A tech vendor friend from New York was very pleased with the quality of attendees and the content at TradeTech 2008 in Paris. The show drew high level people who really knew the industry and were apt to be decision-makers, he thought. He didn’t mind the high price of £3,684 (€5,526). In fact, he thought that was a factor in making the conference a success – only serious people at a high level in their firms could attend.

The New York SIFMA technology conference has dropped off his list, by the way. Too many people, none with decision-making power, and the crowd just gets older and older, he said.

Part of the problem with SIFMA is that the show is free. I have written in the past about one elderly man who shows up with an empty trolley bag, races off the starting line when the doors open, and collects goodies around the show. An extreme example, but the show could benefit from some quality control on attendees. No need to extend quality control to journalist credentials, of course.

Filed under: Technology