Frontline Solutions Expo 2001: Were You Surprised?

There was a lot of scuttlebutt at the 2001 Frontline Solutions Expo (or as many hard-liners still call it: SCANTECH) about the decreased attendance and number of exhibitors. Obviously the events of September 11th and the fact that Comdex was scheduled at the same time were the most common explanations given for the show's smaller size. But was there still value in attending or even exhibiting? Many of the exhibitors I spoke with said yes. They said despite the decreased attendance, the attendees were the type looking to buy. It was the quality not quantity argument. On the other hand, some of the exhibitors were disappointed about the higher cost of having the show back at McCormick. I even heard talk of scaling booths back next year - especially with the economy the way it is. The fact is, Rosemont and McCormick each have their pros and cons, and the show's organizers are never going to please everyone.

In terms of the exhibitors and the products being released at the show, I didn't see or hear a lot of commotion - no women in bikinis; no famous sports athletes; no sideshow barkers drawing the curious into booths. Of course there was the guy that looked like Santa walking around doing magic tricks. But, that's a far cry from years past when the din of the exhibit floor was always nearing a roar.

However, if you went to the show looking for RFID (radio frequency identification) vendors, then you went to the right place. Obviously, these companies are still anticipating a boom in the supply chain industry. Personally, I'd be surprised to see a lot of them in existence, much less, at the show next year. They are all looking for that one big sale - not an application, a sale - to open the RFID floodgates. It can't happen for everyone, and that's why I think many of these companies will either merge or disappear. Otherwise, they need to prepare for gradual growth, using smaller VARs and integrators as their foot soldiers.

Staying Connected
Connectivity was a big buzzword being used at this year's show. While some companies like Intermec debuted impressive uses of 802.11B WLANs (wireless LANs), I was also surprised at the amount of companies offering Bluetooth-enabled products. Although I was glad to see Bluetooth continuing to make a presence, I was shocked by those companies that had no idea what customers were going to use this connectivity option. One vendor actually told me his company just wanted to be first to market in his product's category. He added, this connectivity option almost doubled the cost of his product.

Some connectivity-related features that did seem to make sense were those that enable the remote monitoring and maintenance of bar code printers and WLANs. This form of Big Brother monitoring has been around for awhile, though, and shouldn't have been an eye-opener to many of the attendees. Nevertheless, it's features like this that VARs and integrators really can use to add value to a sale.

Was this an unusually slow show due to world events, or is this a harbinger for future Frontline shows? I guess we'll find out next year. Indeed, my perception of the show is limited to my view from the exhibition floor (since I did not attend any of the educational sessions). For those of you who attended the educational seminars, let me know what you thought of the overall show. Did you learn something unexpected? Did you make some deals; meet some new prospects? E-mail me at DanS@corrypub.com and let me know.