Skaer-Tactics: How was Your NYC Experience?
In my humble opinion, it was one of the better shows in a long, long time. And, yes, the fact it was held in never-a-dull-moment NYC, which was a definite plus. No denying it was bitter cold the Sunday and Monday leading up to the opening day of the expo. However, it was far better than experiencing snow or sleet, which makes a fast town go super slow.
The show itself was filled with manufacturers who were more than willing to demonstrate their new products. With more than 1,800 companies exhibiting, there was certainly plenty to see, do, and report on. The NEWS will provide its full report from NYC in the Feb. 18 issue. (You can also get a short rundown of what it was like by clicking on to the AHR Expo section on this Website.)
Going into the Big Apple, all I heard about was how nasty - weather-wise - the last expo stop was in Manhattan. And, that was 17 years ago! More than a few remembered the snowstorm that hit the city and caused flight delays, travel headaches, and show chaos. It was not pretty.
But that was then. The 2008 show went about, in my mind, without a hitch. And for those who could not find a thing to do after the expo doors closed each evening … well, get a life. All one had to do was take a few steps out of one’s hotel and you could definitely find a close-by bar, restaurant, comedy club … you name it.
At the press room at the expo, show management handed out sheets containing quotes from exhibitors and attendees. Each one quoted had nothing but good words to say about their respective experience inside Javits Center. That is not surprising, especially since show management collected the quotes.
I must confess, most of the people I talked to were happy with the turnout and with the leads and sales generated at the industry’s annual gathering. Of course, the last day was much slower traffic-wise than the first two days, but that is par for the AHR Expo course. If someone were to complain, it would have been the lack of attendees on Jan. 24.
Still, I say it was a great show. But I want to hear from you. If you were part of the thousands upon thousands who came, saw, and conquered, what did you think of the 2008 expo? I want to know.