I have to say that there are good points on BOTH sides here. I'm hoping people on both sides are not totally ignoring some of the valid points from "the other side" being espoused here.
There's a lot of conundrums and paradoxes going on here. (Aly, I remember you said that to me yourself.) The biggest being, there is no convention with out the organizers either making a profit or breaking even. (And since no one here is in the non-profit business, even the latter is not enough.) So, for the time and effort and massive coordination required to put on any show, it's only just, fair and necessary for the show coordinators and owners to make a profit. How do they do that? Pretty much from booths, some from advertising.
Now, without booths, it has been said (and I partly agree, partly disagree) there are no shows. Yet booth space continues to go up while ROI continues to drop. Problem.
Not sure what the ultimate solution might be. Possibly increased advertising and other non-yet-tried revenue producers are required. One thing for sure. All trade shows are ignoring the changing industry. That's a fact. Constantly boards such as this are filled, not just this time of year, but all the time, with how affiliates are decreasing, herds are thinning, that networking is more important than booths, that booths are more for newbies, etc. But that is being ignored by the shows. (Ok, maybe ignored isn't correct.) As said, there is no easy soultion, so maybe it's not being ignored (behind the scenes) but so far out in public little if anything has changed to reflect that.
I say, some how, some way the shows do need to respond to, reflect and adapt to the industry changes. Again, I'm sure Aly being brought on board is a part of that awareness at AVN. I know Sharpie is always trying to figure out something new.
What is the answer? If I knew that I'd happily offer it (and probably charge for it too. LOL) Maybe I can point a few directions though. Less money on booths, more money on show program/book advertising is one. Let's say there are no booths. Then charge for giving out flyers or hang banners at events. List the so-called non official parties but charge to do so, and I don't mean a host of empty booths being the answer either. Plus some innovative ideas not yet thought of.
For sure though, booth ROI has plummeted and continues to do so. If shows are going to base booth space on whether there is a convention or not, then little "free" shows will be popping up like rabbits and the big shows will be dinosaurs of the past. That, my friends, is a fact.
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