Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted March 23, 2017 anyone going this year - I am on the fence . . . missed last year and have never missed 2 years in a row but no vacation till November so really don't have an excuse Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mfatty500 454 Posted March 24, 2017 Someone screwed up here: the front, and on the inside 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted March 24, 2017 wow -= didn't even notice that - I just keep getting email reminders and didn't even open that one. good catch Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mfatty500 454 Posted March 24, 2017 Someone must have used the ol Copy & paste routine Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted March 24, 2017 betting so as that is the arlington tx show Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted March 24, 2017 dang they really rotated them for 2018 = it is September, don't they know that is when the cheap cruises are :/ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mfatty500 454 Posted March 24, 2017 I posted them to their facebook page, but they have to review the post first, like that will make on their page... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mfatty500 454 Posted March 25, 2017 They answered me back on FB, they said with all the events going on , oops! I replied with "then I suppose you'll let me in free this year" They said , yes! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mfatty500 454 Posted March 25, 2017 They did me a favor, eh? Should have hit 'em up for a room @ the J.W. Marriott.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted March 25, 2017 Since it's free anyways I would have. I wore a USCutter badge at my last one - people treat you a whole lot different, like very suspicious and quiet compared to wearing an attendee badge. Still undecided on going - again it is a long trip to drive by yourself. was invited to ISS last night by another vendor friend - lets see 9 hrs by myself, definitely overnight, would love to spend some time just shooting the breeze with him but . . . I need the big sign show in ft wayne, IN, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids. etc but not enough draw to any of those areas. guess I am lucky to have indy as close as it is Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mfatty500 454 Posted March 25, 2017 Maybe I will, hmmm, all they can say is no, then we would probably go for sure, only 3.5-4 hours for us, western suburbs of Chicago, is that about the same for you from Coldwater? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted March 25, 2017 about 3-3.5 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hhsg 43 Posted March 26, 2017 On 3/24/2017 at 9:35 PM, Dakotagrafx said: Since it's free anyways I would have. I wore a USCutter badge at my last one - people treat you a whole lot different, like very suspicious and quiet compared to wearing an attendee badge. Still undecided on going - again it is a long trip to drive by yourself. was invited to ISS last night by another vendor friend - lets see 9 hrs by myself, definitely overnight, would love to spend some time just shooting the breeze with him but . . . I need the big sign show in ft wayne, IN, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids. etc but not enough draw to any of those areas. guess I am lucky to have indy as close as it is Being close. We are only 25 miles southeast of Indy. We will be there Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted May 4, 2017 Looks like I will be going Thursday or Friday . . . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted June 2, 2017 US Cutter crew there in full force - rest of show pretty disappointing - for a newbie the screen printing and lasers were in force along with lots of roland, HP, Mutoh and Mimaki printers but overall smallest show in years and uninspiring . . . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slice&dice 2,450 Posted June 3, 2017 On 3/26/2017 at 10:59 AM, hhsg said: ...We will be there If you get a chance, perhaps offer a quick review of your experiences there? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted June 3, 2017 many years they had a lot more equipment like sign routers, wrap demonstrations, the vendors spent a lot of time showing, teaching, engaging potential customers in ways that drew you in, this year much smaller and much more like an overpriced flea market. many times you will get great deals on "show specials" (last time I bought a bunch of stuff from yellow tools that has been the handiest stuff used in years) this year a lot of overpriced HTV being sold at a pretty good mark up from what you could buy it normally by the roll - in years past that was either marked down to get you to try it or given away. notably missing was the guy that is always at the shows that has a system for mess free screen printing (photo exposed and quick but not for long runs) no wrap demonstrations only a couple of videos . . .at least 3 finance companies set up. it didn't really draw you in and engage you. USC even having more staff than usual had the guy from forever papers doing a great job selling but other than that they had a SC cutter set up and a Graphtec set up that was running with no blade in it just to draw attention. Personally I would have had a set up to draw attention to the great deals on shipping and would have had a lot of rolls of vinyl, App tape, HTV, digital media to pull the attention that they are a big supplier and hard to beat the cheap shipping . . . if I had a cutter going I would have been demoing and pushing supplies. I went with someone fairly new and know a lot of newbies go to the shows. I know I am not a marketing genius and don't have the great education or experience of those running the business but I left feeling inside like USC had lost it's way kinda like when Bill Knapp Restaurants went with the updated space theme and alienated their base customers of elderly going out of business within a year (not suggesting USC is near that bad) or when radio shack quit selling the components, car stereos, home systems that built and maintained their business to focus on being an outlet for cell phones and we see how that worked out. USC main business is still the cutters and supplies but nothing pointed to that or drew people in - come to think of it no one was really pushing vinyl or app tape of any kind and with all the printers being displayed nothing sticks in my mind as to any suppliers really coming to mind for buying supplies after someone buys the equipment (which brings another one to mind - fellers was missing) Wensco and signwarehouse was there with SW having the most memorable display but even that was smaller than normal. and neither really comes to mind to bring new people into thinking of them for supplies after leaving the show. I am sure Advantage was there but honestly don't even remember them or their display - I used to leave the show with samples, pamphlets, fliers on show specials that I would pour over when I got home and place orders. this year I left with a t-shirt for my wife from the guy with the 14 station auto screen press that was cranking them out faster than the attendees could go by and a sheet from the forever papers product from USC - wasn't the both hands full of bags with info and transfer samples that I could hardly carry from years past. - It's not about the amount of samples etc it is engaging and being remembered when someone goes to order supplies. if you wanted big auto screen presses it was a good show - if you wanted high end laser units there were plenty, for entry level or normal people looking for supplier ideas not so much My dad has sold very high end oil for years and he always said the big accounts are nice and the gravy but it is the farmers small orders are what keep the business going and puts the food on the table. thru good times and bad, always focus on your core and not chasing the rainbow but also be remembered for honesty and good, quick, reasonable service. most of all be remembered . . . nothing at this show really stuck with me making me gravitate to any supplier and in USC's case nothing at the show would make me think of them when it comes time to order supplies or equipment. I will continue to use them because I know the company but how about the other thousands of attendees . . . Rant over 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted June 3, 2017 effective use of your marketing dollars is more important than how much you spend or how many people you take . . . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mfatty500 454 Posted June 3, 2017 Sounds like I didn't miss a thing, I was. however, in Indy last weekend for the race Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted June 3, 2017 33 minutes ago, mfatty500 said: Sounds like I didn't miss a thing, I was. however, in Indy last weekend for the race much better choice - always wanted to go to that too but traffic scares me away Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hhsg 43 Posted June 6, 2017 On 6/3/2017 at 10:31 AM, Dakotagrafx said: many years they had a lot more equipment like sign routers, wrap demonstrations, the vendors spent a lot of time showing, teaching, engaging potential customers in ways that drew you in, this year much smaller and much more like an overpriced flea market. many times you will get great deals on "show specials" (last time I bought a bunch of stuff from yellow tools that has been the handiest stuff used in years) this year a lot of overpriced HTV being sold at a pretty good mark up from what you could buy it normally by the roll - in years past that was either marked down to get you to try it or given away. notably missing was the guy that is always at the shows that has a system for mess free screen printing (photo exposed and quick but not for long runs) no wrap demonstrations only a couple of videos . . .at least 3 finance companies set up. it didn't really draw you in and engage you. USC even having more staff than usual had the guy from forever papers doing a great job selling but other than that they had a SC cutter set up and a Graphtec set up that was running with no blade in it just to draw attention. Personally I would have had a set up to draw attention to the great deals on shipping and would have had a lot of rolls of vinyl, App tape, HTV, digital media to pull the attention that they are a big supplier and hard to beat the cheap shipping . . . if I had a cutter going I would have been demoing and pushing supplies. I went with someone fairly new and know a lot of newbies go to the shows. I know I am not a marketing genius and don't have the great education or experience of those running the business but I left feeling inside like USC had lost it's way kinda like when Bill Knapp Restaurants went with the updated space theme and alienated their base customers of elderly going out of business within a year (not suggesting USC is near that bad) or when radio shack quit selling the components, car stereos, home systems that built and maintained their business to focus on being an outlet for cell phones and we see how that worked out. USC main business is still the cutters and supplies but nothing pointed to that or drew people in - come to think of it no one was really pushing vinyl or app tape of any kind and with all the printers being displayed nothing sticks in my mind as to any suppliers really coming to mind for buying supplies after someone buys the equipment (which brings another one to mind - fellers was missing) Wensco and signwarehouse was there with SW having the most memorable display but even that was smaller than normal. and neither really comes to mind to bring new people into thinking of them for supplies after leaving the show. I am sure Advantage was there but honestly don't even remember them or their display - I used to leave the show with samples, pamphlets, fliers on show specials that I would pour over when I got home and place orders. this year I left with a t-shirt for my wife from the guy with the 14 station auto screen press that was cranking them out faster than the attendees could go by and a sheet from the forever papers product from USC - wasn't the both hands full of bags with info and transfer samples that I could hardly carry from years past. - It's not about the amount of samples etc it is engaging and being remembered when someone goes to order supplies. if you wanted big auto screen presses it was a good show - if you wanted high end laser units there were plenty, for entry level or normal people looking for supplier ideas not so much My dad has sold very high end oil for years and he always said the big accounts are nice and the gravy but it is the farmers small orders are what keep the business going and puts the food on the table. thru good times and bad, always focus on your core and not chasing the rainbow but also be remembered for honesty and good, quick, reasonable service. most of all be remembered . . . nothing at this show really stuck with me making me gravitate to any supplier and in USC's case nothing at the show would make me think of them when it comes time to order supplies or equipment. I will continue to use them because I know the company but how about the other thousands of attendees . . . Rant over I have to agree with you 100%. My wife and I went on Friday and I was very disappointed in the show. Some of the large companies that I remember from years past were not there. And the sample bags (lol) were not there. I believe that I need to go to a bigger show. If next year like this I think I will skip 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted June 6, 2017 For a lot of us the nbm is by far the closest show we see. I thought about the isa in Nashville to go see Lou robins from tsquareit! As we have communicated for years and never met face to face, but 8-9 hours wasn't doable right now as it would require overnight. The other option is the open houses at advantage, wensco, etc and that is basically that vendor selling the self alone. More vendors also need people that are proficient in what they are selling, otherwise they come off as disgenuine or like a used car salesman 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites