Point me in the direction of a good trade show . . .
In my more recent visits to product manufacturers, the question most consistently asked of me is, “What shows do you go to?” Of course, they're not talking about Broadway here. Industry professionals are curious to know where the action is.
Trade shows have been going in different directions over the past few years, and many would-be attendees are lost.
In other words, they're hoping to get a line on where you, the design engineers, are going. But the trade shows for the OEM electronics industry are at a crossroads, and their popularity and usefulness has waned over the past few years.
The electronics trade show was once a place where an exhibitor could count on a desirable number of leadsdesigners interested in buying productsthat would ultimately turn into business. But the trade show is in troublejust look at what's happened with Wescon and Comdex. Once a powerhouse, Wescon is basically gone for good, while Comdex frantically attempts to redefine itself since its last-minute cancellation in 2004.
That's not to say there aren't successes, but the dynamic seems to have morphed. Highly specialized and vertical shows, like Sensors Expo, Photonics West, Embedded Systems Conference, IMS, and DesignCon, seem to do well. I do see a lot of engineers walking the floor at the winter Electronics West show each year in Anaheim, but that show is colocated with a number of others, including MD&M West, Plastec, and ATX, and they're all able to draw quite well.
Technical seminars and conferences emphasizing more on education seem to have become more interesting recently. But the old-school, horizontal-type showswhere exhibitors from all walks of life show their waresseem to be on their way out.
So, when I'm asked what shows I attend, my response is typically some type of non-answer like, “Well, where do you go?” You see, the real answer is that there aren't too many trade shows out there that really justify the expense and time away from my desk. CES may be fun, but can I really make a case for using my precious time to check out the coolest new end-user products? How does that benefit you, the magazine's readers?
I assume it's the same for design engineers. The economy over the last six years has caused most companies to tighten their belts and keep a scrutinizing eye on the bottom line. Trade shows, where employees are out of the office, spending money on hotel rooms, food, drink, and “entertainment” have become a luxury that few companies can support. Information about new products and technologies can be found through the various means available to engineers that don't even require you to leave your desk.
There's no doubt these somewhat recent developments are having their way with the success of traditional trade shows. Are trade shows dead? Probably not. They're transforming, and maybe they will prove to be a more useful resource than they ever have been. Now the industry just has to figure out which ones to attend.
Ralph Raiola
rraiola@hearst.com
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