As an audio fan, walking through an audio show, I would rate the overt "sales effort" as a 3 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being "extreme aggressive" and 1 as "meh". This makes for a fun experience. And fans looking to buy, may sometimes find show specials for items that can't readily be found on the internet sites (despite of complaints that the internet is killing the audio business).
Are audio shows big money makers for organizers? Manufacturers? Dealers? Others? And directly/ immediately or as part of a sustained marketing effort?
The organizers must make money or they wouldn't keep doing it Caesar. Dealers, Manufacturers, Distributors etc. all pay to for the rooms.
For example we just paid over a grand a day, by quite a bit, for the room for the show. We are given one non show day to set up and must be completely out of the room by 11.59 Sunday evening.
That also includes your listing and signage that the show provides. The cost of getting there, sleeping rooms , shipping etc. etc. is on the exhibitor.
I don't believe there us much hardware sold at these events directly although it is possible. I have done a bunch of shows and there was NO direct sales made at any of our shows.
We did do business after the shows since it is really like advertising or marketing.
I know software is sold at these shows like LP's. CD's.Books, Magazines etc.
I read that they sold around 8200 tickets for this show plus over 160 exhibitors and the rates for the rooms were on the web site.
I would think they did quite well at this event.
Sorry we did not get introduced when you visited my room,
Best regards,
Elliot