I've got plane tickets, I've paid for the hotel (miles rewards), and the show fees, but I'm leaning heavily towards skipping the Gama Trade Show in April this year. Trade shows are neat because they help you focus on what's coming up. They teach you about new products and provide seminars on improving your business. Unfortunately, I've never been more certain on what I'm doing for the next year or two and it's more about business fundamentals than anything exciting like new product lines or expansion.
The main reason for wanting to pass on this show is the lackluster list of companies in attendance. It's not that the ones attending are boring, the list just seems much smaller than before. If I think about what I would want to talk to them about, nothing comes to mind. I either know them very well or don't want to know them. The seminars are likewise not that thrilling, with a lot of good retreads, some I've seen just last year. Those that interest me are on topics like accounting and business process, which I've got handled fairly well.
I hate feeling like I'm saving a little money now at the expense of the future, but that's what these times seem to call for. I would much rather have the wages for my replacement and my food budget at the show go towards paying off debt or a new game. I'll give it another week before I decide for sure.
I dunno. It seems to me that if people value the shows existence that they should support it in bad times. If the show has a terrible year in a terrible economy and goes belly up, could anything replace it?
ReplyDeleteIt's kinda like me and my FLGS. During bad times I could most definitely save a few bucks by buying on line. But if my stores evaporate it'll be hard to replace them. They might never come back. And that would suck.
Uh.... I guess that is exactly what you were saying. Just know that I'm going to keep buying at my local stores. I know it isn't in quite the same league.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like the real choice isn't whether or not to go to the trade show, but whether to take your "vacation" as a vacation, or take your "vacation" as a trip to the trade show.
ReplyDeleteYou've got the miles for the airfare and hotel, but you probably can't (or just aren't comfortable with) paying your replacement for both time periods.
I canceled my trade show trip and was able to get the hotel fees back but only a credit for the airline tickets. The real expense was my replacement and expenses while there, plus, honestly, lost sales from me not being there.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking of a week off in May for a trip to Europe, pretty much all expenses paid, but I'm probably going to cancel that too.
My plans to pay off a ton of business debt this year make it difficult to take these trips. I look at it this way, the sooner I pay off debt, the sooner I can give myself a raise. I haven't had a cost of living adjustment in over 4 years; 5 by the time I'm ready to give myself one.