DEMA Bound

[InstructorMike]

I heard the Orlando Convention Center would not book the show unless they were promised two years in a row. Orlando is sweet for me, a 2 hour drive. Las Vegas is a fun town and one of the few places my wife has not been to yet. Hope to take her to some shows since we will be there 7 days. I had a great time in New Orleans and home they book again there. Great resturants and Bars but I have not been back since the Hurricane. I used to fly to Las Vegas for $ 99.00 and got a killer room with gold plated marble hot tub for $ 69.00. Not any more.

GOOD LUCK StCroixScuba. Will be watching the to see what happens. I asked my wife to marry me underwater there. Took her a year later to Fiji to marry her underwater.

See everyone there!

 

[mdb]

DEMA Is now just travel and training and trinkets, parties, seminars, and lots of folks who scam their way in to this now outdated show.

I was at the first DEMA SHOW in Miami and all after. The first decade or two it was a real show where manufacturers and SCUBA retailers did real business. Not anymore.

 

[stcroixscuba]

Actually DEMA was supposed to be in Houston again last year but everyone complained so much about that venue that they decided to keep it in Orlando for two years before going to the every-other-year Orlando/Vegas swap. I know someone earlier said that they didn't like New Orleans for DEMA but I've always thought that was one of the very best places. It's located equidistant (if that's a word) from the east and west coast. Prior to Katrina New Orleans is where a LOT of people liked to go. And it's one of the best places for networking (my main reason for going to DEMA), because as some point every evening almost everyone winds up on Bourbon Street. In LV, at the end of the show people spread out in all directions and you could easily go the entire evening without seeing anyone else from the show. To a smaller degree Orlando is the same way. Of course I'm also a bit jaded by being a Cajun from Louisiana prior to moving to St. Croix 23 years ago.

 

[divemedic1316]

I am going to DEMA. Driving up from southern California. If anyone is interested in diving lake mead or lake mojave I would like to hook up. The main dive site at lake mead, saddle cove, is closed due to construction of a massive tunnel that will sap most of the water out of lake mead. SO.....................If anyone needs info on las vegas hotels let me know, there are lots of deals. We go about six times a year we know the scene if you are on a budget and willing to rent a car you can stay for as little as 29.99 a night just off the strip. Check out the gold strike or the stateline casinos, whiskey petes, and primm (great golfing). If any one has any feed back on IDC in key largo let me know........PLEASE, I could you some feedback.

 

[friscuba]

DEMA Is now just travel and training and trinkets, parties, seminars, and lots of folks who scam their way in to this now outdated show.

I was at the first DEMA SHOW in Miami and all after. The first decade or two it was a real show where manufacturers and SCUBA retailers did real business. Not anymore.

I've seen posts along these lines in the last year or two. What were the early shows like? The last several, which I've been to, have had most of the name manufacturers and numerous of lesser known manufacturers present, along with trinket and travel guys. Were there that many more manufacturers at the initial DEMA shows, or is adding trinkets and travel to the mix making it appear to be less of a manufacturers show even though there's more or less the same number of manufacturers showing? Just curious as the last New Orleans show was my first DEMA show and I missed the original shows.

 

[mdb]

I've seen posts along these lines in the last year or two. What were the early shows like? The last several, which I've been to, have had most of the name manufacturers and numerous of lesser known manufacturers present, along with trinket and travel guys. Were there that many more manufacturers at the initial DEMA shows, or is adding trinkets and travel to the mix making it appear to be less of a manufacturers show even though there's more or less the same number of manufacturers showing? Just curious as the last New Orleans show was my first DEMA show and I missed the original shows.

Steve:

The first decade or two the shows were, for the most part, SCUBA retailers and SCUBA
manufacturers and distributors working together on previewing and ordering equipment.

Over time the show morphed into what it is now. It is still a great annual party and gathering place. It is, no longer, a real market place for SCUBA equipment; that work now takes place prior to DEMA.

The various seminars, the chance to roam the aisles and shop for travel etc., not to mention the parties, still makes it worthwhile.

 

[ScottZeagle]

Mike -

Remember when you could walk around the back aisles of DEMA and see the little guy with the single booth who had some really cool invention??

That is what I miss the most.

See you next week, my friend.

Scott

 

[Ted S]

mdb,

I've discussed this same "issue" with people at DEMA for a few years now but one question that I keep coming back to... is the show no longer "the same" because it changed or because the way in which people do business changed? As I understand it, DEMA started with a real purpose of letting shops do business [place orders] and discuss [talk about innovations, get demos]. Again, as I understand it, over time reps became more regional, orders didn't have to be placed once a year at the "big show" and the pure sales focus of the show shifted. At the same time there was a move from lots of new products to more stable products so less to show case and more reordering came about [why spend days talking about products if you're repeating your last order]. From what I've gathered there's no doubt the show's changed but a lot of why it changed seems to be a result of a loss of the original purpose, not just a marketing perversion. Of course whether or not what it's changed into is good is a whole other story...

Any light you can shed on my understanding?

 

[mdb]

"From what I've gathered there's no doubt the show's changed but a lot of why it changed seems to be a result of a loss of the original purpose, not just a marketing perversion. Of course whether or not what it's changed into is good is a whole other story..."

Ted:

At first The Diving Equipment Manufacturers Association was a group of core Manufacturers and Distributors that met in Southern California and shared information, credit reports, sales figures, and planned the annual show. The show was a place where new products could be introduced and evaluated etc. After the show the manufacturers would have a fair idea of the hits and misses and would plan production for the coming season. The retailers were offered good discounts and incentives to place orders. It was a true marketplace with attendance being mostly manufacturers and Retail store owners.

DEMA then became the Diving Equipment and Marketing Assoc. Travel and dive accessory items, clothing, hats, jewelry, etc. became part of the show. Attendance started including friends of store owners, and almost anyone else who wanted to could get into the show-same as today.

The equipment manufacturers began to use "booking orders" to get in front of the show. Dealers were asked to make annual commitments prior to DEMA. This is now the norm for most companies.

So, we now have the present DEMA show. The number of true equipment buyers will be, most likely, well less than 20% of the overall show population- still fun; just not as productive IMHO.

 

[pasley]

I just made my reservations on line @ Las Vegas Hotels, Casino Resorts & Nevada Room Reservations - Las Vegas Hilton
and booked it for 99.95 a far cry cry from the negoiated rate of $179.00 from DEMA :no

Luxtor $58.00