Has anyone heard lately about what the registered attendance is for the ICA Show? About a month ago it was really low. I talked to someone who knows people within the ICA and was told they expected to at least meet the 7,000 they said attended last year's show in Orlando but were far short of that number right now.
Attendance at the ICA Show
- Thread starter rph9168
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I don't know of the attendance figures, but the Review-Journal yesterday published a report on the dismal state of trade shows in Las Vegas right now.
http://www.lvrj.com/news/41078067.html
http://www.lvrj.com/news/41078067.html
jcedwards
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I have been told and shown a report from ICA that has the attendance at 1/3 of past shows at this point. However, they used to count possible attendance instead of actual registrations. For example, every exhibitor has a maximum # of badges they are allocated and it was previously counted as all these were used instead of the true body count. 
This type of 'accounting change' should do enough to queer the analysis from previous years and allow masking of dismal attendance. Let's face it. Everyone is cutting back and this show will suffer. I feel for all the exhibitors that have something new to offer this year and no one to see it.
This type of 'accounting change' should do enough to queer the analysis from previous years and allow masking of dismal attendance. Let's face it. Everyone is cutting back and this show will suffer. I feel for all the exhibitors that have something new to offer this year and no one to see it.
robert roman
Bob Roman
That is a pretty tough question to answer. According to an independent study on the carwash equipment industry conducted in 2006, Booze , Allen and Hamilton surmised that the overall growth in the U.S. equipment market was a CAGR of 3% to 4%. BAH estimated 2005 spending on CW equipment at around $582 million. If you can comport historical sales to current sales with respect to show attendance, my guess is that attendance at this year's EXPO might be off by as much as 20% to 30% or more as compared to last year. It sort of like forecasting the weather, you need to account for a high degree of uncertainty. Hopefully, attendance will pick up as the deadline approaches.
Of course, attendance is also a function of the exhibtor's efforts. I was doing research looking for interesting things I can do to improve my business and I came across this link which pertains to Sonny's that I believe makes for a very interesting read.
http://www.exhibitoronline.com/exhibitormagazine/article.asp?ID=869
Of course, attendance is also a function of the exhibtor's efforts. I was doing research looking for interesting things I can do to improve my business and I came across this link which pertains to Sonny's that I believe makes for a very interesting read.
http://www.exhibitoronline.com/exhibitormagazine/article.asp?ID=869
Fazio
I read the piece and have a few observations:
1. There are clearly some beneficial actions that took place based on the addition of the consultant. But my question is why weren't many of these made based solely on simple and obvious experience? Having done hundreds of trade shows to contrast against ... it isn't rocket science here.
2. To me, it makes Paul Fazio appear to be an absolutely dismal leader of a business. He exhibited at trade shows for 20+ years, felt he knew them inside and out, yet he had 20+ staff all working in the same booth yet nobody in his company ever figured out to dress them all alike for easy identification by prospects and clients? C'mon! That's stuff you learn after the first year of exhibiting. The good ones even figure it out before getting there in Year 1.
3. He had not figured out the odd coloring schemes which appear to slice the booth in half and barriers to good traffic flow within the booth were not impeding sales and his image? C'mon!!
4. I'm sure the consultant was successful (they always are, right?); however, is it realistic that in order to succeed at trade shows the average company needs to hire an expensive consultant, completely re-design and make over their exhibit booth, and much more? That's the message I got.
Finally, it was an interesting read as I've done many trade shows in the past, but my overall feel for the piece was that it was more like an advertisement for the exhibitor and show plus being a marketing flyer for the consultant.
I read the piece and have a few observations:
1. There are clearly some beneficial actions that took place based on the addition of the consultant. But my question is why weren't many of these made based solely on simple and obvious experience? Having done hundreds of trade shows to contrast against ... it isn't rocket science here.
2. To me, it makes Paul Fazio appear to be an absolutely dismal leader of a business. He exhibited at trade shows for 20+ years, felt he knew them inside and out, yet he had 20+ staff all working in the same booth yet nobody in his company ever figured out to dress them all alike for easy identification by prospects and clients? C'mon! That's stuff you learn after the first year of exhibiting. The good ones even figure it out before getting there in Year 1.
3. He had not figured out the odd coloring schemes which appear to slice the booth in half and barriers to good traffic flow within the booth were not impeding sales and his image? C'mon!!
4. I'm sure the consultant was successful (they always are, right?); however, is it realistic that in order to succeed at trade shows the average company needs to hire an expensive consultant, completely re-design and make over their exhibit booth, and much more? That's the message I got.
Finally, it was an interesting read as I've done many trade shows in the past, but my overall feel for the piece was that it was more like an advertisement for the exhibitor and show plus being a marketing flyer for the consultant.
I felt that much of that piece was an advertisement as well. Most of the changes were common sense. I also wonder how much of the increase in orders was due to the decline of several other equipment manufacturers and the fact that Sonny's has improved their offerings and in many cases offers lower pricing than their competitors.
However I would not say this reflects negatively on Paul. He is a very shrewd businessman and has taken his company to a level that one must admire. While many of his innovations have benefited his bottom line they have also brought some fresh ideas to our industry. He has taken what his dad started and improved it immeasurably. There are many other instances in this industry where the next generation was not so successful.
However I would not say this reflects negatively on Paul. He is a very shrewd businessman and has taken his company to a level that one must admire. While many of his innovations have benefited his bottom line they have also brought some fresh ideas to our industry. He has taken what his dad started and improved it immeasurably. There are many other instances in this industry where the next generation was not so successful.
robert roman
Bob Roman
1) I can't speak to that because I have no knowledge of Fazio's circumstance other than what I read. However, as a novice exhibitor, I did gleam some tidbets.
2 & 3) I cannot argue with that. However, I didn't write this stuff, I just past it along.
4) I was taught that the true value of an advisor/consultant is having the ability to actually help someone. In my mind, this means providing expertise to clients who do not possess it or providing expertise to clients when their opportunity cost justifies contracting the work out to a third party. "Rightness" is very important but it is often subordinate to need.
Isn't taking the opportunity to plug one's business or skills make good business sense?
2 & 3) I cannot argue with that. However, I didn't write this stuff, I just past it along.
4) I was taught that the true value of an advisor/consultant is having the ability to actually help someone. In my mind, this means providing expertise to clients who do not possess it or providing expertise to clients when their opportunity cost justifies contracting the work out to a third party. "Rightness" is very important but it is often subordinate to need.
Isn't taking the opportunity to plug one's business or skills make good business sense?
Roman
Robert,
I like reading stuff like this and .. yes .. thank you for posting the link. Even things that you can criticize can offer insight and things of value.
But, if I was Fazio, I'd really question how the promotion of that piece affected my reputation. I don't know him, and am sure he has many excellent traits. But, to me, that piece contradicts that.
Robert,
I like reading stuff like this and .. yes .. thank you for posting the link. Even things that you can criticize can offer insight and things of value.
But, if I was Fazio, I'd really question how the promotion of that piece affected my reputation. I don't know him, and am sure he has many excellent traits. But, to me, that piece contradicts that.
I agree that the piece doesn't present Paul in the best of light but it does show he is willing to work to do a better job and is not afraid to spend money and make the effort to change. Not many in this business are like that.
pitzerwm
Active member
I know Paul also, and I think that he is a pretty smart businessman and runs a pretty successful company. He got that way by screwing up, all of us usually only learn things when we screwup. As long as I can remember his people always had matching "uniforms" so this article must be from a long time ago.
