Trade show confessions: There is nothing exclusive about press demos

I already posted about not going to CEDIA this year, but I have a supplemental note for some of the marketing folks in the AV industry:

There is nothing exclusive about packing a room with press for a demo.

Sitting with a dozen-plus other people who are going to post about the exact same thing is actually the antithesis of an exclusive. It’s a cattle call. If you want to impress the press, make an exclusive appointment. Offer them the money seat. Give them solo time with the rep.

But if you are going to treat press like cattle, handing out wristbands or whatever, please do not allow one stray YouTuber to spent the appointed time shooting their video at everyone else’s expense.

What I mean is: Don’t let them use up the whole allotted time while everyone else sits there unable to take photos, shoot video or even talk for that matter because that one person is doing second and third takes up front.

Watching one person get maximum benefit out of the moment while everyone else settles for crumbs is literal rubbing salt in the wound.

The other thing that kills me is when I am trying to take video of a formal presentation and members of the gathered group ask random questions instead of waiting until the presentation is over. Meanwhile my shot is ruined by the interruptions.

And even after all that effort, you still don’t get any new information that was not already in the press release, and is also live on the company’s website that day. Great scoop you got there, buddy!

I won’t miss any of that.