EDITORIAL

Tlme for the grip and grin

EALL BEGINS a round of uade shows and exI hibits that lasts until next spring. Unfortunately, the patience exhibitors and showgoers have with each other is of far shorter duration.

Exhibitors say dealers don't buy enough; they "walk past the booth at 60 mph;" spend too linle time in the hall; fail to acknowledge the services of faithful vendors; are ill prepared to treat the show as a business venue; act as if they are on vacation; and generally skim over a number of business basics, including a simple thank you.

Dealers can be equally harsh on exhibitors: displays charitably described as underwhelming; bored salespeople (if that's the correct term for them) half asleep in their chairs; company people too busy to talk to the interested dealer; uninformed booth personnel who seemingly know less about their products than the average housewife; companies who display, but can't take an order even when the persistent dealer tries to buy something.

While plenty of exceptions are around to counter these gripes, what the complainers say on each side of the question is unfortunately all too true. When, for example, both sides say the other "fails to support the show," therc is much truth in the statement.

Despite all the advances in electronic buying via computers and the myriad new ways information is disseminated, we just can't believe that the exhibiticins and shows we know and sometimes love will ever fade away.

People-to-people contact is just too important in making things happen in business. However, we need all the people involved to work harder to keep the shows the asset they should be.

1-soo-LJJlfi

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