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Posts
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What did you think of the 2007 Surface Fabrication & Design Expo?
I had a really good time this year at the show. I met many of the guys I had only been in contact via phone, emails , etc. I was able to make some new contacts also, etc. The fact that this year the show was in Orlando made everything much much easier for the east coast guys. Thanks, for this great idea and keep up the good work….
Although the show was well staffed by knowledgeable vendors it was poorly attended. The storm up north and all the canceled flights may have played a big part in the low attendance. As I understand it the show promoters will be sticking to Vegas from now on. Too bad for the east coast fabricators. It was good to see so many qualifies attendees this year.
Does anyone have the gate figures for the event? Not sure if that information is routinly available or not.
Chris
It may have been “poorly attended” but I’ll take over 300 swiped cards any day. We had a great show.
Several factors to consider as it relates to the attendance and things for Cygnus to consider:
1) The economy is soft. It wasn’t nearly as bad when this show was planned.
2) Scheduling it 1 week before Stone Expo East in Atlanta.
3) During Spring Break
4) Lack of ISSFA member participation. It is my understanding that a serious lack of members pre-registered or showed.
5) A Saturday 10-2 time frame. Ridiculous
I believe this has less to do with Orlando or the East coast and a lot to do with the afformentioned reasons. Many folks I talked to wrapped this show around trips to Disney, Sea World etc…Things you don’t find in Vegas.
Well for the first time the Fabricator Network had a booth. I was inpressed, 382 card swipes and there were people stopping by all day long. We are very satisfied with the results and very pleased to know of all the support we are getting. Also, it was nice to put names and faces together.
Mory
Poorly attended? Fab Net booth was usually packed, only four or five of us could work it at a time, some standing in the isle and talking to fabricators or exhibitors. I talked to people that had came back on saturday just because they missed the booth and didn’t register or so they could register co workers. Shop owners talked about how their guys could learn on their own, one came back and got more t shirts so he could outfit his entire shop full of guys.
I have only one other show to compare, last year in vegas, but it seemed close in attendence. Perhaps I didn’t notice, interesting if someone could get the attendence figures. I did notice less emphasis on stone and quartz, with one notable exception in sponsorship. In my limited experience, the show is returning to it’s roots and will rebound. Personally, I hope they do give it another shot in florida. First show, after all.
My wife and I did get to attend a total of three seminars, and the quality varied. Steve with Monument gave a pretty good one, well presented and well attended, Christina and I both sat in on a kitchen design trends that was good as well, but there was one on showrooms that she attended that was pretty lame, speaker way late, poorly prepared and so on. Perhaps the show needs help in screening or help in preparing for it. Never put one one my self, so it is probally a task.
I would think that show passes were pretty high, kept me from attending thursday. A better gate attendence would come from having a better deal, or even free. Maybe some seminars that NKBA would accept for continuing education credits would help get designers and architecs in the door.
The clinics on the show floor that we got to see were first rate, although some trouble with microphones and equipment was present. That needs to be addressed for next year. Not nit picking, just responding, probally couldn’t do any better myself.
All in all, it was worth the couple of grand it cost to go, including a day at the space center, one at the ocean, and lots of side trips along the way. I spent some money, going to spend more on monday cause of it and saw some new vendors.
Toolguys,
I had heard that attendance comment from other vendors, as well. One of the last Vegas shows I attended had a Northeast storm that drained a huge amount of attendees, if I remember right. I know I left early the day before that one, and caught the last outgoing flights at three different airports. We got there about six hours later because of the delays. I hope you are correct, because I loved the fact it was in Orlando. Partially because I was able to visit my folks for a day.
Dave,
Good point about Saturday’s hours. Wouldn’t it have been nice to close on Saturday around 6:00 p.m.? I wish I had about three more hours for the floor, and I blew off most of the seminars I wanted to see because of it (more about that below).
Al,
It was a pleasure to meet you and your wife. She has a good grasp on the business. I asked some questions that I thought she might not be able to answer and felt bad as I asked. She answered everything and more. You are a lucky guy. In fact we all seem to be quite lucky in our spouses. You gals are smart, business savvy, and intelligent in every way, save for choiuce of husbands. Oh, and “Microphones? We don’t need no stinking microphones!”
The best way I can describe the show being in Orlando is this: If it keeps swapping between coasts, you can be fairly sure that I will attend at least every other year. The seminars would have been great, if I didn’t have to blow a bunch off to get done on the floor what I needed to. I had at least three checked off for every single time slot. I think there were more seminars per time slot than I have ever seen. Kevin, if you are reading these posts and comments, can you help me out on that?
Great show. I’m glad you guys convinced me to go. If it weren’t for FabNet, I wouldn’t have gone at all. I wish I could have spent more time with all you guys. Joe, al, Norm, Matt, I’m sorry I couldn’t get to know you guys more. I missed Wags, if he was there – I was really looking forward to showing him that I’m not too much of a stick in the mud. And I can’t believe I didn’t see Dani at all. Bummer.
Shane, you were very missed, my friend. Thanks for the shot. The guys actually managed to save it for over three hours for me. That’s an amazing thing right there, for top shelf Tequilla.
Chris, it seems you got home in one piece. Glad to hear it. You were a great room8.
On a side note, I spent a fair amount of time talking with Richard Christ and Keith Layton on Saturday eve. These two guys represent the best that is Solid Surface fabrication. Keith, not knowing me from anything before this, offered to give me a ride to the Blue Martini LG event. First class guy, first class taste in music. I couldn’t have had a better time not finding a place than with him and Emmylou Harris. I had “Mendocino” by the Sir Douglas Quintet in my head for hours afterward. I don’t know if you guys lurk here or not, but good on ya both. I will probably start posting back on the ISSFA BB because thay have at least partially restored my faith in the place.
Champagne wishes and caviar dreams to all.
Tom
I was not in attendance at the show, so I can only comment from those that were. I spoke with several mfg since the show. Two, who did show, indicated they most likely will not show next year (in vegas). The overall was that attendance was very low, much lower than in past years. I would think timing was not right, it was spring break (did they get a great price on the venue?) flights were expensive as were hotels etc.
Not to sound like a broken record, but why could this not be integrated into a larger show. The seminars etc could all still be held, with the exception, your customers would also be in attendance? I don’t want to see the show go away, but I think in its present form, its doomed. Corian, LG, Avonite, dropped out already, if several more drop out it will be, as several commented to me this morning, a “China SS show”.
Im sorry I missed meeting you all, perhaps next time. Glad you had a great time and I should add… The Fabnet Booth WAS the hit of the show. Congratulations Mory and Andy…and to all that helped.
I would love to tip one with you Tom. I should add how much I enjoyed reading about your “adventures” while in the jungles of Fla.
To be fair, I think you should come to Vegas for KBIS. ummmm on second thought.. after reading your “exploites” perhaps Vegas is NOT ready for you!
Wags wrote
I was not in attendance at the show, so I can only comment from those that were. I spoke with several mfg since the show. Two, who did show, indicated they most likely will not show next year (in vegas). The overall was that attendance was very low, much lower than in past years. I would think timing was not right, it was spring break (did they get a great price on the venue?) flights were expensive as were hotels etc.
Not to sound like a broken record, but why could this not be integrated into a larger show. The seminars etc could all still be held, with the exception, your customers would also be in attendance? I don’t want to see the show go away, but I think in its present form, its doomed. Corian, LG, Avonite, dropped out already, if several more drop out it will be, as several commented to me this morning, a “China SS show”.
Im sorry I missed meeting you all, perhaps next time. Glad you had a great time and I should add… The Fabnet Booth WAS the hit of the show. Congratulations Mory and Andy…and to all that helped.
Wags:
I was at the show and I have to agree with everything you just said. Looks like ISSFA sold out to Cygnus just before this thing tanked. I will be shocked if there is a show next year, that’s how low the attendance was and I’ve got a decade of memories for context. Remember, it’s not only bodies, it’s the quality of the bodies. Oops, that didn’t come out right. I mean, guys selling 450K machines aren’t interested in showing them to 2-man shops.
It’s not only the quality of the attendees, it’s now the quality of the vendors at the show. All the big players were absent and all the little-market-share Asians are trying to take their place. I thought it was incredible that a customer showed me a Corian sample that I hadn’t seen yet, weeks before the show. I used to see the new stuff first at the show. This ain’t right.
I think it sucks that Avonite and Hi-Macs let Cygnus spend all the money to gather us together and then throw a party off-site. They get all the benifit with none of the expense. Life ain’t fair. Cygnus, don’t think the fabricators sense of fair play is going to do you any good. The prizes at the parties were too good and I’m signing a Hi-Macs contract tomorrow. Whores, the lot of us.
Joe
Thanks for the compliment, Wags.
Call if you ever plan on being in town.
At this expo, I was reminded of the early ISSFA state coordinator trips to Las Vegas shows, including the Cirque du Soliel and my favorite, the Blue Man Group. Good times, man, good times.
From the perspective of a newcomer I gotta agree with Wags on this one. It seems the show would have a lot more juice if it were affiliated with one of the big boys. When I walk in to the SURFACE expo and don’t see Dupont or Avonite I am thinking, “is this the right place”. Dupont had a nice display at IBS the month prior.
Chris
You know our booth was real busy. Probably because it was new, but mainly because we had real fabricators talking with fabricators at the booth.
Al, Christina, Norm, Susan, Fred, Tom, Joe, Lynn Anne, Mory and Val. Thanks a bunch.
Hope I didn’t miss anyone.
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