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Doug....

T.H.E. SHOW has become both a destination, and an attraction. Witness the fine live music comparisons with Ray Kimber & Brian Cheney/VMPS, the entertaining demonstrations of Peter Noerbeck/PBN Audio, and John Atkinson's presentation on Sunday. Manufacturers and distributors who exhibit there WANT to be there, and reviewers/dealers/distributors do the meet and greet because they need and want to see those particular companies.

Cost is lower, accessibility to rooms is exemplary (especially for those of us who enjoy loading directly from the parking lot, at any time of day or night), and it's now an easy walk. No waiting for elevators, no long lines, no miles of concrete that wear you out, and a lovely lunch to boot. The buffet at the Alexis was quite tasty, a couple of days even with fresh baked fish and steamed vegetables. The desserts were quite delicious as well. I especially enjoyed the setting, as I had meetings with colleagues most every day, and could discuss business without having to fight the slap echo or the constant din of the gambling hall. These are just some of the intangibles that made this years' show a delight for many of us. Different strokes, as they say.

Traffic is a double-edged sword. As I stated, people came to T.H.E. SHOW because they wanted to, and no fighting to get on an elevator. While at times the corridors of the Venetian look crowded, what you have is a given number of people fitting into an 8-or-10 foot-wide hallway....it looks busy. It's a "funnel effect". And I know from talking to a few of the Venetian exhibitors that overall traffic was down, down, down from last year.

The "hallway" of the Alexis is a very-wide-open courtyard. The perception is completely different. When hundreds of people aren't in the courtyard, to you it looks deserted. But attendees were IN THE EXHIBIT ROOMS. I know because I stepped out for fresh air several times a day, sometimes just to take a moment from the bustle inside our room. Excepting for Friday, which was an unusually show day, each and every day brought a constant stream of guests. Many times it was standing room only, which looks good to some, but when you are doing important listening, and especially doing critical A--B demos, too many people in the room is a detriment. I talked to some reviewers who had to visit and re-visit rooms at the Venetian several times over (if they remembered to go back) just to take photos and take a decent listen. In short, we all have individual needs, requirements, and expectations.

For a good number of exhibitors in the Alexis, all expressed (to me) that they were quite happy with the traffic....quality over quantity. For us the same. We saw all the reviewers we had hoped for, which for direct sellers is far more important....we don't need nor look for dealers and distributors. Not only did we conduct private sessions for select reviewers, but we had a good amount of foreign press as a welcome treat. For other manufacturers, who do look for dealers and distributors, or simply wish to expand business with existing dealer/distributors, one only needs to ask Ralph Karsten, Jonathan Tinn, Paul Wakeen, and Peter Noerbeck about their success. They all did killer business. Word has it that Ralph wrote so much business on the first day of the show he could have packed up and gone home right then and there. In speaking to Paul, he had orders coming out of his ears. In talking with Richard Beers just today, all the largest rooms are already reserved for 2010, and fresh marketing for the next show is coming out in a week or so.

Not bad for a show you think or perceive was under-attended.

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