Pre-PMA/Do Big Photo Tradeshows Matter?
This year’s trip to Las Vegas might very well be my last trip to the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) trade show for a while.
With the economy in a global recession, Vegas becoming an expensive place to be any time of year. Add to that the lack of genuinely new or exciting photo products, and trade shows like PMA are harder to justify.
There doesn’t seem to be as much excitement this year. Perhaps it’s a bit of trade show fatigue. In January (around the time of MacWorld) PPA (the Professional Photographers of America) had their trade show. WPPI (the Wedding & Portrait Photographers International) just held their big show in Vegas less than two weeks ago. It wasn’t that long ago (last October) that we had Photokina and then there was Photo East in New York.
Now throw in the practice by the photo companies of issuing a plethora of “Pre-PMA” news releases that make going to the actual show a dubious investment.
With a few possible exceptions, i.e., small companies with innovative product but no budget for a big PR firm to help them “spill the beans” early, or maybe Nikon surprising us with info on the alleged D400, there doesn’t seem to be much we don’t already know.
We’ve seen all the manufacturers come out with lists of new compact point and shoots. There are too many for me to care about. There are a couple of possible standouts from lesser-known companies like Samsung and Ricoh. But there’s nothing currently announced to take on the G9/G10 or LX3.
In the way of lenses, we have a new 35mm prime from Nikon and a couple of new super wide T/S lenses from Canon.
None of the larger companies are announcing new camera bodies (yet.)
So in short, we kind of know what is coming. Is anyone excited?
I used to get excited this time of year. It used to mean that there was new stuff coming. Not so much anymore. I polled dozens of people I know who usually visit PMA. Only three of them besides me are going this year, and those going are only going for a day or two instead of the entire show.
Don’t get me wrong. I am committed to being there this year. I’ve got my credentials. I’ve booked my flight, reserved my room and scheduled lots of meetings with vendors. I’m giving a talk at the show to some of the manufacturers during the conference sessions, and I plan on providing full coverage of anything cool and meaningful right here on the blog.
Alex and I plan on getting together to do some audio and video coverage on Wednesday at the show. I’ll also be attending a few of the conference sessions and doing some networking. I hope those are worth my time.
But unless something changes – unless the conference sessions and networking are fantastic – I might just post the press releases next year. It will give me more time to write and shoot and edit. If I’m thinking like that, how many others are thinking like that and what does it mean for the future of the big photo trade show?
If you plan on attending, let me know in the comments section. And let me know what you hope to get out of the show. If you’re not attending but there’s something you’d like to see me cover, let me know that too.
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I don’t find it worthwhile to go to tradeshows unless there are also quality instructors/speakers at the booths.
Between WPPI 2008 and 2009 very little changed in terms of products and services. I only found it worthwhile the second time because I had just launched my own business. The first year was great for all the new gear out on the market. The excitement is gone.
Maybe if attendance drops, the companies will rethink what they offer.
At least you get a bit of a vacation :)
I’ve been to electronic shows in the past, and I find that the best stuff doesn’t come from the big players. Sure it would be great to see new camera bodies and get hands-on experience, but visiting the little guys with booths tucked away in the corners often is much more interesting.
All of the big companies put out press releases weeks in advance, leaving no stone unturned when you walk through the doors of the trade show. Hard to get really excited about that. For PMA this year its mostly just the P&S refresh, which isn’t too exciting anyhow for me.
This will be my first PMA, but like all the other trade shows I usually attend (CES, NAB) it may be my last as well. I have to say, I guess i am excited about getting some hands-on with things that have drawn my attention in the press.
Also, having spent the last year more fully immersed in the photography community than ever before, I look forward to meeting a lot of the individuals that I have only met online.
That said, I haven’t seen rooms in Las Vegas cheaper in a long time, so it’s a rather small investment. At the very least, maybe I’ll cross paths with you guys on the show floor and then I can call the show a success, regardless of everything else.
Cheers,
Steve
Hi Scott, Kim G. from way back when in NetRadio days. I wish I was coming to PMA, but not this year. But, one of my advisory clients, FrameMedia from Boston will be in attendance talking about its FrameChannel running in network-enabled digital photo frames and other devices this year.
I hear you about the big shows. They can certainly be tedious, especially if you’re working. BUT… where else can you get close to the many smaller companies that churn out some really neat stuff? The last conference I attended was PhotoPlus (Photo East) in NYC and really enjoyed the education, the networking and seeing what people are doing in this fantastic field of photography. Yes, my feelings would probably change if I attended MacWorld, WPPI, etc., but I’d really like to be at PMA. It’s just not in my schedule this year.
I think the lack of response on this thread shows my basic point is right on. We got about 100 comments on two threads about SD v. CF cards – five on the thread about the largest photo trade show in the US.