[RawAlex]

Chris, Vegas is a clusterf*ck to attend, I would hate to think of exhibiting and trying to talk to webmasters. I did both this year, and honestly, I won't do it again in the current configuration.

The Palms absolutely sucks. Far from everything, close to nothing, and the show floor in a night club is total stupid, sorry. It once again creates the isolation, as the "rich guys" hide out upstairs in their private lodges, and the masses huddle down on the floor. It is anything but inviting, a totally anti-social setup that seems much more intended to create an "us and them" mentality than anything else.

AEE is actually the better show now, I made more contacts and had more time to talk to people than I did at the Palms. heck, I suspect that most of the actual business at The Palms was done at the lobby bar on opening night, not on the show floor..

You want to really make it go? Here are some tips:

Get one of the smaller areas at the ventian for a couple of days before AEE - 2 days max. Make the webmaster show badges also "industry" badges for AEE, and vis-versa. Encourage the "video" people who do sell content online, or who do have online programs to participate. Make a small show floor (doesn't have to be massive), create some social areas, etc. Make the webmaster show a warmup to "the big show". Understand that the video and novelty market and the online markets are constantly merging. Why separate them by days and distance?

AVN needs to accept that they cannot continue to charge super high badge prices to webmasters. $300 for a "party pass" may be good for some people, but as a bottom line business expense, paying $300 for one show, and then $150 more for another show isn't exactly a good start. I can meet almost all of those same people without a badge in the lobby of the two hotels.

Easiest way to tell it doesn't work is just to check your attendance in Miami. The numbers are there if you really want to see. Attendance WAY down. Attendance is what makes these shows work, if the people I would want to meet aren't going, why would I go? A badge at $50 and a hotel bar that doesn't charge the same amount for a mixed drink would be a very good start. A 4 day run in Miami can easily run 3k now. I can get near enough the same ROI staying home, so why do it? Heck, 3k would get me to Phoenix, to Cybernet, and enough left over to do QuebecExpo too. You have to justify your costs - attendance should be telling you that the costs aren't justified.

I could go on, but I will let someone else take a whack at this.