Graph Expo 2010 gave me pause to reflect, as it usually does, and I thought you may be interested in a few observations:
1. In my opinion, this show is not going away. Yes, the show is evolving and the economics have changed drastically. But walking around the show reinforces how wide our industry stretches. There are a lot of companies who want to sell product and service into our industry, and Graph Expo remains a prime venue for their marketing and sales activities.
2. I'm no technical guru, but some of the wizardry demonstrated by HP, Kodak, Canon, and Xerox, to name a few, was eye-catching even to a non-operational guy like me.
3. It seems that owners and managers now place great emphasis on factors such as "can we afford it?" and "can we get away?" in considering whether and when to come to Graph Expo.
4. The leaders and those who want to be leaders continue to make an effort to come to Graph Expo, and, as their ranks diminish, so does overall attendance. It almost seems an indicator of future viability, how often does the company invest time and money on industry events such as this?
6.Shamless sales pitch, but I am very impressed with the new Work Plan for Success rolled out by NAPL as part of membership. Quite a number of visitors to the NAPL booth were checking out these valuable on-line tools.
5. Many clients and potential clients came by the NAPL booth to meet our team. It seems that the NAPL booth has become known for its networking and for its private meetings with business advisors on staff.
I wonder what are your thoughts about Graph Expo? Drop me an email to share your views. jhyde@napl.org
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