A Jet Blue flight to Vegas, then lights, camera, action

Like many of you, I'm heading to Las Vegas in less than two weeks for Medtrade Spring. I have reservations about this, but it has nothing to do with the show, which I know will be great!

My reservations are heretofore:

1.) I'm flying Jet Blue, which was more appealing before this happened. Mind you, you're reading the words of a person who:

• shows up at the airport at least two hours early (with no exceptions, even when departing from PWM, you know, Portland, Maine);
• who, upon sitting in her seat, immediately locates the barf bag (believe me, it's for more than writing a jokey note to your best friend the first time you ride a plane when you're 16); and
• who stays buckled in her aisle seat at all times (unless the man or woman or child sitting by the window can't control their bladders or their restless leg syndrome like she can).

You know what will happen if the pilot of the plane I am on exits the cockpit and runs around yelling about bombs and screaming for passengers to pray? I will pass out, you guys.

2.) Our esteemed contributing editor, Jennifer Keirn, will not be at the show to help out the HME News editors with HME News TV, which, if you haven't noticed, she's very good at, much better than any of us. An interesting little side note about that: I think, if I remember correctly, that she and her husband met in college while working on-air for their college radio station. Anyway, Jennifer has the audacity to be going on vacation with her family that week to...San Franciso. I know I may be in the minority, here, but I'd take San Fran over Vegas any day. My mother still claims I am not  her daughter because I will spend three days in Las Vegas each year and I will not put as little as one quarter in a slot machine. I got no interest, what can I tell ya?

The good news about Jennifer not being at Medtrade Spring: I, and I alone, am guaranteed to have as many as 30 minutes to chat and catch up with the 21 people who have graciously agreed to be interviewed. It's a good group; check it out:

Wednesday, April 11

10:30    Cara Bachenheimer    senior vp of government relations, Invacare
11:00    Sarah Hanna    vp, ECS Billing & Consulting
11:30    Rob Baumhover    director of retail programs, The VGM Group
12:00    Wayne Grau    vp, contracting & business services, The MED  Group
12:30    Jeffrey Baird    chairman of the Health Care Group, Brown & Fortunato
1:00    David Hartley    CEO, Home Health Depot
1:30    Angela Miller    president/general manager, Medical Auditing Solutions
2:00    Paul Guth    president and CEO, Roscoe Medical
2:30    B.J. Bowser    HME consultant, Lieber Consulting
3:00    Doug Harper    group vp, sales and market development, North America, Invacare
3:30    Jay Brislin    vp, Quantum Rehab
4:00    Pam Felkins Colbert    vp, The van Halem Group
4:30    Dave Cormack    president and CEO, Brightree

10:30    Dave Bargmann    social media consultant, Duckridge Advisors
11:00    Kevin Gaffney    group show director, Medtrade
11:30    Louis Refrano    president and CEO, Rofrano Performance Group
12:00    Tony Anzalone    vp of marketing, Inova Labs
1:00    Seth Johnson    vp of government affairs, Pride Mobility Products
1:30    PJ Ruflin    director of national accounts, Sunset Healthcare Solutions
2:00    Tyler Wilson    president and CEO, AAHomecare
2:30    Erika Feinberg    CEO, ActiveForever.com

Feel free to stop by the TV studio to, you know, embarrass a colleague who's being interviewed or bring me a coffee. Maybe make that a water. Managing Editor Theresa Flaherty doesn't like it when I drink too much coffee. The studio will be in the Sands Expo and Convention Center, just before the registration area for Medtrade Spring.

Liz Beaulieu