Vision Expo. Time to come clean!
Ok, the recent VE thread got me thinking about people's motivation for attending this semi-annual event.
Mine isn't for CEUs, nor so much to see new equipment, but rather to see how many free pens I can get, and how many parties (hosted by vendors I don't patronize:bbg:) I can sneak into. Or, maybe it's just to get out of town for a few days and get a fresh perspective of the industry.
So, here's my question. If VE decided to change the event to a one-location venue only, and the location was Davenport, Iowa (home of the world's largest truck stop), would you still attend? Or, is the location a bigger part of the draw than the actual event?
There used to be a time......................
There used to be a time when the predecessor to Vision Expo..........the old "OPTIFAIR" used to be held at the "New York Hilton" and the next door "SHERATON" Hotels.
They used every little hall in the 2 hotels for exhibition space. The mood was great and somehow it had a cozy atmosphere. The show belonged to a small group of optometrists who run it as a side business and made as it was said between 2 and 3 million $ in profits. Then in the mid 80s some of the large exhibitors formed a company that then took over as a non profit company using the profits for advancement of good vision.
I am not mquite sure what todays setup is.
Optfair and Vision Expo enjoyed a huge influx form overseas buyers and visitors. In the last 10 years every country of any reputation have now their own optical shows, with the same exhibitors as you can see in New York, Las Vegas, Madrid and Paris not excluding Milan.
You could actually make a holiday on business expense money in nearly every country from China to Poland.
Times have changed and none of them shows have a superb attendance anymore, they are a dying breed. The possibility of an instant visit to a website of a company does not help the issue either.
The choice of a smaller less expensive place will not change the problem it just will become a standard show that attracts visitors from up to 300 - 500 miles.
Furthermore there is the problem of the retail market being taken over by some large supply corporations as well as retailers from stores to on-line. Something has to give to make space for others.