ISE

I am not whining, just sayin the facts. I got in FREE, parked for FREE, only bought tackle to support a local vendor, and lunch for the kids. I was not entertained to the level I expected. I wont be going back next year, even though I can go for free. I would rather spend my time with my children in the outdoors, than explaining to them why the show was less than expected in the advertised and pre-conceived notion of the event. (I avoided saying sucked)

Hmmm...how do I respond to that? It has the feel of a personal attack, but I have a thick enough skin to deal with it. I could get my feathers ruffled and get snippy, but that would be fueling the fire so to speak. I'll try not to do that. The attitude that the customer is to blame because the product (the ISE show) isn't selling as well as it did in the past is confusing to me. In business things change. It seems that maybe the market is changing and maybe not for the better. The industry has to adapt to survive. Period! Blaming the customer doesn't help.

Please understand that my intent was not to blame the vendor for the degradation of the show quality. I have worked a booth at the ISE. I understand that it's not all it's cracked up to be. I get it. I would venture a guess based on what I've been told that it's harder than it used to be. Booth space rental price has gone up a bunch. Fuel Prices are up. Just about everything else too. It all adds up to enough to drive down the number of vendors. This makes for a smaller show. Less excitement for the customer...less customers. It's tough. I don't dispute that, but please don't blame the customer.

If my spending level doesn't meet your approval, then maybe you're right. I should stay home. I'm trying not to get too worked up, but that's the emotional response that came to mind when I read the post. The post seemed hypocritical to me. If you can't stand customers, get out of the customer service industry. Sorry, but maybe a change of career would make you much happier.

It seems that maybe you're a little high brow for us common folk anyway.

Nothing personal, I didn't want it to be a personal attack. I just heard whining like that from passers by at the Sacramento show last weekend, and I wanted to rip their eyes out. I can't stand negativity. You get out of a Sport show exactly what you put into in. If you just go there just  to drink beer, $8 bucks is too much to spend for what you are getting there. Yep, I agree. I am amazed at how much "stuff" people walk right by and never see. I didn't mean for it to be a personal attack, but I'm going to be very sad to see the Sport/Boat Show industry go under, and we can't blame it on the economy/government. It is consumer apathy. We control our own destiny. I decided I was not going to participate in any recessions. I was going to look at the glass on the half full side. I've had my best years income and life wise so far.  Businesses, our economy and our country are getting destroyed by the "empty glass" people.

Booth space isn't that much in the grand scheme of things, neither is fuel. Not when people still line up at Starbucks to chug $4 coffee. 

Think of how much innovation in just Kayak fishing has happened in the last 5 years. I never would have considered getting in Tupperware and fishing if I hadn't seen some crazy guys named Mooch and ChuckE paddling around in a pool at ISE San Mateo 4 years ago. (I thought they were crazy, then I found out they were crazy like a fox.  ) Yes, I probably MIGHT have found out about it on the internet, but if I didn't go to a sport show and see it in action and then see a guy on Rodman Slough on Clear Lake a few weeks later, I'd never known the pleasure of kayak fishing.

I found out about NCKA at an ISE show.

I found out about Clavey, Aquan, Adventure Sports, Hi's Tackle and CC&K all because they were at the ISE or SF Sport and Boat Shows.

EVERY boat I have ever purchased, whether human or gas powered, was because I saw it at a sport show first and got to see, touch and discuss pros and cons with the rep. Not one of my 7 lifetime boats was purchased AT a sport or boat show.

Just going to a Sport show and viewing the different artwork is worth the cost of admission. I have become a collector of Dan Rickard, Robert Steiner, Joe Tomelleri and Mike Stidham prints because of sport shows ( I buy those at the show, and have shipped to my house custom framed, signed and matted.

I learned about Traeger barbecues from a sport show (you don't know what you are missing if you don't have one of these)

I plan my booth time around the seminars I want to see. I learn new spots, locations, equipment and techniques from guys at the cutting edge of their game. I learned froggin and drop shottin from Bobby Barrack and Randy Pringle before those hillbillies from Alabama knew about it, AT A SPORT SHOW.  I learned how to fish the bay for stripers and sturgeon from the Cuanang brothers.

I spend more than an hour at the Lowrance booth each year. I have taken their free training classes. They have made me a loyal customer because they are at all the shows. It is stuff you can't learn in a Big 5 from the surly wench they forced to help you that has never fished a day in her life, nor used a fish finder.

I don't work for ISE, and yes, I have seen better run shows, but they could have the BEST show in the world, and if you the customer doesn't show up, the vendors don't come back and the SPORT/BOAT show gets replaced with a bridal fair, flea market, Jehovahs Witness convention...and we lose out. I get excited when sport show season comes around every year. It will be sad to see them go away.

Come to Portland in two weeks to the O'laughlin show and see me. We'll be catching Springers in the Columbia before the show starts every morning ( learned about that at a seminar.) I'll buy ya a beer and give ya a cookie.

Interesting info. I work for a clothing company and we recently lost our biggest industry trade show. ASR, every company was there, every year, not open to general public.  Last few years it had shrank a little bit, but still big. ASR has closed it doors, i was shocked.

I would have loved to have gone, but i am already suffering from gas prices from my dailey commute, i couldnt see spending the money when i dont have it. 90% may be employed, but most are still barely makin it. Food, shelter and family first. Sign of the times. Sorry to hear these shows have taken a hit too. Good luck in Oregon, hope its a good turn out.

With all due respect, its my money and I'll decide what is worthy of spending it on (and the only sucky events I will spend it on and be happy I did so is Raider games  ). 

We lost the ISE and Fred Hall shows in the bay area and to be honest.....I haven't really noticed it. I did take my nephew down to a local pond to fish carp for a couple hours though.  When we came home I found him in the side yard pitching plastic worms into a coffee can so he can get better at fishing structure for bass.  IMO thats gonna play a bigger role in continuing the sporting traditions than going to an Exposition.
 
To start, the demise of fishing has more to do with increased regulation and reduced opportunities than fading fishing shows.  Fishing is expensive, the rules are complex, the seasons are short and the F&G department that manages our resources is too heavily influenced by politics and money.  If there's any headway to be gained in the political arena from shows its gonna be from drawing in "new" anglers by providing an introduction to the sport thus growing the fishing population.  The response from hardcore anglers is that it pretty much sucks due to the lack of return on our investment....if a hardcore fisherman thinks it sucks do you really think the average joe is gonna walk away stoked???
The population aint gonna grow by prying money out of wallets.

Secondly, top priority for me when going was to see gear that wasn't available at the local tackle shops and buy gear at discounted prices.  I feel satisfied walking away with bags full of junk I bought cheaper than I woulda got at a shop.  I'm that simple of a person and thats why I used to go, to save money.

I do believe they have other entertainment value but do not believe the price of gas/entrance/parking/beer/crappy food offsets that entertainment value.  Thats why I feel that a smaller show on the docks or in a harbor would be a greater success than a cow palace type venue.


I'm curious, was the "we're all whiners" vibe shared by other vendors?

Okay...now I've had a chance to cool my jets a little. I apologize if my last post was a little harsh.

Troutnut,
If we end up somewhere together I'll buy you a beer. No hard feelings. Sometimes I get worked up a little too easily. 

I'm not sure what can be done at these shows to bring in the numbers of customers it will take to make it a thriving venture again. I see the value in that type of venue. Maybe some good old fashioned thinking outside the box is in order. Someone may find a way to bring back a higher level of interest.

Thinking about what you said, I have seen some cool stuff there that opened my eyes to new things. I did get my first look at the Ocean Kayak 4.7 Ultra. That was cool. 

I used to take a day off work to go to the show just to beat the weekend crowds.
My reason for going was to check out new gear. It was like having all my favorite things under one roof. I felt like a kid in a candy store.
It was also fun to BS with people who share the same interest.
Here it is almost 4AM and I can do that right now sitting here on my @ss and not have to pay for gas or parking.
If there is something I want to check out I can find it on the internet.
I can get more unbiased opinions on all kinds of gear right here than I could at any ISE show.
I have met more people who share the same interests as me right here on this site than any ISE show.
I can get info on any kind of fishing in the world right here right now.
I can shop more vendors right now than I can at any ISE show.
Granted it is still great to check things out 'hands on', but I can spend my money on gas, get free parking and drive to a Cabela's, Scheel's or Bass Pro Shop any day I want to if I want the 'hands on' experience.
I think the internet has more to do with the poor showing at the ISE show than anything else.
I have not attended the ISE show for the last 2 or 3 years because of the reasons I have mentioned.

I agree wiht Tote. Al Gore and his internet thing has killed retail, and also shows in general. Not just ISE, but many, many types of business and retail type shows. I shop on line all the time because I need to save a buck anytime I can. Never worried too much before, but now that I really am not working very much, I do what I can to save. I'm part of the problem, not spending locally as much as I used to. The big part of my industry was killed by the housing bust. As well as a lot of other peoples livelyhood. It all trickles down to disposable income, and there is not as much out there.

they could have the BEST show in the world, and if you the customer doesn't show up, the vendors don't come back and the SPORT/BOAT show gets replaced

Capitalism on display. That's the way it's SUPPOSED TO WORK.

If you look at the responses, the show isn't competing with other options and isn't providing the value people expect. I've written some great software in the past that people just weren't smart enough to appreciate   .  It's not a matter of a glass half empty/full, sometimes the glass is just twice as big as it needs to be.

I can see some valid points TN, but please don't confuse consumer choice for "consumer apathy".  If these venues are about entertainment, then it's obvious the cost of attending the show does not outweigh the benefit of attendance.  Blaming the customer for a product that is not selling?  You may want to rethink your business model.

I am glad to here you've been able to overcome these obstacles and are having a great year though.  Tight lines.

Looks like some folks had a nice time at the ISE.
Pictures from the Sacramento Bee.

Enjoy,
Al

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/01/22/3344341/snapshots-sportsmans-expo-jan.html

Thanks Al!

First off, I don't work for ISE, and have nothing to do with the show production.

I'm just gonna call it what it is... a self-fulfilling prophecy. You want it to suck, so it does.

So instead of a sport show in the bay area at San Mateo  this year, you all got a girl's volleyball tourney instead. Still cost $10 bucks to park at the San Mateo fairgrounds, but at least the apathetic consumer could get in for free. Maybe next year in Sacramento it will be a bridal fair. Or they could bulldoze the place and put in a new $750 MILLION DOLLAR arena for the Sacto Kings to play in, and charge you $400 a seat and $55 bucks to park. Sacto city council has been pushing that idea for a couple of years.

I think consumer apathy is dragging our economy into a deeper recession, not just anglers. Americans have forgotten what a powerful economic  force we are. They would rather play video game, sit around the house and be depressed all the time than participate in life. Some of us have turned off the TV and will make our fortunes during the recession, while others will just complain about it. We have the key to stop the recession, we have to stop reliving the past and move forward. I can't tell you how many people I know that have started their own businesses in the last 3 years, when they saw the writing on the wall that they are VERY replaceable as a worker drone. They aren't suffering in this economy, my best friend who was a Wonder Bread driver three years ago and now has a beverage distributorship is right now fishing on Midway Island, he NEVER could have afforded that on his salary. My brother and his buddy Larry and Larry's GF bought a lodge up in Forks, Wash. 3 years ago and they guide salmon and steelhead fishermen, their lodge is pre-booked with a waiting list for the whole year already. Lots of people have moved on, California is dragging the national economy down.

But believing that the consumer show is dead is joke. There is an auto show in Portland this weekend, the cars were backed up onto the freeway to get in. Have you ever tried to get a ticket to Comic Con? The 4 day badges are sold out already and that show isn't until July! Maybe the couch potato, PETA lovin', MLPA lovin' geeks are going to be successful in taking over the world.

BTW- nothing new at the show?
Sage rod Co.  - more than 50 new items, more than 1/4 of their line was new.
Rio Products- 50+ new products
Simms waders- 25+ new items
Dan Rickards had a nice new print for my wall, it will be delivered this week to my house. He has 5 or six new ones EVERY YEAR.
There are so many new fly patterns available, I still can't remember them all. (but I 've got 2 new hot ones for me.)

lol....the customer is always wrong, california is a parasite, we're lazy video game playin couch potatoes, come and spend your money on a product that no longer provides much value and shut up be happy.



I think your just diggin yourself deeper there nut.  Nobody said consumer shows are dead....we said the ISE has sucked.   If you're seeing the auto show packin em in and can't get tickets to comic con that tells me that their shows do not suck and people are provided with a product worth paying for.  I'm no economic genius or harvard mba but if attendance is down....don't you think the ISE should step up there game and make changes  to draw people in??? 

I keep reading your post and your attitude just blows me away.  I wouldn't patriate restaurants that serve sh*tty food, wouldn't purchase poorly made products if I've been burned by the company before and I wouldn't try to buy a 4 day badge to comic con.....mainly cause I'm not a geek but thats beside the point.  The problem is not the consumer.....its the product.  I'm not gonna pay for a sh*tty product that offers me no value.  Of course thats just my opinion, it differs from yours but mine seems to have the majority on its side.