Don, It's unfortunate about the negative vibes from the Expo.
A car dealership may not be happy when a competitor moves in across the street. However, when a number of such competitors move in along the same road it achieves a critical mass that pulls in prospects who otherwise might not make the trip. All the dealers benefit from this. Fragmentation in conferences/conventions for small niches is not good for anyone. By bringing more of the industry together into a critical mass, liquidity is improved for all participants in exchanging information. That the Expo staff don't appreciate market dynamics is puzzling.
Having everything all together allows people to pick and choose which parts of the program they want to attend. It is also more efficient in terms of consolidating travel costs and schedules.
A car dealership may not be happy when a competitor moves in across the street. However, when a number of such competitors move in along the same road it achieves a critical mass that pulls in prospects who otherwise might not make the trip. All the dealers benefit from this. Fragmentation in conferences/conventions for small niches is not good for anyone. By bringing more of the industry together into a critical mass, liquidity is improved for all participants in exchanging information. That the Expo staff don't appreciate market dynamics is puzzling.
Having everything all together allows people to pick and choose which parts of the program they want to attend. It is also more efficient in terms of consolidating travel costs and schedules.