CES Is Not Coming To Atlanta And I Am Not Going To CES

Jan 08, 09 in

Some time ago Wei Yang of Easy Auto Sales suggested on Skribit that I write about bringing CES to Atlanta. With that annual consumer electronic bacanal opening today it seems an appropriate time to address the topic. As Greg Foster mentioned last night, the odds of CES coming to Atlanta are zero. Here are a few reasons why. And why I don't care.

Size Matters

CES is too big for Atlanta. Back when the Super Show moved from Atlanta to Las Vegas in 2001 Show Management (the company that ran Super Show) said they had outgrown Atlanta. At the time the Super Show had about 80,000 attendees. This year, even with an 8% forecasted drop in attendance, CES is expecting 130,000 people.

A few facts are in order.

Atlanta has 92,000 hotel rooms. Las Vegas has 155,000.

The Georgia World Congress Center has 1.5 million square feet under roof. The Las Vegas Convention Center has 3.2 million. There is over 9 million square feet in the Las Vegas MSA.

Atlanta can't handle a show the scale of CES. Few cities in the world can.

So what. It is what it is. And even if Atlanta could it would not matter. Because...

Location Matters

The people that go to CES don't want to come to Atlanta in the dead of winter.

Let's start with the most obvious. Las Vegas is a closer to the majority of people that are attending and exhibiting at CES. People from LA can drive. It is a short flight from SF. Vegas knocks hours off the trip from Japan and Korea. It is merely more convenient.

I remember when E3 was in Atlanta in 1997 and 1998. My West Coast partners complaining about the trip. Basically wanting to know why over half of the participants got on a plane to fly four hours. Yeah I remember that. And the latex clad E3 booth babes. Nell McAndrew as Lara Croft was mesmerizing. Forget CES. I want E3. But I digress.

Vegas has better weather. It is going to be sunny and mid 50's this week in Las Vegas. Atlanta is mid 50s with a bit of rain. But it could be a lot worse. Ask the NFL.

On top of all this, whatever entertainment Atlanta is known for that attracts conventioneers Las Vegas has more of.

But it really does not matter. Because...

Trade Shows Don't Matter

I don't like trade shows. They are a waste of precious dollars and time. Too many people. Crammed in one place. Over a short period of time. Follow up does not happen. The ROI is not there.

Back when I was in the InfoSec space the sales team insisted on going to RSS. I insisted on knowing what deal was initiated and closed as a result of us being there. Yes deals were moved along. But the answer to my question. Zero. I'd rather pay for a plane and spend a day to get in front of the people that I need to talk to. Quality time. If you feel you need to be at a trade show for presence or relationships or whatever, fine. Call it what it is, sales or promotion. Either way exhibiting at trade shows has a negative ROI.

And not to be a total Grinch, but oh the noise, noise, noise, noise! The PR noise is just impossible to rise above. Even if you bring a bunch of presents.

For all these reasons back in the day I vowed to never attend Comdex. And I never did. Comdex is gone. The Super Show is shutting down. I have no desire to attend CES. Let's see if I can keep my string alive. Maybe it will out last me. I doubt it.

Big trade shows are dying. They just are. I attend MacWorld and CES online and like it that way. More efficient and effective.

On this point I agree with Scoble. And I suppose I will close with that.

Comments

I remember going to E3 back in 98, and you really had to appreciate the shamelessness of it all. They knew who they were marketing to, and they knew what worked.

It was video games, scantily clad women and free beer. Best negative ROI ever!

Mark Percival | Jan 08, 09 at 12:31 PM

Let's face it, many public Atlanta folks care about CES and other large shows because the city leadership is so vested in Hospitality as THE driver of ATL growth. Many bonds were floated on that premise that need repayment.

They care less about start-ups fueling long-term economic wealth, then they do this short-term T&S money, which we all see slipping away in these recessionary times.

As you point out, Atlanta is not a good match for CES or other global shows of its size and caliber. But that doesn't stop them from trying or crying.

I am an Atlantan that LOVES this town and who chooses to live here - but I'd personally want to leave if we became any more like Orlando or Vegas than we already have done.

For a number of years, I agreed with your sentiments about exhibiting. However, after having spent the last few years in the deeper-end of the event pool, I have to push back a little.

Association events like CES attract both Insiders and Wanna-Bee crowds. If you are someone with a vested interest in that ecosystem, an Insider, high profile events can be the lowest cost, highest return investment a marketing department can make. The Wanna-bee is betting big that lightening sales will strike. (They also play the slots and buy lotto tickets.)

These events are where government and regulatory deals reach agreement and structure; where buyers from around the world have access to products they'd normally not be pitched; where young companies strike partnerships they'd never have realized; where start-ups get noticed by wandering CEO's they'd never have met on a day-trip; where VC's get you hooked up with potential exit partners.

It will be the Wanna-bee crowd and the fringe staff that reduce. For those with passing interests, you're right you can see the keynotes and track the reviews. Great - fewer irrelevant bodies chasing the insiders is fine by most.

And, of course, silly expenses should go away. If the VP of Sales mentions Booth Babes or bringing stacks of single dollar bills, the answer is no.

I say all this because you influence a great many folks that could benefit from breaking into their industry association events - and who would benefit more so than by going to certain local events rimmed by remoras and guppies and card sharps.

The key to a successful event investment is knowing WHAT you want to accomplish and having a PLAN to achieve it.

Edward O'Meara | Jan 08, 09 at 05:19 PM

Lance,

I disagree with your blanket statment that tradeshows are not cost effective; it all depends. In many cases you are right but not in the case where there is significant value in developing (strategic) relationships with the other exhibitors. In my former company's case, we'd go to trade shows and return with $100k+ in advertising sales all for a week's time and $10k to exhibit.

But tradeshows can be valuable even for those who don't sell advertising; anytime being able to develop signifcant strategic relationships with the other exhibitors matters it can be valuable. No where else can you get as many people from one industry in the same room as a tradeshow. IMO, you should exhibit at tradeshows when your goals are to gain access to the other exhibitors for sales or joint ventures.

So while in general I do agree, I wanted to give you some valid counter-examples where they do have benefit

-Mike
P.S. Oh and that link it painful, just painful. You know which one I mean.

Mike Schinkel | Jan 08, 09 at 05:37 PM

Mike Schinkel | Jan 08, 09 at 05:39 PM

I dunno Lance.. If I didn't go to Interop-Networld in Atlanta I would of never hooked up with MindSpring.

Oh wait.. maybe you are right.

Michael March | Jan 09, 09 at 03:57 PM