Jewelee
You're exactly right about higher fees for exhibitors, but I disagree
that it's the promoters who are the culprits.
For example, look instead at Seattle' new Stadium Exhibition Center.
I don't know how much it cost us taxpayers to build that facility,
but you can believe it wasn't cheap. Look also at the skyrocketing
cost of electricity and heat. Can't be cheap to keep that place warm
in the winter or cool in the summer.
The show venue is also in business and will stay that way by making a
profit. It sure isn't gonna stay profitable by sucking up overhead
costs. Like everything elase, they get passed along to the end user -
the consumer.
Kent Lufkin
>If the promoters of these outdoor shows are following the trend of other big
>shows, the exhibitor fees have skyrocketed. Many big shows are down to
>about a third their former size because the manufacturer's no longer find
>them worth the cost. I understand the woodworker's show this year was about
>25% the size of shows two or three years ago. Those outfitters needing to
>make contact with potential customers may be what's keeping the outdoor
>shows going but I can understand why the great deals have gone away. Like
>everybody else, I used to book vacation fishing trips, buy lots of stuff,
>pick-up tons of brochures for winter daydreaming and attend as many
>presentations in a day as possible. Too bad the promoters had to start
>jacking booth prices.
>
>-Jewelee
