EDITOR’S FORUM
5 Predictions for KnowledgeFest 2012 (or whatever it’ll be called)
By now you’ve heard everyone’s opinion of Knowl-
By Solomon Daniels Editor-in-Chief
Growth was evident at this year’s show. But
don’t expect it to stop.
edgeFest. “It was great / good / all right.” “The seminars I went to were informative / so-so / empty / packed.” “I learned stuff I can implement today / the same stuff I learned last year / stuff that makes me think differently about my business.” “The food was awesome.” (No one can disagree with that!) In short, everyone viewed and judged the show based on their own expectations and how those expectations were met. As an editor, my opin- ion should always represent that of the retailer. Based on this, I would say that it was a great show due to the amount of information available and the number of peers who networked in be- tween and after sessions. Now as an industry advocate, things broaden out a bit. I know almost all of the people who put in time and sweat to make KnowledgeFest a great show. And while it was an impressive improvement from the already impressive previ- ous year, I’m sure they are already laying out the
professionals from other industries. I see MERA moving in this direction, all to give you more stuff to put into practice when you get back. 3. A crowded show floor. Some think this
may just be a numbers game (I’ve even said that exhibitors value a show’s performance on booth traffic rather than “butts in seats” dur- ing seminars). But it’s more than that. Studies have shown that people learn better in interac- tive groups. And just like the seminars, people standing around a guy at a booth, listening to his spiel about a product are able to learn from each other as well as the presenter. Expect to have dedicated show floor time at next year’s event. 4. The same high-quality venue. Okay, I cheat-
ed – we’ve known since the end of the show that it was coming back for another year. So sue me. (On second thought, don’t sue me.) 5. “Dessert” keynotes. It’s an issue of absorp- tion. If you’re “absorbing” food, it’s tough to take in much else, much less write notes. I expect
KnowledgeFest has surpassed SEMA as a more valued show for this industry. It’s not quite yet at CES level, as the January show has a pure size and exhibitor advantage, but definitely past SEMA.
plans for a bigger and better show next year. So rather than focus on what was great about this show, I thought I’d give you my “no prior knowl- edge” predictions for KnowledgeFest 2012: 1. A new name. It may just be me, but I think the name “KnowledgeFest” has had its day. It was great at the start, but the show is about more than knowledge: in fact, I daresay it’s about 40 percent networking. I expect at some point the name will more closely resemble the coolness of “MERA” and include the word “Mobile” – maybe something like the “Mobile Movers Show and Conference” or “MobileConnect 2012.” 2. Addition of “worker bee” speakers. Presi- dents and vice presidents of major companies give the big picture view of a product or service, and it’s definitely information we need. Now as a retailer, imagine also talking to the guy who did the research on consumer targets. As an install- er, picture getting the scoop from the engineer who made it work with vehicle wiring. Or as a sales guy, get tips from some of the best sales
10 Mobile Electronics September | October 2011
these events will start after the meal when table- mates have had their say and eaten their fill. As a result of my “swami” abilities, I can safely predict that there will be more vendors because the show is more cost-effective than others. In addition, strong pre-show marketing and press will lead to another record-breaking attendance mark. I also would not rule out a change in show dates in coming years to better coincide with the training efforts of vendors. Of course, there’s a lot about the show that
won’t change. The influx of new presenters in the seminars has had a significant positive impact. And in my humble opinion, KnowledgeFest has surpassed SEMA as a more valued show for this industry. It’s not quite yet at CES level, as the January show has a pure size and exhibitor ad- vantage, but definitely past SEMA. If you went, make sure you are working on putting all that knowledge learned to good use. And if you didn’t, keep reading to see what you missed, and head to Dallas next year. ■
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