How many shows can the industry support?

[Hell Puppy]

Booths are irrelevent especially for our industry with the possible exception of the pure newbie and even they can be better served with alternatives. I mean we all know the companies big enough to have a booth and what they do. Even if it IS something totally new, what I want is simply a business card with an email and URL. I'll go give it a look when I get back. I dont wanna tote a bag full of glossies.

I think all of our events have now recognized that.

Now, what they all do need to accomplish to succeed on a business level is a central gathering point. This is what separates the shows where we get a lot of business done and those where we come back feeling it was a waste of time. You need to organize the show in such a way that there are certain times of day you know everyone will be in one place and receptive. More often than not it's the hotel bar. This is why you hear us gripe when the hotel doesn't open the thing for more than a few hours a day/night.

FFN SOP whether it's a party or the bar is always the same. We'll find a spot somewhere near the middle that everyone has to pass by, group as many chairs as we can scrounge, and we'll sit tight. Everyone comes past, those who want to do business or just say hi will find us, we're hard to miss.

Now I do think some of the "social shows" have become way too party oriented. Everyone still gets scattered with their own cliques doing dinners and after hours events, and you never know they're there. Now the reps will come back bragging how much business they did because they wanna go party at the next show. But I'd love to hear from those who actually work the ledger as to whether these shows actuallly have a return.

Phoenix Forum is currently the big show, but I think a lot of that is the party lure. What keeps me away from that one is the fact they've outgrown the venue. Again, the shows I like best are ones where everyone is in same place and you can stagger to the room.