Do You Show?

Tom Inglesby

Photo: Jack Moreh/Freerange Stock

Do you Show? I mean do you go to Trade Shows, like NAB or CineGear? Some industries are totally dependent on trade shows for getting the news out about innovations and upgrades to last year’s innovations. The construction field, for instance, has several major shows that draw tens of thousands of visitors; the electronics industry—or perhaps it’s better to call it industries—has a show that brings in more than 100,000 visitors each year.

One complaint about trade shows is that they are too far away. Doesn’t matter where they are held, it is too far away for those from half the country. New York? Long way from LA. LA? Too far to go for those in Atlanta. Las Vegas? “Well, we might make an exception for that show…”

Yes, Las Vegas draws better than almost any venue for a trade show, regardless of industry, and I suspect it’s not because it’s centrally located. It’s not. So what is the draw? If you have to ask, you’ve never been there.

In the days before near-universal Internet access, what the computer geeks call the “green screen days,”  there were few ways to find out what was new in your field. Weekly, monthly and even daily newsletters and magazines showed up in your mailbox or in-basket, festooned with ads and articles on what was available. A trip to the store, a few calls around, and you felt you were on top of it. Then, plan the trip to the annual trade show! Meet the vendors, network with your friends from all over the country, and at the end of the week, trek home with literally bags filled with literature.

Now? Turn on the computer, scan a few websites, and you have more information than most people can digest in a day. And this is every day. Data overload! It’s becoming a case where going to a trade show is a good way to get away from too much information. Never thought walking all day would be so relaxing….

And you get to actually touch stuff! That’s the real advantage of a trade show: you don’t just get information, you get tactile stimulation. Hold it, play with it, and discuss its features. Hard to do on the Internet when you are talking about “stuff.” No matter how many pictures you see, they don’t give you the same sense of understanding that you get looking through the viewfinder or turning on the light panel.

Markee 2.0 goes to the shows and we like to meet our readers there. But there are so many competing events. Where do you Show? We’d like to know more about your trade show plans. What shows are the most important to you and your segment of the market? How much time do you spend at a show? Where do you prefer to go—or prefer to not go—to attend a show? Why?

NAB 2012

One of the more interesting booths at NAB 2012, TVLogic's doll display.

Working in business-to-business publishing means going to trade shows. And when you cover a variety of industries, as we do here at Lionheart, that means frequent travel to trade shows. In fact, the editors and others staffers at Lionheart cover some of the largest trade shows held in North America, including the World of Concrete and the NAB Show. As executive editor of Markee 2.0, it is my pleasure to cover NAB.

Actually, as you may have read in my March/April editor's letter, this was my first chance to attend NAB since joining Markee. I must say, I have covered many large trade shows in the past, but none seem to have the energy of NAB. The attendees were fully enthused to be there, the exhibitors were excited to greet everyone, and the exhibits themselves were the largest and most impressive I've seen. The only down side I could find was that all of the sights and sounds from the equipment manufacturers, software developers and components producers was a bit overwhelming. The best way to get through it, I found, was to narrow my focus by industry and map out my daily tours accordingly. After all, the exhibits were open for four days, so there was plenty of time to see it all – barely.

What I came away with – as is the intention of most editors who attend such events – is a working knowledge of new technologies available for my readers, a glimpse of where the industries Markee covers are headed, a new appreciation for the work of all those involved in TV and film production, and a notebook filled with article ideas. I can't wait to get started!

I want to thank the NAB staff and organizers for producing an outstanding event. And I wish to thank all the companies and their representatives who took the time to speak with me. Look for post-event coverage on our website and in our e-newsletter. (Sign up for the newsletter here.)