CONVENTIONAL THINKING
Carl DiOrio -- Video Business, 4/8/2005
APRIL 8 | Think your job is tough? Bet you wouldn't like trading jobs with a trade show exec.Business consolidation has hit virtually all entertainment segments, making it tough even to maintain flat revenue from exhibit booths and other activities at many confabs. And the increased bottom-line orientation of Hollywood studios in the age of the media conglomerate has made it a much tougher task for those trying to elicit financial support for banquets or other events.
So those with a professional or proprietary interest in keeping such trade shows alive have had to reinvent their programs to acknowledge the challenging new landscape.
ShoWest and other once star-studded affairs, financed by studio theatrical divisions, have morphed into more businesslike confabs featuring less Hollywood glitz and more exhibitor screenings and seminars. And the monetary support for the shows' receptions and banquets now tends to emanate more from Silicon Valley than Hollywood.
Similarly, there was evidence last year of a quite appropriate transformation in the staging of the national convention of the Video Software Dealers Assn. (that never was a very musical name, was it?). No longer as big a deal for the major studios as once was true, the confab remains an important forum for industry dialog--especially for smaller retailers.
So out went the extravaganza approach of yesteryear as a seemingly pleased bunch of VSDA conventioneers welcomed a Home Entertainment convention forthright in its core mission of serving as a place to hold meetings and conduct a bit of business. Suppliers heavily skewing toward the independent variety reported plenty of opportunity for meetings with reps from an array of retail segments.
And the creation of the truly indie-oriented IDEA, or the Independent Dealers of Entertainment Assn., underscored the VSDA's determination to maintain a strong commitment to industry professionals of every stripe.
Still, there remains a troubling sense that Hollywood studios now participate in the Home Entertainment show grudgingly, and a couple years back, Universal bailed on its VSDA membership completely. That means no rest for the weary execs at the VSDA, currently engaged in discussions over which studios will back up their presence in Las Vegas this spring with sponsorship bucks for Home Entertainment 2005 (VB, 4-4).
Such pulling of sponsorship teeth notwithstanding, it would seem only obvious that a healthy VSDA convention is in the best interests of anybody connected to the home entertainment industry. That's despite the dramatic onset of sell-through and its lending a higher profile to non-traditional video retailers unaccustomed to making the annual pilgrimage to Las Vegas.
Sure, such industry shifts make it tempting to grumble about the time and expense of participating in a confab that perhaps best reflects only a portion of the video marketplace. But the VSDA has shown desire to stay relevant and deserves continued support.
Lions Gate again will sponsor an extensive--if off-site--array of pre-convention activities over two days just prior to the show's staging at the Bellagio hotel July 26-28. Here's hoping the hard-working crew at the VSDA are also able to muster solid support from the rest of the studio community.
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