Back at World HQ after flying home from DSE, and once again finding myself frantically running through Montreal’s airport to make a tight connection from a late flight. Passport control and then 40 gates. But Joy and I made it. As did our checked bags!
The mad dash was, in part, to get back home in time for our little grandson Beau’s 2nd birthday on Thursday.
The last post I knocked out before getting on those flights home asked reasoned questions about the future of DSE, given the (very) noticeable downward trending of exhibitor counts and floor footprints.
But Questex, the trade show management company that owns and puts on DSE, says there will indeed be a 2024 version, back in Las Vegas.
Marian Sandberg, a Questex VP whose events portfolio includes DSE, responded to my headline: “Will There Be A DSE 2024? Who Knows …”
Thanks for asking! There sure will be, December 7-10, 2024 (pre-show events & conference December 7-8, exhibits December 9-10), co-located with LDI. LVCC already booked.
The Las Vegas Convention Center is already booked, of course, because trade show operators don’t tend to go year to year in Vegas, but book spaces years in advance to secure the same time windows and better halls. This year, the show was in the new west hall (yay!), which is MUCH nicer than the aging north and south halls, but still doesn’t have much in the way of seating for tired bones, aside from the food court.
Despite the small size of this year’s DSE, it can also likely go ahead because the sister show on the other side of an LVCC wall did very well. Sandberg’s boss, Paul Miller, has described this week’s LDI as having record breaking numbers.
They may be out there, but I have not come across any post-show references to DSE, other than thank you messaging and see you next year stuff.
There are operating economies for Questex, in that they already have space booked for LDI and already sending people to Vegas, like Sandberg, who can guide both shows. On its own, I kinda doubt DSE could make a go of it with the numbers seen Monday and Tuesday, but I will admit those are the observations of someone who has never staged a big trade show.
I have heard repeatedly that the quality of conversations and opportunities matter more than than the quantity at trade shows, and the feedback I had was that DSE 2023 vendors were pretty happy with what came out of the event, at least on a much busier day 1. Maybe that will pull back some vendors in 2024 who sat out 2023?
Based on foot traffic, it could probably be a one-day trade hall, given all the people who flew home Monday evening. But that sends a bad message.
There’s almost always some big event on during DSE in Vegas. This week, the horse trailers were coming in for the huge, many-days-long National Rodeo Finals. The city is now filled up with cowboy hats and big buckles, and being in LV this weekend would be pretty amusing.
NFR will have started and in full swing when DSE and LDI are on in 12 months.
Yee-haw.
Now my attention turns to the final touches on the mixer set for ISE in Barcelona. That’s in, YIKES!, 52 days. Registration will go up next week, probably mid-week. Watch this space.