user warning: Table './exhibits_drupal/accesslog' is marked as crashed and should be repaired query: INSERT INTO accesslog (title, path, url, hostname, uid, sid, timer, timestamp) values('GES & EG Have Now Consolidated!', 'node/154', '', '38.107.179.231', 0, '944b190b39a2037726d9198d043071e5', 210, 1337446986) in /home/exhibits/public_html/includes/database.mysql.inc on line 174.

You can't request more than 20 challenges without solving them. Your previous challenges were flushed.

TS2 Show

Zach
Joined: 09-22-08
Offline

Posted: Thu, 2009-07-23 11:40

Well another TS2 show has come and passed and I have to say that I think a lot of companies are not going to be going back next year. I had the chance to go down to the show and talk to a lot of exhibitors (as they didn't have to many attendees to talk to) and they all seemed to give the same response. When I asked them how the show was going they said "well we didn't expect much so..."

What does that mean they didn't expect much? Why go to a show that you know is going to fail? Aren't we the experts on how to run a successful show?

My question to the community is this: Why is it that TS2 has a certain second hand feel to it and Exhibitor is the cream of the crop? Is it simply because the Exhibitor show stays in one city that being Las Vegas? There is no way that all the major companies / decision makers live on the West Coast, is there?

What do you think? Why does the TS2 show continue to disappoint the exhibitors? Will it survive Boston? If it does who is going to go to Atlanta? Someone it seems needs some help on how to pick cities to exhibit in.

__________________

Zach
Director of Sales & Marketing
Exhibitslist.com

Zach, I agree with most of

BigM
Joined: 05-11-09
Offline

Posted: Fri, 2009-07-24 10:10

Zach, I agree with most of what you stated. I found it interesting that the show floor basically sucked as a whole - there were obviously very few visitors, but there were very few exhibitors as well ( I noticed almost no support companies there - AV, Furniture, Truss, Modular, Portables/Modulars, etc).

The bright spot was the "Block" party, Ts2's opening night networking party at Navy Pier. That event was VERY well attended...it seemed there was about double the amount of people at the Block Party than what I saw on the show floor.

I personally think Ts2 has played second fiddle because it does move around as stated in the earlier post...the problem is that it has hit some good markets over the years where attendance is great, but once it hits a market where attendance is poor, people start pulling out of the show for the following year and it has created a downward spiral for the last several years.

In light of the well attended netorking event and (some) classes in combination with a down economy (and the fact the industry probably only needs 1-traditional trade show per year), I think Ts2 may want to rethink their format.

I really believe they would get much more attendance if it was treated more like an EDPA or HCEA conference (everyone gets table-tops, and the emphasis is on educational meetings, state-of-the industry meetings/discussions, and networking). There really isn't any reason I can see for all of the custom houses to roll out exhibits at Ts2 & Exhibitor - people are @ Ts2 there for the relationships, sources, and to see what's new...that could be done with a 1-day table-top show that would open up to many more exhibitors (they would probably generate way more revenue over the regular show because many more industry exhibitors would participate).

If it was a table-top show, most of the large exhibit houses, portable/modular companies, av companies, furniture, I&D companies, and so one would be more apt to participate (becuase of affordability) creating a more valuable experience for attendees to find sources. More exhibit managers would be apt to attend because they could now make contact with MANY more sources for their exhibit program in addition to good class offerings, more exhibit companies would attend to get in touch with more potential suppliers and to see what's "new" in one location...another words, it again starts to build positive momentum towards being a productful conference rather than one that is unfortunately moving backwards.

That's my two cents...I really feel it could be a strong conference again for ther industry, but they need to reinvent their format and not just make some "tweaks"...otherwise, I'm afriad it may completely die out in the next couple of years.

Check out Trade Show Transit - www.tradeshowtransit.com