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Tom its not semi annually for the mfg. Jon if you have never been to one, its unbelievable what they have up and running. Well worth the trip.
Guy – I did not know they were not related. Very interesting.
Wags – good point about the manufacturers, but in contrast I would say that the manufacturers are getting a different audience each year, unlike the ISSFA shows past.
Last IWF show I was at 2 yrs ago… it had about 1.2 million sq ft of exhibits. I spent 2 full days there, and not sure I saw it all. It is amazing all the small booths, where the innovation hits the industry. It really does not concern me, some of the larger displays will not be there. While it was amazing to watch some of the machines run, some of them would occupy more floor space than my shop has.
The reality is the woodworking industry dwarfs the countertop industry so their show will always be more substantial.
The countertop industry is also devided into the Stone and All the Rest. Stone is big because it’s not just countertops but floors, walls and outdoor areas. Larger shows bring in more people which fuels the excitement.
The ISFA show has lost its luster because they went away from the people that built the show, the solid surface guy. Problem was the solid surface guy was becoming a dinosaur during the construction boom of the 21 century.
Major catch 22.Just another FYI. The IWF in Atlanta used to be in Louisville, but there was not enough room, and it was union. Atlanta is not union. The IWF also also changed their show hours for the last show. You had to be up and running at your booth from 8-6. That is a stupid long day. Glad we did not do that one. They get upset with you for not having your booth open on time and closing early too. They will take seniority and priority points from you and you may be in a booth inside the dumpster. On Sunday at the 06 show the floor was a ghost town. Vendors talking to vendors.
I did a show at the Javits about 4 years ago and watched an exhibitor lay down their 40 x 40 booth foam flooring. When they were done the union steward stepped in and they had to pay for union labor to pick up and pack their flooring, and then unpack and put it down again. Yeah, they were some pi**ed. Susan and I laid our foam floor when they went to lunch.
The West coast show is the AWFS, and not related to the IWF. It is now held in Vegas. I went to it when it was at Anaheim and almost all of the attendees were from California.Shows are very expensive even for a 10×10 booth.
Air fare for 2.
Room and meals for 2 more days than the show lasts.
Freight.
Drayage, or freight from the truck to our booth. Can be as much as from east coast to Vegas.
Electricity is a min of about $150.00 for a 500 watt outlet.
Carpet rental and 2 chairs, small table, waste basket is around $750.00.
And so it goes. I could almost buy a Mini Cooper for the price of a few shows.Steve,
You have been to many shows, is it still worth it or is the expense just too high to be profitable?
Posted By Andy on 25 Jan 2010 03:06 PM
Steve,You have been to many shows, is it still worth it or is the expense just too high to be profitable?
When I add everything up a show like ICE comes out in the $8000.00 range. That is for a 10 x 10 booth. A visitor has airfare, hotel, and meals. We have a ton of other direct expenses and also things like packing time, booth materials and displays, etc. Remember the large monument in our booth with the 2) 42″ plasma screens mounted on it? It is sitting in a corner of the shop taking up space. Last time we used it was 06. I need a big booth to set it up, along with the high cost of shipping the thing.
We will have a presence at ICE, sort of. We are donating a Gorilla Grip to be given away to a fabricator at the show.
The other big reason for staying home is that my fabrication shop is currently slammed with work.So to break even you have to sell quite a few units. You forgot to mention the time away form your fabrication shop. Is that figured into the expense.
Unfortunately it is not the show that cost so much but the venue that gouges the exhibitors.
I entered a project for the design contest one year and the guys at the dock wanted to charge me to move it to its location. The think had wheels so I just did it myself.
The cost of shows only gets really stupid once you get there.
Our costs to ship our display materials to and from the show ( 2 crates and one skid) were approximatley $600.00 round trip from Elkhart, IN to Las Vegas and return.
Our costs for the transportation of the same mateials from the Mandalay Bay dock to our location in the Ballroom $1200.00 plus. What’s wrong with that picture?
GEMSTONE
Rich
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