DEMA - What the hell?!

[Fred R.]

The OP mentions that he has had many hobbies, and they all have shows. I have been in many businesses in the years before I settled on Scuba as a profession, and all busnesses have ‘Professional’ shows. Whether the business was photography, security, fashion or perfume, there were shows designed for ‘professional only’.

There are many consumer level SCUBA shows around the US and world. If you want to see the latest, I know you are invited and encouraged to go to them.

While I may or may not agree with DEMA’s directors on the direction they are taking the convention, it is designed to be a professional only show, which should make it of little interest to the consumer. It is where professional’s go for training updates, gear servicing seminars, and to talk to their reps in the business (who neglected them the rest of the year) and get their orders in line for the coming year.

Attending DEMA is very expensive for almost all of the attendees. Dive professionals from all over the world flock in (or should I say ‘school’?) The discussion is of business, “What are the terms of my insurance?”, “Do those books come in German?”, “What is the delivery time?”, “Let me help you through that credit application” and so on.

The show runs for four days, or 32 hours of convention floor time. I don’t know about other attendees, but that show usually costs me about $250 per floor hour to attend. The attendees cannot afford to have anyone at the show that will slow down the pace of business.

If you want to go to a show where you can hang out with divers, see the latest stuff, go to seminars on how to edit you underwater pictures and that sort of thing, look to the regional dive shows,
Ocean Festival Dive and Adventure Sports Expo ...
Ocean Festival Dive and Adventure Sports Expo is sponsored by the Greater Ft. Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce and the Beach Council ....
http://www.oceanfest.com
Our World Under-Water...
The Our World-Underwater program is dedicated to presenting the latest and most exciting information on international travel and SCUBA diving. ...
http://www.ourworldunderwater.com
Seaspace Adventure Sports and Travel Exposition...
Founded in 1969, Seaspace is acknowledged to be the finest Adventure Exposition in the Southwest USA. This creative and colorful event combines exotic travel, adventure sports, scuba diving .......
http://www.seaspace.org

Scuba Show
June 2 - 3
Long Beach, California
mail@saintbrendan.com
http://www.saintbrendan.com/

Scuba Show
June 2 - 3
Long Beach, California
mail@saintbrendan.com
http://www.saintbrendan.com/
Georgia Dive Show
May 19 - 20
Holiday Inn Select Atlanta Capital Conference Center
Atlanta, GA
http://www.georgiadiveshow.com/
Sea Space
March 31 - April 1
Houston, Texas
seaspace@seaspace.org
http://www.seaspace.org/

Beneath The Sea
March 23 - 25
Secaucus, New Jersey
info@BeneathTheSea.org
http://www.beneaththesea.org/

Just to name a few.

 

[Garrobo]

Look, it's about 150 variations of the same old stuff anyway. Nothing new or exceptional will be shown that the general diving public would be interested in anyway.

 

[Tom Winters]

At any DEMA, there are only x amount of hours for face-to-face schmoozing. Even with the internet, there's still nothing like actually kicking the tires of new gear and talking in person with the people on the websites.
There has been a huge shift towards the travel end of diving - the big equipment guys don't really need DEMA, but the smaller guys sure do.
Let the general public in and it all b o g sssssssssssssssssss down. Plus the third day is deal day there.

 

[John_B]

In the musical instrument business, the NAMM trade show has the exact same restrictions. Since the manufacturers basically sell to resellers/wholesalers/retailers, that's who they want at their show.

John

 

[tonka97]

Come on, it's not that hard to have a 3 day show with the first 2 days restricted to trade professionals only and the last day open to the general public. I think they're missing the boat with this one.

+1

also +1 on "scubatoys rock".

 

[SteveC]

Ouch !!! 32x$250= $8000.
I’m sure your talking about taking half the staff from the dive shop with you, but that’s still a lot of “party time” money there.
I attend the IMTS in Chicago. It completely fills the McCormick Place. If anyone has ever been to a convention there you know how big of an event this is. It cost $20 to attend and everyone is welcome. I am treated by the manufactures just as good as anyone else, because they know I’m going to go back home and tell my boss about there product.
The manufactures at DEMA also would love to see the consumer there. It’s the LDS that doesn’t want us there.
But ultimately your right. I do have better things to do with my time than attend DEMA. It’s just the principal of the thing that is always going to rub the divers wrong.

 

[Kim]

The manufactures at DEMA also would love to see the consumer there. It’s the LDS that doesn’t want us there.

Manufacturers simply want to sell as much product as possible - first to cover set production costs of tooling, wages etc, and then to make some money. They NEED their outlets, and they NEED to talk to them.

If X company has it's plant in ABC city, is everyone really going to go there to buy product?

As for the "2 days for them, 1 for us" argument....

So....we have to take our kids with us to every social event we attend? Or let them in for the last hour? That would be ridiculous IMO. Just as complaining about pro shows is. Of course kids feel left out....think they're grown up enough to attend....etc.

Place and time people....place and time.

Go to the shows that are meant for you. If they get big enough, the manufacturers notice and they pump more money into them. They're running businesses.

 

[SteveC]

The last time we had this conversation you were on the divers side.... why did ya bail?

At any DEMA, there are only x amount of hours for face-to-face schmoozing. Even with the internet, there's still nothing like actually kicking the tires of new gear and talking in person with the people on the websites.
There has been a huge shift towards the travel end of diving - the big equipment guys don't really need DEMA, but the smaller guys sure do.
Let the general public in and it all b o g sssssssssssssssssss down. Plus the third day is deal day there.

 

[STV_Keith]

I agree. I'm in the auto industry, and I can't imagine working an auto show that was "industry pro's" only! The whole idea is to present your product to a broad base of people and start some "buzz"

Actually, the auto industry has SEMA, which is not open to the general public. There are so many people there already, I would imagine it was be useless if the general public were there as well.

Here's a pic from last years' SEMA show...

 

[Bob3]

Some of the crankier wholesalers & manufacturers won't even bother talking to DEMA attendees unless they're wearing a "BUYER" badge. If your badge is "turned around" & they can't see the face of it, they'll ask you to turn it over before talking with you. They're looking for the $$$.
If it wasn't a lot of other great folks there that I get a chance to see only once a year I wouldn't bother going.
Your mileage may vary.