NMRA National Train Show at Detroit

Jul 31, 2007 4 Replies

Anyone notice the small number of vendors actually selling merchandise at the train show? Over the past few years, the number of vendors attending the show and actually selling trains has decreased so much that, in my opinion, is impacting the show itself and will result in decreased attendance. The NMRA should consider doing something to encourage vendors to attend the show, even if it means giving them space at a low price. After all, what's the purpose of a show without vendors?



In that same vein, it would also appear that manufacturers are not attending as much as they did in the past.



Ray O


Oh. I naively thought that the purpose of a show is to show things.

Ray wrote: : Anyone notice the small number of vendors actually selling merchandise at : the train show? : Are the local shows attracting the same number of vendors as they did, say, 5 years ago?

I hear a lot of vendors saying the same thing: "ebay".

Bruce

The show this year was very weak compared to prior years. Maybe it was the Detroit location? Philadelphia was pretty good last year.

I attended the show and didn't even notice the vendors because I went to meet with the manufacturers, etc. I don't know the "ins & outs" of how that works, but I wouldn't be interested at all in a display hall full of vendors & only half a dozen manufacturers. I, like another poster, thought it was supposed to be a trade show; in that vein, I thought it was pretty good. Yes, there were a few manufacturers that I had hoped to see & visit with, but considering that many of them are one & two person businesses, I can see where it isn't always feasible or affordable for them toattend such an event.

dlm

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