The second annual (and perhaps final) CeBIT America is running at the Javits Center in New York City. The show was an abomination last year and even worse this year.

CeBIT America will probably not run again. Now we can wonder what will come of Ziff-Davis' new show slated for mid-June in Los Angeles. This show has the oddest name for an enterprise IT trade show that I have ever encountered. There is originality in the concept, but then again the program and the concept are very difficult to comprehend upon reading the promotional material. Several prominent companies appear to be exhibiting (a sponsor sometimes is not an exhibitor in the trade show business). I doubt there will be much attendance in LA for this show, but time will tell.

Our own first-time show Internet Planet runs 15-16 June at the Hilton New York City. We have a handful of exhibitors. I would have liked to have had more. However the paid registrations for the seminar program look to be very strong with three weeks before the start of the show. Once again time will tell if a new show can work or not. We have had our share of unsuccessful first shows. Computer Digital Expo was not a highlight for us last year in Las Vegas (and while on the subject I wonder if Comdex will actually run this year?). It does not appear that Microsoft is exhibiting at this time --- no Microsoft means the show is over.

Since 2000 it has become very difficult to create new and successful trade shows. That is why our SES (Search Engine Strategies shows) are almost unbelievable in their level of success. We started SES a few years ago. The last USA show in New York City in March attracted 60 exhibitors, 1200 paid seminar attendees and a few thousand exhibit hall attendees. The next USA iteration is in San Jose this August and promises to be significantly larger than the March show. We also run SES in five countries (England runs next week at the Novotel in London and Toronto, Canada was a critical and financial success last month).

Another great trade show just ended in San Francisco this week. Ad-Tech was a huge success thus validating all the more that the Internet is changing advertising and the way we all do business.