​Trade shows can be an exciting event for any company. The ability to reach a large pool of potential customers in just a few days is a beautiful way to display, demonstrate, and discuss your company's latest products and services. You also get exposure to industry trends and make connections. However, as exciting as they are, it can also be a daunting task, especially for the one(s) in charge of the show, which usually falls on the marketing department.

I wouldn't be able to start explaining the 80/20 rule in marketing if I didn't provide some insight on what this rule is and where it originated. If you conduct a quick Google search, you'll find an article on Wikipedia where the term was initially coined by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. This article goes on to explain how he used this rule to describe land ownership in Italy. However, this article doesn't solve the 80/20 rule in its purest form, which is that 80% of the effect will come from just 20% of the cause. In Pareto's case, he was explaining how 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population. This principle is often used in economics, computing, sports, occupational health and safety, and of course, business.

It always feels good to finish a project. To have a concept in mind, research, strategize, outline, create a process to work through each part, and put it all together in a nice package. It’s truly gratifying. Now I’m doing this purely as a learning tool, but I do sense that I’m getting better. I’m growing in my musical knowledge, I’m able to work more efficiently, and I feel slightly more confident in my ability to complete a project.