Letters to the Editor
Staff -- Tradeshow Week, 5/30/2005
Dear Editor:
Re: "Just Tell the Truth" (April 4, 2005):
The Tradeshow Week 200 listing has become an important component of measuring the success of products within the exhibitions industry. I fully agree that in order to be placed (or remain) on the much-coveted list, producers and managers have, on occasion, "stretched" the facts.
Who is responsible for verification? If TSW is the authoritative source for this important industry index, should it not have responsibility to assure the accuracy of this information? I fully realize that a full verification system would be very expensive, but some type of effort should be employed. For instance, if an event lists its square footage at a level that is physically impossible to obtain in a particular venue, is this not verifiable with minimal effort? This situation has occurred in previous listings.
The point is, asking product managers to be honest about the data in this index is a good start but will not produce the results. As with any measurement index, it is only as good as the information within. As the importance of this particular index rises, so does your responsibility to determine the accuracy of the data.
Michael V. Green , Executive vice president, Hanley Wood Exhibitions, Irving, Texas
