NJSLOM 2009 – Is Exhibiting Worth the Expense?
[UPDATE June 9, 2009] Joe Francica tweets that the Information Builders' conference attendance is down 30% from 2008.
This post began as a status update on my Facebook page, and generated a lot of comments. I am summarizing the thread here, hoping to gather feedback from a larger pool of readers.
The New Jersey State League of Municipalities (NJSLOM) is a voluntary association created to help communities do a better job of self-government through pooling information resources and brain power. It holds an annual conference and expo in Atlantic City, designed to bring together municipal officials and vendors of municipal goods and services. I have exhibited at the NJSLOM show close to ten times now – first while working for others, the last three years for my own firm ENTCHEV GIS Architects.
It is expensive to exhibit at the NJSLOM show. The booth space is expensive, and so are the furniture, electricity, carpeting, and internet access you must purchase separately. Add accommodations and meals for staff and self, throw in the cost for tchotchkes, travel, show preparation and follow up, factor in opportunity cost (time not billed), and you are talking real money.
Is the expense and effort worth it just to show your face to the market? I am not so sure any more; all respondents to the original Facebook post said “no.” While I have made new contacts at NJSLOM that have led to GIS contracts, those are few and far between. Mostly, the show serves as a venue to establish and maintain presence in the market, to earn mindshare. But is it justifiable?
Is it?
Posted by Atanas Entchev at 3/10/2009 2:55 PM 
Categories: NJ,New Jersey,GIS,EntchevDotCom,Business,NJSLOM,ENTCHEV
Tags: NJ New Jersey GIS EntchevDotCom Business NJSLOM ENTCHEV
Categories: NJ,New Jersey,GIS,EntchevDotCom,Business,NJSLOM,ENTCHEV
Tags: NJ New Jersey GIS EntchevDotCom Business NJSLOM ENTCHEV
As a municipal computer guy I am frustrated that elected officials, and municipal managers, just don't get it, when discussing values of implementing technology. They seem to like the ooh-aah factor but don't let their imagination extend into the question "would this tool help me accomplish this task?". Until then, myself and many technical folks at NJSLOM will be frustrated. I question if the latest economic situation will get anyone thinking "how can we be more efficient ?". Our budget, like many other towns, will not support anyone from our town going to 2009 show. We didn't send anyone to 2008 show either.
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Tom:
Thank you so very much for your most valuable comment. --Atanas
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A great topic of discussion for sure! FYI, check out details of this poll where it seems many people have had their conference travel budgets slashed this year so travel may be way down as we can expect - thanks! Glenn
see the poll results http://blog.gisuser.com/?p=4114
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I attend numerous association exhibition venues and have for many years. All have become smaller both in the number of exhibitors and attendees. I believe both the economy and the lack of business interest are the cause. In these economic times we need to get a bigger bang for our buck. Why all the municipal employees families are allowed to attend the League, I could never quite understand. I have seen them actually dump my candy bowl and take the bowl also. We do see people we know at the shows and it affords us the opportunity to network with other professional firms. That is why we still attend.
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We have attended NJSLOM for 2 years and have had a similar experience to what you describe. It is not a good setting in which to newly meet municipal decisionmakers or any of their staff. I remember the first year our booth was between Cisco Systems and Adopt-a-Pony: truely schitzophrentic. The best part of the show was checking out the competition and meeting potential business partners.
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Thank you, David, for your thoughts. Also thanks to Glenn and Gary for their earlier comments. The sentiment is almost unanimous that the NJSLOM experience is less than perfect.
The purpose of this post is not to knock the NJSLOM, its staff or the annual conference, but rather to start a discussion and see if we can all work together to improve the experience for all parties.
I have invited Michael J. Darcy, CAE, Assistant Executive Director of NJSLOM, to participate in this discussion. I am hopeful we will hear from him.
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Attendance is down at N.J. homebuilders' gathering
by The Associated Press
Tuesday April 21, 2009, 11:37 AM
Attendance is down at the New Jersey Builders Association's annual trade show in Atlantic City.
Spokeswoman Amy Whilldin said the 2009 convention, which began today, has drawn about 10,000 attendees and 600 exhibitors. The event normally sees 15,000 attendees and 900 exhibitors.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/04/attendance_is_down_at_nj_homeb.html
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But it's not across the board. The Governor's Conference for Women is expecting a record turn out. I think it depends on the focus of the conference.
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Just spoke with someone at the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) annual exhibition/meeting in Atlantic City. He reports that attendance is 30% down, restaurants are light.
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