Originally Posted by Peaches

You aren't a sales rep you're an independent contractor. You work for yourself. Sponsors DO pay to send their sales reps to shows - they are employees. They also get rewarded with bonuses

I was paid out more than $100K one year from a large and very well known sponsor and never dreamed of asking for a pass to any show. Never even got a Christmas card

If you ask a sponsor and they say "yes" then great. If they say "no" then it's really not that big a deal, IMHO.