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Before one thinks I am going to write anything negative about the Vegas show, I’m not.  Jim and Mike have created a great show, I attend every year, and I have made more money through that show than they have ever charged me to attend.  Whether it was a meeting with a supplier, a customer or a new acquaintance, the Vegas Fastener show has been invaluable to me.  And last year’s show was among the best!

But, I do have some food for thought on the days around the show.  I got, and filled out my registration form for the show this week.  And, as I read through, I spent some time looking over the “Meeting and Seminar Information” section.  There certainly are some interesting programs that are being offered by a number of organizations.  However, the timing of some of the programs conflict with other programs.   Then, I also realized that companies have sales meetings and hospitality suites and all other kind of distractions that could cause one to miss some of these programs.  My first thought wass, can you really even get people to settle down long enough in Vegas to have a day long schedule of classes and programs?  Are they too distracted by everything else going on that is not fastener industry related?

STAFDA has a trade show each year and they just had it in Vegas last year.  Many fastener people attend, but I did not.  Too much Vegas in one year.  But I am going to attend STAFDA in Charlotte in November.  STAFDA will have “BIG” speakers and museum tours and all kinds of NASCAR related stuff this year.  I’m not an anti-NASCAR guy, but I’m not a NASCAR guy either.  I was raised watching baseball, football and basketball.  I’m still going to check out the NASCAR stuff, but I’d be a lot more excited to be going to New York, hearing Phil Jackson talk and then go to Madison Square Garden for a Knicks game.  That event would be more to my liking.  Could, or should the Vegas fastener show ever try to have a day long schedule of events that would keep people from going to the Vegas strip all day?

Let’s start with this.  What if I had a famous relative who would come speak to our industry for free.  Maybe Phil Jackson or Warren Buffett, Mark Zuckerberg or Bill Gates or someone else that might appeal to a wide range of people.  Could we have something like:

Breakfast Meeting – Panel Discussion with an industry related topic, featuring highly influential people form the fastener world

Morning Breakout Sessions – FTI workshop, conflict mineral, communications seminar & MANA workshops are already on the Vegas schedule, so maybe we’ll just use those topics

Noon – Lunch & Speaker (with either Uncle Phil, Cousin Warren, Nephew Mark or brother in law Bill- for instance)

Afternoon Breakout Session – like the morning

Finish by 4:00 so everyone could make it to the opening ceremonies and the bash

Is that a program that would be worth considering?  Right now, the day before the show feels kind of splintered.  Some come in for programs, others set up that day and then others take advantage of the fact that their whole staff is coming to town and they hold meetings.  So, fastener people are running in every direction.  I just think there might be an interesting way to have a fastener summit – a day where a lot of fastener people get together to discuss a lot of industry related (or at least of interest to a lot of our industry members) topics for a day, before we all walk the trade show the following day.

The Vegas show has a great history and has continued to expand and bring different, related industries to join in the show.  Like anything, there is always room for growth and new ideas.  That’s why I ask, could it still be bigger and better?  Or better yet, how could it be?