COMDEX Cancelled Again

An anonymous reader noted that COMDEX has been cancelled for the second year in a row. And meanwhile, thousands of IT professionals rejoice that they won't be again exposed to strange strains of viruses that their immune system can't handle.

Regroup again?

[lecithin]

Last year I figured that it was a good idea to take a year off.

This year I wonder if it will ever come back. I also wonder just how many people really don't care.

Outlived its usefulness

[crimethinker]

Nowadays, you go to a specialized show, such as Embedded Systems Conference (just got back; it was TEH R0X0RZ), Game Developer's Conference, etc. I've also noticed that larger vendors are becoming enamoured of running their own shows, i.e. WindRiver Developers' Conference, Microsoft PDC, and others. Could this be so that they have your rapt attention, and no competition across the aisle in the exhibit hall?

I went to Comdex a few times in the mid 90's, and while there were some neat things to see (hardware MPEG decoder cards had just become widely available, with several vendors showing off their various models), it was just too crowded and too unfocused. Wander two aisles over, and instead of multimedia hardware, you were at the cheap PC case makers. Even a few large LED manufacturers set up booths. WTF? I'm sure LED's are important, but how large of an audience can you get at Comdex for a commodity product like LED's?

It's time to move on, and let Comdex die. I'd insert a "Netcraft confirms it" troll/joke here, but I'm sure somebody's already dedicated an entire post to it.

-paul

Maybe a good thing?

[Steinfiend]

It might actually be a good thing that this is being cancelled. From the article they state one of the reasons is that the promoters are moving towards smaller, but more targeted shows.

Comdex comes from a time when consumer grade computing was still in it infancy, so a general cover all everything show was possible, and a good idea. Now, with the field being so huge it's probably better to not try and cover the entire market in one go.

I want my IT people to have grounding in the entire computer field, but to be very specific to their field in detail. I want my network security people to eat and sleep network security and my hardware people to dream of nothing but hardware.

Re:Whatcha talkin 'bout Willis?

[wedding]

It's probably a reference to the fact that five days in recirculated air eating too much and drinking too much is never good for your body. I've attended Autodesk University at the MGM Grand for the past five years, and EVERY SINGLE TIME I get sick the week after. Your body just doesn't tolerate that environment well if you're not acclimated.

Re:Maybe a good thing?

[gtrubetskoy]

I want my IT people to have grounding in the entire computer field, but to be very specific to their field in detail. I want my network security people to eat and sleep network security and my hardware people to dream of nothing but hardware.

Spoken like a true PHB!

Product life-cycles changed

[Ruprecht the Monkeyb]

Inevitable, I think. Back in the day, before the dark times, before the Empire, I mean, before the internet, Comdex was one of the few places IT professionals could go to see new hardware, software demonstrations, etc. Because it was so big, companies geared their release schedules so that their new gee-whiz stuff would come out right before or right after Fall Comdex (and to a lesser extent, Spring Comdex).

Then, along comes the internet, and companies had an easy way to disseminate new product information, software demos, etc., on a year round basis. Companies became less inclined to hold new releases for Comdex, and the show becames less important (and much less useful).

Of course, marketing it so that it appealed to the PHB's who looked at it as an excuse to spend a week in Vegas further diluted its appeal to the tech crowd.

Same thing happened to the auto industry -- it used to be that they focused all their energy on the new model year (starting in September, if I remember). Now, although most of the major manufacturers still release new models in the fall, it's become more of a year round effort.

Seriously? Big whoop.

[jht]

I think last year, some folks were wondering "what's going to happen without COMDEX? Well, the tech world kept on going, products still hit the market, and everything carried on fine without it.

Like a few people have said, the smaller, more focused shows are doing OK (Linuxworld out here in Boston seemed to be a hit, for instance), but I think the day of the giant "everything for everybody" show is over. N+I is dead for all practical purposes (I used to go to the Atlanta one), Macworld is pretty much down to one (though last years' Boston show was OK), and the only "biggie" left is CES for now.

Ultimately the Internet and the tech bust killed the trade show, but more importantly the maturity of the market has made the biggest impact. No COMDEX? Big deal.

I find it ironic...

[spirit_fingers]

It wasn't so long ago that all the pundits proclaimed that Apple is dead, but just doesn't know it yet. It's poetic justice that today the Mac is gaining marketshare, COMDEX is dead and MacWorld Expo SF is the Last Man Standing among the big computer shows.

If this keeps up...

[suitepotato]

...coming generations of techs, geeks, nerds, weenies, and middle managers won't ever know what a wonderful experience an industry con can be.

Despite the downturn in manufacturing slaughtering the industry, Eastec and Westec are still held every year without missing a beat. Similarly, other industries still manage to hold their cons. Why is COMDEX the one to keep failing at this?

Oh well, we'll have to settle for cherry-picking among the more specialized industry cons and getting sick there.

Re:Comdex has been replaced by CES

[abelenky17]

Last year, when Comdex'04 was canceled, CES'05 grew in size.

But at CES'05, I heard lots of people complaining abou the size, the lack of focus, and the extreme difficulties involved in walking away from the show with anything useful accomplished.

Sure, there were lots of cool toys to look at, but it was too hard to filter out the gems, much less find business opportunities among the clutter.

Now, I suspect that unless CES trims size and improves focus, it will begin to die as well.

Top 5 Ways to Improve CES

1. Segment the show clearly. Have specific areas for Audio, Car, Video, Components, Mobile, PC, etc.
2. Extend the show hours. More events, especially panel discussions, should happen in the evenings.
3. Codify and enforce a lunch break. Booths should be required to close for 1 hour each day, making the show floor less crowded, and giving much needed rest to booth staffers
4. Limit booth sizes. Large booths only increase the walking distances involved. This past year, several companies had booths of unprecedented size, sparsely filled with just a few cellphones and TVs.
5. Use Techology. This is a high-tech show, for cryin'-out-loud. There should be more terminals with better software that help convention goers make customized maps of the booths they want to visit, help them plan a realistic schedule, and track their feedback. Preferably wirelessly.

Re:Regroup again?

[Snowdog668]

I'm in Libertyville all the time. Let's see, if you're coming up from the city I assume you work for one of the big companies there. Hmmm USG or VW Finance maybe? Or God-forbid, the Big M? :)

My wife commuted down to the city for years. She finally got a job up here. A mile and a half from home plus a nice raise. I've got it easy, live in VH, work in Mundelein, a little more than a mile commute. On nice days I walk to work. Not exactly commuting from my bed to the living room like working at home but not too shabby.