DEMA Festival in Ft Lauderdale still on?

[deeper thoughts]

I was thinking of driving to the Baltimore show until I checked the exhibitor list. Not very impressive at all.

Keep checking this should be very well attended. We will see

 

[Scubagirlfl]

"Blue Wild Open Ocean Adventure Expo"= Spearguns,spearguns & more spearguns exhibitors/manufacturers..... sorry NOT- for me.

 

[BDSC]

Looks like DEMA called off the water, sports, and travel show.

 

[rcontrera]

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​

The Diving Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA) has announced that it has canceled plans for the Water, Sports and Travel Festival which was originally scheduled for spring of 2013.

According to Tom Ingram, Executive Director of DEMA, "The Water, Sports and Travel Festival could only be conducted with the full support of the diving industry, including dive retailers, scuba manufacturers and training organizations. The cross marketing concept, originally introduced in 2011 at the DEMA Membership Meeting as a way to reach potential new diving customers, was initially embraced by diving equipment manufacturers, dive training organizations and dive travel providers, as well as by associations and companies in the board sports and water craft industries. Unfortunately, even after several changes to the proposed Festival structure, including prohibiting life support equipment sales by exhibitors, the Festival concept has not generated sufficient support from the diving business community."

"After listening to stakeholders in the Diving Industry, and encountering various ongoing objections, the DEMA Board has determined that plans to stage the Festival should be ended now, prior to reaching important deadlines in the event's production cycle," stated Stephen Ashmore, President of the DEMA Board. "We appreciate those companies that signed on immediately and have continued to support the vision of the Festival, and we hope all Members will join us in determining future investment opportunities for DEMA to promote recreational diving and bring in new diving customers."

DEMA will directly reach out to contracted Festival exhibitors and partners regarding cancellation of the event to process accounts. Exhibitors can also contact DEMA at wstfest@dema.org.








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[The Chairman]

Is this death by Social Media? I have often pointed out that in the Scuba Industry there is a 'If I don't sell it, teach it or dive it, it must be crap" mentality. The people at DEMA sure seem to think that about Social Media! The people who were against it from the very beginning felt blind sided by it. There were no substantive discussions leading up to the decision and it freaked a lot of the locals out. Two in particular led the charge and they did a lot of that through Social Media. It was guerrilla, it was persistent and it was brilliant. In short, it worked and the show has been cancelled. That you probably can't name the perpetrators shows how effective this was. DEMA knows who they are, and they probably won't forgive them quickly. So far, I have found them to be rather vindictive when it comes to Social Media.

DEMA does a great show every year, but the rest of their efforts have been miss and miss (no hit). Their "Good ol' Boy" process has failed them on most every endeavor. Why? Well, they aren't effectively representing our Scuba Community. Look here on ScubaBoard for a single post from DEMA. You won't find any because we aren't a part of the Good ol' Boys club. You won't even find a press release from DEMA here: not even in our Business to Business section. Those that do their press releases have been told to keep them off of ScubaBoard. No, I'm not making this up and I have asked, yet I have yet to receive an answer. In the past they have claimed that their lawyers told them that it would be exposing them to some sort of liability. That's a load of Bull. They have a Facebook page. They created it when I pointed out that they didn't. They do a lot with other media sources... just not with ScubaBoard. What a shame that they would cut off their nose to spite their face.

DEMA, it's time to wake up and smell the Social Media. We're a far better ally than enemy.

 

[deeper thoughts]

So I guess it is off to NJ

 

[Julieofthesea]

I heard the demise was lead by two people... and I was logging on here to see if I could figure out who they were. Tell me, tell me.

NetDoc, DEMA not wanting to post here is probably stings a bit for you. I think a web forum is probably a scary unknown outlet for some. They will catch on with them eventually. Social media is powerful and here to stay.

 

[The Chairman]

Them avoiding ScubaBoard hurts them way more than it ever might affect my feelings. Ya, rly! I don't dislike them a bit. In fact, I have tried to help in the past: even with their Ft Lauderdale show. We are growing in a manner many in the industry envy. I want to see the whole industry benefit from that.

 

[HowardE]

Let's be realistic... Look at the proposed show floor plan. 23 rows of booths to fill the entire Broward Country Convention Center floor... really? It was a lofty goal, and they fell short.

The demise is simple. They couldn't sell it to the big scuba companies, nor could they sell it outside of scuba industry. The limited interest in participating seemed to be some travel companies, and a few local dive operations and dive shops. It doesn't have to do with social media acceptance, it has to do simply with not being able to sell enough booths to break even.

Would social media have changed the way that potentially the yamahas, seadoos, and other watercraft companies would have viewed the show? Maybe? But I could also say that it's because of solar flares, and at this point, who could argue I'm wrong.

Let's face it. Compared to the other industries who were supposed to be involved. Dive is small potatoes, and DEMA is the king of that. The annual DEMA show is what it is... I'll continue to attend it knowing what it is. I don't expect any more from DEMA as an organization.

 

[cerich]

Howard.....then can you explain why the Blue Wild show being held in the same space is sold out? The venue is a great one for a well run dive lifestyle show. It wasn't the venue or the size of the hall or the small size of our industry that was the problem. DEMA is the problem.