It looks like it is mainly vacation/tourist exhibitors, not much in the way of manufacturers. Do many people go to this show?
The manufacturer's reps and local dive shops show up to these exhibitions all over the USA.
If you are a commercial entity (a Club, LDS, Instructor), the travel related booths can easily switch into "wholesale mode" and talk quantity pricing.
Obviously, the equipment manufacturers will refer you for sales to an LDS until your dealership application is accepted. Otherwise, even they will entertain you with descriptions of features their gear offers. You will see all of their hot new and cool stuff, and
no, they are
not interested in selling you their display items at 5pm on Sunday night. It really isn't happening at DEMA, either, not unless you're a dealer buying
everything they brought.
You can get maps, dive slates, coupons, t-shirts, dvd's, stickers, beer cozies and win trips... even at this
retail show. Many operators also give away trips and there are charity auctions.
If you are a
SCUBABoard member, watch the threads develop and see who's going to meet when and where.
NetDoc wussied out of Chicago the last go-around, surely it was not due to out 10 degree temperatures!
When Houston was "Sea Space" it was well attended, even in the days of the sub- basement of the Hyatt.
It looks like it is in re-birth. Go- support the process!The Chicago Show,
Our World Underwater is also big, as is New Jersey and some I am less familiar with in California. The Denver show seems to also be getting good reports from their shows. The Asian show (commercial) is the shiznits and London (retail) is quite the social affair.
A lot of Texans want to fly out of Houston to paradise. A dive show there is an obvious winner.
At DEMA, the exhibitors are geared up to talk to industry professionals. They will know within 10 seconds if they're going to talk to you or smile and walk away. The first clue is the attendee with a huge overstuffed bag of brochures and what is called "CPC" (Cheap Plastic "Stuff"), the promo giveways, etc. If you look like a tourist or speak like one, they will ignore you. No hard feelings, you're at a commercial show. Like I always say though, if you do go- look for the oddball whacky stuff. It's going to be there.
Here's an example: I represented a Dive Shop that was an official
Camera Dealer for "X.Co." I approached them at their booth and expressed interest in the remaining stock of X.Co Dive Computers that they had in their inventory but no longer was a catalog item. I told them I wanted to cut a deal, right there and then, for the entire lot. Long story short, they wouldn't even tell me how many they had left because I was not an X.Co
Dive Gear Dealer. It didn't matter if they had our complete information on our X.Co Camera Dealer file, they simply wouldn't talk with me. I even drew the commercail checkbook out of my brief case and asked, "
Take my money, please". They wouldn't budge. (Incidently- the computers appeared as a close-out in Divers Direct about a year later, they were called the "Profile 1000" for you trivia buffs)
Go support your local dive show, have fun. Don't fret about DEMA.
) ran into many old friends. Everyone talked new dive gear, met for dinners and drinks, and there was a party every night! Mel Fisher's party was open bar! Added in a manatee dive in crystal river...( 1 hr drive) went to Disney and Busch Gardens too! I say go....and have fun!
