DEMA Diving Alone Again

DiveBiz called off, leaves association show as the only one for the industry

By Heidi Genoist -- Tradeshow Week, 8/15/2005

Henderson, Nev.-based independent show management firm ConvExx has called off plans to launch DiveBiz, giving the Diving Equipment & Marketing Assn. an open shot at proving its DEMA Show deserves to be the diving industry's only major exhibition.

But DEMA was not waiting around for the competition to go away. In the last six months, the association has polled members and, based on their feedback, secured dates for a new East-West rotation between Orlando and Las Vegas.

ConvExx Chairman Chuck Schwartz, a former manager of DEMA Show, said he conceived DiveBiz at the urging of industry manufacturers and buyers who were disillusioned with the existing show. The first DiveBiz was to have taken place next January in Las Vegas.

After that decision, however, supporters of the new show "got cold feet," Schwartz said. Those who originally said they would try DiveBiz to see how it compared to DEMA Show began to take a wait-and-see attitude.

"So many took that approach that we couldn't build a strong enough exhibitor base," said Schwartz.

In ConvExx's official statement, Schwartz also noted that DEMA had responded to the new show launch by taking steps to meet the needs of the market.

Most notable is a new rotation pattern that pulls the show out of Houston, where its 2004 show saw marked declines. Originally scheduled in the Texas city in 2007 and 2010, DEMA Show will now be in either Las Vegas or Orlando for the next six years, starting with the 2005 show, set for Oct. 4–7 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

DEMA Executive Director Tom Ingram said member surveys conducted last fall and this spring showed an overwhelming preference for Las Vegas and Orlando.

Ingram said the association was able to leave Houston without penalty, according to the terms of its contract with the city. He added, "We were very fortunate to find slots in Las Vegas and Orlando at times that coincided with what our attendees and exhibitors wanted."

The show's time frame shifted from early October to late October/early November. The member survey reflected changes in the industry's buying cycle as well as retailers' inability to leave shops in the early fall, explained Ingram.

The association also strived to make the exhibition more worthwhile for major diving gear manufacturers, several of which were absent from the last show.

DEMA and its contracted show management firm, Natl. Trade Productions, have continued efforts begun last year to tighten registration criteria to screen out all but qualified professionals. They added power breakfasts, a retailer learning center on the showfloor and several promotional opportunities for exhibitors. NTP has also instituted an anchor exhibitor program that lets major manufacturers co-market to attendees and receive extra exposure before and during the show.

Michele Samuel, NTP's director of sales for DEMA Show, said the efforts are paying off. At press time, the 2005 exhibition was already bigger than 2004, with about 1,400 exhibitors expected.

More importantly, several anchors who sat out last year have returned, including AquaLung America (and its partner line Suuento), Sherwood (with Genesis Scuba and Akona Adventure Gear), and Cressi Sub USA. Only Johnson Outdoors subsidiary ScubaPro continues to remain on the sidelines.

Some major, non-diving brands are getting in on the action as well. Anheuser-Busch will sponsor the show's beer garden, and clothing designer Life is Good will pick up the tab for center stage, which includes a fashion show.

Samuel declined to give pre-registration numbers, noting that the big push will start the month before the show. "More important than the numbers, there's a better energy and feeling for this show," Samuel said. "People are really excited, and Las Vegas is always a good destination for us."

Ingram agreed, having just returned from an 18-state tour of meetings with industry members. "People had their concerns about the industry itself, but the fact that the association was out pounding the pavement and doing all the right things to bring information to them made a big difference," he said.

As for DiveBiz's departure, Ingram said he's relieved — not because he felt the show posed a threat, but because of the industry fracture that a second show represented.

"We have a good working relationship with ConvExx," he said. "They have many other successful shows, and we will both go forward as before."