| Re: "Mainstream High End" at the LSAF [message #64600 is a reply to message #64599] |
Fri, 05 November 2010 22:29   |
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Wayne Parham
Messages: 18675
Registered: January 2001
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Illuminati (33rd Degree) |
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I wouldn't expect a retailer in Dallas to participate in a show like this in Dallas. It doesn't benefit them, since they already have a presence there. I think LSAF probably makes more sense for niche market manufacturers, and maybe regional distributers, not local retailers. It's a place to reach out for companies that do not have a dealer network, or for those that have very few dealers and little or no representation in this part of the country.
That said, I think Norris' comments clearly illustrate one problem LSAF has to overcome. The Lone Star Audiofest is a very different kind of show than RMAF. You don't pay anything to be an exhibitor, but that means you have to take some of the responsibility for your own promotion and your room's success. If you want people to know you're there, you have to pass the word, yourself. Especially in John's case, where he set himself apart from the rest of the show by exhibiting downstairs in the conference room.
When I spoke to John Wolfe at LSAF 2009, he seemed pretty excited about the show and thought his setup was good. He told me that he didn't like AKfest though, saying it had way too much DIY and not enough commercial interest. So maybe later, he started thinking LSAF was the same way. Maybe his foot traffic wasn't as high as he hoped. Or maybe his system wasn't sounding as good as he wanted. I don't know.
I am guessing I have around a couple hundred people go through my room each year, and it always results in a lot of exposure I wouldn't have gotten otherwise. My talks are usually attended by 30 people or so. Most of the attendees are already aware of my products through the internet, but many have never met me in person or heard my speakers. So the LSAF is not a point of first-contact for me, but it is a point of first-meeting and first-impression. This is where I usually meet people face-to-face for the first time, and that's what is most important to me, personally.
I also know that this show has been successful for many other exhibitors too. Not just DIYers or companies with budget products, but also top-tier manufacturers with high-end equipment. Duke, for example, reports that he sells AudioKinesis equipment at shows. They're not nosebleed expensive, but they're not budget boxes either. Since LSAF costs him nothing but his travel expense, I think it is probably a good deal for him. I've heard or read similar stories from Bob Brines, Danny Ritchie and others. Really, just about everyone I've spoken to has this experience. It isn't the biggest show, but it does provide meaningful traffic. It is also the only show of this kind in this part of the country.
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