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The Last Comdex?
linuxwrangler writes "Key3Media Group Inc. which produces the Comdex trade show may be unable to make it's debt payments and could declare bankruptcy. No decision will be made until after Fall Comdex opening on Monday. More info is available at Google News."
Why can't the article poster link the google cached pa... oh, wait a second.
How can they be losing money? They can charge almost anything they want for the booths and the big companies will still pay it.
Then they turn around and charge the visitors. They win on both sides.
Key3Media did the last JavaOne too? Does this also mean trouble for that conference?
"Let your heart soar as high as it will. Refuse to be average." - A. W. Tozer
(sounds of hundreds of prostitutes crying over lost revenue)
I've always preferred CeBIT to Comdex anyway. It's more varied in scope.
OLPC Australia
Can somebody explain to me exactly how a trade show, that which can charge exorbiant fees to booth users, can possibly lose money hand over fist?
This sig no verb.
growth in another 2-3 Q's ("forecasted" like this for the past 2 years
"Do something man. Right now."
This is what happens when you throw free passes around like they're AOL CDs. Did anyone, ever actually pay to get into Comdex? Well, I suppose the techies and developers may have had to pay but pointy-haired bosses like me always got inundated with free passes from companies we'd never dream of buying from. No wonder it was never a great show...
I've always wanted to go to Comdex, on company dollar of course, if for no other reason than to meet and hangout with a bunch of my fellow geeks in Las Vegas. It also seems like a pretty eclectic event, and a place where windows afficiandos and Linux elitists can get along (provided no one goes by their slashdot handles). Oh well, I'm sure some other event, pre-existing or otherwise, will slide quietly into the gap created by Comdex's absence.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. It's just that yours is stupid.
From the article:
Shares of Key3Media fell 41 percent, or 1 cent, to 14 cents in Thursday trading on the over-the-counter bulletin board market.
Now is it just me, or does something about those figures not add up?
I'm surprised that Windex---er..COMDEX is still around. A trade show generates interest by interesting, if not innovative product.
Between Microsoft's ability to buy, borrow, steal, or kill ideas or product that they haven't considered or cannot integrate into their operating systems, and a general lack of enthusiasm in the PC industry to think of more ideas that could be stolen, it doesn't surprise me that there's little interest.
I really can't contrast COMDEX's imminent demise to successful shows such as Macworld Expo because Apple has a captive audience of vendors that support their products. COMDEX doesn't have such luxury.
COMDEX should rethink its audience. It's pretty obvious that they have just let things ride over the past few years.
Vos teneo officium eram periculosus ut vos recipero is.
Then I won't feel like I have to go to one just in case I miss something, and they've been going steadily downhill. '99 was cool, '00 was so-so (got to laugh at some fat Linux geek-wannabee pontificating about the reason that his now-dead distro was good was that Windows sucks), '01 and '02 were both lame and altogetner forgettable.
You're using her as bait, Master!
Someone finds something on Google, it is posted on /. After being posted on /. it's pick up by Google!
/. I say Slashdotters spider Google.
Slashdotters say the Google spiders
Comdex has so many potential sources for making money!
- All Las Vegas casinos and hotels make insane amounts from comdex visitors - possible investors
- Last year's comdex(the only one I've been to) was full to the brim with corporate advertising - they can charge more for the booths, and everyone will still pay, cause the big companies have to be at comdex - that's where you get a lot of clients, investments and etc.
And really, I don't understand how can they lose money. Comdex is like a gold mine - sure it's expensive to organize and such, but the money they make is almost always much larger then the expenses! Sure, last year's participation was below excpectations(everyone being afraid of terrorists and all), they lost some money there, but surely not enough to push them as far as bankrupcy!
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I attended Comdex in Toronto for four of the last five years. Every year I noticed it was getting worse, and wondered if it was worth going to. This last summer I didn't bother going, and I didn't miss it.
During the time I attended it changed from being a show for people in the industry, to a show for anyone off the street. The first year I went there the small company I was with signed up with TechData and nearly did the same with AOpen. The next year, neither were there. The last year I went was positively lame. No one but the big guys, and not even all of them. Heck, Corel wasn't even there.
Good riddance. It was a waste of time that was eventually replaced with product info found on the Internet.
Comdex is dying
sulli
RTFJ.
When I started attending in 91 the show literally filled the city, taking the whole LVCC, the whole Sands and space in the Mirage. I haven't been there in a few years but I understand it's less than the whole LVCC now. With that kind of drop in demand they can't charge vendors what they used to.
AdultDex is able to 'stay up', who cares?
I went to Comdex in Vegas every year between 1996 and 2000. It went from being a relevant technical showcase to a hangout joint for old ladies when they got bored with the slot machines. It's hard enough to move around the LV Convention Center with 200,000 other technical people, but now you throw in another 50,000 people who don't belong (old ladies and people with STROLLERS for God's sake!, etc), then you add the fact that many of the biggest names don't bother showing up any more, it just isn't worth the time to go.
"Tell me doctor, with all of your defenses, are there any provisions for an attack by killer bees?"
I've been to 9 of the last 10 and will attend next week. Comdex hit a lull before the dot com boom and then the last two years it's been trying to find it's way again.
This year looked extremely promising with more informative panel discussions and break out sessions.
Don't forget this also affects the other Comdex shows that happen each year. I've only been to Fall Comdex, so I can't speak to the rest, but it will be a loss to the industry if it fades away.
Many people have spoken about virtual trade shows, but you don't get to try the products out and meet the folks to help support those products.
Comdex 2001 Overview
Linux folks tried to lighten the place up a few years ago by handing out free CDs in front of the Microsoft booth, but Bill had them escorted off the property. Novell's gone from the show. Sun's gone from the show. Apple's gone from the show. IBM has a token appearance. HP only shows off their new laser printers (woo-hooo....). It's dull and boring.
I remember going back when there were a dozen different computing platforms running a dozen different operating systems. It slowly diminished to the "PowerPC Pavilion" out in the parking lot (bet Bill was happy about that!) against the PC folks in the LVCC+Lower Sands (upper Sands still had some interesting 3rd party stuff). For a couple years after that they had some Linux-specialized groups, but then there was nothing but Windows.
The internet has also made Comdex obosolete. One used to be able to find new products at Comdex, but now everything on display is Old News. We learn about interesting things here on Slashdot WAY before Comdex ever debuts anything. Since there is no new technology there, and pretty much everything is Windows, which we have to use everyday anyway, the only things left are the swag and Bill's keynote.
Personally, I think swag is a better reason to go, but it's really not even worth that anymore. I've been attending Usenix instead for the last couple years, and by contrast it is fun, interesting and refreshing. *shrug*
The wheel is turning, but the hamster is dead.
Heh... you think renting out the entire McCormick Place (Chicago) for a week is cheap?
Anyway - most people who goes there are free-riding; the visitor's pass is "supposed" to be 99 dollars or whatever, but you can get it for free ANYWHERE. in fact you can register for it officially on Comdex website too if you do it early enough. They say it's "limited time only" or some such bs, but that's what it is, bs.
Then again, companies are not showing up to trade shows as much as they used to be, or are renting a smaller booth, becomming a smaller sponsor (i.e. from platinum level down to gold level) or not sponsoring at all. (Sponsoring is when you pay them big bux and they put your logo on the T-shirt / booklets / whatever) - the level of sponsorship determines the size of you logo, where it appears, etc.
An example (not Comdex) on the low-attendence is this year's ITC (International Test Conference), which is one of the most important conference / tradeshow / whatever for the ATE (automated test equipment) manufactures. Teradyne, Credense, NP Test (read: Schlumberger) all decided to not show up at ALL; no booth, no seminar, no salesperson, nothing. These are some of the biggest names in the industry. I think the only two big-names that did show was Advantest and Agilent (I'm not sure about Agilent, actually).
As for real paying visitors, they are dropping even more than the companies - Other conferences actually have REAL SEMINARS where people might pay to see, but Comdex, IIRC, never had anything informational.
Besides, the stupid show went downhill way before the dotcom bubble bursted. Back in 99/00 (i can't remember clearly), they had 1/3 of the floor filled with resellers / distributors that sell cases and powersupplies and such. not even nearly related to "technologically innovative." No new technology, no new information, just a big organized garage sell.
I still got the free passes to go there for a few years even after that, but every year figured that it was not even worth my time since nothing would be interesting there. I do eventually want to go to E3, though - that still have lots of steam and seem to be actually getting bigger.
My life in the land of the rising sun.
But don't forget that It's can also mean "it has" . This is a normal contraction and those are the only two things it can mean.
Its, on the other hand, it a possessive pronoun (which is easily confused with possessive nouns, which *do* take an apostrophe, hence the confusion.)
If it were relocated there, I am sure the show could thrive:
1) Costs would be considerably lower. Salaries accross the board there are less, which would make the operating overhead lower.
2) Most PC hardware these days are made in China. It may be designed in Taiwan or less often now, Europe and the US but it is manufactured in Asia.
3) The US's PC industry has become more of a marketing arm. The large US firms spec the machines here and Contract Manufacturers in the far east complete the hard engineering tasks.
All these factors point to the case for letting the leader in PC manufacturing put on the show.
Hedley
Google googles slashdot, then slashdot slashdots google?
(try saying that one quickly!)
I use Macs to up my productivity, so up yours Microsoft!
http://discuss.extremetech.com/extremetech/message s?msg=22210.3
Taiwan definitely does not need another computer trade show. They already have COMPUTEX, probably the most important computer trade show right now because of the huge fraction of computer components coming from Taiwan.
back in the early 90's when the show started, it was just about the only place where people could go and see all the new technology that would be coming out in the next year. I remember when Microsoft's big thing was windows NT 3.5 back at what they called Windows World. They debuted almost all of their products at comdex and gave away so much free crap that I could barely carry it all back on Marta (I always went to the Atlanta one until it moved and came back). Then I remember in 98 I think it was, when Linux stepped into the show full force. There was a whole section for Windows, Linux, and Communications equipment. The show was huge and there was so much money floating around that you could literally take home a server if you sweettalked the convention workers enough. The companies literally threw money at the attendants. I never once paid to go to comdex, I always had free tickets or some sort or another, so the trip on a whole gave me free school supplies for the next few years. But alas, the fall '02 comdex was a disappointment. So few vendors, and none of the ones there even mattered. There were more cell phone companies than there were computer companies. Linux was very sloppily represented, and Microsoft just about backed out entirely. The large corporations aren't floating any money these days and it makes the show really dull. The best exhibit there was some guy getting out of a straight jacket on a unicycle (I kid you not). Other places had dancing girls or massages. The technology they were pushing was sub-par and pretty boring. Advancements just aren't coming as quickly as they did before. Maybe it's because I'm used to knowing about things far in advance of their presentation, or because I'm just not looking. But in today's technological world, one can't expect to have the supershows of the past because the internet truly has made them obsolete. No more cheap pens, buttons, or cdroms, but instead a peppermint or two and maybe a business card if the company is really looking to splurge their advertising budget.
It used to be so easy to purchase new equipment. Instead of going through the laborious process of researching the specs and reviews online, I simply went with the vendor with the coolest promo stuff.
Last year at Comdex netgear gave out t-shirts and a nifty little spoungy dog. Linksys wouldn't even talk to me. Guess what switches are sitting on my desk now!
So I'll be sad. Aparently actual business took place there, or was supposed to take place there, but for the most part, all I saw was people like me scrounging for free stuff.
Yes, like pathetic geeks. But then again, the pathetic geeks scrounging for free stuff usually are the ones making the IT decisions.
*sigh*
The Internet is generally stupid
If a company gives you a ticket, they paid for it.
Wow, so like 5 companies paid for me to sit in a local bar getting shitfaced only to claim that I was as Comdex? Wow, no wonder our industry is in the shithole...
"There's a lesson here. Don't let the commoners into an elite organization. Now were have I heard such refrains before?"
Ya on the face of it, it reeks of elitism but what was Comdex providing for the money an advertister spent?
Eyeballs and bodies on the floor that made purchasing decisions. When you get bodies on the floor that don't even influence purchasing decisions, then the value of Comdex goes down. With less spending in the sectors it becomes even more important to get the best bang for your advertising/promotion dollars.
Further the tech sector evolved into a mass of companies that found it cheaper to run their own targetted campaigns than to rely on tradeshows like Comdex. Look at how companies like Cisco and Microsoft ect. promote their own niche trade shows and give out targetted promotional materials (books, software etc) and in some cases got area VARs in on the act defraying costs and ensuring bodies with at least and interest in the products of the specific vendors. Niche applications also help get targetted responses such as Cisco's Technical Symposiums where hands on testing and deployment of CISCO hardware encourage geeks who influence and can evangelize procurement.
Finally the decline of the "booth babes" and freebie handouts cannot be forgotten. While many find the whole practice lame to the point of satirizing, being in Vegas was a perk for males in which the market was mostly comprised of. When the booths "matured" Comdex became work. Add in the fact that companies were pre-announcing their new products before Comdex and you have a recipe for the demise of Comdex.
Take a look at the new company sponsored symposiums/tradeshows etc. For the most part they do not have booth babes but they do have super knowledgable staff AND very good freebies. If they survive and prosper, they could become the model for future multi vendor trade shows. I man the video games groups do very well at the CES and they have to compete with electronics as well as their entertainment competitors
pm
... I was hoping that the company brass would pick me to represent us at the show in the coming years. I was looking forward to racking up a few grand on alchohol and fun on the company tabs. And oh, I know that I'm not alone. Drats.
It's not just Comdex. I've exhibited at a number of trade shows myself. Was it worth it? No! They're expensive, exhausting to prepare for, and yield few if any solid leads. When you ask exhibitors why they're there, they all say the same thing: "It's just something we're expected to do." But now with the economy on the skids, companies are taking a harder look at where their marketing dollars go, and tradeshows just don't cut it. Once the myth that they're "necessary" is dispelled, I doubt they'll see a resurgence, even with an economic rebound. Besides, with the web, everybody's got a tailor-made tradeshow right on their desk, anytime they want.
COMDEX is obsolete as many here have pointed out already. The better show that many hold out for is CES which is held 7 weeks later and has nearly the same attendence. Computers have already become consumer electronic products. Witness all the MP3 players and digital video equipment, linux based residential gateways and set-top boxes that debut at CES. Comdex is finished.
Me, I love trade shows. More specifically, I love the trade shows I love.
I work out of my house or on client locations most of the year, so trade shows are where I can actually get some networking done. With a focused, industry specific show, a significant portion of my collegues, clients, and potential clients are in one place. Business gets done.
For folks who only get the free exhibit pass and do the show floor, you're missing about 90% of the action, and the 10% you've got left has been rendered somewhat irrevelant by the internet. Sure, trolling the show floor is nice, and you can occassionally see some surprises, or see a product close up and grok it in a way written descriptions didn't work. But, in a four day trade show, I might spend four hours looking at the exhibits.
One thing a good trade show will have is good sessions, taught by people who know what they're talking about. In the dot-com era, there were way too many shows where it was the VP's of marketing up on the stage, but the ones that are left focus much more on people with real-world experience telling their stories and, if they're good, answering questions. War stories can teach a LOT, and an expert can often answer a question in 30 seconds that might take a full day on Google to get straight.
Having a conference pass also helps beyond just doing the conferences. It gets you mingling with the other attendees. There is often free snacks and coffee, and sometimes full meals for attendees as well. Wonderful networking at those. The conference pass also gets you a lot more attention at the booths, because the vendors know that someone with a pass paid money for the show, and immediately consider them a more serious prospect. I've worked both sides of the booth, and the sales managners always stress this point in pre-show prep for those working the booths.
These days, I only go to shows that I'm either speaking at (I do lots of sessions about video compression), or that I have press creditials for (I'm a contributing editor of DV Magazine). Either pass is nice, since you can get into the speaker or press room, which is GREAT networking, plus they normally have broadband, drinks, and snacks, and not just at designated snack time. Wearing a press badge on the show floor can be almost dangerous if the marketing guys see you (the sales guys typically couldn't care less).
The big problem with Comdex is that it is so diffuse, it's hard to imagine it having a focused enough audience to have a good chance of bumping into people into the same stuff you are. The computer industry is so broad, it'd be like having a trade show on "transportation." It underlies so many things, it can't be really treated as a unified whole.
But in general, just going to a show for the exhibit floor is only scratching the surface. Try to get a conference pass, or even try to get a speaking gig if possible. But if you can't swing either, at least try to track down the free vendor classes, and any relevant free Birds of a Feather sessions (generally run in the evening). The one thing the internet can't give us is actually talking to 3D people, so focus on that aspect to get value out of a show.
And if you do go to conferene sessions, ask questions! And it's perfectly expected and accepted to go up to the speaker after the session for followups.
Trade shows I love (being a compression nerd) are:
DVExpo. Lots of classes by practicing video people, very enthusaistic audience. Probably the highest consistant quality of sessions of any show I do.
QuickTime Live: Geeky when it needs to be, but man does Apple know how to throw a party! Also excellent session quality. And catered by Odwalla!
NAB: A huge show for video professionals. Amazing exhibits, and enough different conference tracks to keep things interesting for everybody. The geeky stuff used to be done by DVExpo, who alas don't handle that anymore. Still a fun show.
MacWorld: Verging on diffuse, since people use Macs in so many different ways, but the great Esprit de corps. The Stevenotes really are best experienced in person for maximum RDF impact (and you often get gifts under the seats). I was at the infamous Lou Gestner 3 hour marathon one a few years ago, and man is that a telling contrast!
WEMP: This is put on by the MPEG-4 Industry Forum. I've only gone once, but it was the best in codec nerd love. Truly excellent sessions - it's one thing to read a standard, it's another thing to hear the person who wrote it tell you why it's a certain way.
My video compression blog
The exhibits themselves are always free. You just show up, and register, and you are in.
They charge the exhibitors, and they also charge for the tutorials, and conferences. You can buy a flex-pass for about $3000 and the tutorials are about $800 for a 1 day class.
The keynote speeches are all also free, but you have to collect tickets beforehand.
All of this information is available here.
-- -- Warning. Do not stare directly at the sun.
Sure, lets blame another down turn in the economy on those crazy arab fellas. Why not? Now if anything doesnt go our way, well, its post-911, thats all we have to do to explain it away.
Sorry, I attended all the Comdex events in Atlanta over the last 10 years. Then they took that away, so we were left with Chicago and Vegas.
Been to Vegas 3x in the last 10 years. Enjoyed it. Vegas = money. Sure you can eat cheap, but the hotels want to rape you, because comp guys dont gamble as much as normal tourists.
Its not terrorism dummies, its a small down turn in the tech industry. Hello! the bubble burst before 911.
----- LoboSoft specializes in Digital Language Lab
Sorry, I didn't mean this as elitism in any way, but by keeping it to people in the industry they kept the questions technical and sound, and the companies presenting could assume a certain level of understanding from the people walking around. It went from a place to setup contacts for vendors to a place where Joe Blow could ask why Corel Draw wouldn't work with XYZ printer. I'm sure that the latter is an important question to ask, but it's not the right forum.
omg, you wasted laying time drinking?
----- LoboSoft specializes in Digital Language Lab
Comdex was fun for the chance to see colleagues from the industry you wouldn't normally run into. And the parties used to be pretty good, if you can stomach Heineken and generic egg rolls. But it wasn't worth it - so it's no surprise at all to me that it's failing now.
sulli
RTFJ.
In other words, someone could pay a pittance for the Comdex name, hire off all of their employees and continue to run the show. Comdex isn't likely to die-- just the company that runs it.
OS Software is like love: The best way to make it grow is to give it away.
Right: so they figure that people could have shot a sniper that nobody ever saw before, during or immediately after the shootings?? (not to mention differentiating between good snipers and bad snipers!) And they want more people with their level of intelligence running around with guns?? God, am I glad that I live in Canada.
If anything, those snipings are an argument for gun control (or at least gun registration)
OS Software is like love: The best way to make it grow is to give it away.