Trade Shows

Finally, some positive movement in the trade show space.  I’ve hung back on writing about this for a few days but SIA President Nick Sargent sent out an email to all SIA members announcing and describing the deal, which is subject to approval by SIA’s premium members. The email from Nick was labeled “CONFIDENTIAL: DO NOT […]

Last Week Emerald Exhibition (EE) filed the S-1 that includes the first draft of its prospectus to go public.  Because it’s the first draft a lot of information (like price per share and number to be sold) is missing.  Still, it’s worth a review.  We’ll summarize the company’s history and activities, look at the financial

Life was simpler when I wrote my first article on trade shows in the mid-90s.  We went to trade shows because it was the only place to see, and to make, complete product presentations, and discover new, meaningful, features and products.  There were also a lot more specialty retailers.  The shows were the only place

What I most liked about Agenda this time was how refreshingly inviting it was.  Lots of open space and perhaps wider aisles.  Maybe lighter?  Especially on Wednesday, there appeared to be a lot of traffic and people seemed upbeat.  Apparently that might have had something to do with getting a few days of sun after

So there I was sitting in the conference room of the Embassy Suites for day one of the IASC Skateboarding Summit waiting for the dreaded retailer panel to start. You all know the panel I mean.  They have one at every industry trade show and conference I’ve ever been to.  Three or four retailers sit

I’ve almost shoveled my desk off after the always enjoyable SIA show in Denver. That shoveling process always includes reviewing the various catalogs and magazines I’ve picked up during trade show season and, as always, one of those was Transworld Business. I’d had it since Agenda, but hadn’t finished reading it.  I particularly liked Annie

Well, I guess we might as well get right to it. The date change for the SIA show to three week days in early December starting in 2017 was a major topic of conversation at the show. I got a point of view. Several, actually. The New Dates First, I’ve been through this twice before.

The first thing that happened when I walked in the door was I got lost. They’d reorganized a bit and it took me a minute to get oriented. My problem- not Agenda’s. When I saw they had finally opened up the Berrics and included it in the flow of the show I was happy and

SIA’s show in Denver last week was the third trade show I’ve been to this year (the only three I’ve been to, and that’s quite enough) where the millennial generation was discussed and analyzed and their importance acknowledged. You should know I was one of the people discussing them at a speech I made in

Okay, I’m back from Agenda and Surf Expo. I feel bad I didn’t go to the Zumiez 100K event even though it’s not, exactly, a trade show.  I’ll make it to Denver for SIA, but am not going to OR, though I should. They wanted me to pay to get in, but in the best