I went to the Adventures in Travel Expo at Pier 94 in Manhattan on Sunday, January 14th, and was a bit overwhelmed. The venue is huge, comparable to the Javits Center, and maneuvering within the crowds is exhausting. It had well over a hundred exhibitors lined up in columns of booths, but I only managed to talk to forty or so. Most were eager to hear about Interpreters' Group, and many said they'd call up to know when we start posting jobs.

The expo was a bargain ($10.00 adult admission, pre-registered) in that it had huge amounts of giveaway material, some of it, like Travelocity's pocket folder, quite useful. There were costumed dance performers and musical acts from Asia, Africa and Latin America. The children, many of them in strollers, were surprisingly well behaved, and really seemed to enjoy themselves.

I think the expo was a terrific way to introduce families to some intriguing vacation ideas, from Alaskan fishing lodges to vacation rental homes in North Carolina to customized tours in China and Tibet. Judging from the excitement in the crowd, I think the exhibitors will be seeing a lot of new customers.