Today, Ethel Merman (RIP) would need to change the words of her song to... There's WOE business... like show business... Like NO business I KNEW.

Yesterday, a friend of mine told that me he visited a manufacturing show - and it looked more like a "furniture" show. Why? Because since there were soooo many exhibitor no-shows, the show manager simply filled the empty exhibit spaces with furniture as rest areas for the attendees. (Whose numbers BTW are also diminishing.)

HOW BAD IS THAT?

What is it that show managers are NOT seeing? Are they NOT seeing that ROI no longer means Regular Old Invoice? Are they NOT seeing that exhibitors can't measure anything or prove the real ROI requirement = Return On Investment.

Show organizers need to face the fact that THEY have to consider providing the education their exhibitors need to succeed, because exhibitors certainly are NOT being taught by anyone in their companies.

Education is clearly the differentiating factor in business today – and those show organizers that take on the responsibility of educating their existing customers (for retention), and prospective exhibitors (for acquisition) will survive the death spiral that plagued trade publications over the past decade.

Call me at 630-642-6500 for a copy of the recent artice "Are trade shows going where trade publications went?" And you will see what I mean.