I tell you about the trip. It was a wonderful experience and I hope I can convey that feeling as I write about it.

T

[TFP Admin]

Ambassador of TheFloorPro.com - Surfaces 2007

How did I get so lucky? The staff and members of our community pitched in handsomely and sent me to Surfaces 2007, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Having been sidelined by COPD, my income bottomed out recently and going to Surfaces was only a dream. It was an important dream for me because I felt I could help introduce TheFloorPro.com to many more in the floorcovering industry than any email campaign or any other marketing attempt.

I wanted to use this first blog entry on The Floor Pro Blogs to thank all the great people who made it possible for me to go. My deepest appreciation for your trust, your kindness and your loyalty in me and to The Floor Pro Community and you all should know, if nothing else, this week on the road and amongst our floorcovering peers has changed my life. Not just professionally, but on a deeply personal level too.

More about the trip will follow. This first blog entry is just a thank you. I know some of you wanted to remain anonymous, so this list is incomplete. But to all those listed below and to all those who don't want to be mentioned, thank you, thank you, thank you. I hope that I have and will continue to honor my commitment to you and this community.

Special thanks to: Tony Lamar - Danny Ferguson - Nick Arrera - Rob Arnold - Bud Cline - Jon Scanlan - Tandy Reeves - Darol Wester - Roger Gerber - Rusty Baker - Peter Kodner - and the others who made this trip possible and have offered encouragement and support from the beginning.

Let me finish this first entry by posting just a few pictures of my first day on the road. I left my small rural town in Northern California to end my first day of travel in the big city of Oakland California.

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[TFP Admin]

Ambassador of TFP - Surfaces 2007 - Day 2

Continueing the chronicle of my trip to Surfaces 2007, I wanted to thank a few more people. I am still moved by the generosity of so many great friends and associates, even a couple of people who don't even know me, as I will explain shortly. In my last blog entry, I left out a couple of people who mean a great deal to me and were generous in their support of my convention expenses, but also in their support and loyalty to our fine website here. Randy Libner and Jerry Thomas deserve my humble gratitude. Each of them have been invaluable in sharing their wisdom, advice and humor with me. My thanks again to them and all the others I mentioned in my last entry for giving me the opportunity to make this trip and to give back to the industry in some small way.

The drive from my home in Quincy, CA, to Oakland is about a 5 hour drive. It's kind of the long way around getting to Las Vegas, which is pretty much a straight shot down Highway 395, starting just a few short miles from my house. But it was necessary to go 566 miles out of my way (round trip) in order to avail myself of another very generous offer. I made a few pit stops along the way to take pictures and finally landed in Oakland late that first night. The picture on the right shows me fiddling with my camera and getting ready for the next exciting day.

I've been lucky enough these past 35 years to become friends with a few people who started out as my customers. I grew up here in rural Northern California, and it's not unusual to either know the customers from years past, or one or the other of us has become known to the other through others we have shared this part of the world with. But Don Nusbaum is not one of those people. Although I was recommended to him by another good customer, I knew neither of them, nor they me. Working with Don was a joy.

Don is an artist. He builds models. He has built tiny little houses and cityscapes for the entertainment industry - movies and such. He designed and built a beautiful, full scale home right here in my neck of the woods, literally. He allowed me the pleasure to share my talent with him and we installed the floor covering in that house for him and his wife and family to enjoy when they get away from the big city. Don makes friends easily, I don't, but I immediately liked the guy and we developed a distant friendship that I had no idea would change my life so much.

I had an occasion to talk with Don on the phone one evening - I can't remember why he called off hand - and I mentioned that Surfaces was coming near and it was disappointing that I might never be able to attend another one because of my inability to walk the miles of exhibits. My friend Don said he might have a solution and he would call me back.

A few minutes later Don called and gave me the number and name of someone he wanted me to speak to in Oakland, California. I called just a few minutes later and was told by Steve Steinberg, co-owner of Segway of Oakland, that Don had asked him to donate a Segway to me for the 3 days of Surfaces. Steve didn't even know me! I was to come to Oakland the day before Surfaces and pick the 2-wheeled glider up after a short training session.

Click any image on the page for a larger view.

Maybe you can tell by the grin on my face just how much fun I had with that 2-hour training session. Up to this point, for the past couple years, I had been increasingly limited in my activity. More and more I was resigning myself to going only places I could get in my car (which was fun enough, since I souped it up some and just LOVED driving it) and only shopping in stores that either had an electric cart or were small enough for me to get from one end of the store to the other without running out of breath. The Segway changed that and I will spend another blog entry or 3 talking all about that.

Steve's shop is a cramped little place on the fringes of Oakland. After a short video on Segway operation and safety, Steve guided me through the streets via sidewalks, a park and a college campus. I wouldn't say it was a duck - water situation, but I found the principles of rid - I mean, gliding very easy to grasp. Now it was just a matter of practice, and Las Vegas was going to give me 3 days of that.

Thank you, Steve, and all the rest of the gang at Segway of Oakland, and many thanks again to Don. It was an adventure I will never forget. Any of you readers out there who are considering getting your own Segway, please give Steve the opportunity to meet your needs. He has great prices and even offers free shipping. Tell him I sent you. Visit his site to learn more and to contact him --> Segway of Oakland

See you in the next blog entry soon.

[TFP Admin]

Hooters Casino Hotel - Home Away From Home

In my first 2 blog entries Ambassador of TheFloorPro.com and Ambassador of TFP-Day 2, I described the first couple of days on the road to get to Surfaces 2007, the largest floor covering event in the US. I thanked all of you that made it possible for me to make this trip. One of the best parts of the trip was the lodging. I know, most hotels are just like any other hotel - until you get into the luxury accommodations, of course. Well, as generous as you all were with your donations and the limitations of my own budget would not allow a great expenditure on hotels. My first inclination was to go to one of those travel arrangement websites to find a hotel. I chose hotels.com - WE KNOW HOTELS INSIDE AND OUT.®.

The priorities weren't just cost, but also close proximity to the convention, a high speed Internet connection and reasonable comfort. There were a lot on the list, but what looked to me to be the best in all those areas was the Hooters Casino Hotel. I have been to Hooters Restaurants - if that's what you want to call them - but never realized they also had a hotel.

The drive from Oakland was a long one. Well over 500 miles of driving and I didn't get out of Oakland until about 2PM. The gliding course I took for the Segway was tough enough. I had also stayed at a very uncomfortable motel the night before - one of those "you get what you pay for" kinda motels. So, there was no way I was able to make the long drive to Vegas without a couple of rest stops. One of them turned into a nearly 3 hour nap. I pulled into Las Vegas, into the neon and glitter and, even at that hour on a Wednesday morning, busy streets, and found my way to the hotel I would call home for three days and nights.

The valet and bellman were very friendly and professional. Even though I am handicapped, I don't like it to be an issue and don't like the sense that people feel sorry for me. The Hooters staff didn't do that at all. I felt that they treated me very respectfully and with a certain amount of pampering that any guest would appreciate. Then I pulled the Segway out of the van and I was the focus of attention by even my fellow travelers.

Although doors were generally held open for me whenever I came and went at Hooters, there were a few times I was quicker than they were and used the large push button to open the doors. I used the Segway throughout the hotel, gliding in and around the casino area, into the restaurants and gift shop and into the elevators and down the halls to my room. I even found myself dancing on the floor near the live band one night - on my Segway. That was the first time I had been able to dance in several years.

The room was very comfortable. I had originally reserved a room with a king bed, but was given one with two full beds. A bit chagrined at first, the bed was very comfortable and I couldn't have slept better on any other bed. I used the other bed to dump all my gear and I wouldn't let the maid service touch the room while I was there - blissful sloppiness.

My Internet connection was brisk, although the laptop computer I rented was very difficult to use. Our brief problems here on the site with a vandal were mostly taken care of by the co-admin, Rob, I did spend several hours doing cleanup that would have only taken minutes on my own computer. Of course, that was the plan of the little kid (mentally) that tried to cause problems for us. I wasn't able to do as much online as I'd hoped, but it was good that I had the computer.

The hotel had several restaurants, but my favorite was The Dam Restaurant. It's as close as you can get to a coffee shop experience, with very friendly servers, cooks and a great menu of delicious food. I'm a late-night person and was happy to see they were open 24/7. The prices were very reasonable too.

I wouldn't hesitate to stay at Hooters Casino Hotel again. In fact, I look forward to Surfaces 2008 and hope that I can make that trip and stay at Hooters again. Before I checked out, I made a point of going to the managers office to tell her what a wonderful stay I had. The security people were also great and didn't once come off as stiff and unfriendly, always smiling and waving as I glided by them. Surfaces 2007 was so much better than I expected, and that was in large part due to the accommodations and hospitality of Hooters.

[Lo Down]

The Hooters staff didn't do that at all. I felt that they treated me very respectfully and with a certain amount of pampering that any guest would appreciate.

Tell us about the "pampering" ........ kinda kinky if ya ask me.

Jim, so glad that it turned out as well as you'd hoped it would. You got what you deserved........ you earned every bit of the assistance that was offered. I know that I speak for all of us............ Thank YOU!

That Skegway seems to be quite the ticket.
I recall getting tired of walking 20 years ago at a swap meet that had more rows of booths than I could have ever imagined.

[cproader]

Couldn't think of a better place to help send a better guy. How come I didn't get in on that.

[Lo Down]

cproader said Couldn't think of a better place to help send a better guy. How come I didn't get in on that.

... ummmmmm....... starts with the letter "R" and ends with the letter "L" ... and I don't mean R. L. aka: Lo Down

[Jon Scanlan]

I thought someone that went to Surfaces should write a little about what Jim did at the show. The first day we missed Jim at the prearranged meeting spot due to Jim not being able to get his Segway past the security guys even though he had arranged entry earlier. The wife and I meet Jim the next day, after I tracked him down with a phone call, on his borrowed motorised scooter with his Floor Pro tee shirt, hat and his big pile of Floor Pro cards. We stopped at a stand who sold Lasers as I had instructions to bring one back to New Zealand. Jim was talking to people and handing out cards. We met Daris and his wife with a few others at another meeting spot a bit later and we all decided to go for lunch. Jim didn't even get a break there as he was handing out cards to the surrounding tables promoting Floor Pro. As we walked around the show we kept on seeing Jim. Jim seemed to be everywhere. Also that night he had to do a lot of work on the site as there were problems.
For those of you that haven't been to Surfaces it is huge. I think it covers thirteen acres over two floors with about 40.000 people attending. Someone told me that to walk around the stands you would cover a distance of ten miles so now you can understand a little of what Jim did at Surfaces promoting Floor Pro.
It definitely was not a holiday for Jim
I hope Jim can add some more fact and figures about Surfaces

[TFP Admin]

Thanks, Jon. That first day was kind of a bust. Long before the trip, I contacted Jayne Dalton, from Hanley Wood (owners of the Surfaces convention) for clarification of the use of my donated Segway. She contacted Connie Ahren, of the Sands Expo & Convention Center, where Surfaces is held each year. This is the reply I received:

Connie Ahren said Segway is a legal handicap device and is allowed on show floors. We have them now and then, we just keep an eye out for the real handicap and people just joyriding. He'll have his placard so no problem.

Jayne Dalton said I checked with the Sands, who did confirm that you can use your Segway. Thanks.

So, it looked like it was all a go. After a great night's sleep at Hooters Casino Hotel, I was ready to go - and anxious. Although the donations from all the good members here were very generous, it still wasn't quite enough to cover all my expenses. I knew a club owner in Reno that I used to do some promotional writing for and he also owned a club in Las Vegas. I asked him for help and he agreed to feed me very well in exchange for handing out some coupons for his club that gave the recipient a free drink and no cover charge (a value of $15.00 - 30.00, depending on night and drink). But I was also to escort a young woman from the club at Surfaces so that she could also hand out coupons - and it turned into a waiting game.

She finally showed up pretty late in the morning and we went to the Sands near noon. I had to get her registered, so we waited in line for a while. About this time I began to realize the Segway was going to be a big social tool for me. I usually keep to myself and don't socialize very much unless I have a purpose (I'm a great salesman and do OK in business situations, but I'm terrible at chat), but all of a sudden, people wanted to talk to me about the Segway.

I'm with a very beautiful girl, whose job it is to be social and attract attention, but I am the one who seems to be getting all the attention. I'm kind of enjoying it too. So the wait wasn't too bad and we got through it. It was very crowded and the roped off area was very narrow, but the Segway and I traversed the line and the crowd without running over a single toe or bumping into anyone. We headed for the main hall.

The Segway can go up to 12½ miles an hour, but it can also creep along at the slowest pace. It's self-balancing, can literally turn on a dime and is very easy to maneuver. Michelle (that was her "stage name") and I were just inside the huge room on the first floor of the convention, me gliding along side her at her pace, when a guy in a security blazer comes trotting - yeah, almost a run like he was ready for a high speed chase - around in front of me and puts his hands on the handlebars of the Segway to stop me.

Segways are controlled by gently transferring weight fore and aft to go forward and backward, and there's a twist grip on the left that makes it turn left and right. The slightest change in tilt makes the Segway react. I'm leaning forward, the security guy is pushing me back, so the device begins to rock quickly back and forth. Not quite out of control, but this is only the third time I had ridden it, so I'm not too steady on it yet.

He tells me, "You can't have that thing in here." Now, I don't want to turn this into a book, so I'll just say that those of you who know me a little from the various flooring forums can already guess my reaction to that. I had to go to the security command center, where the head dude tried to convince me that Segways aren't an "approved" disability device (there's no such list in any ADA document) and I would have to use an electric cart. They just so happened to have about a dozen of them and they rent them for $129.00 per day (Segway of Las Vegas rents the same scooter for 80.00 and Segways for 100.00). But you know me, I raised such a stink, they agreed to give me one at no charge for the duration, if I would just go along and play nice.

I took the scooter. Uncomfortable, especially with a backpack holding an oxygen tank (not to mention my fat belly), but it was the only way I was going to be allowed to get around. Michelle had abandoned me (I don't blame her) and by now, I had to go to the bathroom pretty bad. Luckily, there was a restroom right across from the security command center. I powered the scooter into the narrow little entrance and tried to make the first turn that would take me into the room and got the damn scooter wedged in pretty tight. It took 2 big husky guys and their bulging muscles to get the thing loose. This was just a hint of how that thing was going to treat me - must have run over or into a dozen feet and legs, bumped I don't know how many displays and generally looked like a destruction derby as I tried to get around the convention the next couple of days.

But I was in. I really didn't want to have my whole trip ruined by people who don't understand that a handicap device isn't always a wheelchair or scooter and a Segway isn't always a toy. So somehow, and I guess Jon doesn't remember this part, I was able to meet up with Jon and his wonderful wife, Shirley that same day, although quite a bit later than we'd planned. It was a short visit because I'd lost so much time that I felt I had to make up. And I had no idea where Michelle was.

But Jon, Shirley and I had a great visit and we checked out a few booths together. I felt bad that I seemed to be preoccupied handing out TheFloorPro.com cards and club coupons and trying to introduce a lot of people to a website without being able to show them the site. I actually did bring the laptop to the show that first day because it fit very well into the side bag (see the Segway pictures in a previous post), and I had a whole presentation worked out. Unfortunately, the scooter I had to use had only a small wire basket. Not only was it too small, but I constantly worried about the security of it, especially since I used it to carry my fancy digital camera.

That was a pretty exciting, if not totally fun first day at the convention. But I was prepared for the next couple of days. I knew the limitations awaiting me and resigned myself to using the scooter when I had to, even though that was the only place in all of Las Vegas that I could not use the Segway. I rode it that night the 4 miles to the club, into the club and into every other building I wanted the rest of my trip. I even danced with it on a dance floor for the first time in years. I could see that this thing, this magical device, was going to change my entire outlook on life for at least the few days I was going to be able to use it.

The next day was going to be better. I was to meet up with Jon and there was already a pre-arranged meet with some of the members here - Daris, who I had the pleasure of meeting several years earlier, and maybe a couple others. I was looking forward to it. I'll tell you about it in the next installment.

[Roland Thompson]

Jim didn't you get stopped for speeding a few times? Almost ran me over once.

Roland

[TFP Admin]

Sorry, Roland - again. "Almost" wasn't close enough for a few people though. I actually ran into a few. And I did get asked once to slow it down. The stupid scooters had a very touchy acceleration lever right at the end of the handlebar on both sides. More than once someone would bump into me (sitting that low to the ground isn't safe to begin with) and their thigh would make contact with the lever. If they were on my right, the scooter would lurch forward; on my left, it would move backward. And because their leg also kept me from steering, the result was erratic sometimes.

Most of the problem was my inexperience with the scooter. I got better the next day, which is why I only almost ran into you. I am hoping I won't have the same problem this year. I won't forget to bring the email from Special Services. I will enlist help and support from Chris Davis, of WFCA, who I spoke to about this last year. And I will bring my copy of the ADA so security can point me to the part where it lists "approved devices", which I can't seem to find anywhere. I hope I will be able to get around the Surfaces Convention on a Segway, where I can stand tall like most everyone else.

[Peter Kodner]

Nice picture of Jon, and I'm sure all appreciate it.

But where the heck (this is spoken from a donor, too) are the shots of Michelle????!!!! Speaking of which, the is the first of heard of any "Michelle".

[TFP Admin]

Sorry, no decent pics of Michelle - I couldn't afford it. You'll hear more about the role of Michelle and the club and the great meals. For now, you'll just have to live with this:

Immediately after taking this shot (I'm on the Segway), she turned and cautioned me that because she was a "professional model", I would have to sign a contract with her agent and pay a fee. The lady had no remorse for making me a couple hours late, or for having to fill out info on a hundred or more coupons (that were supposed to be already filled out), so I wasn't about to argue with her over what I considered news photos.

So, you aren't the only one disappointed. One of our fine members actually sent me a little extra just for the thrill of me enjoying the entertainment at the club, with his only hope, getting a picture of the "entertainment". I offered to return the extra money, but he was kind enough to refuse it.