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Doc Searls On Fixing Tradeshows

Posted by timothy on from the they're-about-getting-swag dept.

zachlipton writes "Almost everyone seems to have a love/hate relationship with tradeshows, the giant geek, suit, and vendor gatherings put on by a handfull of corperations. Doc Searls writes in this month's LinuxJournal on his suggestions for fixing tradeshows. The problem, as he puts it, is that traditional shows make two assumptions: 'what matters most is helping vendors sell stuff to customers' and 'knowledge flows top-down, from speakers to audiences.'"

76 comments

  1. My boss used to send me, thinking it was a "perk" by turnstyle · · Score: 4, Interesting

    And I eventually had to say "please don't send me!" I hate those shows.

    --
    Here's what I do: Bitty Browser & Andromeda
  2. Top down is the way things work by ObviousGuy · · Score: 3, Funny

    Take a look at Slashdot some time and see how information drizzles down from those of us who are more knowledgeable about certain topics to those of you who are not as knowledgeable. This is the way education works, in fact. Either a person is taught something or discovers something themselves.

    A group of ignorant blabbermouths take about the same amount of time to come to a coherent, correct conclusion as a group of elephants takes to swim across the Pacific ocean.

    --
    I have been pwned because my /. password was too easy to guess.
    1. Re:Top down is the way things work by Jackdaw+Rookery · · Score: 4, Funny

      Oh hell, does this mean I have to tell the elephants to turn back? They are going to be some pissed off pachyderms.

      You are of course right, Top-Down is what most people rely on.

      The best and most valuable information is that which you have worked for and sought personally. This is the information that will stick with you the longest.

      But, and this is a J-Lo sized but, there are not enough hours in the day to do that on every nugget of information or news you receive. Selectively DYOR, after that use others who *seem* more informed than you as a guide, the Top-Down education. If later you get time to see if they were right, all the better.

    2. Re:Top down is the way things work by Mixel · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I agree with you, but the post implies that in trade shows top down means speakers to audience. Who are the speakers in that context? They are the vendors who are selling stuff. So in that context, maybe it is better to have information flowing customer->vendor too?

    3. Re:Top down is the way things work by intentionalSegV · · Score: 3, Interesting

      The top down paradigm is beginning to shift. In "The Future of Competition", Prahalad and Ramaswamy point out that even with our world of infinite choice, customers still are not sastified. They claim the problem is the top down paradigm. The solution from their point of view is getting the customer involved in the value-creation process. When the customer is actively involved in some aspect of the product, the payoff for the customer in satisfaction is far greater.

      There is a range of services avaiable now that allow the the customer to get involved. Ranging from Dell's online site to Opensource development projects. Dell's site enpowers customers to consult with their geek friends on parts and then pick those parts (or at least a semi-reasonable approximation...maybe) and have the box shipped to thier homes. On the other end is Opensource where the consumer can become heavily involved in the value-creation process up to the point of becoming the producer. Essentialy, "If you can contribute or do better by all means go for it."

      The Point: Communities of consumers provide strength in numbers for information collection/dissemination and voice. There is power when a customer knows what they want. When approaching a firm who says, "Maybe you want this", the customer can confidently say, "No, I know what I want" or "I'll get back to you in a minute" (then whips out communicator and consults with said community).

      Doc Searls's article is an example of a customer wanting to expand a communication channel between producer and consumer in a way that would allow the consumer to add to the value creation process.

      While top down will always be around, there are changes continuing to occur that go beyond "the firm spoon-feeding the customer" setup.

      From Geek getting an MBA...I'm sorry (Ugh, I'm unclean, I need a bath)

    4. Re:Top down is the way things work by dubl-u · · Score: 2, Interesting

      One great non-hierarchical way to run a conference is known as Open Space. I went to a 1000-person conferenc that organized about half the sessions this way and it was fantastic.

      The way it works is that everybody who's interested turns up in a big room. A facilitator explains the deal, and then anybody who has an idea for a session they want (whether they want to talk or just listen) writes it on a big sheet of paper, announces it to the audience, and sticks it on the wall. Next they pick a time and room slot from a big list of post-its and stick that on their session title sheet. People who are interested in attending write their names on the sheets.

      And basically, aside from some simple rules, that's it. At each session, whomever turns up turns up. Somebody generally volunteers to take notes and put them on a Wiki.

      This sounds like it could be lame, but it was fantastic. There was minimal vendor waffle, lots of interactions, and very little bullshit. For me, the most valuable bits of a conference always came outside the sessions, at meals and in the hallways. This organized and distilled those encounters. It was great!

    5. Re:Top down is the way things work by maxpublic · · Score: 1

      This assumes that the marketing reps - er, that is, 'speakers' - at most of these trade shows can find their ass with both hands.

      In many cases they can't, and what they have to say isn't of any real value - except to sell a product of course. On the brighter side it's fairly easy to spot the fools; they're almost always enamored of the latest industry buzzwords, and use them as if they thought they were magic charms imparting knowledge where none existed before.

      Max

      --
      My god carries a hammer. Your god died nailed to a tree. Any questions?
    6. Re:Top down is the way things work by Tackhead · · Score: 1
      > I agree with you, but the post implies that in trade shows top down means speakers to audience. Who are the speakers in that context? They are the vendors who are selling stuff. So in that context, maybe it is better to have information flowing customer->vendor too?

      Problem is, most of the time, the vendor booth babes/drones are from marketing. They're clueless. Any company that puts enclued people (i.e. developers or other technies) at its booth stands a much better chance of getting my business.

      If I want your marketing, I can get it from your web site. If I take time to talk to you in meatspace, you'd goddamn well better have someone in your booth with whom I can have an intelligent conversation.

      Even at something like E3 - sure, it's nice to look at all the b00bies, but I'd still rather talk to someone who's... I dunno... actually developing software :)

    7. Re:Top down is the way things work by Goldsmith · · Score: 1

      If the person at the front of the room is not the most knowlegable person in the room on the subject, the conferece organizers have not done their jobs.

      The people in the booth, and in the marketing department are no longer the people who KNOW anything about the subject. You need to realize that if your customer knows more about your field than your salesman, you will not make a sale.

      The execs are trying to save their own asses with this "opening communication channels" stuff, missing the point that it was the business people who closed the channel in the first place.

      The situation you describe about a customer knowing what they want, and the business people telling them they want something else, is a recent development in high tech.

    8. Re:Top down is the way things work by intentionalSegV · · Score: 1

      Ha,

      A) Impossible, there is always someone in the room who is, or at least thinks he/she is, more knowledgable than the person at the front of the room. Many write off speakers immediately because they are close minded and pre-reject somebody with a different point of view.

      B) Maybe companies would just like people to hear about their products and its features. If people in the booths knowing NOTHING about a subject is such a gripe, where are all the smart people at who should be proud of the technologies they develop? Why don't they man these booths? Accepted behavior is reinforced behavior, shame on us for accepting it.

      C) Show me someone who does not try to "save their own asses" aka act in their own self-interest and I'll show you an imaginary friend. The language seems to indict everybody. Not every exec is a overindulged-criminal, just most. (seriously wanted to use a more colorful metaphor, but I'll behave)

      D) The authors claim the situation is new and growing in our markets, but the idea itself is one of the pillars of civilization. People formed communities for survival, then communities began to work towards prosperity. Then communities formed within communities to amass power and rule, sometimes for good and sometimes evil which is irrelevant, it happened. Many things evolve, not all markets are at the same level of maturity, not all areas have strong and knowlegeable communities. But all are subject to progress, they must adapt. Know what happens to those that don't? They die.

      -It's not the fall that kills you, it's the sudden stop.

    9. Re:Top down is the way things work by Goldsmith · · Score: 1

      OK, you caught me with your first point in using an absolute, but the people at the front of the room better be more knowledgeable than the average member of the audience, or there is going to be a long and painful question and answer session.

      As for the rest, I wasn't making a moral judgement about execs, simply stating that I believe the interest in this dialogue is simply to stay competitive, and not because they have any special insight. In my experiance, as soon as a company builds a name for itself in a field, it starts telling that field what it should want. I've got all sorts of cutting edge, worthless junk lying around the lab which vendors have insisted I needed desperately.

      On the other hand, now that you have me thinking about communities, I must admit that I exist in a rather strange place. Perhaps the problem is that there are very few companies geared up to sell to my field (nanotech), but a lot of compainies want to get an early position in it. In addition, no one is really sure what the hell we're supposed to be working toward. The result is that no one really knows what anyone else wants, and a lot of left overs from other areas get passed around.

    10. Re:Top down is the way things work by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Take a look at Slashdot some time and see how information drizzles down from those of us who are more knowledgeable about certain topics to those of you who are not as knowledgeable. This is the way education works, in fact. Either a person is taught something or discovers something themselves.

      A group of ignorant blabbermouths take about the same amount of time to come to a coherent, correct conclusion as a group of elephants takes to swim across the Pacific ocean.

      Jerk -- when I read the subject, I thought top down was the first step on the way to top less.

  3. free alcohol by Jotaigna · · Score: 4, Funny

    would improve things for everyone. And some cute promotters too. It'll be fun, everyone purchasing like the world ends tomorrow, and a speaker with hicups! and half of the audience snoring.

    Bill, you have to go to the RFID conference,...boss i still have a headache for the IT conference last week. Oh, ok ill go, party on!.

    --
    "The quality of life is inversely proportional to the number of keys on your keyring."
    1. Re:free alcohol by illusion_2K · · Score: 1

      ... and I was going to use my mod points. Oh well.

      Anyway, the year before last, I took my then girlfriend to the opening of the Toronto Interior Design show for a Christmas present. She's an interior design student and had an awesome time, met some of her idols and fawned over various kitchen and bathroom thing-a-magigs. I, on the other hand, figured that I'd just have to get dragged around (which I was) and basically just be a trooper. Luckily for me, the event was scattered with all sorts of local wine makers, microbreweries and caterers eager for us to sample their wares. The first thing we got upon walking in were glasses of champagne and things just got better from there.

      Incidentally, a lot of the furnature and stuff was kind of neat in various geeky-modern ways. But the point of the story is that for the good stuff you really just need to be in a chic, hipster field. We geeks still don't have a clue when it comes to the good stuff sometime.

    2. Re:free alcohol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      would improve things for everyone. And some cute promotters too. It'll be fun...


      While we're drafting up wishlists, please add free Krispy Kreme doughnuts and handjobs by the aforementioned cute promoters.

      Just make sure they don't serve you the former with the same hand that they're using for the latter...


  4. Paying to be marketed at by jrumney · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The biggest problem I have with trade shows is that they ask you to pay to be marketed at. Why aren't the booth holders and keynote speakers paying to have a captive audience? Oh, they are? Someone is getting rich off this scheme.

    1. Re:Paying to be marketed at by antic · · Score: 1, Funny


      Oh come on, people are paying to see the Booth Babes. Everyone knows that...

      --
      'Thats they exact same thing a banana wrench monkey.'
    2. Re:Paying to be marketed at by dkf · · Score: 2, Insightful
      Someone is getting rich off this scheme.
      Yeah, that someone is the hotel.
      --
      "Little does he know, but there is no 'I' in 'Idiot'!"
  5. hazza perlBOF by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    the perlBOF was the best thing at the LinuxWorldExpo! waah and they didn't have one this year! knowledge was flowing all over the place and speak listen relationships were bijectional at the least

  6. As long as REAL knowledge flows... by Vo0k · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Remember presentation of Windows 98?
    BSOD while presenting the new "features"?
    Products speak for themselves, you don't need to talk about them, just let people have a "test drive" and it's enough to give them a clue. And vendors will learn ALL that is wrong if they just watch people on their "test drives".

    (yep, one of parts of BOFH, plug-in the high-voltage laptop into SCSI port because the port supposedly is meant to withstand it and be capable to communicate this way. If you're down some $10.000 on demo equipment you will learn not to lie to customers next time.)

    --
    Anagram("United States of America") == "Dine out, taste a Mac, fries"
    1. Re:As long as REAL knowledge flows... by loyalsonofrutgers · · Score: 2, Insightful

      No, they'll learn not to let you touch the shiny objects next time, lest they get a repeat of LAST year's incident.

      But seriously, these people (dishonest vendors) are like tubes of toothpaste... if you want them to do something it's not enough to squeeze them where they are at right now, cause they'll just go somewhere else where you don't want them. You have to squeeze them EVERYWHERE that you don't want them, and that's going to take a lot of time, and a lot of toothpaste. or something.

    2. Re:As long as REAL knowledge flows... by dave420 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I saw the OSX presentation machine crash during their "it doesn't crash" demonstration. Computers crash. get over it. it proves nothing, apart from the facts computers crash, and people will try and find supporting evidence for their bias wherever they can. ;)

    3. Re:As long as REAL knowledge flows... by madman101 · · Score: 0, Redundant

      And the first Linux presentation I saw (at MIT), the machine continually crashed and they had to switch to a second machine.

  7. RTFC by Magada · · Score: 0

    Yes, I read the FA, and it actually is a FPitch, i.e a whitepapery pitch for O'Reilly's. Howzabout posting stories, ppl?

    --
    Something bad is coming when people are suddenly anxious to tell the truth.
    1. Re:RTFC by The+Desert+Palooka · · Score: 1

      apparently what matters most is connecting O'Reilly with customers?

  8. More Free Stuff!! by Flounder · · Score: 1, Interesting

    T-Shirts, software, trinkets, etc etc etc. It's the only reason to go to Comdex anymore.

    --

    No boom today. Boom tomorrow. There's always a boom tomorrow. - Cmdr. Susan Ivanova

    1. Re:More Free Stuff!! by golgotha007 · · Score: 1

      but it's getting more worse as companies don't want to spend too much money on promotion items anymore.

      some of the most amazing tradeshow giveaways was at linuxworld 2000 in San Jose. just before the dotcrash, vendors were handing out tshirts and trinkets like there was no tomorrow.
      i didn't even have to try (ask questions, etc) and i went home with 22 tshirts and oodles of lightpens, frisbees..you name it.
      i even got a microwave popcorn bag that had 'Linux Kernels' written on it...

      after the show ended each day, one company or another (slashdot was one) rented out a pool hall or night club and it was free drinks and food all night long, party on! however, i happened to see Richard Stallman dancing and boogying to some techno, and it wasn't something i wanna see again...
      in fact, i don't recommend anyone taking RMS to any place where dancing is even a concievable notion...

    2. Re:More Free Stuff!! by Tackhead · · Score: 1
      > some of the most amazing tradeshow giveaways was at linuxworld 2000 in San Jose. just before the dotcrash, vendors were handing out tshirts and trinkets like there was no tomorrow.

      Heh, I remember a pitchman throwing $100 bills into the audience as part of his hook to get people to listen to the pitch.

      Can't fuckin' tell you the name of the distro to save my life. But man, I'll never forget the memory of a company whose marketing strategy was based on literally throwing money away.

      Fond memories, man. I'm with the other guy who says tradeshows are like vacations. Hell, with nobody else to occupy your time, and having to stay for the weekend to get the cheap flight back home, tradeshows are better than vacations.

    3. Re:More Free Stuff!! by Chief+Technovelgist · · Score: 1

      Right on, Golgotha007 - my personal best was 28 free T-shirts at Internet World 2000. I think I also snagged a laptop-carrying-backpack identical to those selling retail for $79 to carry them in. That show was happening during the very week in March that the internet stock bubble burst for real. There were about 1000 vendors there, most were throwing pens and t-shirts with a sort of glazed look in their eyes...

  9. How to REALLY fix tradeshows by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Simple: 150 kilotons

    1. Re:How to REALLY fix tradeshows by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't understand. Is that the average weight of the engineers at Linux World?

  10. Priorities by m00nun1t · · Score: 1

    Get your priorities straight... as long as they have high quality booth babes, I'm there.

    --
    Read reviews of shopping cart software
  11. Linux, Shminux - ECTS is where it's at.. by Channard · · Score: 1

    .. if you want to witness a truly depressing display. There's the 'models' who really didn't think their acting career would come to being draped over a stand while hordes of sweaty-palmed gamers drool down their cleavage. There's the soul-crushingly poor 'gimmick' game stands such as 'Hooligan: Storm Across Europe', a game designed to be controversial but completely tedious to play. And the fact that the few genuinely original games will never see the light of day, being cancelled in favour of the big name no-gameplay titles. There's journos pretending to be interested in said games just in the hope of filling up a few pages. Oh, and just to cap it off, there's walking to get the cube from Olympia station, only to find yourself knee deep in discarded PR bumf. Now, that's a trade show.

  12. To Pay or not to Pay... by MosesJones · · Score: 5, Interesting

    One of the most interesting things about these events is who pays and who doesn't, and how. With IEEE conferences pretty much everyone bar the chair pays, speakers included.

    At most trade shows there are four groups of people

    1) People who are "interesting" speakers so get in free

    2) Vendor People who have paid for a booth and are damn well going to speak

    3) People who the Vendors want to buy stuff, who get one or more of tickets, flights, hotels, food & booze paid for

    4) People & companies who want to learn stuff so they pay to go.

    Tradeshows are 100% about selling, without that bottom line the rest of it just wouldn't happen. You must realise that there are people who need to earn a living and its really the people in group 3 who matter at these events.

    So your target is to get into group 3. There are various ways of doing this but the main ones are

    1) Be an influencer within a large SI, this way the vendors get large bang per buck. An influencer (e.g. architect, account manager etc) can steer many projects your way

    2) Have a decent sales ticket item that is coming up to tender (not out to tender or its a conflict)

    3) Be a one vendor shop, standardise on a given vendor then screw them for freebies. You can also get great freebies from other vendors by pretending you are going to move.

    These are the key ways to get in free. One thing to say about these tradeshows is to collect the business cards. If you have an issue with some software then its always great to be able to email someone senior in that organisation with the problem. Most of the time they just pass it on with the phrase "sort it" on. Which means you get the top man helping you out.

    Tradeshows work, but they work in a commercial environment where vendors are looking at 6 and 7 figure deals... this is not about the cheap stuff.

    --
    An Eye for an Eye will make the whole world blind - Gandhi
    1. Re:To Pay or not to Pay... by tklive · · Score: 0

      yup...DAC still rocks. No, really .

  13. More dense a proposition ... by foobsr · · Score: 2, Informative

    ... switching to structures resembling a network rather than a tree is helpful in many cicumstances, especially where complexity (with regard to all relevant levels: social, economic, ... ) is looking as if it were an obstacle.

    I think I recall this from researching into structures of communications in groups I guess 20-30 years ago. It did not make news then.

    CC.

    --
    TaijiQuan (Huang, 5 loosenings)
  14. Trade shows are not USENIX conferences by CresentCityRon · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I felt that the article was trying to turn comdex into a usenix conference. Totally different beasts and enjoy each for what they are or are not.

  15. Re:My boss used to send me, thinking it was a "per by Forge · · Score: 5, Insightful

    For those of us who consistently work 12-20 Hour days (including most weekends) it IS a perk. Especially if it's on the other end of the island so you have to be put in a hotel and your basic needs are covered (free food).

    Even if you stay at an all inclusive it doesn't cost that much extra to take your girlfriend along.

    Trade shows are in fact a substitute for vacation time if chosen carefully.

    Note that no mention is made of new products or educational speeches. Relax and have fun if that means listening to Linus and ESR hurry through a Panel Discussion so they can get to Duns River Falls, cool. If it means going uh-ah-whoa over the same junk they showed last year. Irie. If it means grabbing free stuff from every booth in sight. Enjoy.

    For me they are a "Perk". Even on the occasions where my company is presenting and I have to help set up the booth.

    --
    --= Isn't it surprising how badly I spell ?
  16. Trade shows are all alike by Underholdning · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I've seen my share of different tradeshows. And by different I mean all possible (and unpossible) types of trade shows. I'm a magician with trade shows as my speciality. That means, I've made it my business to make entertainment suitable for the tradeshows. And, I have to say this, be it a geeky tradeshow about the newest gadgets or a lingerie show about sexy underwear, they all look alike . After a while, I never see the products (unless I'm at one of the two types mentioned above ;) - all I see is the same kind of booths - the same setup - the same people. I agree with the article that the general idea of trade shows needs to be upgraded to the new millenium. The only difference I see now and 10 years ago is, that the women hired as eye catchers are wearing lesser clothes. Other than that, it's status quo.

    --
    Underholdning.info
    1. Re:Trade shows are all alike by The+Unabageler · · Score: 1

      thanks to ashcroft, the pron tradeshows have the women wearing more clothes :( thankfully my company spared me from going before firing me...I got 3 years of nudity filled tradeshows in under my belt :)

      --
      perl -e '$_="\007/4`\cp%2,".chr(127);s/./"\"\\c$&\""/gees; print'
    2. Re:Trade shows are all alike by dpbsmith · · Score: 3, Funny

      Forgive me, but that's what I hate about tradeshows. Why would I want to see a close-up magician at a computer trade show?

      Yes, I like magic--we've just gotten tickets to Le Grand David and are looking forward to it. But if it turns out that Le Grand David's show includes a tutorial on software development I will be as appalled as I am by magicians at a tradeshow.

      --

      "How to Do Nothing," kids activities, back in print!

    3. Re:Trade shows are all alike by Underholdning · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Heh - someone give this guy a +1 funny. And I'm not being sarcastic - I think you have a valid point. And there are many like you who are there for the information and nothing else. When I perform at tradeshows, I always respect a no. There are plenty of people who needs a break and would like to see some magic anyway.
      If you don't mind, I'll quote your last paragraph in our (the trade show magicians) next newsletter to remind them, that not everybody wants to see them.

      --
      Underholdning.info
  17. Simple Solution by Talliesin · · Score: 0, Redundant

    I don't mind trade shows anymore.
    I haven't bothered to go anywhere near one in about 5 years.

    1. Re:Simple Solution by Talliesin · · Score: 0

      It's not redundant. I'm seriously suggesting you don't go. I'm seriously saying I have personally experienced positive results from this policy.

  18. Re:My boss used to send me, thinking it was a "per by Chanc_Gorkon · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Amen to that! Why do you think places like Vegas, Miami and other touristy spots get chosen for big shows? Conferences are great because I get out of the office and talk to others on how they cope with their problems and when there's absolutely nothing going on at the conference that I like, I go to the beach or the casino. Best thing is I don't have a phone rininging off the hook unless it's REALLY a problem.

    --

    Gorkman

  19. Fixing tradeshows? by Guido+del+Confuso · · Score: 3, Funny

    Fixing them?

    I didn't even know you could bet on them!

    *B-dum chhhh*

    1. Re:Fixing tradeshows? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nothing new here. Micro$oft has been fixing trade shows for years. No, make that decades.

  20. Re:My boss used to send me, thinking it was a "per by turnstyle · · Score: 2, Interesting
    Sure, getting out of the office was nice, but having to go to a trade show packed with people fighting for mousepads and hired plastic models "selling software, nudge nudge" wasn't where I liked to be when I got out of the office.

    Someone mentioned bringing the g/f along -- it was nice when I could bring her, but some (most?) bosses like to put more than one employee to a room.

    --
    Here's what I do: Bitty Browser & Andromeda
  21. Quite often that's the point... by sczimme · · Score: 4, Insightful


    Scenario: you are an IT manager type. Your division is about to take on two new missions. You go to the trade show; in one place and in a relatively short amount of time - typically 2-5 days - you get to see the major players in relevant markets exhibiting their wares. You can compare features and prices and tinker with hardware, often speaking to marketing, sales, and even technical folks in the space of ten minutes. You can also make a ridiculous number of contacts. Yes, you are paying to receive marketing, but if you have the need (as in the scenario) you get at at least as much out of the exchange as you give.

    That sounds like good bang-for-the-buck, yes?

    PS Disclaimer-thingie: I generally think of the RSA Security Conference when I think of trade shows. YMMV with smaller expos.

    --
    I want to drag this out as long as possible. Bring me my protractor.
  22. Good old MacWorld, circa 1986... by dpbsmith · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ...I remember when I could actually learn things at trade shows. I could belly up to a booth and play with some software hands-on and learn its capabilities. The people in the booth actually knew the product. In some cases they were developers.

    The turning point came circa 1987 or 1988 and I remember the instant it occurred. I was evaluating a word processor, and the person in the booth didn't know whether it could import files from some other word processor. I said, "Well, let's try," and pulled out a diskette containing some files. And she said, "I'm sorry, we've been instructed not to let anyone insert diskettes in the demo machine."

    I used to walk up to booths that were demonstrating OCR equipment, which, of course, always worked perfectly on the particular sheets they were scanning for the test. I would ask a couple of questions about its ability to scan a wide range of material, to which the answer was always "yes." I would then pick up some of the booth literature describing the product and ask them to try scanning it. If they said, "Oh, that's glossy," I would look around for anything in my bag or lying around that was, say, an ordinary typed (remember this the eighties) document on bond paper, until I found something that the booth representative agreed was a fair "real-world" test. They'd put it in the stack and scan it. The results were very revealing.

    Starting in the early nineties, I started to encounter booth people that would no depart from their memorized scripts, had know knowledge apart from their memorized scripts, and would not allow any hands-on interaction or requests to explore features more deeply ("OK... so could you show us what happens if you...").

    At MacWorld, I'd always head for the booths that were farther from the entrance where you'd sometimes find little companies that were interested in showing you their wares, not giving you the hard-sell. And I used to love the funky little BCS "Mac Megameeting," a low-key trade-show-like event.

    --

    "How to Do Nothing," kids activities, back in print!

    1. Re:Good old MacWorld, circa 1986... by wulfhound · · Score: 1

      That's still very much the case at trade shows relating to more specialist branches of the technology industry - digital pro audio, scientific computing, etc. The reason developers tend not to turn up at the big generic shows like MacWorld and Comdex is that the ratio of numbskulls to informed visitors is way high.

      Considering the cost of exhibiting at one of these shows runs to five figures -minimum-, it's no surprise that you won't find many small-and-interesting firms at the big general shows.

  23. How about a "clean license" tradeshow by toofanx · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Every once in a while, I actually take the pains to read the entire text of a license before pressing "I Agree". Sometimes, I'm quite shocked about what I read. There are (were ?) clauses in the Microsoft .NET CLR that prevent you from publishing profiling results of the CLR. I think this is stepping the line. BTW, I am not an MS basher - I'm sure there are many other companies doing the same thing. I was also bothered by the fact that we have to tear the shrink-wrap agreement (thus agreeing to a license) before being able to read the license agreement. I heard that some software also makes you agree to a non-disclosure clause on the terms of the license !

    So, I was wondering, why not have a trade show where only software that have obvious terms in the licenses (not necessarily open source) are allowed. The license should be available to the public (maybe as a pamphlet or website), so that everyone (not necessarily customers) knows its details before making a purchase. I don't like anti reverse engineering clauses, but I can agree to them.

    We could have different sections, depending on the various categories of licenses (open source, not open source, anti reverse engineering, cheat-'em-and-steal, etc.).

  24. It's a Flea Market of course it's about selling by stry_cat · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Trade shows are just flea markets with a homogenous clientell with a few perks like interesting speakers to teach you. Flea markets are all about selling stuff, meeting interesting people, and having a good time (I've been to some where a local band is actually performing). If you don't like them don't go, but the "problems" described in the summary (I'm not wasting time on the article) are not problems and any attempt to "fix" them will kill the show.

    Where else will I be able to do the following all in one place:
    Find cool products
    Talk with knowledgeable sales reps
    Be educated by a leader in the field
    Network with other professionals

    All of that for one low price!

    If you don't like flea markets don't go, but don't try to kill the fun for the rest of us.

  25. 80s by mgkimsal2 · · Score: 1

    I was also bothered by the fact that we have to tear the shrink-wrap agreement (thus agreeing to a license) before being able to read the license agreement.

    This has been going on since the 80s at least. I can understand being bothered by it, but it's certainly nothing new.

    --
    creation science book
  26. Successful Tradeshow in 46 Easy Steps by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    1. 'nother trade show boooooring, sore feet, idiots at the booth *grumble* *grumble*
    2. nice. lucked out and got a cute girly girl in the booth next to me.. shes smart, too!
    3. common ground: mutual boredom! start making fun of passersby
    4. slight flirting, sweeping glances at each other
    5. show's not that bad with good company, eh?
    6. k, see you tommorrow for day 2, baby! ("baby" not said aloud)
    7. back to hotel room, change out of zoot suit
    8. room service food sucks, hit the hotel bar
    9. look up from chicken tenders: whoa, hottie adjacent booth girl!
    10. me: "come here often?" her: "tee hee hee!" yes! kitch rules!
    11. beer me, slim, and one for the lady!
    12. goto 11 while 1 == 1, break if currenttime > closingtime
    13. stumble back to room with boothette
    14. fall on bed
    15. roll over close
    16. tickle
    17. peck
    18. --silence--
    19. hmmm.
    20. slobber, clawing, heavy petting...
    21. her: "wait. i don't know...", voice trails off
    22. --silence--
    23. "ah, fuck it"
    24. cue porno music
    25. GOD I LOVE BEING ON THE ROAD!!!!!
    26. fade to black
    27. time passes...
    28. daylight through the blinds, clothes strewn about, girl not there
    29. dammit gotta be on the floor in 10 minutes
    30. blurry hygenic routine, head hurts
    31. get to booth
    32. booth girl not there, hope she's ok
    33. idiots, all of them! yes, i've been drinking gasoline, *mother*
    34. booth girl shows up, looks like how my head feels
    35. both look towards floor
    36. avoidance... hello idiot, i mean sir, can i show you what we have to offer?
    37. crowd thins, running out of options!
    38. initiate post-coital awkward conversation routine... engage!
    39. time slows
    40. please be 5 o'clock, please be 5 o'clock
    41. ding ding!
    42. run
    43. while running, notice message board above enterence "see you tomorrow!"
    44. GODDAMMIT ITS A 3 DAY SHOW
    45. figure out if i can afford rent if i quit RIGHT NOW

    the end.

    oh...

    46. Profit!!

    1. Re:Successful Tradeshow in 46 Easy Steps by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Lars???

  27. What I like to do by Perdurabo26 · · Score: 1

    I love to go to these trade shows, and fake the information. I usually put down info like Senior Network Administrator at (insert mega-corp. here) and just watch everyone kiss your ass.

    --
    I will endure to the end.
  28. thanks doc! by golgotha007 · · Score: 1

    I've played about every role possible at a show: panelist, attendee, exhibitor, keynote speaker, organizer, booth builder, reporter and promoter.

    not to mention being on a gameshow!

    he was on my team at the 2001 Linuxworld Golden Penguin Bowl. if i remember correctly, he wasn't wearing any shoes for some reason...

    anyway, from the little bit of work we did together on the show, i found that he was very knowledgable and laid back; just an all around good guy. if it wasn't for him, i doubt we would have taken the penguin home that day. thanks Doc!!

  29. LinuxWorld Expo by Shant3030 · · Score: 1

    Walking into the LinuxWorld expo this past January in New York City, you would think that HP, IBM and Novell were the most important and influential linux companies/organizations...

    Yet all the way in the back corner, was the Free Software Foundation. Without their work, Linux would probably be a shadow of itself today.

    They should be front and center, IMHO.

    --
    100% Insightful
  30. "corperations" by operagost · · Score: 1

    Is it that difficult to spell-check something that appears on the front page?

    --

    Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
  31. Hey Doc! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    What does "attrition" mean? The term's not clear from the context. Why was it so important to your argument?

    You clearly stated the traditional goals of the trade show, but your proposed goals are not nearly as clear.

    Otherwise, a thought-provoking piece and a topic you should continue to examine. Trade shows suck; let's make them better.

  32. Re:My boss used to send me, thinking it was a "per by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is the other employee attractive?

  33. Re:My boss used to send me, thinking it was a "per by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why dont you ask him yourself?

  34. He left out by www.sorehands.com · · Score: 1
    He left out one of the most important things about the trade shows: The parties. I don't mean that you get free food, which has gone down in the past 6 years. But, it gives you a chance to meet and chat with people, vendors, presenters, in a non-formal environment, where you can chat w/o the suit&tie, hordes of people asking if they need a computer to run their software package.

    One thing that he forgot, is that in most shows, charge for admission, but you can always get a free pass. At the 1992 Windows-OS/2 show in Boston, I saw someone ask to buy a $35 pass, though there was hundeds of free passes laying around.

    --
    Fight Spammers!
  35. Re:My boss used to send me, thinking it was a "per by Tackhead · · Score: 2, Funny
    > Someone mentioned bringing the g/f along -- it was nice when I could bring her, but some (most?) bosses like to put more than one employee to a room.

    Hey, I thought we agreed! What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

  36. Conflating session and exhibit-only attendees by benwaggoner · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I present at 6-8 trade shows a year, for about five years now. I've also done a lot of booth duty over the years, and covered shows as press.

    One thing the original article missed is the big difference between people who pay the $300-$1200 to attend the sessions and seminars, and those who get the free (theoretically you have to pay ~$50, but free passes are very readily available).

    Those two groups have very different experiences. Exhibit-only folks don't hear any sessions other than sponsored sessions. Full attendees get to do sessions, and often free food and decent swag, like conference bags. Best show ever for that kind of thing is Apple's WWDC. For example, free sit-down dinners, all the Krusty Kreme you can eat in the morning, fresh Jamba Juice throughout the day, an honestly good bag, and something Impressive. Last year, everyone got a free iSight, for example.

    Lots of people I've hears complaining about how lame a show is are exhibit-only, and are missing the bulk of it. Also, folks in the booths are often told to prioritize their attention depending on the badge type. Attendees and press get the most attention - attendees since they've already shown they're willing to spend some money, and press because they're press. Speaker badges are pretty effective as well. Exhibitor badges make get a close look to see if it's from a competitor. Exhibit-only are on the bottom of the totem pole - they'll get talked to, but with less attention than any of the above.

    The other thing that may not be apparent is the cost of the booths for exhibitors. A small booth rental, plus the cost of shipping of equipment, and transport for booth workers can easily be $100,000 for a significant show. I'm sure companies like Sony spent well in excess of $10M for a big show like NAB.

    My personal favorite show is DV Expo, just because it's a fun group of folks, and at a human scale. NAB is where I do business development for the next year. WWDC wins for sheer geek envy.

    --

    My video compression blog
  37. Re:My boss used to send me, thinking it was a "per by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    heh. no kidding, I live in vegas, and I've helped set up the arrangements for companies coming in for these trade shows, and corporate events. As such, I've seen plenty of "large companies" come in and spend thousands of dollars on golf, alcohol, and 'adult entertainment', then come swaggering in wasted for their 10 minute cameo appearance. Wait, I thought we were saying these things were bad?!? You just don't know how to make the right arrangements. (ahhh)

  38. sorry top buirst some bubbles BUT.... by 3seas · · Score: 1

    Tradeshows are for one purpose and one purpose only. To Build A Contact List.

    Nike no longer does tradshows, after years of doing multi-million dollar spending on them.

    Why?

    Because they know everybody they need to ever know.

    How do I know this?

    Its the business I'm in... tradeshows and corporae theater.

  39. Re:My boss used to send me, thinking it was a "per by instarx · · Score: 1

    Why do you think places like Vegas, Miami and other touristy spots get chosen for big shows

    Because that is where the hotel rooms and convention centers are, not because they are great places to hold a convention. As an occasionally drafted meeting planner I can assure you that the foremost reason for picking a location is having enough sleeping-room nights and floor space.