When Free Trade Shows aren’t Free Anymore: CES, EHX, CEDIA

Hello!
Not sure I got your point. Being from Europe it costs me a nic efour digit figure to go to CEDIA and Infocomm each year, so I dont bother too much about 50usd to actually walk onto the show floor.

Besides this, how can we Euro guys get a CEPro subscription?

Instead of raising fees, why not look at trimming the budget? Do we need 200 check-in stations when most people check in online? Even on day one of CEDIA last year there were no lines to check in. There are other “extras” that seem overkill - like the “CEDIA Daily” newspaper - is that really read? Couldn’t you do one on the first day and one on the last?

Similar to the rest of the country - we often look to increase revenue instead of control costs. I’d gladly lose some of the “frills” of the show to save the $100 entry fee.

I agree with Asudan. Much could be done to streamline the operations of the these shows. The amount of stuff at the show outside the exhibit hall is a little over-kill and uneccessary.

I’ll let the EHX folks speak out if they care to, but you can be pretty sure that costs will be cut on the more frivolous stuff. Expect fewer signs and don’t be disappointed if there isn’t fluffy padding under the carpet.

It’ll be a good event. There are other fun and very valuable things in store. Stay tuned.

Hi, Harald—

You are welcome to subscribe (free) to the digital issue of CE Pro. Just like the real thing.
http://www.cepro.com/site/subscribe/

One reason for these fees is to encourage people to register early so we don’t have long on-site registration lines and expensive equipment.

It also is one of the qualifiers for attendance. If you can’t afford the fee and you haven’t pre-registered you are probably don’t belong at the show.

I think the fees are low compared to the high value.  Where else can you get so many business ideas, see so many people and do so much business?  A CES attendee has on average 12 meetings and in total would have to fly another billion miles to have those meetings. 

These shows are a tremendous value, efficient and good for the planet!

Oh sure Gary… And if pigs had wings they could fly.

At the EHX Spring 2009 event we dramatically reduced the frills, i.e., long banks of registration kiosk and other things mentioned in the comments above and still delivered a high quality experience for the attendee.  I’m biased on this point (It’s my job to manage this ),but I think EHX has addressed production costs in a pro-active way. 

Having said that, we have not reduced our investment in the quality and quantity of the deliverables attendees will find at the show.  Any discussion about fees can easily steer towards whether there should be any fee at all.  To me this overshadows what EHX and CEPro is offering this year.  In 2010, EHX will provide dealers and integrators uninhibited access to detailed roadmaps on new markets, education from CEDIA, advice from successful dealers and lots of products for $50 until the end of the year.  Yes, there is a small fee, but its value (to individual attendees and the industry) is significant. Those who seriously consider what is offerer at the show will likely reap a strong ROI on their $50 investment.

Not sure how long CES has been doing it, but early registration has been free the last 4 years that I have gone, including this year.  If you miss the deadline then you’ll pay $100, and then $200 if you really slack.  I have already recieved my pass and it was free.  Is there a “free” zone for EHX early registration, otherwise you can’t really compare it fairly to CES.  I’ve only attended EHX spring once, and vowed never to attend again because of the cost of all the dealer trainings / aka sales pitches.  I would see value in paying for the show and recieving a buffet of training opportunities as long as they aren’t the token product pitch disguised as a training.

@ MCE INTEGRATOR: I couldn’t agree with you more!

@Gary Shapiro: “Register early to avoid long on site registration lines…?” Maybe it’s me, but I’ve seen longer lines at Dunkin Donuts on a Sunday morning.

@ Jim Wagner: $50.00 is far from unreasonable providing you deliver what you promise.

It’s amazing to see within these 3 post to see who gets it, and who doesn’t.

MCE’s points are right on target… CES has been free for the last 30 years I’ve been attending. His comment, “as long as they aren’t the token product pitch disguised as a training,” is even more relevant.

Will the industry pros out there finally come clean and fess up to the truth about these shows and organizations? If not, I will, (I’m used to getting slammed on this site anyway), because I could care less about industry politics.

If anyone wants a history lesson, read on. If not, move to the next post because my Adderall just kicked in.

In the good ol’ days, CES was the show to attend. Every manufacture brought their colorful signs and most expensive & newest equipment to take orders from established dealers & sign up new ones. New dealers went to see what was available and which manufactures were willing to do business with them.

However, (even 20 years ago), the Chicago CES show was nicknamed, “The wake on the lake,” because attendance sucked & everyone wanted to save money to attend the Vegas show in January. Why? Because it gave people an excuse to get away from their families after the holidays to gamble and play with hookers. C’mon guys, fess up!

EXAMPLE: I still remember a very famous phono cartridge manufacturer that had 2 rooms in the same hotel… One was a legitimate SKU display, and the other was for, “extra curricular” activities. If you purchased $5K or more of their product, you were given a pass to enter their other suite and pick out the whore of your choice for a quickie. The line, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,” was created for a reason. I dare anyone to dispute that this still does not occur today.

Then as the years went on, then came the Cedia show which took all the steam away from CES. Not as much fun, but it was more hands on, (no pun intended). As the custom business rapidly grew, it was important to see all of the new technologies and devices that made systems integration not only a possibility, but a breeze.

The smaller companies in the beginning needed the CEDIA exposure because they didn’t have adequate budgets for big time advertising. Those manufactures, (who today are very large companies), were literally at best 2-3 people making/inventing things in their garages and in their basements… Just like how Apple computer started.

However, whores became popular again but not in the, “Biblical,” sense… These people have created numerous organizations that promise training, company recognition, sales leads, and even financing & floor planning opportunities to those small dealers who couldn’t get a bank loan. All you had to do was pay dues to them and hope for the best.

I’ve already voiced my opinion and exposed on this site organizations such as PARA, which in my opinion are/were charlatans & whores. Did they help out dealers in the end? Not that I’ve seen. Matter of fact when I slammed the former president of this organization, I found it amazing that not only did she not defend herself, she opened up her own new organization with the same, “sales pitch.” Please keep in mind that I only used PARA as an example… there are many, many out there in my opinion.

MCE INTEGRATOR points out himself that he feels he himself was a victim in his personal experience, but smart enough to see through it and will no longer participate or drink the Kool-Aid.

My point is simply this… I honestly believe Jim Wagner’s position and points. I also believe he is not looking to lure anyone in for just $50 in order to mislead anyone by selling snake oil. If he accomplishes and provides what he says he will for only $50.00, in my opinion, any dealer would be a fool not to follow his advice. In the event he doesn’t, well kids, (for all of those of you who are playing the home game), here is the forum to call him out when all is said & done.

My position has and always will be, if a manufacture wants to sell a dealer their products, they will have to train you. I’ve paid for my staff to attend URC & Crestron programming classes, and have also paid for new employees to attend “some” Cedia classes. This money is well spent because it’s not a pipe dream… it’s a necessary educational process. But even now, (as only one example), URC offers free Webinars to any dealer and great field tech support to those who need it. Many companies offer this free opportunity.

Lastly, (knock off the sarcastic applause), if you want to save money, make the sales or factory rep come to you. Believe me, they WILL personally come to you especially in this economy. To all small and new dealers, do yourself a favor… don’t join any organization who sells nothing but hot air and save your hard earned money on air fare and bad hotel rooms. Simply pick up the phone and contact any manufacturer you wish to represent. You’d be surprised how quickly the president will pick up the phone and speak to you directly. I can tell you this from experience because that’s exactly what Kathy Gornik & Jim Thiel did when I first called 23 years ago.

Regarding the BS organizations who are presently in business, and those thinking about starting one… I’ll be watching and I won’t think twice about exposing you and ripping you a new one. I’m far from a self righteous person, but I feel I owe it to this industry that’s taken such good care of me for 34 years.