I attended IWF in Atlanta last week and it faced the same problem we've seen across the board for trade shows this year - poor attendance. The trade shows that are getting hit the hardest are the ones that attract people from a wide geographic area. The more local the show, the more we've seen attendance stay steady from past years, but if you have the expense of traveling, people are going to use the Internet to do their research.
Like it or not, long days on the trade show floor are part of the job. But 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.? I don't understand who thinks opening a trade show floor at 8 a.m. is necessary, but they obviously don't actually attend the shows. The floor is empty for the first two hours, and anyone that is traveling from another time zone is in for a world of hurt as they get up at 6 a.m. Atlanta time (4 a.m. Denver time) to get to the show on time. Then we face ten hours on our feet. Ugh.
Even with low attendance we sold machines at the show and talked to a lot of good prospects. We sell a product you need to see in person to really experience the excitement that turns a looky-loo into a buyer, and trade shows give us the opportunity to introduce our laser systems to a whole new audience. But please! Keep the hours in check!
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