engineguyBill wrote: ↑Sun Dec 10, 2017 9:18 pm The manufacturers who display at the Show depend on sales of large quantities of product to their target customers throughout the year.
I hear you, but not sure who exactly the "target customers" you are referring to. Summit/jegs? they market/promote next to nothing in the grand scale. They do meet customer demand in large quantities, they do not create demand.. If you are focusing on engine builders, are they customers of "large quantities" on a say, a specific cam/item? That's a legit question. Companies like Moser/Wilwood/Butler/etc seem to me need the wide exposure for their products.
It seems to me that in order to reduce trade show congestion, by understandably reducing what has been referred to as the "sticker crowd", it is is bordering on throwing the baby out with the bath water. A new product, especially by a new and upcoming entrepreneur/inventor, needs all the buzz they can muster. The current big retail customers do not generate that.
A circle the wagons, us vs the "outsiders" clique will not serve the industry well, but it would calm the shows down. I think that can be done other ways.
Thread should have stayed in engine, since they seem to be the one's voicing the most concern. I suspect there are even more "stickers" here.