#dse2011 CoolSign At The Hilton
Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief
Our good friend Ken Goldberg tweeted yesterday “Definition of unCool: Refuse to exhibit @ trade show in political statement, set up suite in nearby hotel & troll for prospects @ show #weak” – he is of course referring to the not-too-secret news that Haivison / CoolSign (a staunch member / supporter of the Digital Screenmedia Association of course) decided not to exhibit at #dse2011 but instead take a suite at the nearby Hilton Hotel.
It’s sort of unCool but as we have personally found, (with the exception of Geri Wolff) the Exponation people can be hard to work with. Now’s not the time to get into the debate or merits of DSF vs DSA or #dse2011 vs #CETW (there will be a time for that) but that will be either between shows or after both shows.
Whilst we are not a fan of a #CETW in two places (i.e San Francisco and New York six months apart) AND if we were the DSA we would probably have thrown our weight behind a far from perfect InfoComm as the show of choice (that show needs a lot of work to be suitable for our industry mind) there is a very good reason why Lawrence Dvorchik was in our DailyDOOH Best of 2010 – bottom line people do business with people they like!
February 10th, 2011 at 11:57 @539
Adrian:
People are smart enough to draw their own conclusions with regard to the strength of someone’s convictions, their motivation, and integrity based upon their actions. They really don’t need your help, or your spin based upon personalities or DailyDOOH ad spending by the entities involved.
Readers can also count the number of Haivision/CoolSign posts since January 28 and ask reasonable questions. No doubt there will be one more (or a correction to this one) when you are told that they are actually at a different hotel. Had it been someone else, I wonder if you would have found it more than “sort of uncool”.
The one person I have talked to at Haivision proper was indeed “cool”. I don’t really care if CoolSign exhibits or not, I wish them well. They obviously had a good show last year (you can listen to Lou’s comments http://bit.ly/e6m75g ). But if you want to make a statement, as two other software companies petulantly chose to do, then have the gumption to stay away, and not leech off the investment Exponation made in the event. All three will see that the show will go on without them.
February 10th, 2011 at 12:21 @556
Ken, we agree with you, quote above “sort of unCool” !!!! fYI all the major industry shows advertise with us, further FYI we are actually attending DSE in a few weeks time BUT not CETW in April
February 10th, 2011 at 12:40 @570
Ken aren’t you being a little harsh? Adrian said it was unCool and I agree it is unCool – CoolSign should either stay away or exhibit at the show, not do this half way house sort of thing.
There’s a fight going on between DSF (your side) and DSA (Lou’s side) – is that perhaps the elephant in the room and why you have seemingly taken it all a little personally.
It makes sense for anyone working in this industry to forge good relationships with Adrian and his team – that doesn’t mean money has to (or does) change hands and perhaps CoolSign have done that with DailyDOOH. I don’t see any advertising from them on the site.
I think Adrian and his team have been more than honest about the times they have toured vendors’ labs – including long stays in Montreal. Calling into question the DOOH’s credibility based on a story that supports your view of Coolsign’s behaviour just seems a little weird.
February 10th, 2011 at 13:10 @590
DJ
I will cop a plea of no lo contendre on your charge of taking it personally. But look at the headline: is it not clear that my tweet was used to announce (inaccurately) where CoolSign could be found? Adrian deserves credit for posting my “harsh” comment, and the CETW ad that framed the headline an hour ago was removed when my comment was posted, which was the right thing to do.
Adrian is aware that I know things that I did not post, and he knows me well enough to know that I won’t. As he noted, I am a good friend, but that doesn’t mean he gets a free pass to spin a story for another friend.
Lou’s a good, articulate and passionate man who has done a lot in this business, and I respect him. I just think he’s better than this. Neither of us competes business with the other, so I really do wish him well. As for the DSF-DSA “fight”, that will all come out in the wash some day. We’ll be in Booth 425 at CETW-SF in April. I sure hope it is busy.
February 10th, 2011 at 14:47 @657
Adrian,
Just to inform your followers from a trade show operator’s perspective: Trade show producers invest significantly in audience promotion to deliver the attendance exhibitors need and want. Exhibitors invest in trade shows for the obvious reasons. Companies that do not invest in a particular trade show, but try to piggy-back on other company’s investments by “setting up shop in nearby hotels,” are called “tail-gaters” in trade show parlance. That’s not a complimentary description.
Just imagine if a company could “hack” its web advertising onto your site so that they could reach your followers without investing in what you do. Betcha those companies wouldn’t make the DailyDOOH Best list…
February 10th, 2011 at 16:07 @713
Ken, we are not spinning anything. We heard last week in Amsterdam from a VAR what CoolSign were up to. We were in two minds whether to write / say anything … You tweeted and insiders would have known who you were referring to .. We posted .. No spin, no special favours for friends and we were not aware that we got the hotel wrong !! it’s a story plain and simple
February 10th, 2011 at 16:13 @717
Angelo, you won’t find any argument from us on your score. We exhibit, we buy space at shows, we sponsor events. Without those who put their hand in their pocket the industry would have no place to meet and do business
February 10th, 2011 at 17:04 @753
I’ll apologize here and in person for implying that you posted as a favor: that was wrong to do, and I take you at your word that it was just a story. Where we’ll have to differ is on whether positioning their absence as anything other than a boycott was spin.
In the end, the right thing was apparently done. Congrats and welcome to Haivision, I am quite sure they will get their money’s worth in Las Vegas.
Two Hendrick’s martinis coming up… very dry, very cold, straight up with a cucumber slice.
Peace.