Klixxx Home
> Webmaster Article Archives Home >
Adult Industry Events Reviewed
Trade Shows: Can You Afford NOT to Go?
Adult industry trade fairs seem to be proliferating
lately. There are many available-each with its particular purpose,
characteristics and advantages/disadvantages depending on what you
mean to get out of it.
Many would say there are far too many trade shows these days, you
get little out of them, and they're expensive-basically a waste of
time and money: "Many webmasters are hesitant about attending tradeshows.
They seem daunted by the cost involved, worried that the return on
investment may not cover their costs of getting there, paying for
passes and staying in hotels." [Brian 2004] But I agree with Tala
of Men's Niche when he writes in WebOverdrive: "Can you afford not
to go?" [Tala 2004b]
Big Show, Little Show
As trade shows of all types and sizes are making there debuts or exits-each
year there are still more and more.
This makes selection harder than ever, but according to Jay "LAJ"
Kopita, VP of Marketing & Communications and VP of Project Development
for YNOT Network, this is a good thing for several reasons: "It not
only shows that we are a growing industry, but it also gives more
regionalized Webmasters an opportunity for face time who might not
have it in their budget to attend more than one or two shows a year.
It also provides more networking and social opportunities." [Kopita
2003]
But this is not to say the biggest shows are just expensive glitzy
drunken orgies. They never were (mostly), but there's some evidence
that they're becoming much more serious lately: An AVN Online report
on the last Internext says the attitude was different this time: "more
subdued, more businesslike. While 'the bad boys of the Web' haven't
exactly left the building, they have cleaned up their acts." Show
manager Renee Johnson said, "It's been a very business-oriented show.
People have become really serious. The adult Web business, and consequently
the show, has evolved." [AVN Online 2004]
Interesting comments, but has the industry evolved that far? Have
we really become that much more businesslike? Or, perhaps it appeared
more businesslike because of the dearth of real working webmasters,
the expense involved, and the necessity of making sales and maximizing
each contact to justify the trip. One thing the industry has witnessed
for sure is the increasingly competitive nature of every facet of
the market. Perhaps this is what makes the shows more serious, and
results in the questions regarding the relevance of the big expensive
shows, and that is a genuinely serious thought.
Benefits
Trade shows offer obvious potential benefits that have unquestioned
value:
Making deals
Networking
Information
Socializing
On the Cheap
You can save money by choosing flights
at strange times (red-eyes)
Avoid traveling on Sunday or Tuesday-these
are expensive days to fly
Consider sharing a room or looking further
down the strip for cheaper
Even if it's a long walk, hoofing it can
save a lot in cab fares
There is such a thing as city buses, too
Early registration saves a bit of money
Comparision shop online, and check with
hotels directly for any deals
A "floor only" pass can be a false economy-you
miss all the seminars.
Source: Dino [2003a]
|
Making Deals
A trade show is definitely a good place to do business and you may
do lots of it there: "No matter what you do at a webmaster convention,
you have the potential to make deals. You can find your new career
at a show, you can find a new investment opportunity, or you can
find new friends who will help you even as you help them. That's
what it's all about. Webmasters helping webmasters, making money
hand over fist." [Tala 2004a]
Networking
Networking is extremely important in developing a business and you
can't do all of it effectively online. This goes right to the heart
of doing business. Brian, of TotemCash, says, "No one can deny that
good business deals and relationships are built on trust and that
trust often begins with a handshake at a tradeshow." The same goes
for existing partners: "You may have a great relationship with all
your contacts by e-mail, ICQ or telephone, but nothing beats finally
meeting that guy or gal in person. It's a perfect opportunity to
get an idea of what they are really like, of whether you really
want to do business with this person and whether you trust them
or not." [Brian 2004]
The shows themselves realize that this is a draw, and some, like
Cybernet
Expo, bend over backwards to facilitate it: "Keep in mind that
this show is not primarily about booths, distribution and glitz.
We are limiting the booth count in the prime networking area to
15 exhibiting areas and putting the networking bar right in with
all the action. The layout of the convention and pool areas of the
hotel is highly conducive to great networking." [Kopita 2004]
Information
Saving a few bucks with a "floor only" instead of full pass is a
real false economy-you miss all the timely information that is one
of the key reasons for attending in the first place. This is particularly
true for newbies or webmasters who like to stay on top of an industry
that seems to change by the minute. For example, this year's Cybernet
Expo offered the following seminars, workshops, and panels featuring
some of the most experienced and brightest lights in the industry:
Newbie Discussion
Legal Q&A
Traffic Clinic
Amateur Panel
Political Crossfire
Doing Business in Adult
The Current State of Billing
Gay Webmaster Crossfire
Technical Issues
Women In Adult
The Hot Issues of 2004
Marketing & Sales Workshop
Design and Promotion Clinic
Running a Profitable Paysite
"It isn't just show and tell. There are some fabulous seminars,
taught by the adult industry's finest. These people are sharing
their knowledge with you, and if you're lucky enough to catch them
after their seminar, (or before it), you can get their tricks on
a one-on-one basis. This information can be worth millions of dollars
in the hands of a creative entrepreneur." [Tala 2004a]
Socializing
You know very well that all work and no play make Jack a dull boy-and
this is not an industry where dull flourishes. Play doesn't have
to consist solely of wild partying, either. Business and pleasure
combine very well at trade shows and this is another thing that
makes them uniquely valuable: "Something else that can be worth
super high money is the chance to chat one-on-one with the leaders
of the adult industry. Have a drink, kick back, and talk business.
You'll find that these guys are usually very laid back and great
to talk with. You'll also learn a few things that you didn't know,
and I know of more than one high-money deal made over a dinner or
a drink." [Tala 2004a]
By all means don't forget to enjoy yourself along with all the work.
This is a collateral benefit that deserves its place on the balance
sheet along with all the others-it's much easier to swallow the
subsequent Visa bill when you regard the whole exercise as a vacation
as well as a business trip. The best of both worlds, right?
Costs
There is no denying that attending trade shows costs money. You
do have some control over how much, though-this is a variable cost.
"How much will you spend on a show? It depends on how far you're
willing to travel and where you'll be staying." [Tala 2004b] But
admittedly, the bill for attending a show can be substantial. These
costs may include:
Air transportation
Ground transportation
Accommodation
Entrance fee
Food, booze, entertaining
Taxes on everything
"Other" - tips, souvenirs, mini-bar, etc.
It isn't cheap living in Las Vegas or a similar spot for several
days, and miscellaneous expenses such as cabs and even lunch in
an airport can add up fast. Maybe you bought a new suitcase for
the trip or did a bit of gambling while there. In any case, you
were also out of the office several days and not doing your ordinary
money-making work. How many of you have noticed that every time
you go to a tradeshow, there is a corresponding dip in your Alexa
traffic graph for the same exact period…hmmm. However, the bottom
line is not how much you invested, but whether you got a good return
on your investment.
Sources:
Brian. "Why Go to Tradeshows?" Adult.Biz.Power
01/13/04
Dino. "The Cost of Attendance," PornResource
10/01/03a.
Dino. "Trade Show or Good Time?" PornResource
08/12/03b.
Rebecca Gray. "Vegas, Trade Show City: The Upcoming AVN Adult
Entertainment and Internext Expos," AVN
Online 12/03.
Jay "LAJ" Kopita. "The Adult Internet Tradeshow Racket Is
Serious Business," YNOT
News 05/01/03.
Jay "LAJ" Kopita. "Go West to Cybernet Expo!" Klixxx
Magazine 03/04a.
Jay "LAJ" Kopita. "Why Should You Attend The Phoenix Forum?"
YNOT
News 03/18/04b.
Marie. "Webmaster Gatherings: The Only Place to Be Seen,"
PornResource
02/18/04.
Tala. "Adult Industry Gatherings," WebOverdrive
2004a.
Tala. "Which Show to Attend?" WebOverdrive
05/04b.
"Where Have All the Bad Boys Gone?" AVN
Online 03/24/04.
|
Dino [2003a] surveys the various costs and offers
some tips on ways you can save some money (see sidebar). Everything
depends on the strategy you want to adopt, but some money-saving
schemes can be counter-productive. Traveling half-way across the
country on a Greyhound bus may leave you in pathetic shape afterwards,
and take up quite a bit of time too (believe me - I've been there).
Again, buying a "floor only" pass is a definite opportunity cost.
But the expensive hotel room can often be justified-the conference
hotel is where most of it is happening. You save time, energy and
cab fares, will be more productive and also meet more people. "If
you want the real nitty gritty experience of a show, you'll want
to stay at the hotel where the show takes place." [Tala 2004b] Plus,
remember, you deserve the "holiday" part of the working holiday
too.
Sadly, there can be a personal cost as well. "As most Webmasters
know, too much of a good thing (and most shows are a very good thing)
can not only wear you out, but getting caught up afterwards can
be rough, and there is nothing worse than feeling behind after several
weeks, while trying to shake off the bug you often catch from being
on airplanes too often and burning the candle at both ends." [Kopita
2003] You can keep this effect to a minimum by trying to be at least
a bit sensible.
Are Trade Shows Necessary?
The cost to you of attending a trade show may be substantial but
so are the benefits. A classic case of excellent cost-benefit and
attractive ROI. "The gains you make from attending a show are monumental."
[Tala 2004b] Again, can you really afford not to go?
Nevertheless, lots of people still question whether there are too
many trade shows or whether they are even necessary at all. It's
true that the more shows there are, the further stretched are the
sponsors' and attendees' budgets, potentially watering down the
offerings. And certainly, the more there are, the harder it is to
choose. But, shows serve different purposes, audiences, and regions.
Choice is good, and so is competition. Furthermore, cream will always
rise to the top and only the best shows will endure.
However, this industry functions in a virtual, not bricks-and-mortar
world. "Do we need a trade show for a business which is almost exclusively
online? More to the point, why do we need a reason to meet up twice
a year when the rest of the time we seem to manage quite well with
the phone and various forms of electronic communication? The short
answer is: yes, we need them." [Dino 2003b]
Dino goes on to say that the key element is contact: "We spend our
business lives living in a virtual office, dealing with faceless
customers who are no more than a credit card and a username/password
pair. We deal with suppliers through ICQ, we deal with our landlords
(hosts) over e-mail and we get our payments via wires or checks.
In an online world, the human touch is always missing." [Dino 2003b]
In the final analysis, trade shows fill a gap in an otherwise virtual
industry-they supply the "missing" part. They also offer unique
opportunities for growth and profit. But much depends on whether
you exploit these opportunities effectively: "You get out what you
put into a tradeshow. If you show up mentally and physically prepared,
and with a reasonable game plan, you should be able to accomplish
what you set out to do." [Kopita 2004b]
|
 Printer
Friendly Version
 Submit
Questions or Comments to Klixxx
Need More Information?
Search the Webmaster Articles at Klixxx
Submit
an Article | Link to Klixxx
| Earn With Klixxx Cash
Become
a Sponsor | Advertising Information
Klixxx
Home > Webmaster Article Archives Home
> Adult Industry Events Reviewed
|