Posted March 13th, 2009 by Exhibitslist Team

It is that time of year again. The Exhibitor Show is ready to roll. As much a time to look for prospective clients as it is to network within the industry and see what and who is on the cutting edge. Last year had spectacular booths and great opportunities for everyone that was there. The Vegas weather didn't hurt either. But considering what has happened in the last six months, what will this year bring? Could a weak showing at the exhibitor be the canary in the coal mine for our whole industry? Or is it time for us to show how it is done?
[more after the break]
For us at Exhibitslist, we not only care about the business of the trade show industry but also the culture. It is a unique collaborative industry that includes some of the hardest working creative visionaries in the marketing world. We would love your perspective on how the show pans out this year. Please feel free to comment on what people are saying on the show floor and what your impression is of the attitude of our colleagues.
No doubt people are scared these days. But some people are seeing the current environment as a great chance to innovate and cut down old methods of operation that are twentieth century. We really need to know what you think. While you are at the show why note report back to us:
Who had the best booth at Exhibitor 2009? Overall how are people in the industry feeling about the current economic situation? What innovations were shared at Exhibitor 2009 that can help the industry in general?

This is the year to network, network, network, and, if we can, help our colleagues who've lost their jobs. I'll be tweeting from the show floor on Twitter (@tradeshowmaven), and posting open trade show positions on Twitter and LinkedIn. This is the year for us to shine as an industry. Find someone to encourage or help.
The traffic at Exhibitor 2009 was similar to the traffic at many of our client's shows -- there was less traffic than previous years, but the attendees that were there were high quality. Active trade show marketers and decision makers with real budgets were the only ones who could justify the trip. That's a good story to share with clients who exhibit.
And of course we thought we had the best booth at the show. So did many others, including several competitors, who stopped by our booth and expressed surprise we did not win the Best of Show Award.