Whos attending GayVN/Internext?

[Ade]

Hey guys, its been a good three years since we last went to the USA for one of these events so Im wondering what the general feeling is this year about events and if youre planning to attend GayVn/Internext in January.

Hopefully we'll get to see catch up with some of our good friends there!!

cheers x

[PornTeam]

i want to go but at this point it still in the air for me.

[Lee]

Nope, those shows lost value to us as a company many years ago.

The same people, hocking the same products, to the same people, every show, there are better ways to spend a few grand.

Regards,

Lee

[Maryflixxx]

My husband will be in Vegas for CES, so I think I'll join him there. Since I'll be in the neighbourhood, I'll hit both AVN and Internext to meet with some people.

Mary

[BananaMan]

Steve and I will we in Vegas this year as it will be three years since we last attended. It's always difficult to decide which shows to go to in any given year, and Internext still attracts a lot of people in the biz.

[chadknowslaw]

Maybe. Las Vegas is a pretty easy trip for me but will there be any return on investment??

[Lee]

Maybe. Las Vegas is a pretty easy trip for me but will there be any return on investment??

See that is the thing Chad.

Every year we have a bunch of people saying how the Vegas show is profitable for them, and every year, we are promised by the organizers how the show is going to be 'bigger' and 'better' than the previous years and every year people always come back saying how the show was 'great' and how they 'got a lot of business done'.

The problem is, these people dont tell you the business wasnt done through anything the show organizers arrange, it was formed based on arrangements these individuals companies setup prior to the show.

I saw an article a few weeks ago from someone who said that the last Vegas show sucked for business, even though a week after the show ended they were on the boards saying how much business they actually did on the show floor LOL

Almost as if they are publicly supporting the show because of the organizers, not because they are of any use to anyone.

Regards,

Lee

[hdkbill]

Very unlikely that anyone from HDK will be there. I've never seen a ROI from attending that show. It's a great time to party and meet friends but if you are there to really make money, I just don't see it.

Bill

[chadknowslaw]

The show floor has experienced declining value over the years. The value that remains in trade shows is that it provides a common time and place for business people to come together; the big problem now is that there are so damn many shows that when we all pick 3 or 4 for the year, it is highly unlikely that all the people you really want to see will pick the same show.
The Phoenix Forum hangs on as bringing a lot of people and still providing value, but the Forum has risen in cost too.

Another thing that has accelerated the demise of the trade show is the rise of the Reps. I am sure you know them (or have been one) -- those people that have business cards with fresh ink from a company that is not the same as who they rep'ed 2 months ago. They have no authority to make any decision and can only repeat canned company lines. I recall attending trade shows where the attendees were owners and influential decision makers, not scores of reps pitching to other reps who have no authority to take any offers.

Retail trade shows should have show floors. In our industry, a business to business trade show should have these things:

1. Mid-week. This is my job, not my hobby. Don't expect me to work 5-6 days a week and then spend a whole fucking weekend at a business trade show. Those weekends are valuable to me; I want a trade show during my regular working days.
2. Easy to get to with reasonable rates. Las Vegas has a shitload of flights to and from everywhere. There are over 100,000 hotel rooms, with reasonable prices for those of us that look at the bottom line and more extravagant options for those that want or need a great suite for entertaining. It doesn't have to be Las Vegas, but good airline connections and a range of options to stay are important. Oh yeah, and mid-week everything is cheaper, so go back to Point 1.
3. Fuck the repeats of seminars. Why not just make a tape of previous seminars and show them?? Why get the same people saying the same shit over and over? I would scrap most seminars and offer some workshops with one or two presenters that could/would offer real information.
4. Unstructured meeting areas. The Phoenix Forum has the center courtyard with chairs and tables that is great for impromptu meetings as well as scheduled gatherings. X Biz Las Vegas at the Hard Rock has the pool area. Both are good examples of unstructured meeting areas. A bar is not enough.
5. Open the damn bar during the day. Again, the Forum gets this right by having the refreshment station open during the day. I'm not talking about free booze, but refreshments available. This is a fairly cheap feature and nothing more than what is offered at just about every airport club (the frequent flier clubs) across the country.
6. Make sponsorship easy (reasonable ROI). Don't charge sponsors tens of thousands for the privilege of giving out drinks.
7. Make attendance easy. This means under $200, and under $150 would be better. Hell, have a half-price badge for early sign up and let companies substitute staff if the one that signed up is replaced or cannot go. Give model and spouse badges for $50 or even $25. Actually, charge double for sales reps with less than 2 months with their company, triple for sales reps with less than 3 months industry experience and discounts for owners.


Some shows just need to fold up; there are too many during the year already. I think those that survive will follow a few of my requests.

[Pistol]

Some Gunzblazing folk will be there - it's been a couple of years since we've attended.

Hey guys, its been a good three years since we last went to the USA for one of these events so Im wondering what the general feeling is this year about events and if youre planning to attend GayVn/Internext in January.

Hopefully we'll get to see catch up with some of our good friends there!!

Looking forward to catching up Ade - it's been YEARS!

B.

[gaybucks_chip]

I just got really tired of how it seemed like every time you turned around, the AVN shows were trying to get into your pocket. I have to admit I was a little disappointed when the Phoenix Forum started charging as much as they did, but it's still a much better deal than any of the AVN shows.

Yes, we've made some great connections and done some good business at the shows, and I think every show, we get something out of it... but as Lee says, it's really hard to argue that the shows are actually a good return on investment.