Which show to attend?

[Ki Choi]

Myles has three shows listed in this forum - Newport, Munich, and Axpona in Chicago. There are other shows such as CES, Capitol and RMAF.

Things have digressed and evolved in show scene in last five years or so it seems.

If one can attend only one show a year, which one would you go as an exhibitor and/or as a walker?

[Johnny Vinyl]

Personally I would love to go to the Munich show above all others.

[MylesBAstor]

Great show but the sound is so-so I understand because of the venue.

[Rust]

Of the major audio shows, I'd pick the Rocky Mountain Audio Show. If I got tired of looking at expensive gear I can't afford, I could amuse myself by buying a ton of junk food and firing up a fatty.

[Steve Lefkowicz]

CES is dead.
Of the remaining ones, Newport is really good. Better than ever this year. I think it has become the biggest, with the most exhibitors.
I hope to go to RMAF this coming year. Never been and heard nothing but great things abut it.

[Garth]

I heard Munich is great never been I have done RMAF twice I liked the show and the area feels safe. Easy airport not a arm and a leg to stay at the hotel relaxed rooms unless a reviewer walks in. You know when a Big Shot like Myles is in the room you are done for. Just Kidding RMAF is a good better than TAVES in Toronto which I can drive to.

[Johnny Vinyl]

TAVES is not a pure audio show though....that's only part of it. Video is a large component of this show. I prefer Montreal's SSI.

[Garth]

I did the Montreal show years ago not great RMAF best one I have done yet

[Hugh]

RMAF would be good to attend if you had never been.
On the other hand, as an exhibitor, it is a different story.
Sunday is mostly like a ghost house.
We had stopped exhibiting there since last year.

[cpp]

RMAF is a blast

[1morerecord2clean]

I've done Newport, RMAF, and ces multiple times each. I'd do Munich in a minute if timing worked out for me. Fun, food, freulines, audio, and German beer. What a Disneyland treat.

[MylesBAstor]

Of the major audio shows, I'd pick the Rocky Mountain Audio Show. If I got tired of looking at expensive gear I can't afford, I could amuse myself by buying a ton of junk food and firing up a fatty.

Colorado has great microbreweries too. Even the beer at the hotel is amazin'! Especially in the days when NY was stuck with diluted 3% elephant pxxs and Colorado had 10% beers.

Can we take which show has the best beer into consideration Ki?

[Ki Choi]

Show location with better beer option will be my top selection criteria - better beer means better opportunities to bond with buddies.

[Beaur]

If beer variety and quality are a major criteria it's going to be hard to beat Munich. Went for the first time this year and the beer may draw me back!

[mep]

CES is dead.
Of the remaining ones, Newport is really good. Better than ever this year. I think it has become the biggest, with the most exhibitors.
I hope to go to RMAF this coming year. Never been and heard nothing but great things abut it.

Interesting comment given the online chatter that the show wasn't very good this year and was poorly attended.

[MylesBAstor]

RMAF would be good to attend if you had never been.
On the other hand, as an exhibitor, it is a different story.
Sunday is mostly like a ghost house.
We had stopped exhibiting there since last year.

I can totally understand your position. RMAF is a total mystery to me. It has by far the most number of exhibit rooms and exhibits--and by a mile at that--of any US show. Yet it just doesn't draw more than around 2500-3000 attendees. A total mystery to me. Unless people are traveled out from summer vacations.

Like you said, Sunday is a ghost town and feel unless they up their game, (I did like that they extended the show hours on Friday though!) RMAF will start to lose out to Axpona and Newport. What saves RMAF to a certain extent is that it is held in October, the beginning of the best selling season for audio. Thus it also sees maybe a bit more new product debuts at RMAF.

[Tunes]

Ki,
my vote for attending only one show would be for munich and i haven't even attended
seriously, that's the show i'd most like to attend. From all accounts i've heard, it is jaw-dropping.

Taves is ok. Toronto show still in infancy. Only been twice and mostly to visit friends.

Montreal FSI was near dead this year but revived. Small, but great spirit and it's an awesome City. I've been 6 or 7 times over the years but unsure i'll bother next year.

Rmaf is a great show as a consumer, large and not overly trade focused. I attended in 2012 and 2013. They had an issue with registration lines being way too long, slow and inefficient. Same goes for the elevators to the upper floors on the sat/sun. Short walk to the transit to get downtown. Denver hosts the great american craft beer festival on the same weekend as rmaf so if that floats yer boat!

Attended axpona in 2015 and this year. I think it's better organized than rmaf. Seems to be getting bigger. Located near the airport for an easy in and out visit but on the transit to easily get downtown to enjoy chicago if you have time and interest.

Of the north american shows, my current favourite is axpona.

[MylesBAstor]

I think you raised some points though think the elevators were a little better once they started an express run. Otherwise go to 11 and walk down.

The difference between RMAF and Axpona boils down to the former is run by the Colorado Audio Society and Axpona by a professional organization. That said, RMAF both are pretty well oiled machines with RMAF depending upon volunteers and Axpona professional staff.

It will be interesting to where Axpona goes. The have a goal of attracting 10K to the show, certainly very lofty goals. But the show has grown in size and attendance every year along with new events and exhibits being added each year. And I think that Axpona has a great set of seminars too.

[bmoura]

RMAF would be good to attend if you had never been.
On the other hand, as an exhibitor, it is a different story.
Sunday is mostly like a ghost house.
We had stopped exhibiting there since last year.

Sadly attendance at RMAF has been dropping in the last few years.
It does have the advantage of being held in Denver and being the only audio show in October.
Time will tell if that is enough to keep it going.

At the same time, both The Show Newport and AXPONA have been doing better.
Showing there's still interest in US Audio Shows.

[MylesBAstor]

I'll restrict my comments to shows on the North American continent primarily the US and Canada.

US: Axpona, CES, RMAF, NYC, Capital Audio Fest, Lone Star Fest, San Francisco show.

Canada: Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver.

Not sure about what goes on in Mexico.

Quite a few shows!

I only went to Montreal once about 15 years ago? We all know about what happened last year and hopefully Sarah can put a show back together next year. (Interestingly, haven't heard anything the Birds refunding the deposits paid for the defunct show).

As far as the US goes. CES is a waste of time as the show is a shell of its former self. Many go today just out of sentimentality.

I haven't been to Newport; perhaps next year.

Axpona vs. RMAF. The rooms are a little better sounding and there's probably about another 40 or so rooms at the latter show. The former has over double the attendance, more conference rooms (something that is important to exhibitors) and a little more diverse seminars. Personally, I enjoy both and can't cover all the rooms at either. So it's an audiophile's dream in terms of diversity of gear.

The New York Show has been a major disappointment for many different reasons. The first three years were a flop; there was a little life shown the 4th year at the Marriot at the Brooklyn Bridge but last year the move to Westchester set the show back five years. The show will again be hosted at the Hilton Westchester in Rye and we'll see how many exhibitors they manage to sign up for 2016.

CAF and LS are very small local shows favoring DIY over established high-end audio companies. Lots of horns and tubes.

I haven't been to Constantine's show in SF but I understand it is also a small show.

So basically you have the big three and everyone else it seems. Two very much on top of each other (plus Munich) in the Spring and one in the fall.

[tom_hankins]

My wife and I would love to do Munich some day. But for now, our three favorites have been Axpona, RMAF, and Newport. Wish Axpona was in the city. We are going to Capitol Audiofest and New York show this year for first time on both.