Suggestions for DEMA organizers for a better show!!!

[Z Gear]

You'll have to sneak it in, or pay the show company $600 a keg, plus $125 an hour for the staff to pour it.

This isn't all of our first rodeo.

I always sneak in goodies at the movies, this should be a breeze!!

 

[Wookie]

Here's your chance to set them straight!!!! http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/sc...6-dema-unveils-post-show-survey-industry.html

 

[Z Gear]

Here's your chance to set them straight!!!! http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/sc...6-dema-unveils-post-show-survey-industry.html

I will definitely do the survey, I will make it a point to make clear what went wrong at the show and my recommendations on what they should focus on.
I hope they actually read the survey.

One more point on the show, which I forgot to mention previously. I think that those seminars are also one big problem that needs to be looked at. I noticed that almost everyone was tired and I even asked them why and some said the seminars had just drained them. They just wanted to leave and some I believed could have cared less about walking around to see all the booths at the show. These seminars should be secondary and not a priority
of the show. They should take a back seat and not hamper or in any way take the focus away from manufactures exhibiting at the show. I believe some of these can be excessive and some what distracting . Where by having such seminars is non-conducive to exhibitors interested in meeting potential retail buyers. I have asked some of this fact and most said that this basically wore them out and as a result made them just want to leave earlier rather than later, kind of thing. This is not helpful to exhibitors spending a good chunk of change, just to have a chance on meeting some retailers.

I suggest that if they want to keep doing seminars they should pick a day and just hold on that day. This way most will get it over with and the next day they will be fresh and will have the energy and desire to visit most of the exhibitors who made it to the DEMA show. Some thing is not right at that show I got the sense that everyone was in a hurry to go some where and I was a little puzzled by that. After asking a few why so many where acting like this, the over whelming reason was that they just felt tired after being in those seminars. Were they too long, were their too many, were they just plain boring, or all of the above.

What do you think?

 

[widget]

I will definitely do the survey, I will make it a point to make clear what went wrong at the show and my recommendations on what they should focus on.
I hope they actually read the survey.

One more point on the show, which I forgot to mention previously. I think that those seminars are also one big problem that needs to be looked at. I noticed that almost everyone was tired and I even asked them why and some said the seminars had just drained them. They just wanted to leave and some I believed could have cared less about walking around to see all the booths at the show. These seminars should be secondary and not a priority
of the show. They should take a back seat and not hamper or in any way take the focus away from manufactures exhibiting at the show. I believe some of these can be excessive and some what distracting . Where by having such seminars is non-conducive to exhibitors interested in meeting potential retail buyers. I have asked some of this fact and most said that this basically wore them out and as a result made them just want to leave earlier rather than later, kind of thing. This is not helpful to exhibitors spending a good chunk of change, just to have a chance on meeting some retailers.

I suggest that if they want to keep doing seminars they should pick a day and just hold on that day. This way most will get it over with and the next day they will be fresh and will have the energy and desire to visit most of the exhibitors who made it to the DEMA show. Some thing is not right at that show I got the sense that everyone was in a hurry to go some where and I was a little puzzled by that. After asking a few why so many where acting like this, the over whelming reason was that they just felt tired after being in those seminars. Were they too long, were their too many, were they just plain boring, or all of the above.

What do you think?

Surely folk go to the seminars because they want to? I am not sure removing or limiting the seminars will convince folk to spend more time on the floor, if that happened maybe they just wouldn't even bother coming.

In all my years of attending Dema I think I may have only done two or three seminars and they were usually specific to the products we imported, but I do know folk who attend just for the seminars, depends what you want out of Dema I guess.

 

[Z Gear]

Surely folk go to the seminars because they want to? I am not sure removing or limiting the seminars will convince folk to spend more time on the floor, if that happened maybe they just wouldn't even bother coming.

In all my years of attending Dema I think I may have only done two or three seminars and they were usually specific to the products we imported, but I do know folk who attend just for the seminars, depends what you want out of Dema I guess.

What do you think about limiting some of the seminars or holding them on certain days, or one day. I think there must be a change in this area, do you and others think about this suggestion?

 

[widget]

What do you think about holding on certain days, or one day. I think there must be a change in this area do you think that would be a good suggestion?

Hard for me to say, personally I think you may find some resistance here .

I hardly ever attended, but some suppliers we supported were very pro-active in the seminar field, new products, technical seminars, sales briefings etc etc which they ran every day, so for example if you couldn't attend the technical seminar, or new products briefing on day 1 you could try day 2 and so on. Many of these seminars are also space limited so they may need a few days to get everyone through. If they had to do it all on one day I am not sure it would give everyone who may have wanted to attend an opportunity, its a catch 22 I think, it does draw folk away from the floor, but for many suppliers it may not really matter, as those people could very well be in their own seminars.

Its a difficult one, I know where you are coming from, I am just not sure it would be a fair solution.

 

[Z Gear]

Hard for me to say, personally I think you may find some resistance here .

I hardly ever attended, but some suppliers we supported were very pro-active in the seminar field, new products, technical seminars, sales briefings etc etc which they ran every day, so for example if you couldn't attend the technical seminar, or new products briefing on day 1 you could try day 2 and so on. Many of these seminars are also space limited so they may need a few days to get everyone through. If they had to do it all on one day I am not sure it would give everyone who may have wanted to attend an opportunity, its a catch 22 I think, it does draw folk away from the floor, but for many suppliers it may not really matter, as those people could very well be in their own seminars.

Its a difficult one, I know where you are coming from, I am just not sure it would be a fair solution.

I see your point , this is not as simple as I assumed. Perhaps the show is not in my best interest and it would be better to allocate more funds and resources to reps to present new products to retailers. Providing the reps with free samples or a great display would be a better option than supporting a type of show that offers this type of experience.

Thanks for all your inputs on this.

 

[Wookie]

That's funny. The seminars are the REASON for the show. The show has nothing to do with the show floor, it is to gather the players in the industry in one place to do their instructor updates, do their service tech classes, introduce them to new destinations, teach them about liability, etc. etc. etc. The show floor is there to give them something to do between seminars, to give them an opportunity to talk to friends, and to subsidize the seminars. No dive instructor in the world would travel halfway around the world to do their instructor update, but they will come to DEMA.

 

[widget]

I see your point , this is not as simple as I assumed. Perhaps the show is not in my best interest and it would be better to allocate more funds and resources to reps to present new products to retailers. Providing the reps with free samples or a great display would be a better option than supporting a type of show that offers this type of experience.

Thanks for all your inputs on this.

I hear you, its no consolation I know but quite a few European suppliers I dealt with felt much the same way, its a very, very expensive exercise for a European manufacturer or supplier to exhibit at Dema and often they didn't even meet any new customers, so for them it really became a sort of meet and greet of old clients.

It had its place I suppose, but from our discussions, it wasn't really why they were there. So I can easily understand your predicament and unfortunately, as you suggested many of them stopped going as well.

I know a few may still send a representative to walk the aisles every 2nd year or so just to keep up but they no longer exhibit.

 

[Z Gear]

That's funny. The seminars are the REASON for the show. The show has nothing to do with the show floor, it is to gather the players in the industry in one place to do their instructor updates, do their service tech classes, introduce them to new destinations, teach them about liability, etc. etc. etc. The show floor is there to give them something to do between seminars, to give them an opportunity to talk to friends, and to subsidize the seminars. No dive instructor in the world would travel halfway around the world to do their instructor update, but they will come to DEMA.

That's funny I thought the main REASON manufactures like my self paid for this type of show was for the purpose of meeting retail buyers, not give them something to do in between seminars, if they even had the time. You see from my stand point is that many of the manufactures that I saw got very little attention from retailers, they never got a chance. Do you think that's right? I was suggesting on how we can correct a problem that is real and is currently affecting manufacturers. Manufacturers paid out the majority of the proceeds to support this show why should they take a back seat to the importance of the show. Its just simply not very effective in my view. It looks like this winding path needs to be straightened out a bit.