Doc Searls On Fixing Tradeshows

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.'"

Comments

Top down is the way things work

[ObviousGuy]

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.

Re:Top down is the way things work

[Jackdaw Rookery]

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.

free alcohol

[Jotaigna]

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!.

Re:free alcohol

[Anonymous Coward]

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...

How to REALLY fix tradeshows

[Anonymous Coward]

Simple: 150 kilotons

Re:Paying to be marketed at

[antic]

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

Fixing tradeshows?

[Guido del Confuso]

Fixing them?

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

*B-dum chhhh*

Successful Tradeshow in 46 Easy Steps

[Anonymous Coward]

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!!

Re:Trade shows are all alike

[dpbsmith]

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.

Re:My boss used to send me, thinking it was a "per

[Tackhead]

> 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.