Are Trade Shows a thing of the past?

[RawAlex]

MikeSouth, one of the problems is when the show people and the attendees no longer have the same goals. Basically, a good "business" show has the goal of bringing all the major players together under one roof, creating a situation where people can meet, get business done, find new products, programs, whatever, and get things done. When the show has that goal, they profit when things go right.

Well, in AVN's case, the webmaster shows are now just excuses for a 3 day bender and exchange of beers to keep people as "top notch bros". The AEE show is now more about entertaining the public rather than getting business done.

I am sure that in both shows, business is done - but it isn't the goal of the shows, as as a result, the purpose of the shows has slipped away from the average webmaster / producer.

AVN's aim is purely bottom line at this point, so if selling $50 tickets to the droolers and selling $300 badges to the webmasters is the way to make money, they are there. But as has been shown in the last couple of years, the attendance is dropping, the exhibitor count at the AEE show is dropping (the back half of the show floor this year was, umm, more like a flea market than anything else). The writing is on the wall.