Shawn Walchef explains why leaving your business to attend trade shows and conferences is one of the most overlooked growth strategies in hospitality. Drawing from seventeen years of experience, he shares how showing up in person leads to stronger relationships, better content, faster learning, and real business opportunities. From B2B networking and proximity to industry leaders to securing six-figure brand deals simply by being in the room, Walchef reframes conferences as leverage rather than expenses. Growth accelerates when operators step away from daily operations, invest in learning, and put themselves in environments where decisions, partnerships, and momentum are already happening.

Interview Takeaways:

• Get Out of the Building – Real growth happens when operators leave day-to-day operations and put themselves in rooms with other builders. Trade shows and conferences create space for curiosity, learning, and relationships that simply do not form from behind a desk.
• Proximity Accelerates Everything – Being physically present with industry leaders, creators, and brands unlocks better conversations, stronger content, and unexpected opportunities. When the right people are nearby, collaboration and storytelling become easier and more authentic.
• Showing Up Creates Leverage – The biggest deals often come from visibility, not pitching. Speaking, participating, and engaging in person puts operators in front of decision-makers, turning presence into partnerships and long-term growth.

Episode Links:

• Shawn Walchef LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnpwalchef/
• Cali BBQ: https://calibbq.media/

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