you sure they dont make profit?

i would not be so sure

I am sure by now that guy feels like any "celeb" type of person, "please just leave me alone so I can get paid for this dumb events and go back home and go to sleep."

lol

And now that CES is moving away from the Sands, I expect the Vegas AEE show to be even smaller in attendance... so they should merge the two shows into one. Not on two different floors, but together. I'm sure that many of the fans would like to get a photo or autograph from a "web girl" as much as from a "video girl". Put them together, charge a decent fee, then let the general public come in to both. Have the first few hours of each day for B2B only, then let the crowds in...

Alysha has talked to many of her members that live in that area who wanted to come see her when she signed at AEE the last two years, but the badge fees kept them away.

You missed the point champ.

Making a few bucks for the hassle is one thing. Raping attendees six ways from Sunday is another. Some shows put a lot back into the show. You get awesome speakers, snack shacks, catered meal or two, and killer party here or there.

Then you have others where you pay out the ass, and have next to nothing invested in the show. Seminars are sleepers. Few parties. Little return. Max. gouging.

:2 cents:

From DAY 1 both these shows, AVN and Internext never gave 2 shits about the smaller companies. All we were was filler content to them. Now they getting what they deserve as big boys are pulling out.

you missed the point, "champ".

this is exactly what i was saying

I remember back in 2001, maybe '02 or '03 when the smaller companies even had booths at the Hollywood Internext. I liked that. You could walk around and SEE what everyone had to offer, not just what 12 big companies that have $25,000 booths have like the current format has.

I don't spend a lot of time on the boards to pre-arrange meetings before shows, so I like to walk and check out booths. Just my personal preference.

Well between the AVN and Internext shows back in January, the ROI for attending AVN was significantly higher than for attending Internext. The focus of the two shows is very different but with them being so close together I think that the line between the two has been blurred.

You obviously have NO CLUE about the amount of work/risk/everything required running a tradeshow...

From 4 to 6 months before, going all over the place to promote it and make people aware about your event

The risks you take when you book hotel and stuff (I could have lost my house IF QWEBEC expo 1st edition haven't been the success it was)

The 100 Hours+ / week in the last stretch before the event

The 2-3 hours of sleep / night during the event

ans so on ....

The Vegas Show in January is the ONLY show I go to now days.
Why? Becasue its Vegas.

Truthfully shows dont have enough of a draw to get me to come. Sales Reps, sponsors at shows, booths with models just doesnt do it.

I come because its Vegas. And because people who I already do biz with are there and we can all enjoy Vegas together.

Other shows Im Being the odd man out (as someone who actually makes money) and watching sales reps party with other sales reps at shows isnt my idea of fun. But at least in Vegas there is an escape to do other things than be stuck in a show. The draw that is Vegas is what imo keeps this show alive.

But if some of my friends like the Movie Post Dinner guys, or AFF, or some of the people who year after year take me out to dinners stop coming I will too.

Vegas is just a great setting for a show. Id be sad to see it go.
These other shows just dont have the draw for me to make an effort to go.

Socialized?
Yes! If it can work for healthcare it should be able to save the shows as well!

I prefer AEE & Internext to be separate shows, back to back. The one year the two shows were together at the same time, I had to pay twice and miss out on some of both of the conventions.

Ya know, ever since my buddies at Like Whoa took the Anal Hobbit's advice and made the largest most expensive booth at Internext and skipped out on paying the bills Internext has never really been the same.

That and the Anal Hobbit's other tips to the avarage show goer in how to get in free without paying.

I blame the anal hobbit for the downfall of these shows.

Not true. The Xbiz and Webmaster Access shows run far smoother and are much more organized. There are no egos involved, they care about online. Avn has always been a giant fail to WMs. It's about money to you guys, and it shows repeatedly.

Agree! IF that can be done! I loved when we had Internext in Sand's Hall A (3 days) While AEE were setting up in Sand's Hall B, then right after Internext, AEE was starting (4 days), Same Hotel, Same Building... FIY for those who don't know, Sands is the convention center in the back of the Venetian

Only 7 days in Vegas and BOOM' tons of new business... :thumbsup

And PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE! Bring back the badges to a price most webmasters AND Noobs can afford (125/150 USD MAX!). 10x10 booth at 1500/2000 USD MAX!

Do you not read the Anal Hobbit's Tips?
You can easily get them free ya know.

Or you can buy them in the lobby from him for 40 bucks a pop.

That's too bad, I was just about to do Eminem!

I agree on this, I attended Internext from 98 through I don't know, 05 maybe, but AEE every year since 98. AEE especially, once you get past the giant booths at the front which are set up fairly comfortably, it seems like their play was to jam all the base-sized booths together with oddly broken up aisles (you know the type, where you go halfway and then there's a 20x10 booth in the way 90 degrees from the aisle and on the other side there's 2 mini aisles crammed in...

But if you added up the square footage taken up by the 10x10's, it probably came up 40% to even 50% of the gross square footage. And the 10x10's pay the highest per square foot dollar, so it's conceivable that AVN was making more off them than off the big guys. Of course, the big guys had more additional service bills, but a lot of that goes to the union and the venue.

I know the big giant booths and big companies bring the fans in on fan days, but that only goes so far, if you lose the depth brought by all the small companies.

Nor did I claim to. Simply giving my opinion as an attendee.

As for the rest of your post on the risks and losing your house and all that shit. That is a choice YOU made to do. No one forced you to do a trade show. So stop your crying.

No offense.

:2 cents:

Another reason I go only to the January Show in Vegas.
The Players Ball has been a tradition and a highlight of this show for many many years now.

Some of my best memories of these shows revolve around the Players Balls over the years.
From Day 1.

what about leaving sleeping girls without money or phone behind at the stripclub?

:winkwink:

its easy to say what other people *should* do when you dont obviously dont know how it works, then when michael explains that if your going to put a lien on your house for a show, as a businessman, you want to make a return, you say he was crying about risking his house

let me quote you once more

Make that two things I disagree with you about.


Disagree . . . . from an attendees perspective. Mixing with AEE at the same time was a cluster fuck. :2 cents:

Ah... I get it now.

So you are just wanting to play devil's advocate. Not really get any real feed back from attendees who actually go to multiple shows a year (not just spit ball hypothetical threads without attending shows), paying for $250-300.00 badges, over priced hotel rooms, expensive booths a lot of programs are now longer paying for, or sponsoring, and so forth.

My bad. I thought you wanted real feed back on shows, why attendance was down, and a way to increase attendance.

Sorry about that ace.
:2 cents:

Renee Beth and Megan do a ton of work for the shows as well over there.

Actually, let me clarify what I meant to say.

Shows should not be run exclusively for profit. Meaning, you start throwing a show with the idea of a big pay check and $300.00 badges, plus kick back on the rooms, and the rest.

I did not mean absolutely no profit, as in you throw a show and take no money for the hassle, and headaches.

Sorry for the confusion. :)

sorry if i snapped at you, it was the profit comment. i dont see how anyone can do anything without a profit incentive, if its not money, then your doing it for extra marketing exposure or whatever

if there is going to be charity done for the people, it wont be me doing it ;)

No worries. :)

Neither would I. :pimp

i doubt that. shows how little some people pay attention to what people really do at a company.

I hate the idea of blending the two shows. Booth owners aren't paying all that money to educate surfers about our side of the business.

It drives me crazy when I see certain companies inviting thier members/ cam customers to the webmaster events. I've even seen members booking a room at the hollywood show, and announcing thier availability to stunt cock for the amateurs in attendance.

Do we really need to mix the two sides? We have enough troubles these days without actually educating surfers to sign up to affiliate programs so that they can obtain membership discounts and free content.

EXACTLY! You see this is why Vegas is so special.

Now we're talking, llke I always said dont just dream - dream BIG :thumbsup

LOL..... nail .... head .... hit

Agreed. The show was dead after that. Companies came up to AEE to give away all the tshirts, etc so they would not have to ship them back.

going to miss those boob and throwing object pics at the end

thats funny, socialized porn conventions