Trade Show Future
The On Demand show is running this week in Philadelphia. Considering the state of the economy, I doubt any attendance records will be broken. That said, I can’t go along with those folks who are predicting the demise of printing trade shows as viable enterprises.
Right now we have three major shows in our industry — Graph Expo/Print, Graphics of the Americas, and On Demand. I’ve heard some say that GOA is more of a show for South America, but that’s another story for another time. In the franchise arena, the bigger trade shows are bundled with franchisees’ conferences. Franchise Services (PIP, Sir Speedy, Signal Graphics), AlphaGraphics, Allegra, and Minuteman are the main ones.
Granted, there used to be a lot more. NAQP had its own show. There were more franchise shows before consolidation in that industry segment. Also, there were the Charlotte Show and the Gutenberg Show, which have gone by the wayside along with other regional efforts that were no longer sustainable.
I do think that perhaps existing print trade shows may shrink as vendors buy less space and bring less equipment, but the shows that exist today will still be around for some time. The change I look for is for vendors to augment their trade show presence with demo centers and road shows. Meanwhile, trade shows will find non-traditional ways to augment their offerings and target their audiences. Like printing itself, I think rumors of the death of the trade show have been exaggerated.