DEMA thoughts from EDGE (DEAD DEMA WALKING-or already on it's knees)

[cerich]

Just getting back into the office from a week away setting up, working, and tearing down from the DEMA show 2011 in Orlando. My voice is in bad shape, my legs hurt and to be honest my mind is racing at 1000 mph….

So why am I writing this? Vendors normally just stick to showing stuff and asking for orders. What determines a good show is the orders taken right? Well, kinda. Certainly the reception to EDGE was absolutely freaking FANTASTIC! That’s the high point, it’s exciting for sure and rewarding, but to be honest scaling up to where EDGE and HOG is finding itself will be the real challenge… that starts today.
The success of the show for EDGE and HOG was 100% attributable to volunteers who came and stayed in the booth. Setting up, working it, answering the same questions over and over and making everybody feel welcome. They did this for free and I can’t thank them enough. That such skilled divers think enough about the product that they were willing to do that was humbling. Thank you again.
I also have to thank my dealers, those that supported me these last few years as I worked on carving a slice of the market out for us. I have found that virtually everything I do always goes MUCH smoother when I reach out to you guys and toss ideas around. I’m sorry I don’t always adopt every suggestion made but I appreciate them all more than you guys (and girls) will ever know.
My vendors, I simply can’t say enough. They have been beyond great. Working with me on my crazy ideas that the other MAJOR brands they work with would NEVER do, facing pressure not to work with me and sometimes just thinking I may be crazy. They have stuck in there and together we have made some amazing products that I am certain will redefine “bang for your buck” and “Quality and Value”. Those efforts will result in more equipment sales for all of us, but more importantly will make it possible for more people to enjoy high quality gear at reasonable prices. That means more divers, doing it more often and longer. That’s good for our industry, good for the diver and great for the world’s bodies of water. Divers are the first line of spokespersons for the majority of the planet, we can never have too many.

It’s pretty common knowledge that I am not a fan of the DEMA organization, unfortunately I consider it to be a testament to the “Old Boys Club” with cronyism and exclusionary tactics actively involved while being a parasitic drain on our industry. That said I have always wanted a strong trade show. It’s important for the industry to have a venue where we can meet and share ideas, our combined passion for diving and make contacts that allow us to pursue those passions as our full time calling. We also get to sell some stuff sometimes. Unfortunately it’s been obvious and is more so with each show that the format of the DEMA show is done, dead, finished. DEAD DEMA WALKING. I hope sincerely that the DEMA board decides to fix the problem in a rapid and aggressive manner as opposed to their current “measured” actions. There is only maybe a couple more years before the simple math destroys the show and shortly after the association. The time to fix it was 2 years ago but there is still a small window.
Now, as much fun as it is for me to throw stones at DEMA, (really) I will take the liberty to offer some unsolicited and unwanted solutions.
• Kill the show guys before it kills you
• Partner with every consumer show that has attendance over 7500 persons and have the 2 days prior to the consumer events be trade only, regional events. That means we all work our ass off more often but is an effective use of $$ and expands reach by piggy backing to our current efforts
• Designate on a rolling basis one show per year to be the “SUPER SHOW” and adding 1 more trade only day to bring it up to a total of 3.5 trade days and Friday Night and the weekends being consumer days. This super show is where you do stuff like the NOGI awards, reaching out, DEMA annual meeting etc. Rotate this show into Europe at least once per 5 shows
• The Regional shows need “TV Style” streaming video coverage on the web. I can think of a dozen folks in our industry that could do that well, they just need the support. This will further the reach and further the show revenue for the association by selling ads for that coverage. People watch car auctions on speed TV for crying out loud! Divers will watch professionally done coverage of our shows.
• Get us all involved, stop the circle jerk, it hasn’t and won’t work. The progressive members of our industry are simply sick of it, it’s making a bad situation worse.

Yes, I know that even if the DEMA BOD wanted to make this all happen you will get told "It isn't that easy, we have legal reasons, contracts" and every other BS excuse in the book to prevent solutions challenging the status quo." Grow a set and remind yourself who is actually in charge. Ask why EVERY idea is resisted until co opted.

So, once again, THANK YOU to everybody that came to our booth and to everybody that helped make it .

[cerich]

It's been pointed out to me that exactly what I want is unclear, to be clear. I want DEMA and the show to survive and prosper. I don't see it as possible given current direction, structure and business environment. I think to survive there needs to be radical change in the interface DEMA takes with the industry.

[koozemani]

I've never attended so I can't comment on any of your statements other than to say your passion was apparent. Love your product, would love my Lds to carry it.

Keep up the good fight

[Jim Lapenta]

Perhaps the most surprising thing to me was the complete lack of interaction by the DEMA board members with the vendors. At the regional show I do every year the organizers of the event and the show officers make it a point to visit every vendor and ask them how things are going and what can they do to make the show better. I saw no DEMA muckety muck do that. At least none came by the HOG booth unbidden while I was there. Complete disconnect.

[Valaika]

We attended and it was a fantastic showing for Live Life No Limits, IAHD-Americas, and L3N Travel too! We've already reserved a larger booth for next year!

Of course, if you ask a hundred different exhibitors, you're likely to get about a hundred different takes on the show. Hope the DEMA team is listening to some of the critiques and continues to work to make the show better each year.

[cerich]

Perhaps the most surprising thing to me was the complete lack of interaction by the DEMA board members with the vendors. At the regional show I do every year the organizers of the event and the show officers make it a point to visit every vendor and ask them how things are going and what can they do to make the show better. I saw no DEMA muckety muck do that. At least none came by the HOG booth unbidden while I was there. Complete disconnect.

most likely my fault...you were in my booth....

[Jim Lapenta]

And I would not have wanted to be anywhere else given the response and the fun I had with everyone else there.