Marketing: Are we ok, or do we need help?

[The Chairman]

There is no larger scale group that's going to promote diving.

There is, but they suck at it. They are great to produce a once a year show for everyone to get together, but they don't have an RJP on their staff to actually market Scuba to the world. That would be fine if they weren't the Dive Equipment and Marketing Association. I just want them to live up to their name.

 

[SeaHorse81]

I, like most divers I'm sure, know very little about DEMA. Except for knowing people who are directly involved with it, I don't know how I'd have ever heard of it at all. This shows that whatever DEMA is doing to communicate to the masses, they missed me, and I'm even a diver already.

My honest question is, does the "marketing" part of their name really apply to "diving" or more just to "equipment." They seem to me to be sort of about networking the producers in some very limited way, but outreach to the bigger world seems minimal at best, and ineffective in any event. Do they actually hold themselves forth as diving's ambassador to the world, or is it just that many dive businesses wish they would do that?

In any event, it has appeared all along that the best chance any dive business has of stabilizing itself will be more a product of its own focused efforts than the result of some more global campaign that feeds the business new customers.

 

[The Chairman]

DEMA used to stand for Dive Equipment Manufacturing Association, but they changed that to include travel destinations. It got so bad in the past years, that some industry long timers started to refer to the DEMA Show as the "Travel, Trinkets and Training Show". That change preceded ScubaBoard and I don't have any opinion on that.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

DEMA used to stand for Dive Equipment Manufacturing Association, but they changed that to include travel destinations. It got so bad in the past years, that some industry long timers started to refer to the DEMA Show as the "Travel, Trinkets and Training Show". That change preceded ScubaBoard and I don't have any opinion on that.

Pretty soon the DEMA show will shrink to the point that they won't be able to justify or afford the Vegas Convention Center and that will be it.

 

[The Chairman]

Eric,

They do the "show" halfway decently. That's the only thing they have going for them. Orlando was "slim" in numbers of people, but most I talked to thought they sold a lot during the show. Apart from the show, they major in the minors. They have ignored the internet and frankly, it's my opinion that they have actively gone out of their way to impede ScubaBoard's growth.

 

[SeaHorse81]

it's my opinion that they have actively gone out of their way to impede ScubaBoard's growth.

What power do they have to do that, Pete?

 

[The Chairman]

What power do they have to do that, Pete?

I didn't say they were effective. Thank goodness that they couldn't buy a clue when it comes to the internet They just go out of their way to avoid ScubaBoard. Here's just one example. You'll see that DEMA does some marketing with Scuba Radio, with Dive News Wire as well as with others. No biggie as I feel they should interact with all Scuba related media. They won't do anything with us. We've tried to GIVE them free advertising and they tell me that their lawyers object to having anything posted here on ScubaBoard. I'm not making this up. They have even gone as far as telling one of our users not to post any DEMA News Releases here on ScubaBoard. Heck, I even put up an event banner that sent people to the DEMA web site. It didn't cost them a thing but they told me to take it down immediately or they would initiate litigation. You know how I hate litigation and litigators in general. I can say that ScubaBoard has thrived in spite of DEMA's efforts but not because of them. It's worth noting that we've been a paid member since 2002 or 2003.

 

[SeaHorse81]

Thanks for the clarification. That does seem like some pretty avoidant action. Too bad, because it would seem to be a collaboration that could be beneficial to all involved, and to diving in general. :depressed:

 

[Doppler]

Oh, God... DEMA again. Oh well.

Many years ago, I did some consulting work for a publishing company that made its money from running trade shows. There's a bit more to it than that -- they published trade magazines/journals and other materials directly related to the shows. This was before TimBL rolled out the internet changing just about everything. But whatever...

The company made money. Its shows were extremely successful at matching buyers with sellers. Its magazines had a healthy percentage of advertising in every issue... show issues made a tonne of money.

At no time did any of its publications, editorial boards, publishers, group publishers or show managers tout themselves as "the united voice that speaks on behalf of the [trade] and its operational function is to create focused programs that positively affect the industry."

They owned up to what they were... a TRADE SHOW OPERATION. This association is my best shot at presenting credentials to say what comes next.

DEMA, promotes itself as "an international organization dedicated to the promotion and growth of the recreational scuba diving and snorkeling industry. With more than 1,300 members, this non-profit, global organization promotes scuba diving through consumer awareness programs and media campaigns such as the national Be a Diver campaign; diver retention initiatives such as DiveCaching; and an annual trade-only event for businesses in the scuba diving, action watersports and adventure/dive-travel industries, DEMA Show."

Well, the last part is truthful. DEMA exists to operate an annual TRADE show. It promotes its inclusion in the "top 250 Trade Show listings" on the Trade Show News Network (a subscriber-run organization), and every year publishes a listing that shows the number of attendees, exhibitors and number of booths. (You can see them here DEMA Show Comparative Statistics - The Diving Equipment & Marketing Association)

Missing from the mix, is a comprehensive statistical analysis of DEMA's performance/success in its stated mandate to promote growth of the recreational diving and snorkeling industry (Diver Acquisition & Retention - The Diving Equipment & Marketing Association). But let's focus only on the show.

What I have never seen from DEMA for its members or its target attendees are any materials to help either or both groups get the most from TRADE SHOW attendance. One might argue that TRADE SHOWS are passe and have little value... but these artifacts of an earlier sales and promotion model CAN have value.

However, to make them work, most SHOW professionals suggest serious planning, promotion, use of on-site/at-show tools and post-show actions. Some show organizers and TRADE SHOW JOURNALS offer help to the trade to make sure these things are understood and evaluated.

DEMA does little to help its members on this score in my opinion.

DEMA is a failure. Pure and simple. It neither lives up to its promises, nor do its actions indicate it understands the concerns of its constituents.


If you are part of this industry, my suggestion is to forget DEMA and move on. Develop a marketing strategy that does not include anything remotely connected to DEMA and its self-serving schemes.

 

[Wookie]

If you are part of this industry, my suggestion is to forget DEMA and move on. Develop a marketing strategy that does not include anything remotely connected to DEMA and its self-serving schemes.

Would you find an annual get together of the players in some other sort of fashion to be equally as effective? I go to DEMA because of the parties. Not because I like to party, but because I do far more business on the dance floor than I do the show floor. As I say, BTS is a close second for me, and I do more business at the show than I do at the DEMA show. What would you replace DEMA with?