Dema show???

[cool_hardware52]

thats what I was saying earlier. Even just a single day for consumer day.

How many consumers will drive beyond one~two hours to attend a single day of *any* show?

To let us see what the dive shops are seeing.

Let me clue you in, there aren't any secrets. Manufacturers today make huge amounts of info available on the internet.

Do you really think there's some "eyes only" product info at DEMA? That's just silly.

There remains a perception that DEMA is a huge discount Dive Business "Outlet" store with manufacturers giving away product below cost. The reality is some dive professionals *might* get "keyman" deals on some very limited items. These deals would not be available to the consumer anyway.

DEMA does not = Swap Meet

It's the fact that people complain that DEMA is slowing down less people going etc. I really don't see any other ideas floating around that could fix the problem. I do think let consumers in for a day could be a solution. If they don't try every possible solution they are not really trying to fix the problem.

The reaction to "Do something, do anything!" much like all panic reactions is very seldom useful.


I don't have all the answers, but my short list would include:

Venue. Hold "the Show" in locations with a proven ability to attract attendees.

Cost. The ancillary costs of attendance has exploded. Negotiate with the exhibit halls and the drayage and decorating concessions for much better rates. Paying $.75 / lbs to have my booth goods moved from the loading dock to my booth cannot be justified. This is only a single example of the multitude of ways show halls gouge exhibitors. Show promoters offer a relatively low square ft price for booth space and then collect essentially kick backs from the concessionaires. It's easier to blame he high cost on the "unions"

Duration. Is 4 days necessary?

Calendar. Is the fall really the right time for a Dive Equipment Show?

Tobin

 

[Leadking]

Tobin,

when I was on the trade show committee, I tried to get a "bulk rate" for exhibitors. That DEMA would give a certain amount of drayage with each booth because DEMA would be responsible and be a single payer and earn a reduced price. You can see how far I got. I pay more to have the gorillas move my display across the show floor, and damage it, than I pay to have it shipped 1500 miles each way. I also pushed for booking strong venues up to 20 years out by getting the right of first refusal-again it didn't happen. It goes on and on.

Fall, in my opinion, is not the right time. Most dive stores are hoarding cash for the long, cold winter. They need time to digest what has occurred in the current selling season. A lot of stores are finishing up check-outs.

I think those stores who did want a fall show, after seeing what they got, would prefer to go back to a January show. They had expectations of changes that did not happen.

 

[cool_hardware52]

Tobin,

when I was on the trade show committee, I tried to get a "bulk rate" for exhibitors. That DEMA would give a certain amount of drayage with each booth because DEMA would be responsible and be a single payer and earn a reduced price. You can see how far I got. I pay more to have the gorillas move my display across the show floor, and damage it, than I pay to have it shipped 1500 miles each way. I also pushed for booking strong venues up to 20 years out by getting the right of first refusal-again it didn't happen. It goes on and on.

Yup, same here. The cost to have my goods moved from the loading dock to my booth exceeds the freight from SoCal to Florida. In addition I firmly believe that the hall personal intentionally try to damage the goods, it's a game to them.

Not only is this a fixed game with no real alternative for the exhibitors, effectively the maximum liability is $100 no matter what they destroy.

I have pinned to my office wall a "settlement check" for $100 along with the "attorney letter" explaining that while they do no contest that thousands of dollars of damage was done to my booth their liability is $100.

When you combine the abuse the exhibitors take, and the falling attendance, and the apparent malfeasance of DEMA it's not hard to see why it's doomed.

This "drayage" BS is not universal. I exhibited at the Tacoma Dive Show this year. No such nonsense, the hall even had large four wheeled flat carts available for the exhibitors to use.

The Tacoma Show wasn't perfect, (pretty good, I'm going again) but at least the organizers had a clue that beating on the exhibitors doesn't help sell booths next year.

Tobin

 

[Leadking]

I got into a lot of heated discussions about the trade show. Locations were a major consideration and because of the indecisiveness of the BOD/management we had to choose some less desirable locations. Here are some of the criteria and reasoning I used;

• Warm weather location. A lot of attendees use the trade show as part of their vacation.
  
• Inexpensive airfares to encourage attendance
  
• Location that is an International destination to encourage foreign travelers to attend
  
• Reasonable hotel and restaurant pricing options
  
• Entertainment options for an extended stay
  
• Contiguous floor space and right to work state so that exhibitors could put up their own booths rather than pay the required $80 an hour gorilla to do it (poorly) as one former board member said "how do we explain to the bone in the nose guys that the can't put up their own booth".

It has been over 10 years since my involvement but that is what come to mind.

 

[mike_s]

Interesting new thread on DEMA... or actually, it's about "without DEMA"

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/shows-events/308053-post-dema-dive-industry.html

 

[Leadking]

Link is broken

 

[cerich]

Link is broken

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/shows-events/308053-post-dema-dive-industry.html

 

[cerich]

I find it amusing that people object to the consumer being there yet the last couple years we have seen the OEM's who were "secret" in the past now have booths and sell to dive shops able to muster the opening order.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8v9yUVgrmPY

 

[SeaLevelScuba]

Well not like it's going to have a "bad" turnout being in florida. maybe if it traveled. Hell even set up that 1 of the days is open to consumers.

When the show is in Florida, the show is already flooded with consumers with false credentials that DEMA is already aware of. DEMA simply ignores the fact in reflection of a higher head count attending the show to better market their agenda.

 

[PhilEllis]

There is much discussion about discontent with DEMA, even discussion that the organization should be disbanded and replaced by something else.

I personally think that DEMA should simply by "fixed" and their efforts should be "redirected". I think it is perfectly valid to reconsider how the power of the organization is distributed on the BOD of DEMA. In addition, I would like to see a recognition that the organization's efforts to promote diver acquisition might not be working. I would like to see the charter changed to make widespread promotion of diving as a leisure activity a primary focus. In addition, I would like to see DEMA oversee a detailed study on the distribution system of dive equipment. These is a pretty strong need to have a retail situation where potential and new divers are able to purchase the broad variety of equipment and brands they see in advertising from EVERY dive shop. The distribution system must be corrected so that even dealers who maintain less than $50,000 total inventory can participate.

DEMA needs to lead the effort to completely recalibrate the distribution of the gigantic number of travel dollars currently flowing from North America to the dive locations. Local dive stores must make a larger profit on travel dollars, a category that can sometimes be the largest dollar-value category for a small dive store. DEMA needs to help negotiate a system where small stores can pool their efforts to promote dive trips, earn a fair profit on those efforts, while not feeling the competitive angst associated with exposing their local customers to other retailers.

There is a strong need for an organization like DEMA. The major manufacturers need it, the training agencies need it, and the retailers - large and small - need it. Serious effort at changing how things operate should be an absolute priority.

Phil Ellis
www.divesports.com