Recent Posts
- Does Cap-and-Trade make sense for your company?
- New product items of interest
- Hyping "green" for fun and profit
- Was CPP attendance a victim of the Bears game?
- CPP & Pack Expo: Here we come!
- 25 years: It's the people who matter most
- Are flex packs the best sustainability choice?
- Package printing in a tough economy
- Sustainability: Ask the right questions
- Debunking myths of packaging and the environment
Recent Comments
- Paul Entin on Hyping "green" for fun and profit
- David Roisum on How to be a "green" hypocrite
- Carl Mendoza on How to be a "green" hypocrite
- Tom Mueller on Wow! That's surprising...
- Kevin Karstedt on Wow! That's surprising...
Most Commented On
- How the "recession" is affecting you (3)
- How to be a "green" hypocrite (3)
- Death of the four-day trade show? (2)
- Should sales "own" your business? (2)
- Wow! That's surprising... (2)
Archives
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
Blog
Why one industry-wide megashow won't work
August 22, 2008
Here's my "on the other hand" posting to Wednesday's blog about "Does the idea of one industry-wide, package-printing and converting megashow for North America every four years make sense?" The subject grew out of a discussion at the CMM Industry Outlook Panel among 40 or so converters, supplier/exhibitors, PennWell staffers, as well as me and three other trade-magazine editors.
So, like those "Point-Counterpoint" parodies on the old Saturday Night Live show, here's some "cons" to the previous posting's "pros." Jane, you ignorant slut...don't you know that:
1. Targeted marketing to niche audiences is what rules today. Just look at the success of Tarsus Exhibitions and its string of label shows and conferences around the world. The old Labelexpo USA has grown from 200 exhibitors and 11,000 attendees to the Labelexpo Americas of today with 450 exhibitors and 16,000 attendees. SuperCorrExpo, with 200 exhibitors itself, is another example. While we all have a lot in common, each converted-product market has its own unique audience that targeted suppliers want to target.
2. New products are being launched every day, not every four years. Exhibitors are not going to wait two or three years for a megashow to launch a truly new technology. They'd like any audience, even a smaller niche one, to present their new baby. If a megashow does come to fruition, expect suppliers with deep pockets to keep hosting their own in-house demos or customer-invited open houses whenever necessary.
3. The exhibition companies won't cooperate on such a deal. This may be the biggest stumbling block to a single industry-wide megashow. They basically have to agree to share costs and profits on what might be ONE HUGE SHOW with 1,000 EXHIBITORS and 40,000 ATTENDEES. But remember, being only once every four years, there's no revenue in between.
So, what might be other "cons" for one less-often megashow? Go to our Website Poll to vote on the home page or post your Comment below.
Posted by Mark Spaulding on August 22, 2008 | Comments (0)