Which trade show has the best value for ECP.....Vision East, Vision West, Seco, AOA, OLA, MidWest.....? What are ECP really looking for when they visit shows? I've been exhibiting at most of these shows over the years and sadly, I've found more exhibitors or their staff than visitors on the floor. As a marketing manager for a frame company, I'm trying to find the best use of my marketing budget. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
Old hat.....................
You just said all the facts...................the trade shows are not working anymore as such. I have stopped exhibiting after 15 years of doing them on a regular basis.Originally Posted by lakcheong
Visitors have declined to a mostly local 300 mile circonference of the show. The others want to have some fun in a certain place like LasVegas and the show is secondary. The same goes for the large European Shows with exception of Mido which still works well.
This is all due to the fact you can have the same show in your office or at home by sitting on your computer and look up one company after the other at your own pace and after, if you are interested in a product, you contact the company and take it from there.
I have set up a registry or a listing wwith their links on my website, which the search engines dont really like, that list's every company I can find. So far it contains 447 Optical Company Websites.........that makes it nearly a big as one the large shows. You can find it at http://optochemicals.com/web_ratings.htm
I get an average of 450 to 600 visitors to my website a day..........is that not better than doing the trade shows? You might only get a small percentage of the visitors as a customer but the show is on for 24 hours a day and it is working for you all thge time. The cost is minimal compared to the exhibitions. So my advice is get cracking on your own website and make it successfull and you will never regret it.
:D
If trade shows are not working..........why do they continue to have them?
I mainly attend the largest trade show in the East. Vision Expo in NY....and I go back to before Optifair, when the Boston show was king. Uninterupted, annually for the duration of my career which began in 1959. Obviously they do work for some or they wouldn't continue.
to Lakcheong: It is a fact that 2/3 of the population of the United States lives within 500 miles of New York! It is true that attendance was down after 9/11 but Expo has come back to be stronger than ever. I am sure you can get the numbers from someone at Vision Expo. Good luck with whatever you decide.
Last edited by hcjilson; 01-10-2006 at 08:08 AM.
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Lots of bucks go through New York. It's an expensive place to do business but it is also has lots of traffic for potential business. Personally, I like attending expo east since it saves me time. I would rather spend a weekend at expo and see companies I am interested in working with than having frame and product reps dribble through my doors and expect my time throughout the entire year.
For the small product vendors, I have been seeing a lot more co op partnering at the expo with non competing vendors. For instance wholesale labs displaying smart mirrors, frame cam, and other frame viewing systems. This may be an alternative for your consideration.
Great Civilian Advice:
If you see the flash.....Don't bother to dash
My guess is that people go to the closest venue. I am near Philadelphia, so I go to VEE, in New York.
I look for what is new - what I can expect to see in the next year. I don't spend a lot of time at the vendors that I see throughout the year, after all, I see them throughout the year. I rarely make purchases at the show - I'm there to collect information. I will set up appointments or have information sent to me, which often results in a relationship with a new vendor. I am leery of some of the smaller, foriegn companies that have little or no representation in the US - I don't want to get stuck with product or get ripped off. That's my perspective, for what it's worth.
Good luck making your decision.
I normally go to VEE. This year I made the decision to skip it as we have incorporated alot of leading edge items that many of our management and professional team have done. Over the last few years, we incorporated frame board management; implemented iPort; eyeMaginations; iPoint Kiosk; reviewing state of the art computer systems with electronic medical records; and on line CE beyond traditional training such as companycollege.com; Allergan Access; eyetec.net; CLSA.org; Jobson; Vision Product News; etc..
We have attend many diverse meetings over the year that have benefited our practice and have decided to give it a rest for those that do not match the dollar spent with dollars coming in. NYC with $1000 for 1 or 2 people hotel stay plus course registration which in the past was over $500; travel and expenses becomes highly cost prohibitive. I do ask them to approve time off (which costs them my full salary.. as it is personal education days) and ask for reimbursement if there are objectives that benefit our practice goal to attend. I have shared the expenses in the past for myself but many times pay my way in full. Our employees that I recommend to attend do not do the same and do not readily implement what they have learned.
With a minumum of 5% reduction in Medicare reimbursement to physicians per year from 2006 to 2011 (whopping 25%) it is true concern for many of us and we are trying hard to maintain. The impact on smaller businesses overall must be greater.
Last edited by Bev Heishman; 01-10-2006 at 09:22 PM.
Well, I'm spoiled because I live and practice in New York City. Even though there is no shortage of optical reps to come and visit my office, I still love to go to VEE. My main goal is to look for NEW IDEAS. The ideas could be in diagnostic or lab equipment, office management, marketing, contact lenses, therapeutics, unique frames and lenses, or simple hand tools. My second goal is to get as much of my staff to go, (even the secretarial staff), to expose them to vastness of the optical field. To open their eyes a little. Thirdly, I like the opportunity to compare similar products on the floor, especially if I am planning to make a purchase. VEE is the last place that I take CE because there are so many other sources in NYC, like SUNY College of Optometry.
I'm not sure if this is what you wanted to hear, but it's what I look for in a trade show..
As a rep there are only three I would recommend attending.
Vision East
Vision West
SECO - Southeastern Educational Congress of Optometry
The rest just support of Opticianry, Optometry and Ophthalmology associations.
As said elsewhere, Ideas, New Products expecially accessories, and New Releases. The high end fashion houses key on east and west for the spring and fall style releases.
Rep
Thank you Chris. Your web listing is indeed a great resource. Colleagues from our marketing and product development divisions have been using it for some time......and totally appreciate it.
I've helped a company who exhibits both Expo East & West and personally, on a business level I enjoyed East more than West. East coast the sales were great and I feel it is because the people in the East go to the show with "conducting business" in their minds. <--heck they even dress in business suits!!!! Expo West seem to be there for the fun of it and the freebies along with very casual clothing.
Just my 2 cents - while exhibiting 2 times at the East Show and 2 times at the West show..
FYI I live on the west coast..
If you have a website give it to me and I will include it in the list........... no problem
Would you include our website in the list as well?
Last edited by newframes; 01-11-2006 at 06:34 AM.
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