Comdex Pursues Edification Rather Than Entertainment

XarsonX writes "Infoworld has an article talking about some of the changes coming to Comdex this year. Amongst other things, a $50 price tag for uninvited attendants, and less free gear handed out. Is it still possible to get enough free vendor-wear to fill your entire wardrobe?"

Comments

Advertising

[The Original Yama]

"Is it still possible to get enough free vendor-wear to fill your entire wardrobe?"

What, you actually like being a walking advertising billboard? Some of us have a thing called dignity which prevents us from stooping to such a level.

Well it's make or break time ...

[SuperDuG]

The re-entrenchment of Comdex as a business-focused show is a natural response to Comdex's excessive growth in the late 1990s, when the fall show attracted more than 200,000 attendees annually, Millikin said. "Five years ago, Comdex did not have a defined purpose," he said. This year the show will make a much more concerted effort to attract vendors and attendees interested in specific topic areas such as Web services, security, and open source software, he added.

With this type of decision you have two directions you can go, way up or way down. The problem is that since Comdex didn't define itself, the patrons and vendors of comdex did. They said, "cool new computer stuff that people are trying to make money with", and everyone bought into it, because remember kids computers and computer fields are followed ONLY for the money. Comdex had proof of concepts that were beyond belief but then would become standard in a few years (anyone remember buy-a-car.com?). Not only can you buy used cars in tons of places you can buy them on ebay now too.

If Comdex wants to change the pace of what it does and they want to survive then all the power to them, but you don't start something and then just expect to change it because things aren't going the way you envisioned them.

My prediction ... Comdex isn't even newsworthy in 3 years.

free gear.

[Suppafly]

and less free gear handed out.

Isn't the free gear handed out by the vendors? How does comdex have any control over that? There maybe more free gear this year than ever, they don't know.

Re:Free Stuff

[Anonymous Coward]

You are an idiot.

not new to most of us...

[Lumpy]

Almost all the shows have faded into bland-ness, if they havent disappeared altogether.. Hell it started 2 years ago when CES became a suits-2-suits venture, comdex that year also was more toned down and you had to fight to get goodies out of the vendor booths.... I.E. "Oh you're a develper? here's a pen..." instead of that T-shirt or Hat he handed to the guy with the suit that was just there...

when things started to tighten up, the free-stuff is the first to go.. Although I do remember both novell and Microsoft handing out Gobs of stuff last year wiuth "KEEP IT LEGAL" all over it..

Vendors are finding that going to shows is more of an expense than the leads it generates, and most companies have stopped sending people for a while now... In fact cince January last year the company's policy has been no shows on the company dime, and you must take your own vacation time for them.

Shows were a waste of company time anyways.. I hated spending 2 months after fighting off sales calls from every vendor I gave my smartcard to in order to get their cheezy crap.. Most of the keynote speakers usually didn't have much to say other than the light coating designed for the suits to hear. Hopefully in a few years it will bounce back, but I doubt it... I think the time for them has past...

I feel sick

[Dogtanian]

I hated spending 2 months after fighting off sales calls from every vendor I gave my smartcard to in order to get their cheezy crap..

An awful realisation just leapt up on me. What if they weren't just giving away all that stuff out of the goodness of their hearts? What if it was all just a cynical ploy to drum up business and make money?...

I hope this isn't true, and that we can still trust computer salespeople, but if it isn't.... folks, I have to break this to you. It looks like Microsoft and IBM might be starting to value money over the affection of computer users everywhere.