An icon leaves us
Walt Tabor died in October. I learned about this yesterday, when Karen Renk sent an announcement to IMA Board members. For many in our market, the name "Walt Tabor" doesn't ring any bells. Or, he's just a name on a scholarship given out by IMRA.
But to those of us who have a little more dirt under our fingernails, Walt WAS the New York Incentive Show. He was also publisher of Potentials Magazine when Potentials Magazine was considerably more than it is today. This is a man with a Career Worth Considering, and one whose memory we should cherish.
And in his role as Head Cheerleader of the New York Show, he would challenge any supplier to tell him why they wouldn't exhibit in the largest trade fair in our marketplace. He and I would often get into it about the show as it began its slide into non-relevance, but he always argued his position with eloquence and passion.
Walt was also tireless in his efforts to further the marketplace, and he gave of his time, his energy, and especially his money, without which IMRA would not have been able to continue the scholarships that bear the names of Walt and his late wife Anna.
Karen said in her note to us "We have lost a good friend". We've also lost one of our market's most influential supporters, a man whose accomplishments were pre-Google (which is why, if you search for him, few links appear), but significant nonetheless. He was gracious and willing to share information with market newbies (including me, in the late '80s), information that helped us understand and appreciate the market in which we were making a living.
Sleep well, Walt. See you on the other side, where you're probably already working on busting my chops...
Pete
But to those of us who have a little more dirt under our fingernails, Walt WAS the New York Incentive Show. He was also publisher of Potentials Magazine when Potentials Magazine was considerably more than it is today. This is a man with a Career Worth Considering, and one whose memory we should cherish.
And in his role as Head Cheerleader of the New York Show, he would challenge any supplier to tell him why they wouldn't exhibit in the largest trade fair in our marketplace. He and I would often get into it about the show as it began its slide into non-relevance, but he always argued his position with eloquence and passion.
Walt was also tireless in his efforts to further the marketplace, and he gave of his time, his energy, and especially his money, without which IMRA would not have been able to continue the scholarships that bear the names of Walt and his late wife Anna.
Karen said in her note to us "We have lost a good friend". We've also lost one of our market's most influential supporters, a man whose accomplishments were pre-Google (which is why, if you search for him, few links appear), but significant nonetheless. He was gracious and willing to share information with market newbies (including me, in the late '80s), information that helped us understand and appreciate the market in which we were making a living.
Sleep well, Walt. See you on the other side, where you're probably already working on busting my chops...
Pete
posted by Pete Mitchell at 8:34 AM
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