Maybe DEMA should thumb their upcoming Dive Fest in Ft Lauderdale?

[cerich]

Howard I agree with many if not all of your points. But my problem is more essential.

If you're in a house and hungry, it makes perfect sense to crack the fridge and freezer open, grab a beer, rummage out a steak and fire up the backyard grill. Slice some onions, put a potatoes in the grill as well and maybe turn on the game and invite a friend or two over. That all makes sense. The problem is in this particular instance the hungry dude in the house BROKE in.

Regardless of how good or even executed the show is, in my mind it stems from a essential problem. DEMA is a association created and chartered to promote diving, not generalized watersports. DEMA is now taking on promoting other activities outside diving. They certainly should assist their members in cross marketing efforts. Identifying and highlighting opportunity that the DIVE industry could participate in.

To sum, IMHO, DEMA is clearly no longer acting as a association dedicated to promoting the DIVE Industry. DEMA is competing with association members, DEMA is acting more as a "show promoter" for the revenue garnered than as a Industry Association. This is a fundamental shift. This shift by the way may be EXACTLY what is needed for the growth of teh dive industry, however DEMA is NOT the appropriate "business" to be doing this.

Back to the guy in the house, If it was the home owner, cooking a steak and inviting some friends over is a GREAT idea, in fact if you wanted to have a GREAT house party he should bring a few friends into the planning. However, If the guy is somebody that broke in and is stealing your food and Pay per view while inviting friends over to puke in your flower bed...somebody should call the cops.

 

[The Chairman]

Sorry Pete, but I only saw about 3 sets of hands raised when Skip asked his question.

We'll need to get your eyes checked! :cool2:

I agree with Howard... The Not a Dive Show, will go on... and I am certain we will promote it here in some fashion.

It's possible that some of the people at the meeting last night who were dead set against it may reconsider.

The new buzz word at DEMA for the foreseeable future will be "cross marketing". They see this as a panacea for the moment, and while it can be an incredibly powerful tool, I think they are doing it wrong. I like the way they have used the DEMA pool at non-Scuba shows across the country. That's an awesome way for people to get in the water and breathe like Jacques. I would support doubling or tripling the budget for that without a single thought. I helped at one in Orlando for retirees and had a blast and we opened up some eyes in that show. They should have a pool at the Surf Summit, the National Paddlesports Conference, the various boating shows and even at the numerous home and garden shows across the country. That would be US invading THEIR territory. As it sits, and in spite of assurances to the contrary, this feels as if we are inviting all these other sports to invade our turf instead. Heck, I would be ecstatic if DEMA put banner ads on those forums devoted to these kinds of activities. They just need to trot on over to http://www.big-boards.com and check out what's available.

As it sits, the meeting was all about semantics. This is "not just another dive show, but..." was repeated over and over. As they were saying this, I was wondering how all those "just another dive shows" felt about this slight.

 

[HowardE]

We'll need to get your eyes checked! :cool2:

My eyes are good... 20/15 to be precise (just had them checked recently). How many people did raise their hands then?? By my count, there were 20 people there last night. I certainly didn't see 10 people raise their hand. Even if you discount us, Tom, and the guy from MSE, there are 12 people. I certainly didn't see 6 people raising their hand... so maybe the one who needs glasses should wipe the bias out of their eyes?

I'm sorry I don't share the disdain you have for the organization, which seemed obvious to all present by the tone of your voice last night.

I don't see why YOU are so against this, since how does this effect YOU?

If ScubaBoard exhibits or not... what's the big deal to the rest of the world?

It sounded to me like probably even Skip will be exhibiting at this show when it comes down to it.

Realistically, you can be against the show, and take every possible avenue to smear the event, but to what avail? The concept should at least be giving a chance to succeed or fail, rather than just be smeared, and parceled into "I wonder what the other shows think about being called just another dive show" - Let me ask you this? How many NON DIVERS go to those other dive shows?? Whether or not you like the assessment or not, "Just another dive show" - what are they??

Whatever you or the vocal minority against the show have to say about it... Like it or not; the show IS happening. So I say, either get on the train, or get off. You're not going to stop the show... stop DEMA... stop anything. Why try to cause a rift when you have the power to bring all of this together and be helpful rather than hurtful?

 

[The Chairman]

I am not against dive shows: I am against deception. Other than Tom and the management guy, only ONE person spoke in favor of the event. That wasn't even you. Everyone else had grave reservations. When it was concluded that DEMA was going to do what it has always done and ignore it's members by having the show, the conversation turned to how to make it work.

I'm sorry that you, Tom and one or two other people think that asking tough questions displays "utter disdain" for DEMA. Actually, I would like DEMA to fulfill it's onus: to MARKET Dive related businesses. It's my opinion that they haven't been all that successful. It's my opinion that this will be as successful as the Be a Diver program. Hopefully they'll get more people coming than they have likes on their facebook page. If their goal is to create animosity, apathy and indifference, then I say: Job well done!

I wonder how Rick Stratton feels about the timing here. I've been told by Scott Jones that two of his shows are on either side of this event by only a week. A quick look at his website does not confirm or repudiate that.

If ScubaBoard exhibits or not... what's the big deal to the rest of the world?

This is simply true. Tom anticipates about 10,000 people to come to his show. He suggested that this number is conservative, while most at the meeting thought it more wishful thinking. ScubaBoard gets between 20,000 and 30,000 visitors on most any given day. To say the least, I am way OK with this. The odds are stacked for us in this regard.

 

[Wookie]

I am more inclined to agree with Howard here. I think DEMA has failed miserably in it's mandate to promote SCUBA, and I think that a non-elected board member has found a way for his cronies to pay for his failed dive show and resurrect it. However, although I won't participate in this particular show for many reasons including that the timing is all wrong, I'm willing to withhold judgement for a little while and see what happens. One thing I notice is that there are a few rabblerousers who aren't willing to really effect a meaningful change. What change? you ask, well, for one, the only way to make a corporation change is to take it over. I see DEMA acting just like the Republicans in Congress. They aren't really doing what they were sent to do, and they are doing everything else. If you want congress to change, vote them out. If you want DEMA to change, replace the BOD. How? you ask? Well, most members are apathetic at best, and the big vote members are seeing DEMA just the way they want it. So if you want to influence DEMA, gather, buy, or steal enough votes to install a BOD sympathetic to your cause. That takes time, money, and lots of work. For me, it really isn't worth it. I'll attend this last DEMA, maybe one more, let my membership lapse, and continue to make ScubaBoard and consumer shows my main marketing tools.

It really isn't worth the bile.