Are Trade Shows a thing of the past?

[MikeSouth]

when this biz got into bed with the porn valley crowd...avn buying the internet shows and all that...it was doomed I was telling people look what porn valley has done...whored out cheap product, oversaturated the market and they are now about to see a serious downturn... there is a coming shakeout.

Nobody listened and porn valley used us to delay the shakeout all the while we adopted thier model and viola

Here we are.

The chickens have come home to roost

[softball]

Originally Posted by MikeSouth

when this biz got into bed with the porn valley crowd...avn buying the internet shows and all that...it was doomed I was telling people look what porn valley has done...whored out cheap product, oversaturated the market and they are now about to see a serious downturn... there is a coming shakeout.

Nobody listened and porn valley used us to delay the shakeout all the while we adopted thier model and viola

Here we are.

The chickens have come home to roost

I have been pounding this drum since Amateurmasters and got shit on from great heights. Being a wierd little website that obviously couldn't earn a living, I was doomed. Well, he who laughs last....etc. etc.
I hate to see this because it effects me as well, but on the other hand I do kind of feel vindicated when I have watched a lot of old school high rollers crash and burn.
The whole Netpond crowd is the latest of the rip off merchants...the "nice guys"...the Bros to old school not in a gfy kind of way....to go down leaving a trail of destruction. And what is unbelievable, is the silence from old school business people. I just don't get it.
This is a major rip off and they pulled it off...smooth as silk. The long con works.

[tony404]

one of the best quotes on gfy on the subject and so true :

Originally Posted by Atticus
Only in this industry would people welcome the consolidation of choices. Nobody needs to have a "sit down" regarding the state of industry trade shows. It's a free market and if there are more shows than the market will bear, then some will die off. If all of the current shows continue to offer a decent ROI for sponsors, organizers and attendees then they will remain. If, as an attendee, you feel a show isnt worth your time, then dont go. If enough people feel likewise you'll see the show cancelled.

Combining the two biggest shows of the Summer into 1 isnt going to solve anything. Without competition it will just end up raising sponsorship, badge and hotel pricing.

If you really wanted to work together for the "benefit of the industry" how about setting up a universal advertising guideline and not accept ads from companies that utilize practices that harm the industry as a whole, ie: hidden pre check cross sales, hiding behind DMCA's, using stolen content etc.

Just saying...

[Hell Puppy]

You guys have really touched on a couple of key truths that I haven't seen in that other thread as of last time I checked it...

One, the industry is still filled with people with no real business experience....or business ethics for that matter. The other is letting porn valley "lead" us is stupid. What in the hell do they know about the web? Or running a trade show for that matter.

Meanwhile, "Web 2.0" shows and seminars around SEO, affiliates, blogs, etc are blowing past us in size. I would also argue that they are now blowing past us in innovation where we used to always lead simply because we have one of the most in demand products on the web.

Also, this business is totally cut throat. The industry rips off customers and each other. There's very little overall cooperation.

This makes doing something like providing seminars or panels with true value a tough sell. Who wants to tell the bro's your secrets only to have them replicated and exploited to the point no one can make a buck with them?

The answer is B2B and education on tools and indeed teaching those who WANT to learn how to be businessmen instead of basement warriors how to do so. Some good topics have been thrown out for workshops. I'd add business 101. Think about topics like benefits of incorporation, how to manage your taxes, how to get health insurance, how to setup a SEP-IRA, etc? Although most of those are U.S. specific..

There's opportunity for a new entity that focuses on trade shows or does them well in a related industry to step in and grab attendees and sponsors alike. Provide the ROI, protect the sponsors, etc. It would take deep pockets to start, but the industry is ripe for something like this. I'd love to see one of the shows bought out by totally new blood.