Trade Shows to Rebound or Regress?

Trade Shows to Rebound or Regress?
I have a love-hate relationship with trade shows. I love them because I enjoy seeing the industry physically come together and do business, develop relationships, and just “talk shop.” As a writer/editor, I love having access to many of the industry movers and shakers, the decision-makers who really drive the industry. I love the energy I feel as walk into a crowded, bustling trade show floor.

I hate the way my feet feel after a day of walking those carpet-over-concrete aisles. I hate having to scramble to create an e-show daily to be e-mailed to our readers, often the same day that trade show news breaks. I hate bad room-service at the hotel. I hate seeing empty conference rooms or lonely exhibitors sitting in their booths. I hate to see a trade show in decline.

This leads me to 2010. I’m very curious what 2010 will bring for trade shows and industry events of all kinds. Going into 2009, I knew it would be very challenging for any industry event -- people just weren’t going to trade shows, and the economy was a big factor. But, now that we’ve had a year to adapt to this down economy, will attendees and exhibitors return to trade shows? Some say the economy is on the rise -- slowly. Some say we’ve hit rock bottom…and we’re still there.

Regardless of the details, we should be more prepared today to deal with this economy than 12 months ago. Will that result in increased attendance at industry events, or will the numbers plateau, or even decrease? Time will tell, but that’s a potential trend I’m watching very closely.

MCN Goes Interactive!

Hello, and welcome to my first offical blog post as Editorial Director for Metal Construction News, Metal Architecture and Metal Building Developer. While blogs are new to our site, I am not new to blogs. In my experience, blogs are a great way for our editorial department to share our thought and opinions on industry issues and trends, in a very informal, conversational manner.

More importantly, you'll find that our blogs are a great place for you - our readers - to connect with us and offer up your thoughts directly. If you have any comments or suggections about issues, our Web sites or magazines, submit a comment on our blogs and we will do our best to address your issue.

Your input and interaction with Metal Construction News will help us provide a better product and improve our connection with the metal construction community.

Will photovoltaics take the next step in marketshare thanks to the green build movement? Will insulated metal panels take an increased role in both metal construction and insulation, with its inherent 'green' properties? The best way for us to find the most accurate, up-to-date information is to hear it straight from the source - you, our readers.

On that note, if you have any videos related to metal construction - product videos, demo videos, installation tips, etc. please send them to us. We're excited to post your videos on oour site, along with our own video news and trade show videos. Look for more in the coming weeks!