Who Needs Trade Shows?

Among the great memories of my life are computer trade shows, especially Comdex. Just the other day I was telling my son about one year where I got so excited, the day before the show, that I walked from the Tropicana (where I was staying) all the way downtown and back -- about 20 miles. Then I covered 10 venues, switching to sneakers only on the third day.

But I was younger then. And stupider.

Now I wonder why trade shows exist at all. And so does the industry. Does anyone miss Comdex? I don't. Will anyone miss E3? I won't.

For the most part trade shows are being replaced by conferences and sales calls. There just aren't that many small buyers anymore. But there is a continuing need for people to learn.

Conferences are great. They usually don't require a suit. You can usually get a room in the same place as the conference, or at least nearby.

The only trouble with conferences is they can't fill places like my beloved Georgia World Congress Center. But that's...okay.