n Las Vegas, good luck occasionally results in a big win. That was definitely true for Garlond Pratt at 5:45 p.m. on March 16; without rolling the dice, playing a winning hand of cards or making the right spin of the roulette wheel, he managed to hit the jackpot.

Attending the Electronic Transactions Association's (ETA) 2005 Annual Meeting and Expo, and traveling all the way from Woodbridge, Va. to be there, Pratt went home with a two week trip to South Africa for two, courtesy of The Green Sheet.

The energy level at the largest trade show in the industry is always high as thousands of people come together for several days from all over the country and the world, representing organizations from every corner of electronic payment processing to meet, greet and learn how to expand their businesses.

Adding to the buzz this year was the chance to win the trip of a lifetime. Entries had to be made at The Green Sheet's booth; Pratt's was one of 420 entries dropped into the drum.

For more than 20 years, The Green Sheet has brought readers the inside scoop on the world of payments. Now, we're sending Pratt to the other side of the earth on a journey we bet he'll never forget.

He won the "Greentastic Voyage," which we've been talking about in conjunction with our first-ever booth at ETA. To set the mood, we decorated the booth with tropical flowers, pith helmets, and scenes from the two exotic locations the winner would choose between: South Africa and Maui, Hawaii.

Enormous bins filled with our colorful spongy elephants, turtles, dolphins, giraffes, lions and zebras beckoned curious attendees to stop at the booth and spend a few minutes visiting with staff members to learn more about our publications and the incredible ETA giveaway.

Part of the fun of a big win in Vegas, even for onlookers, is that the excitement is palpable and contagious. Sure enough, as the time approached to draw the lucky winner at The Green Sheet booth, a crowd gathered, anticipating the announcement.

The winner had to be present to win, and with the interest that the drawing generated during ETA, many hopefuls stood around the booth. People cheered and clapped as Julie O'Ryan, President and Editor in Chief of The Green Sheet, turned the handle to spin the drum and then drew out a single green entry form.

Pratt was in a state of shock when his name was called. "I'm still shaking," he said. "I couldn't believe when I heard the announcement, and I ran up to the booth."

Pratt is a Senior Sales Consultant with SageNet LLC, a systems integrator of Internet protocol-based payment solutions. As a "feet on the street" salesperson in the payment processing industry, he's relied on advice and information he finds in The Green Sheet to help in his day-to-day job tasks: making 30 - 40 phone calls daily and setting four to five appointments weekly.

He's been reading The Green Sheet for more than 10 years, and it's paid off for him in many ways, including a big South African one. "This magazine has everything," he said. "The Green Sheet is a very respectable publication."

The timing is perfect for Pratt and his fiancée, too: They plan to get married next year and hope to use the South African adventure as their honeymoon. He called her on his cell phone at the booth and they had no trouble deciding their destination then and there.

"I've always wanted to go to a hot country like South Africa," Pratt said. "The farthest I've ever been is London."

Congratulations, Garlond, and bon voyage!