When we arrived at the hotel where we would be staying during the Amway WWDB Family Reunion, we had barely checked in and placed our belongings in our rooms before Ambot wanted to haul us over to the convention centre because something was going on - implying that Amway products would be displayed there. For lack of a better term, I'd describe it as a trade show, but that's stretching the definition of the term considerably.
Now I've had the opportunity to attend actual trade events. They are usually centred around a specific theme, such as boats, home and gardening, RVs, and so on. Typically, trade shows are held at fairgrounds because there are exhibition halls, ice rinks (with or without ice), and other facilities that can be converted into trade show venues, in addition to a large amount of parking. There are normally a couple of hundred exhibitors, and depending on the site, there may be much more. In most cases, the people who rent booths at these events either provide products or services that are roughly related to the theme of the trade show or are simply interested in the theme. But there are always the usual suspects who show up at these events, regardless of the fact that the products they are selling have nothing to do with the theme. There will almost certainly be booths selling nuts, fudge, and cotton candy, and there will almost certainly be booths for realtors, tourism bureaus from other towns, and most likely some multi-level marketing companies such as Mary Kay will be promoting their products. Amway has never been represented at a trade event that I have attended. Whew!
Okay, so we put in a lot of effort to get to the arena in order to attend the most awesome Amway trade show on the face of the planet. It is a must-attend spectacular for serious business builders who do not want to miss out.
It's a joke, of course! In my life, I have never witnessed such a shittiest, most sorry excuse for a trade show as I witnessed at this one. After all, what else would you expect from an Amway representative? There were only a few booths, perhaps ten in total. Perfect Water was being dispensed in dixie cups by one of them. Artistry was in attendance, and they had small sample packs of face cream to give away. You know, the kind that you just use once. One of the representatives from XS Gear was on hand with their products. This is where Ambot came into difficulties with XS Gear, as he was duped out of his money. He obtained the gentleman's business card and resolved to become their most valuable customer, but things did not go as planned.
I'm not sure what else was in the room with me. I'm quite sure it took less than 20 minutes to take it all in. It's a little shady. Unlike what you might imagine, there were no hordes of brainwashed ambots roaming the streets of this city. There were around a hundred persons in all, which included the IBOs and the exhibitors who were seated behind the tables. Of course, due to the small size of the exhibits, it just took a few minutes to see everything, so it's plausible that IBOs were trailing in and out during the two or three hours it was open. So there could have been another couple of hundred independent business owners (IBOs) that came to the trade exhibition before and after we arrived.
I remember there was an Amway registration counter, and we were able to pick up our "kit," which consisted of an Amway registration ticket on a string that we placed around our necks. There was also the option to purchase early bird parking tickets for the weekend. At $20, this is an absolute steal. Only offered to those unfortunate souls who happened to turn up at the trade exhibition. And sure, Ambot did purchase one.
Putting aside the ghastly trade exhibition, walking into that arena brings back another recollection.
The weekend before we left, I was on the lookout for a cappuccino machine with all the bells and whistles, so I carried an extra $200 in cash with me in case I were to come across one on sale this weekend. I'd noticed an advertisement for a one-day Saturday deal at JC Penney, and even though we'd be out of town, I figured I'd be able to find one while at Family Reunion. Big mouth Ambot spreads the word to everyone and anybody that we have additional money with us, which causes problems. Captain Fuck Up's sponsor, Asshole Eagle, as well as a few others from his downline, were in attendance at the trade expo. It's not like it's any of their fucking concern how much money we happen to have in our bank accounts! I was enraged at Ambot because these young adults in their twenties were unlikely to have brought enough money to purchase meals and were more than likely to ask us for a loan that they would not be able to repay.
According to reports, one of the persons in Asshole Eagle's downline said that he purchased his Family Reunion ticket online at the eleventh hour. Aside from the fact that they didn't have a record of it when he signed in at the registration counter, Consequently, he found himself stranded at Family Reunion with no cash, a credit card that had reached its limit, and no ticket. Because Ambot had conveniently blabbed about the extra cash, Asshole Eagle requested him to purchase a ticket for the Family Reunion for his downline, promising him that he would receive his money back once everything was settled out. The reason for this is because Ambot has been brainwashed into "submitting to downline," despite the fact that the fucking asshole is roughly 25 years younger than him, and he is happy to pay over the money. Unfortunately, the cashola is currently in my possession, and he must now ask me for the money. I'm a tad miffed. I've set aside the money for the cappuccino machine at the office. Their concerns aren't mine to worry about. As a result of my generous nature, I eventually accept that the bastard can borrow the money.
Instead, I ended up purchasing a $30 Mr. Coffee machine. The system was put into action a few of times when we attempted to fool folks into thinking we were hosting a coffee klatch when it was actually an Amway event. In any case, no one ever showed up. What? Is it true that nobody enjoys lattes?
0 comments: