Maybe DEMA should thumb their upcoming Dive Fest in Ft Lauderdale?

[The Chairman]

He wanted me to look at the divecaching deal they were promoting.

It's funny, but they promoted Dive Caching in all sorts of media... the only one they seemed to leave out was ScubaBoard. They could have promoted it free right here, but they would not. We're not a part of the "Good ol' Boys" network, I guess. Actually, I am probably on their "hit list".

 

[cerich]

It's funny, but they promoted Dive Caching in all sorts of media... the only one they seemed to leave out was ScubaBoard. They could have promoted it free right here, but they would not. We're not a part of the "Good ol' Boys" network, I guess. Actually, I am probably on their "hit list".

I called and offered to provide prizes and support only to get told they didn't want any. Shame because it has potential.

 

[Wookie]

It's funny, but they promoted Dive Caching in all sorts of media... the only one they seemed to leave out was ScubaBoard. They could have promoted it free right here, but they would not. We're not a part of the "Good ol' Boys" network, I guess. Actually, I am probably on their "hit list".

I'm not trying to drop a turn in your punchbowl, Pete, but....

My feeling is, Pete, that you are on their "ignore list". That's one of the problems with DEMA and with the greater dive industry in general. The don't recognize the power of social media because they don't look at it. The dinosaurs running the joint know that what worked well in the boom times of the '70's and '80's is working well now. They think "divecaching" is the new way to get thousands of otherwise non-divers into diving. And, let's face it, we are merely a population of 200,000 divers as members of this board, I have no idea how many active members (posted in the last month) we have, out of millions of certified divers. What the dinosaurs miss is the word of mouth social media has. Chris doesn't sell all of his regulators and backplates to SB users through Lapenta, he gives one to me so divers can see the quality and abuse a liveaboard crew gives it, he puts them in (more progressive) dive shops, and he entices gear heads to them by promising parts. I don't just get SB members on my boat, in fact I'm still surprised when someone walks up and says "I'm so and so from SB". We (the SB family) are the biggest thing out there, but we aren't the only thing out there. BUT- I would never have met Chris (or you or many others in the Scuba industry) without SB. It's important to note that, although there isn't a "liveaboard owners association", most of us are pretty friendly with each other. I post here more than most, Clay McCardell from EV next, Scotty from Blue Iguana next, and Wayne from Aggressor/Dancer after that, although Aggressor Fleet is very good about posting trip reports. There are hundreds of liveaboards in the world, but only 4 owners are here regularly or semi-regularly?

I noticed earlier that Neal Watson was watching this thread, but he never commented. Until someone actually steps up to the plate and offers an alternative to DEMA, we might as well be in the Whine and Cheez, 'cause we're all just flapping our gums.

 

[The Chairman]

My feeling is, Pete, that you are on their "ignore list".

I'll try to make it so that they can't ignore me, Frank! That being said, I am glad that I am not the only one who sees this.

I completely agree with what you post, and I feel that the reticence to embrace Social Media by our industry starts at the top. DEMA has offered classes that are so out of touch as to be a waste of time. Again, I have offered to teach effective Social Media Skills at the DEMA Show free of charge, but they would rather pay people who do not have a comparable success record. Go figure.

 

[HowardE]

So calling it the "Hotel Ballroom" was not that far off. Good.

No. Calling it a "Hotel Ballroom" is way off base. The Sands Expo center is HUGE. I've attended several other trade shows (Las Vegas Gift Expo and MAGIC for example). Plenty big for the DEMA expo, which occupied ONE HALL in the LVCC. The Sands expo center is equally big (and then some) as the hall that DEMA occupied in the past at the LVCC. If you take the TOTAL square footage of every convention hall that is the LVCC, the Sands is smaller than the huge complex of halls.

The Sands Expo center is all that remains of the Sands hotel which was torn down years ago, and made into the Venetian hotel.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

An acre is 43, 560 SF... How many acre floor is 1.1 million square feet??? Sounds like a big room to me.

 

[The Chairman]

No. Calling it a "Hotel Ballroom" is way off base. The Sands Expo center is HUGE.

The inaccuracy has been pointed out, and I have edited my original post accordingly. Still, the general consensus is that the show is appreciably smaller than it has been, even in recent years. If that is indeed not the case, than great but this thread is about the Ft Lauderdale Dive Fest! The take-a-way to this is that many, many dive shops and manufacturers are having a number of issues with the Dive Fest and they feel that they aren't being taken seriously. Perhaps this will bring the matter to the fore front so it can be discussed out in the open.

 

[cerich]

go here

DEMA Show 2012: Interactive HTML Floorplan

add up the sold spaces and compare to a map of last year if you have one, then compare to a map of 10 years ago if you have one. sit down in shock. Get yourself a 100% deco bottle from the shed,start breathing off it and compare to a map of 1995 if you have it. Call ambulance.

 

[Wookie]

go here

DEMA Show 2012: Interactive HTML Floorplan

add up the sold spaces and compare to a map of last year if you have one, then compare to a map of 10 years ago if you have one. sit down in shock. Get yourself a 100% deco bottle from the shed,start breathing off it and compare to a map of 1995 if you have it. Call ambulance.

That's ugly-scary. 1995 is before my time, but I do remember New Orleans when it took me 3 days to walk the floor then 1 day to go back and visit the booths I wanted to see. Last year I manned the booth and saw everything I needed. I think that the strict see-saw of Orlando-Las Vegas is hurting also.

 

[cerich]

New Orleans DEMA's were always my favorites. Walk is a hard term to describe what I was capable of doing however. I used to go 4 days early and leave 2 days late...

That's ugly-scary. 1995 is before my time, but I do remember New Orleans when it took me 3 days to walk the floor then 1 day to go back and visit the booths I wanted to see. Last year I manned the booth and saw everything I needed. I think that the strict see-saw of Orlando-Las Vegas is hurting also.