Washington, US, 13th February 2026, ZEX PR WIRE, For Voshte Gustafson, trade shows aren’t just part of her job. They’re where her energy comes alive. Travel days, booth setups, hotel lobbies, happy hour intros—this is her arena. And she leans all the way in.
“I actually love all of it,” she says. “The travel, the setup, the rush of walking into a huge room full of strangers. It’s exciting. Every show is different.”
A professional in the promotional products industry, Gustafson has built her business and reputation by doing what others sometimes avoid—getting out from behind a desk and making real-world connections. Whether she’s attending as a vendor or visitor, she doesn’t just show up. She plans, preps, and performs.
“If I know certain clients will be there, I bring a gift,” she explains. “Not a promo pen. I mean something unique—a nice water bottle, a custom notebook, something they’ll actually use and remember. It’s a touchpoint that says, ‘You matter.’”
For her, trade shows aren’t about passing out swag and hoping for leads. They’re about presence. She makes her booth approachable, her energy high, and her conversations real. “People like to be seen,” she says. “They want to be heard. That’s how you build trust.”
Over time, Voshte has learned that consistency is what turns a cold intro into a warm client. “You’ll see the same workgroups across different shows. They remember you. They’ll stop by and say, ‘Hey, I saw you in Vegas last year,’ or ‘We loved what you made for us.’ That recognition makes future conversations easier.”
And it’s not just about customers. “Sometimes it’s your booth neighbor that becomes your next client,” she says. “Some of my strongest business relationships started with a casual chat between sessions.”
That’s part of what makes the trade show circuit unique. It’s not a typical sales environment. It’s dynamic. You never know when a great conversation will turn into a contract—or when a new product demo will get the whole floor talking.
“Once, we had a pen with NFC tap capability. Someone saw it, loved it, then sent others over to check it out. Soon we had people lining up just to try the pen. You can’t replicate that kind of word-of-mouth online.”
Those little moments fuel her. But she’s quick to say it’s not always perfect. “Not every show is a winner. Some don’t give you the return you hoped for. But it’s part of the process. You live and learn which ones are worth it.”
That blend of hustle, humor, and self-awareness is what sparked her to start branding herself as “The Trade Show Girl.” It started as a joke—part nod to Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour,” part poke at the sudden wave of AI-generated avatars—but the name stuck.
“I thought it was fun. Everyone was making these polished avatars of themselves, so I leaned in. I wanted to show the real side of trade shows. The grind, the laughs, the airport delays, the wins and the flops.”
And it resonated. She’s used the identity to share insights, find new clients, and show others how real connections still matter in a digital world.
“There’s something about meeting someone face to face that you can’t replace. Whether you’re at a booth, grabbing lunch between sessions, or chatting over a drink in the hotel bar—it all matters.”
Trade shows are loud. They’re long. They’re full of people selling and pitching and moving fast. But Gustafson has learned how to stand out by slowing down.
“We start conversations. We listen. We qualify. We don’t just hand out a catalog and walk away. That’s how you build something lasting.”
For Gustafson, the “trade show girl” identity isn’t about being flashy. It’s about showing up. Over and over. Fully present, fully prepared, and fully herself.
Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.