Trade Shows - To Go Or Not To Go…
At first we had just one show, IA2000. Then came Cybernet. Going to trade shows used to be an easy decision. Not these days.
So many shows coming up, which ones should I attend? For me, which ones should I throw my parties at?
Lately, I make my decisions based on the people who throw the shows. Are they nice people? Do they care about the webmasters needs? Are they providing an environment to do good business? This is what goes on through my head.
I used to think the only worth while show was Internext. But in the last few years, others have thrown very successful shows with really great turn outs. It seems like Internext started to lose touch of what a webmaster needs, while others started to fill that void. Phoenix Forum started to blow up, then XBiz threw awesome shows in both Hollywood and Vegas, Webmaster Access shows have always been impressive. Cybernet Expo threw their last show in Tampa, but I really didn’t get excited to go to Tampa, so I didn’t go. They made a great choice by choosing San Fran for their next one. So sometimes it’s the location that turns me off. Internext keeps doing their summer show in Hollywood Florida during the hurricane season, that doesn’t excite me much. I wish they’d go back to New Orleans or pick a new location, keep their show fresh again.
Let’s evaluate the owners of these trade shows. Which shows have the owners in the trenches? By this I mean, shaking hands with the sponsors and the attendees. Being visible most of the time. This means alot to me. It shows they care. Also, if something goes wrong, they’re right there to help make things right.
XBiz - Alec is always at his shows. I like that he’s always trying to make his model better. His numbers are pretty good as well. He’s one of us, he has an affiliate program, resources for webmasters, chat communities, etc. For me, he’s easy to work with when I throw my events at his shows.
Phoenix Forum - Ron C is always at his shows, shaking hands and being seen at some point. He’s not in for the money, he’s providing a great service for the industry. His shows are always very classy, free food, drinks, snacks, parties - everything is top notch. The location is great in Phoenix as well.
Internext - The Vegas show is always a must attend event simply because it has the most attendees. Their format, big show floor and too many competing parties got a little stale though. I’m glad they’re changing it up at the Palms this January, this will provide a much needed change to their show format. A step in the right direction. They’ll never be the same power house as a few years ago, there’s too many other shows for webmasters to make choices with these days. The Florida Internext is a show I can do without. After deciding to not attend any of these shows for 3 years, this last year I decided to go back and see if it’s any better. Still the same show. Bad weather, bad parties, over priced sponsorships, jacked up prices at the hotel because it’s our people, long flights to get there. I doubt I’ll go back to their summer shows unless they change the location and format. As far as the owners, you never see them at the trade show or parties. They send their little people for that. It projects an image of “I’m better then you, I care more about the video side then Internet side”. Why is it they’re everywhere during the AEE show and other shows catering to the video side, but non existant for the Internet side? I like the owners on a personal level, but we’re talking business here. As a person that attends a show, I want to see that the owners care enough to at least be seen.
Webmaster Access - Lensman is top notch. Eric is a stud. With parties at the Playboy Mansion, excellent networking opportunites through the whole show, their Hollywood show is a must attend event. All of their events are great, I think their best one is Hollywood.
Cybernet Expo - Fay is always there, very hands on. Jay runs the show and puts his heart into it, the results are usually very great. Though it seems like their attendance is up and down, they do provide a great environment for networking with a fair sponsorship price. Tampa was a bad choice of locations after great success in San Diego and New Orleans. I think they’re pull of a great show coming up in S.F..
These are what I consider the major shows. Of course there are many other smaller shows, lot’s of them in tropical locations. I highly recommend those as well, but if you’re looking at attending the shows for the masses, the ones mentioned above are all great options.
