2009 Pumper show

[toiletman]

I miised the show after 8 straight years, how was it? where is it being held nect year? hope it is Florida or Vegas

[pshed]

after 8 years in a row you have'nt figured it out ?? it won't be in vegas or florida at least the big one. do you live under a rock i'll put all my money on kentucky

[COLE_Jeff]

It's still in Louisville through 2011. The dates are up at http://www.pumpershow.com.

Jeff

[toiletman]

being held in a nice and/or a warm place I am staying HOME.

Gaylord was worth the trip, Louisville has nothing to offer me:mad:

[jack darling]

I believe that those of us attending the show who spend time away from our families and business, and spend all the money to attend and purchase from the vendors should be the ones who get to choose where the show should be held. This would be the best for the attendees and the vendors, the ones who produce the income needed to support the show. An event can become too big to support it's own weight, and I believe it is happening with our big event of the year. This show is definately the life-blood our our industry, and has been the major reason for the success of my company. I will always support the effort 100 per cent. However, I believe that Cole Publishing should be doing a little more to support those who support them.

[Trent]

That would be a nice idea Jack, but the show would have to be at 100 different places. Everyone would want it near them or at thier favorite vacation spot (Vegas is mine). The other problem is an event this size takes a special venue and alot of planning. You have to have the infrastructure in the city to handle it. I'm sure the folks at Cole are doing the best to try to accomodate as many people as they can but there will never be a "perfect" location. Personally I'd like to have it in the west so I wouldn't have to spend several hours on a plane but that just isn't going to happen. I know this going in and plan accordingly.

[COLE_Jeff]

Thanks for the comments on the show. As far as venue, it is difficult to find that perfect spot. With the amount of exhibit space we require there are only a handful of venues that can accommodate our group - from exhibit space, to hotels, etc. Population also comes into play. The largest population centers are all east of the Mississippi River - so that's where we prefer to locate. Halls in places like Vegas, Orlando, and top-tier warm cities are booked for years and years in advance. They also cost substantially more. Which means exhibitors would pay more for space, and attendees wouldn't get in for $25, $30 or even $50 anymore.

Louisville promised us an attached hotel for the 2010 show. Then the economy went south and that never happened. We felt that would have created a different atmosphere for the show, much like in Nashville. Now we'll never know. We've made it public that the show will be moving to Indianapolis in 2012. Indy offers nearly 3,000 attached hotel rooms, a mall, and dozens of restaurants all within walking (close walking) distance of the convention center.

We always try to listen to both our attendees and exhibitors when choosing a venue. For exhibitors, things like non-union labor halls, inexpensive freight and drayage, ease of moving and parking large trucks all come into play. For attendees it's a completely different set of criteria - usually more social-orientated. We've conducted attendee surveys after every show for more than 20 years. We've instituted many changes based on that feedback. But just as if you were to conduct a survey for your business - many times answers come back that just can't feasibly be implemented.

Lastly, we try our best to give the show value for all involved. In the past year I've attended about a half dozen trade shows. Some wastewater-related, others related to magazine publishing. More often than not, the price of attending is well into the hundreds of dollars. Some are even in excess of $1,000 - none of them were $30 like the Pumper Cleaner Expo. None had a get-together where beer was free (okay, 25¢), none had a big-name country music act that was part of the admission price, none of them had free parking arranged at anytime of day, only one of them provided any type of free bussing from hotels to the venue, most charged extra to attend educational sessions, and only one show I attended had more exhibits to see than our show. As far as value goes, I don't think there is any greater value than the Pumper & Cleaner Expo.

I believe Indy will be an exciting move for the show come 2012. If attendees and/or exhibitors don't agree after seeing it firsthand, you can be assured that we WILL listen. And we WILL continue to make this the best event anyone in this industry can attend. Your feedback and comments are always welcome.

Thanks,
Jeff

[Trent]

Indy sounds like a great venue for attendees. Thanks for sharing that with us. I'm planning on coming to Louisville this year and was trying to decide weather or not I should bring my family. Knowing about Indy, I think I'll wait until I can make a show there to bring them along.

Thanks again Jeff!

[COLE_Jeff]

You're welcome, thanks for the feedback. See you in Louisville in just a few short months.

Jeff