My first NACS Show was 2005. I remember fondly the rookie mistake I made that was a huge lesson learned: I wore the wrong shoes. Like, very wrong.

Proper shoes for walking the NACS Show expo—all 436,100 net square feet of it—are a must. It’s my go-to advice for anyone new to the event. For many, the walking begins before the expo doors open. This year I covered about 10 miles, give or take.