To add to three's comment........ I've always considered a show, a seminar or any other learning experience a tool. It's a complete write-off, no matter what you spend money on, except gambling in a machine or table, and if you're willing to wheel-n-deal, you can make some exceptional deals. Sometimes better deals can be made, if you can take the machine with you, straight from the floor. However, in my many years of doing this, I've found if you have the ability to know what you want, know what you can spend and willing to walk away from a deal you don't want or need.... you can make good deals anytime, even in the distributor's showroom.
I always liked the Atlantic City show for one main reason...... it's the end of the year and they always really made fantastic bargains there, plus you could get it in this year's taxes. One time, I got a great deal on a machine.... and I do mean great, but the customer I was getting the machine for, backed out at the last minute. Therefore, I hadda turn the transaction down. 5 weeks later, the customer came through and handed me a deposit of 1/2 for their signs.... about $190,000 smackaroos. I called to see what kinda deal I could get and they said the show prices were over at the end of December and this was the first week of February. I said, I have cash in hand. Will you still honor that price ?? They hemmed and hawed and I finally said, just forget it, I'm gonna go somewhere else and hung up. I don't think even 15 minutes went by and I got a phone call.... Okay, we'll do the same deal. Sweet. Two weeks later our flatbed was delivered in the middle of a snow blizzard and we were cranking out signs less than 24 hours later.
The shows are a great place to get what you want and make comparisons, but you can make a deal anytime.... anywhere.
