BCA Expo Observations and Questions

JCIN

JCIN

TheActionReport.com
Gold Member
I just had one of those passing ideas that sounded really good. TAR should go to the 2008 BCA Expo in Charlotte. We would get to meet a bunch of people who have never heard of us, show off our products and what I think would be a really cool idea....stream a camera feed that covered our booth space so people who have never been could maybe get an idea of what one little 10'x10' booth is like for the biggest tradeshow in the industry.

So naturally I whip out my considerable Google-Fu powers and start doing a little research. Here is what I found:

Booth Cost for a 10'x10' booth : $1200
Must be at least an associate member to rent a booth: $500
1 8' table rental: $80
2 arm chairs rental: $70
Carpet rental: $90
Hotel : $146+tax(guessing 15%) per night X 5 nights = $839.50
Food: $40 a day (yeah right :D) x 2= $400
Banners/Booth Display: $500 (this is doing it super ghetto cheap)
Travel/Shipping: Guesstimate $1000

Total= $4519 for 3 8 hour days of actual exhibition time.

I am gonna just get nutty and round it up to $5000 for the trip considering the following:

Miscellanious charges for labor involved in setting up that I didnt even get into.
God knows what an internet connection would run.

The kicker:
Fine print allows no cameras unless "media" or approved by higher.

How on earth do people do it?

$5K for 24 hours in a 10X10 booth. Is it really worth it? I would love to get the reactions from people who have exhibited before. Is it better to do the Expo or say set up at the VNEA or APA championships in Vegas? I realize they are 2 different customers....one retail and one wholesale. Just seems many of the business in the pool industry are smaller like TAR. Is there a significant benefit for a small business to spend the money to go to the BCA Expo?

I am not blasting the BCA or the show I am really looking for opinions and personal experiences. If it actually makes sense we could possibly swing it after Vegas (if we get lucky at keno :D)

All input is appreciated.
 
JCIN said:
Is there a significant benefit for a small business to spend the money to go to the BCA Expo?
Click to expand...

BCA is an excellent opportunity for a small business to meet and establish relationships with an international mix of dealers (buyers).
New products are introduced, deals are made and orders are taken. I think BCA Expo is one of the best ways to get
ones organization, products and services "seen" by the billiards community.
 
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JCIN said:
$5K for 24 hours in a 10X10 booth. Is it really worth it?
Click to expand...



whynotcopy.jpg
 
Several times, in the past few years, the BCA Trade Show has been a flop (imo), with very few 'customers' prowling the aisles. There are more people when it is held in Vegas. If all you want to do is meet other exhibitors, then this would be a good opportunity. If you're wanting to meet room owners and players, then APA or VNEA would be better...just my $.02!:D

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
 
In your area of the business you are unlikely to find success at the BCA Expo and far more by having a regular booth space at the BCA/VNEA/APA Nationals.

In fact - here's an idea for you that might work wonders! Stream matches from teams that pay for it. Work out something with Mark to have matches scheduled on TAR's bar tables with at least one team who has paid to have their match streamed on the net. And they get the DVD afterward. You could provide live commentary and I bet it would go over well depending on what the price is.

Two years ago there were some photographers there who roamed around and took pictures of people while they were playing. Their booth was SWAMPED with business from people who wanted prints of those images.

On an aside - you don't have to rent the tables/chairs/carpet from the convention services. We always buy ours or rent better stuff from the local Rent-A-Center.

Your $5000 is much better spent marketing to the people who will eventually buy your product. Those people are not to be found at the BCA Expo.

At least NOT for the last five years. Maybe this year will be different since there are a lot of positive changes happening at the BCA.

Re: Internet connection - one year I spent $1700 for an internet connection. $500 for them to drop an ethernet cable down from the ceiling and the $200 PER COMPUTER I had hooked up to MY router.

I felt pretty ravaged when they came by the booth and threatened to turn off the entire connection if I didn't pay the extra $1200. Trade Shows SUCK when it comes to stuff like this. And 20 feet away in the LOBBY there was free WiFi. But zero connection inside the doors.
 
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JB - your team internet stream/DVD idea might be the best idea you have ever had.

I wonder why the photographer booth didn't reappear the following year, if it was such a success.
 
TAP! TAP! TAP! JB

JCIN- I think live feed of "amateur" matches will go over real well. Think about all the friends, locals, even the home pool room/bar from back home that would pay to have "their" team live on the internet, the entire match as it's happening. I'm sure there would be several teams that would love to have a DVD of their match in "Vegas"!

I'll be contacting you in the near future to discuss another opportunity to market TAR.

Thanks and good luck,
Zim
 
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watchez said:
JB - your team internet stream/DVD idea might be the best idea you have ever had.

I wonder why the photographer booth didn't reappear the following year, if it was such a success.
Click to expand...

I don't know why they didn't come back. I remember them from the ACS tournament and even for that one they were incredibly busy. I don't know if they even tried to get in the BCA/VNEA or not.

I know it was a freaking good idea and they were selling prints as fast as they could print them. There were two guys and they were working about 18 hours a day and were wiped after the show was done.

Here is another idea for TAR - well two ideas;

1. The BCAPL - Action Challenge - Two top teams like Team Doom from Colorado and maybe Team Canada face off in a regulation BCA format match and each team puts up the dough.

2. The BCA Master Team vs. the Pros Action Challenge - Top BCA team competes against a team of pros in the BCAPL format.

3. Okay I can't count - Maybe TAR can stream the BCA finals. Y'all probably already have this idea but if you do it I think it will be really cool.
 
What about coveing some of the Regional Tour Championships? You've got plenty to choose from.

Aside from covering the Pro Challenge Matches, which everyone loves to watch. Why not cover some amateur matches, which many of the local players would also want to watch. You may not have to run live feed for all of the amateurs, but a good DVD of the match(es) would be a good sell.

I say all this, but I'm not fully aware of the TAR expenses for events.

Zim
 
JCIN said:
TAR should go to the 2008 BCA Expo in Charlotte. We would get to meet a bunch of people who have never heard of us, show off our products
All input is appreciated.
Click to expand...

JCIN,

Sure you can meet some pretty skirt & legs at Cal Spa booths and dartBoard booths.
Iwent to BCA expo only once.I saw other stuff (cal spa,darts etc) more than pool related stuff.That year I did not see many buyers.The girls from booths were socializing with the guys and girls from the near by booths because they did not have many buyers.For the first time I saw Fast Larry and his wonder dog there.
 
JCIN said:
I just had one of those passing ideas that sounded really good. TAR should go to the 2008 BCA Expo in Charlotte. We would get to meet a bunch of people who have never heard of us, show off our products and what I think would be a really cool idea....stream a camera feed that covered our booth space so people who have never been could maybe get an idea of what one little 10'x10' booth is like for the biggest tradeshow in the industry.

So naturally I whip out my considerable Google-Fu powers and start doing a little research. Here is what I found:

Booth Cost for a 10'x10' booth : $1200
Must be at least an associate member to rent a booth: $500
1 8' table rental: $80
2 arm chairs rental: $70
Carpet rental: $90
Hotel : $146+tax(guessing 15%) per night X 5 nights = $839.50
Food: $40 a day (yeah right :D) x 2= $400
Banners/Booth Display: $500 (this is doing it super ghetto cheap)
Travel/Shipping: Guesstimate $1000

Total= $4519 for 3 8 hour days of actual exhibition time.

I am gonna just get nutty and round it up to $5000 for the trip considering the following:

Miscellanious charges for labor involved in setting up that I didnt even get into.
God knows what an internet connection would run.

The kicker:
Fine print allows no cameras unless "media" or approved by higher.

How on earth do people do it?

$5K for 24 hours in a 10X10 booth. Is it really worth it? I would love to get the reactions from people who have exhibited before. Is it better to do the Expo or say set up at the VNEA or APA championships in Vegas? I realize they are 2 different customers....one retail and one wholesale. Just seems many of the business in the pool industry are smaller like TAR. Is there a significant benefit for a small business to spend the money to go to the BCA Expo?

I am not blasting the BCA or the show I am really looking for opinions and personal experiences. If it actually makes sense we could possibly swing it after Vegas (if we get lucky at keno :D)

All input is appreciated.
Click to expand...

JCIN, 10 - 15 years ago I would have said, you had to go. TODAY, no way. There is no shot that the BCA is good for any small cap business here in America. Year after year the show has been declining in numbers of attandees and smaller companions displaying their "NEW" products. Over the last couple of years it has started looking like a ghost town at the shows.

Right now, to me it only seems like deals are being made in the cross-promotion areas between the vendors and it has been more like a barter system around there more than anything over the last 7 years..

The BCA has failed to bring in any new shoppers for their vendors and it only looks like it may be getting worse.

Thats my honest opinion.

Use your $5K to upgrade your equiptment or do more great shows like you have been.

If you want to see what it's like around there just come as either a Guest of someone or buy a pass fr the 3 days and just walk around and see what its like for yourself.
 
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You can find similarities of the non - benefit of the BCA trade show and _ _ _ . _ _ _ _ _ _ . _ _ _ . _ _ _ _ _. _ _ _ _ (I'll be good and let you fill in the blanks, hangman style)
 
Thanks for all the replies. Pretty much reenforces my initial thoughts on the whole deal. Thanks guys.
 
I really like the live streaming or even a pay per view options of recorded matches.

I think the foreign teams would really go for this option. Not sure what the price should be but if teams go a DVD per person or a unencrypted
DVD that they could dopy I think most teams would love it.

Add some Master or Pro level commentary during it and the players are getting unbelievable instruction.

In poker they have been doing something kind of similiar for a while. You pay a Pro to help you. Both of you are on the internet at the same time and he watches your moves. He offers insights and instruction. You get to make your normal moves and also see what he is thinking.
 
I personally think that you guys are already doing a great job with what you are doing. I also think that anyone who is going to pay for your PPV's etc already know who you are. It's the real enthusiast that knows what you do and they are the ones who will be at the BCA, So to me you would be marketing to the peole who already know who you are. Hey thats just my opinion. I know how hard it is to make a buck in this business or just break even I don't want to see you guys get hurt in anyway. Stay away from this one this time.
 
I have attended the BCA Trade Show for the last several years, both as an exhibitor and a buyer. IMO, this is not the market for you guys.

Majority of the BCA Trade Show caters to the Home Recreational products.

As someone suggested, you guys should go as attendees and just check it out first. That way, you don't have to spend the big bucks exhibiting.
 
Just a thought...
You should contact all of the vendors that are going to be there, set up a time for each of them to have about 10-15 minutes of live feed. Of course they will be charged for this 15 minutes of exposure to those that were not able to attend. You should be able to bring in enough cash from this to cover most of your expenses. You could also get some interviews with some of the owners.

Two (of many) things will happen here... 1) you get to attend the Expo 1st hand and mingle with the industry 2) the vendors that do attend and participate will get exposure that they are not normally able to get. Then turn around and sell the DVD's to the public. I'd buy a DVD just to see and hear from different vendors.

This gives you the opportunity to say that you've "been there, done that"!
Zim
 
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