...with a single step.

It was the Chinese Philosopher Laozi (c 604-531 B.C.) who said "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."  And so it was this week in Atlantic City.

First, let me get all the biases out of the way:  I hate Atlantic City.  Perhaps more than I despise New Orleans, and that takes some doing.

Second, I detest trade shows.  Standing around for 2-3 days speaking with clients who may or may not know what we do (and with 97% brand awareness, how can they NOT know?) isn't my idea of time well spent.

Finally, What has been SAAGNY, and then Promotions East, and now Expo East has been particularly frustrating over the years.  I didn't go last year, and only went this year because Indigo, one of my National Distributors to the Promotional Products market was going, and I wanted to introduce Hartmann to the market.  It always seemed that we weren't part of the festivities-one time we had been sequestered at the back of the hall, another time we had a flaming moat around us, you get the picture.

But this year was "different" in ways that give me hopes for next year and beyond.  It felt "different" because of any number of reasons, but three stand out:

1. The Economy is better.  Dean Resnekov of Indigo reminded me of this as we were discussing our takeaways from the show.  There are simply more programs out there and more optimism about future opportunities.
2. The Education was better.  While some of us (cough, cough) think we know everything, Expo West is always teaching us more about the business we live in.  Expo East had more of that this year and I believe it put the attendees in a better mood.  From there, they engaged their suppliers in a more positive way (not the default condition for many East Coasters).
3. The Look of the place.  There was more "branding" from PPAI--more presence by PPAI team members (always something that ASI does exceedingly well at its shows).  More glad-handing from Muckety-Mucks within PPAI--it was almost as if they were glad to see us!  There were plenty of years I never got that sensation from Show Management.  PPAI is bringing a different attitude to the event and that's a good thing.

Was it perfect?  Hardly--no show ever is.  I especially enjoyed the "sea foam" effect that my carpet kept creating (I'm guessing it was shedding season).  But we had substantive conversations, and lots of them, the first day.  Day 2 was pretty much what Day 2 of a 2-day show always is (if the show lasted an hour, the last five minutes would suck).  

Well done by PPAI.  Their next trick is no easy one--they need to create the "convention" mentality that makes Expo West such a success.  But that Single Step got made.  The next ones should be relatively easier...

Pete

Is it that time AGAIN?

Greetings from Atlantic City, a city that defines "juxtaposition" just about as well as anything I've ever seen.  The glass-and-steel casinos sit next to dying infrastructure, a perfect metaphor for the "haves and have-nots" economic environment of 2013.

We're here for Expo East, which used to be called Promotions East, which in the Jurassic Period was called SAAGNY and was held at a ski resort in upstate New York.  That its name has changed numerous times is a testament to the event's survival skills, or an acknowledgment that there's nothing on Earth powerful enough to kill it dead.

It's outlived the New York Premium Show. It's outlived the Chicago Motivation Show.  And it seems to outlive the ongoing kvetching by suppliers both on the branded side and the traditional promotional products side that it's at the wrong time of the year, in a lousy venue, and never gets the "draw" that it "should".

I've given up on trying to explain the success of this event.  It reminds me of the line I use about healthy living:  Jim Fixx, who pioneered the running craze in the ''70s, is dead.  Keith Richards is still alive. Or, put another way, I quote the great American Philosopher William Goldman, who famously said about Hollywood "Nobody knows anything".

Atlantic City might not be the most depressing place to hold a convention (Hell, it's probably not even in the top 3 in NEW JERSEY), but Vegas or Chicago it's not.  It's far from everywhere (Philadelphia is the closest "major" city), it's creepy (admit it--YOU don't walk out on the streets after dark, do you?), and it's hard to imagine the biggest clients in New York saying "Hey-I've got an idea!  Let's drive 2.5 hours and mingle with the day-trippers in the City that Economic Progress Forgot!"

And now PPAI has responsibility for the event and this is a Good Thing.  The plan (as I understand it,and I may not understand it well) is to turn this event into a Convention, where more than a trade show is happening and there is true interaction amongst the players in the channel.  That's what Expo West (are they gonna change the name?) does.  It would change the raison d'etre for the event from Trade Show to "gathering" and everyone would benefit.

But one thing is clear--I have no idea the appeal of this destination, timeframe, and event.  Perhaps I'll learn something over the next couple of days and I'll become a big supporter.  I want to--the market deserves more than one gathering place for the brands.  Besides, I'm a golfer--I have optimism in the face of overwhelming adversity...

Pete