Was my first time there, but I have to admit it was about what I expected it to be; perhaps a little smaller. More tour/travel operators than anything else, and some of the tour/travel operators looks pretty disappointed with the turnout and frankly not too enthused to be there. Even the 'deals' didn't seem that good....can do as well with good internet search and comparison shopping skills...and there's the rub, ain't it? Since people can, they will...and shows like this will continue to be supplanted by it.
I didn't mind the prevalence of travel sites, but I guess I was hoping to actually learn a bit more about some of them rather than just get gladhanded with a pile of pamphlets. Like most of you, I've probably got a good idea of where I'd like to go dive in terms of islands - but that doesn't mean I can't still be swayed in choice of hotel, etc. Only the tourism board type booths seemed to me to really want to discuss details and options and in general answer questions...everyone else just wanted to hawk their packages. (And of course tourism boards aren't exactly unbiased, so when I'm saying they were the ones I liked talking too, that kind of says something...)
Driving down from DFW I probably didn't need to get a hotel and plan to drive back Sunday a.m., but since I was already on the hook for cancellation charges by the time I decided I'd seen enough about 4pm Saturday, just took it easy. With the weekend rain it was probably a good plan, regardless.
I've been to several conferences for work too (electrical engineering related) and it seems like they're ALL going downhill. Being a dedicated computer geek I read the same thing about the formerly premiere computer equipment cons too like CeBIT, etc which are almost all either dead (E3 for example) or dying. With the prevalence of info exchange on the internet, it seems like showing up is just something people do so no one can say they weren't there...not like they see it as a way to really gain adherents and truly engage with their supposed customer and potential population. The days where the conferences were the only place that vendors and customers really got together in a giant group like that are kind of falling by the wayside; the internet provides more data all the time, without the travel expenses (and without the personal touch, but again, it didn't seem like the attendees on the booth side for the most part really put out the effort to provide that missing element, with a few exceptions).
That said there were a few highlights. I found the gentlemen from Waterproof to be pretty fun to talk to, and while their product is a bit out of my price and need range (although I did lust after their shorties), I was quite impressed by the quality and features of their wetsuits. I definitely bid on their wetsuit in the silent auction (no call yet - must not've won it with my max bid
). The rep from Zeagle was also great, spent quite a bit of time with me discussing BC and reg upgrade options, and didn't even laugh at me when I said I wished Zeagle did something kind of 'AirTrim-like'. He was a great representative of his company's products and attitude toward the diving consumer, which is exactly the type of person you should have at a show like that! The Ikelite people were fairly helpful, and the Reef Photo and Vid guys were even more so (no slam on the Ikelite people intended - my questions really were more camera than enclosure related, so more in the ballpark of the Reef guys...). And there was a couple selling 'fun' custom wetsuits and whatnot that I'd never wear personally (I'm a no-fun sort of fuddy-duddy) but I could tell they were really trying to keep a good attitude and appreciated their enthusiasm. Had to have been disappointing for them, I suppose - I didn't get the impression that the turnout was 'worth it' for expenses unless they're pretty local. And of course I made the obligatory FG donation for my Tshirt...
All in all, I'm glad I went. Not sure I'll feel I "must" go next year - and if I do, definitely won't bother with a hotel room unless the exhibit size seems way bigger.... I can empathize with the exhibitors, having done that sort of thing myself for many a year in another industry, having my own management breathing down my neck that it was all about 'lead generation' and not to waste time talking to current customers we wouldn't get more money out of anytime soon. So the customers get jaded, the exhibitors are forced to try to do more and more to just get attention (silly gadgets and bling), and the whole spirit dies a little more.
I don't have a past history to look back on to say how it was compared to prior years...I just saw something kind of like any other current conference I've been to in the last 2-3 years....
