It has been eight years since I last attended TS2 (the tradeshow, trade show).

Ten years ago it was a dying show put on by the TSEA (Trade Show Exhibitor's Association), and when I last attended I had decided that even if the show was free for me to attend, it wasn't even worth my time as an expense...

The show is under new management and they assured me that THIS year it was finally worth my energy...

Having just returned from Boston and the 2010 TS2 show everyone in the industry is asking me if things have changed at TS2. Well, Yes, and no...

First the negative spin: The show's attendance is still way down from 10 years ago, the exhibit hall is small, and the "buzz" on the show floor is a bit subdued. Speaking with other exhibitors the lead-count was minimal and the "energy" seemed low.

And now, the positive spin: Since the tradeshow industry is also beginning to pull-out from the recession, of the few leads that were there on the tradeshow floor, ALL of them were QUALITY leads! If you are used to seeing hundreds of leads per show and maybe a "sale" or two, you'll be extremely pleased to know that the "sales" are still there. but remember those 100's of leads you used to have to sift through after the show? They are now just dozens of leads... The up-shot to this is that there are less "riff-raff" leads to comb through to find the gems or the HOT leads!

So, with a shorter stack of leads in my hands from this year's show I have to ask myself, "would I exhibit at TS2 again"? If I could repeat (or exceed) 2010's TS2 results, yes!

Way to go TS2, I hope to see you again in 2011.