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I'll sum up my experience by saying this...
Next year I'll save my badge fee and just hang out at the bars and private rooms. That is where the business is done, not inside so much. I just went to see some friends and ended up locking down some BIG money content deals, all done with people I met at hotel bars, never once inside the show. I met a lot of guys who didn't even step onto the show floor, there was no need.
Many people didn't even show up on the 2nd day (floor show 2nd day) and it was a ghost town. Even many of the exhibitors staff left early so really you just had 1 OK floor day. The seminars were mostly full but honestly, having them start at 9am when you know damn good and well people are at parties until the wee hours the night before is pretty stupid.
If you want an honest opinion, combine it with the AEE, fill out the dead space from that show and do things right over 3 days AFTER the CES show is over. It would make the entire thing look bigger and fill it with people. Stop trying to get us for 2 separate shows, those days are over. Consolidate and bring out the best in both.
I'll also say that if you advertise on banners and such as starting on one day and ending on another, then START and END on those days on the floor. It's my fault for not reading the smaller print on your site, I just read the BIG BOLD dates that Internext was, headed over and was let down that the show was not starting on that day. Lame. LOTS of people thought the same. With that said, the show could not last for 3 days because nobody would be there if it did, so I understand doing 2 days even though 1 day was plenty.
Also, stop fucking with people. If it cost $300 to get in (laugh) then don't do deals with boards for 1/2 of that price later. You pissed of a lot of people by doing that. A very poor business move and sorry attempt to get more people to the show because attendance was down. Very transparent.
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