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I have a feeling that a LOT more major manufacturers are going to take a pass on the DEMA show this year. I would be surprised if you see Aqua Lung, ScubaPro, and Atomic there this year. The economy simply doesn't permit that kind of wasteful spending.
Personally, I think the Dive Equipment Marketing Association make have itself out on a gigantic financial ledge with commitments for the convention center, hotels, and meeting rooms.....with very few "heavy hitters" from which to get the income. Of course, PADI, the one that matters the most financially, will certainly be there.
Scubapro haven't been there the last few years anyway, but I think you might be right in that some of the other major manufacturers may pull out. I know that is why SP made the decision not to attend the cost for the booth space alone is exorbitant, and once you factor in staff expenses such as hotel and travel, you are talking a lot of $$$.
I will be attending as I normally do, mainly because it a great opportunity for me to hook up with people from hotels, dive centres, liveaboards, etc, I have dived with over the years, and make new contacts for future articles, etc. If I get to see some genuinely new kit while I am at it, so much the better.
Drinking and diving do mix... I grab a beer as soon as the last dive of the day is over, as it is the best form of deco available – alcohol thins your blood, which means the nitrogen bubbles can get out easier! Believe me, DAN will be promoting this in a few years, I am just ahead of my time...
In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act. -George Orwell
Given that our biggest fear, death, is inescapable, doesn’t it seem ridiculous to let our smaller fears dictate how we live our too short lives? -Me
“It is said that power corrupts, but actually it's more true that power attracts the corruptible. The sane are usually attracted by other things than power.” -- David Brin
I honestly believe that the internet has ameliorated DEMA's ability to make a difference in today's economic climate. I don't know that we can blame DEMA... they are caught up in an anachronistic paradigm of having to do things in real time instead of on the Internet. It was kind of amazing this past DEMA as to just how many peeps came up and told me I was a true pioneer for what I have done here. I am not sure where that came from, but it started with Doug Krause of Oceanic telling me that last May. I don't know about pioneer, but I am happy that I was in the right place at the right time and even now there are those manufacturers who see us as "just a fad".
Now, here's the funny part. I have offered to help DEMA, Sport Diver and Scuba Diving Magazine to increase their internet penetration. Unfortunately, I think they see me as some sort of competitor, which is the real problem. The internet is HUGE, and no one has reached saturation on the net. That's why you see Facebook and MySpace still making innovations: they want even MORE users! For media, there are no "competitors" as much as there are comrades in arms. The more successful I can make them, the better I will do in turn. The tide rises all boats, but if your anchor is firmly attached to the bottom and you didn't have the foresight to give it some slack, then your boat is sunk!
The internet is made up largely of three groups:
The innovators
The participants
The lost
If you haven't made as much ingress into the cyber world as you would like, perhaps you should engage those who HAVE. The offer is still open for me. I would love to see them benefit from our information age, but it appears that they are afraid.
You have made a very significant impact for all of us in diving.
The continuing, real time, dialogues, the great back and forth and feedback, have helped us all. We frequently forward threads to our friends in Japan and have made changes to our own products based on the feedback we see here.
That sounds correct, and that means I must be... uh oh.
There is no harm in being a "participant" and you are at least that if you are posting here! I would suggest that we need at least one innovator for every 119,845 people on the internet and actually a few more! However, if you are "lost" don't be afraid to ask for directions! The internet was built on mutual cooperation, much to Bill Gate's chagrin. The old system of charging everyone for everything just doesn't work here.
DEMA is not worth it for the big players, but if you are a new company trying to get out there, it sure helps for people to actually get their lunchhooks on your gear.
Some of the farther travel places might not keep going. At this point in time, if they're established and have a good internet presence, no need to attend.
I did find it kinda unreal that two of the biggest weasels I ever met in the dive business seem to rotate through on the DEMA BOD. I'm sure that there are many other fine and esteemable weasels in the dive industry as well as all other businesses.
I did manage to meet Pete at the last DEMA in Orlando while he took a break running laps around the perimeter keeping us all safe from al-Qaeda.
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Originally Posted by MarkUK
