Idaho Falls Consumer Technology Show
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Someone should organize a consumer technology trade show in Idaho Falls. The purpose would be to raise technology awareness among southeast Idahoans, to teach some beginning and intermediate technology skills, and of course to sell technology products.
Seminars or workshops should be held for beginning and intermediate skills in office software, digital imaging, Internet topics, scanning, printing, handhelds, digital cameras, etc. I think many people would turn out for the technology seminars. Since many people hold back on technology purchases until they have been able to use a product, sales should be good at this event. Businesses can be motivated to teach workshops by reducing convention registration fees for those willing to teach a topic.
Vendor sales will be encouraged, but vendors should be required to sell at least 5% less than the best prices available in store or online. This requirement would make it a more special event and encourage more local attendance.
The best technology trade shows I have attended gave away technology prizes every hour. The prizes were donated by the vendors, and technology was used to determine the winners (like an Excel random number generator matching ticket numbers). Technology-themed Jeopardy games would be a crowd-pleaser and certainly gives incentive to learn technology savvy.
It could be held in one of several locations around town. The Shilo is the obvious convention favorite in Idaho Falls, but the old Ernst or old Fred Meyer buildings could also serve the purpose (and probably cheaper). Many workshops are successfully conducted on open-air trade show floors. These are nice because passers-by can see what is going on without committing themselves.
Finally, too many conventions are held only on weekdays, when many consumers cannot attend. The timing for an Idaho Falls consumer technology show would probably be best on a Thursday, Friday, and Saturday extending from 10 AM until 8 PM.
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Comments
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0 Potential vendors that would pay for floor space? I think you could count on all of the local ISP companies, local computer and technology device companies, computer fix-it and service experts, and probably some nationwide big-name technology vendors like Adobe, Apple, Microsoft, Camtasia, Crucial RAM, HP, Waacom, etc.
There is an annual technology show in Boise for teachers, and it is a HUGE event. They gave away a Micron laptop and several other great prizes when I attended.
What do you think?
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0 0 i think it’s a great idea Joe! When are you going to organize it? 
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0 0 As soon as I have financial backing and commitments.
Alas, another great idea that takes someone to actually do it.
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0 0 i bet if we went around to say Best Buy, Circuit City etc. and had them as sponsers, they’d help out with the funds. I’m sure it’d be a great success around here.
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0 0 i’m sure they would, i’m sure it would be a great idea and event, i’m sure you’d find lots of big-name local partners.
i’ve been asked about some of these event-ideas before, and unfortunately they always come down to how the person organizing the event gets paid.
i’d be happy to run this type of thing, but would the funding be enough to cover a person’s living salary for the two or three months needed to do it right?
i guess i don’t understand that part.
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0 0 A conversation in the chatbox today about tech savvy in our area and why more local businesses do not invest much in a website caused me to think of ways to increase tech savvy in our area. I thought of this old suggestion for a technology convention, I still think this is a good idea.
Another idea I thought of a couple months ago was for a technology user’s group, but nobody seemed to groove on that idea.
Any other ideas to increase technology savvy around here?
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0 0 For a techie convention of some other event to succeed, there has to be something in it for somebody–something big enough to spark interest in organizing it and something big enough to spark interest in attending it. If there’s really nothing much in it for anybody, nobody’s going to be at all interested in either organizing or attending it.
So, the question is–who stands to gain the most from a higher techie awareness here in Idaho Falls and Eastern Idaho?
Is there one particular business that would gain? A sector of businesses? Who? Frankly, that’s where support for such an idea falls short–nobody knows who’s the clear winner for going to the trouble to organize such an event. My vote is the City of Idaho Falls and all of their “tribe,” so to speak. Tribal members include the Chamber of Commerce, Bonneville County, Grow Idaho Falls, Downtown Development, EITC, INL, and all the usual suspects.
If tech savvy was perceived as a fundamental component of economic development, there would be a LOT of local boosters jumping about the Tech Savvy Wagon Train. This area actually has a lot of tech assets to promote–the city’s fiber system is a real chest thumper. The real challenge is how to convince the “powers that be” that promoting and hyping tech savvy is in their best interests. If they got that message, you can bet there would be a ramped up interest in tech savvy almost immediately.
Sometimes people ’round here are too danged close to their own teeny, tiny tree to have a clue about their fabulous forest.
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0 0 All of your ideas seem right on the money. Apparently other areas have had techie conventions in the past, right?
It might bear some research as to how they organized it, who their targeted audience was, and what pitfalls they found. Having this research documented would help potential sponsors to know you were serious, organized, and competent.
Gee, you might even use the internet to do your research!! (Of course, I say this with tongue planted firmly in cheek).
I especially like the required discount part. That would make it a draw for those looking for the good buy, if nothing else.
I think I would even go if there were ‘how to’ demonstrations.
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If there are demonstrations on how to use software and technology devices (like waacom digital tablets), this could be a really huge draw from all of southeast Idaho.
Half hour seminars on how to create and upload a digital movie using just Windows, how to create a blog, stump-the-expert, how to secure your wireless home network, online video alternatives to television, oh my. Yes I think if there were a bunch of these consumer-friendly how-to seminars in the midst of the trade show, it would be an extremely popular event for our area.