If anyone understands the importance of first impressions – especially when it comes to attention to detail – it’s Sherry Reno. As the tradeshow coordinator for Kent Nutrition Group, Reno manages roughly 90 events around the country each year. They range from national shows in big city convention centers to educational workshops at local dealerships. But they all have unique audiences for two brands, different sales team needs and, of course, ever-changing logistics.

“You’re always thinking about presentation, and being brand aware,” says Reno, who is celebrating 15 years with KNG this year. “You certainly don’t want wrinkled tablecloths, but additionally you want to make sure everything about the booth presentation is the best it can be.”

Reno didn’t grow up on a farm and says she has “zero ag background” – though she did own a horse, two goats and four sheep as a young girl in Missouri. Her parents ran a restaurant, so much of her time was spent working there. But her uncle has shown sheep all his life, and to this day, at 80 years old, he still only feeds Kent.

“You can tell a lot about a company by the trust and loyalty that follows it, generation after generation,” Reno says. “People come up to us at shows and tell us they’ve been feeding Kent their whole life, same as their dad and their dad’s dad . . . I just love hearing those stories.”

With a background in sales and advertising, and her many years managing Kent and Blue Seal’s tradeshows, Reno has become somewhat of a “go-to” person at KNG. Not only does she plan every detail before every presentation – “Nothing goes out the door until I approve it,” – she carefully evaluates each of them when they’re over.

“Being at a show just because we’ve always been at that show isn’t the best strategy when it comes to serving our customers,” Reno says. “From an integrity standpoint, you have to analyze the ROI. Because in the end, we are all doing the same job: serving the customers and dealers, and making sure the sales team are fully equipped to do that.”

Sherry lives with her husband, John, in Muscatine, Iowa. They have three children and two dogs, including a new puppy named Oakley who still has her days and nights mixed up. When she’s not working, Sherry enjoys traveling with family, working on her new house with John, and attending her youngest daughter’s basketball and softball tournaments.