The annual DEMA show has certainly evolved over the years, from a once-a-year opportunity for manufacturers to roll out their latest offerings, to a much more balanced event with equipment, travel, training and educational opportunities for everyone.
Yes, this year, some manufacturers have chosen to not attend, but most others are, and some who were not there last year are coming back. If anyone attended the recent Beneath the Sea show you would have been hard pressed to find any evidence of the reported economic recession.
Indian Valley Scuba exhibited at the show and it was our most successful to date; in fact, we have already contracted to increase our booth size for next year's show.
That being said, while it may be tough to 'quantify' attendence at the DEMA show from a "dollars back on investment" persective, there is no doubt that you can certainly 'qualify' the time & money spent with the chances to see new lines, learn about products in the pipelines and new releases that your sales rep has not yet shown you, attend training agency seminars to refresh & renew knowledge, learn new travel opportunities, conveniently attend numerous manufacturer service & repair seminars, and perhaps most importantly, partake in the many social opportunities to see so many contacts within the dive community, meet new ones, and grow your personal and dive center's presence within the industry. While some of the technical aspects of what I mentioned above can be achieved while sitting in your shop in front of your computer, the social interaction can only be achieved in person. We attend DEMA every year, and typically bring 4 to 6 additional staff members, for all the reasons above. We consider it a very positive investment.