Isn't this all a little disingenous. Come on we all are out there looking for every avenue to promote our business. We know we can go too far, but most of us take risks to get to a potential customer. If were good we also try to upsell our customers to the latest greatest new electric or LED message center. Which in reality the local zoning boards consider just a bigger type of "spam". But we know our customers will reach even more of their customer base with that new equipment. When they do they are happy and keep coming back to us.
I appreciate the ISA reps comments but as she said she does not work in convention planning. In fact those that do work in ISA convention planning probably could not tell you the difference between a sandblast sign and a neon sign. Their not in the sign business. ISA makes a large bulk of their funding through their yearly convention. How many emails did you get for 2 months before the show urging you to be there. Why, because this year ISA was desperate. The downturn in the economy scared them to death. By the time this years show is taking place they are selling booth space for next years show. With a bad economy they were scared that many would not attend. They make promises to the vendors who lay down thousands of dollars for a 10x10 booth, plus display costs, shipping, addons to the convention center for electric hookups, etc. hotels, meals, wining and dining. ISA will tell them "hey we had 20,000 attendees last year. Next year will be better". If it's not they will have a hard time getting little Shangzou LED LTD to drop 20k to get his equipment and people over here for the next years show. Especially and believe it or not he has other options for shows then ISA. Whatever vendor it is will want the most advertising exposure for his dollar. And that means as with every convention out there a demand for the attendee list. Scanning your badge just means you showed a little more interest then the next guy, but just by the fact you attended the show and walked the aisles makes you more interested then joe blow on the street. The vendor has a right to feel entitled to that information. And ISA convention planners are going to keep the vendors happy. Fewer vendor booths means fewer attendees next year(No one likes a dead show). Fewer attendees means fewer booths. It's a "vicious" business cycle(add over the top scottish accent here). ISA and the vendor is willing to risk irritating 100 or so sign shops with spam for 2 or 3 sales. Doesn't sound like much but for 15k to 20k attendees the sales add up and the exposure makes them ligitimate companies if only in their minds. Do the math. Figure average $2000.00 per booth set up(it's probably more) times 400 or so vendors. Add the number of attendees times the entry fee, plus siminar fees, and you get up there in the millions real fast. It's not chump change.
But it is business. Hey I get queezy seeing my name and address plastered in the white pages. I have a choice, go unlisted. But I would never give up my business listings no matter what strange calls I sometimes get. It's worth it for the few good customers that come my way. Everytime you type in Google, Yahoo, ebay, etc. they can tell you the last 5 or so web addresses you've been to. What your interests are, and what you might be shopping for. It is definitly Big Brother watching. They have become the biggest companies around because power comes through information. He who controls the information wins. That is just business. We may not like it, but in reality we do the same thing with our customers everyday. Have you never had one customer come in and you recommend he see ole so and so down the road that just opened up and might need his services. Yea thats the same thing. That pat on the back you hope will come back good to you. ISA is just doing it on a bigger level.
Myself I just hit delete. It's no different then skipping the ads in the the newspaper, or turning down the volume during commercials. No I am not going to admit to buying Enzyte when their commercials interrupt the game. But someone must be. Otherwise they would not keep showing them.
Eric
