American Baseball Coaches Association
Midwest Netting Solutions LLC is listed as an exhibitor for the ABCA (American Baseball Coaches Association)
2026 Convention, with associated members including Mark Lato and Seamus Heneghan.
They specialize in netting solutions, often appearing at sports-related trade shows.
Event: ABCA 2026 Convention (American Baseball Coaches Association).
Attendees/Contacts: Mark Lato, Seamus Heneghan.
Booth Info: 322592 (Booth ID).
What We Learned From Joining Our First Trade Show
Have ever wondered if being part of a trade show is really worth the time, money, and long days on your feet? Especially one geared towards baseball?
In this post, we’ll share why we decided to attend the American Baseball Coaches Association 2026, what actually happened at the show, and the biggest lessons we learned that might help you decide if a trade show is right for your business.
Why we chose to join a trade show and attend the ABCA
We wanted to get in front of a highly targeted audience in one place instead of chasing individual meetings and emails over months. Our goal was to talk to the people face to face who really need our Netting services. We also saw it as a chance to build brand awareness for Midwest Netting Solutions, gather live feedback on the types of products and services we offer, and see what our competitors were doing on the show floor.
What the trade show experience was really like Preparation took a lot more work than we had originally thought it would: planning the components and booth layout, preparing relevant marketing materials, creating a physical, scaled down Inline Baseball Backstop, and deciding who would be the best representatives to bring and place on the fl oor to spur conversations. During the show itself, we had constant conversations and interactions with coaches, players, and business owners — some short and to the point, others that were a lot more in‑depth — this helped us understand what people are actually looking for and what questions come up most often about netting, the process of building a turnkey inline backstop for baseball or softball, and what it takes to convert an ordinary indoor space into a year round indoor baseball training facility.
Key lessons we learned (and what we’d do differently) Clear messaging at the booth matters. We realized a little too late that our original signage didn’t stand out compared to other booths, and stronger branding and visuals could have created a more inviting look and a stronger pull for our target audience. Sometimes less is more. As this was our fi rst time exhibiting, we overthought a lot of details, but we learned that a simple, clean, and focused setup is often more effective than trying to do too much at once. Follow‑ups are key. We met many coaches, players, and business owners interested in our netting services, and while we followed up with everyone, we came away feeling we could refi ne our process to make a stronger, more memorable impression after the show.
Conclusion Being a member of a trade show was a big commitment, but it gave us valuable exposure, honest feedback from the end users in our industry, and lessons we can use to make the next event even more effective and memorable for us as well as the attendees
