Kathleen, ooh, I don’t see you there. Have you been deleted?

The comment was held for moderation (can see that from my screen). It’s an Australian site so he’s asleep and not available to approve it just now.

Being a smaller manufacturer of eco bags, it is so hard to listen to all the sales people of these shows. They all tell you the same thing, lots of buyers, last spot, and good price for your booth!

I even had someone from the Ecollection call me yesterday to tell me I could get the last spot at the show, all kinds of buyers would be there wanting my bags, and that this was a great deal– I told her I was going to the WWIN show and she actually got mad at me? She told me it was a terrible show, and I would be wasting y money? Now what kind of salesmanship was that?

I think this economy is getting to everyone! I just keep a positive outlook, I love my OlovesM Eco Bags, and know I will do well at any show I go to:)

Thank you again for posting about shows, it has been super helpful—

but your spread sheet lists shows, not by order of date, not alpha listed…but clearly shows this overwhelming love of Advanstar….(or something akin to it)

I never cease to be amazed by the perception of others who attribute my actions to motivations that are truly beyond the pale; that which I never could have contrived had I aspired to . Coincidentally enough, I made a comment about this specifically on another blog this morning.

Please read my Magic trip reports, I’m not a big fan of the show. If anything, I have a clear bias for WWIN and a very negative opinion of Project. I have never attended Moda and I am unqualified to comment. Unfortunately, I won’t be attending the vegas shows this time and won’t be able to correct this oversight any time soon.

As far as the order of my spreadsheet, it was a matter of efficiency. I could go to one site and collect the information for the majority of shows in one place so I started with Advanstar first. I suppose I could have sorted the spread sheet after the fact but didn’t think this would have been interpreted as a preference for Advanstar. In any event, the final result was not attributable to your conclusions.

Hey, how about a thumbs up for my having gone to the bother of creating a spreadsheet of the shows? It annoyed me last year that nobody had done that so I thought to make it easier on everyone this time round if I did. Even the convention bureau of the city of Las Vegas doesn’t list them all. Infomat does but it’s not in an as usable format.

Additionaly the term “offsite” is not accurate. while the LVCC is a Major venue for Trade shows, it is hardly the only one in Las Vegas. In fact most large hotels host shows. Mandalay Bay has its own convention center…as does the Venetian (called the SANDS expo). Your reference to “offsite” strikes me (again) that you view the trade show scene as MAGIC (and everything else).

Many of the shows have a different flavor from the other and a different customer base…add to the confusion, what one person calls contemporary might be anothers Missy Look.

Leave yourself time to visit them all and figure out what there is to offer you (as both a buyer and a seller). For both parties it is (or should be) your job to survey the scene…not just jump to the conclusion that “x” is the place to be and I will only shop/show there. Our company manufactures a brand of Luxury Outerwear. For most of the RTW shows that we have EVER done, we regularly hear “why are you at THIS show…you should be at X”. There are only 2 shows that we do were we are really in our element (one is ISPO in Munich)…

I digress but I hope that you (all) get the drift.

While ammenities are a nice touch…if you are at a show (or buyin at one) because they offer a nice buffet, you do yourself, your brand, your store a GREAT diservice in shopping the market.

Mark Miller