ANM Expo Review

Cold and Sunshine were the words to describe the weather in Las Vegas for the ANM Expo 2013, even in contrast to the one held in Chicago last July, which was very hot, 104 degrees and sunny. Vegas had colder temps than we had in Michigan! The commonality of the sunshine is just one of them; the climate inside was warm, friendly and proved very profitable for exhibitors and buyers.

One of my favorite things to do is just “walk the show” and take in all the sights. I was impressed by the vast array of products, some good friends and show veterans, along with new products and new faces. One booth I visited several times was “cutting edge” [Editor’s lame humor!] knives of all sizes, shapes and descriptions. What is even funnier is that I am an individual who is not known for handling sharp instruments without inviting calamity and bloodshed! I was not sure how to even work the catches to open the blades. Fortunately, the gentlemen from United Cutlery were very patient with me. One of my favorites was the one made to look like little derringers. As a female, I thought this one would be good to keep in a purse, and in case of attack, it might look like a gun. Failing that threat, one could have the blade eject which could certainly pose a serious threat to a mugger. Another one was shaped like a little grenade, whereby you pull the “pin” and out pops the blade. Check out their website for more items (www.unitedcutlery.com).

Another of my favorites was the parachute pants booth. Please read the Spotlight article for my impressions of the owner of that company. My third pick was the Boleo booth, featuring some unique products such as holders for water bottles that hang from a belt or purse and other gadgets. They also had delicious jerky of all flavors, in case one was hungry walking the show. I promise to feature more of the booths when I review the July show. If I had many more pages, I would describe many more.

My final impression was one that always makes me smile and be energized: the entrepreneurial spirit of the people at the show. Being an adjunct professor at a business university, I am always refreshed to meet and greet people who are not afraid to take risks and think “outside the box.” In my classes I continuously like to give my students real world examples of people like you, who are fun to be around, lively and astute business people.

Bravo and kudos to you all!

 

And the survey says…..

In February, we asked buyers who attended the ANM Expo to respond to a survey about their experience and buying habits at the January show. The level of participation was 135 unique respondents completing the survey either at the show or online afterward.

Over 85 % rated the January 2013 ANM Expo as meeting or exceeding their expectations.

Regarding how they received information about the show, three sources were listed: marketing communications directly from ANM Expo; exhibitors and other buyers; and Surplus Today.

70% of the respondents stated that they visited up to 50 exhibitors over the four days of the show and placed at least 10 orders at the show and 10-25 after the show. The majority of these (62%) were under $10,000 per order with 20% stating their average order was $10,000 – $15,000.

98 % of respondents gave the on-line and on-ground registration process high marks for convenience and efficiency.

Industry Outlook

Surplus Today has commissioned NeoLogix, an Ann Arbor, Michigan market research firm, to perform an industry outlook survey during April and May. The survey will be quite extensive with the main goal is to create a current snapshot of company performance, attributes, attitudes, interests, and unique characteristics.

The survey will be executed via a web based service, or a paper & pencil (US mail) version. A small cross section of respondents will also be asked to participate in a telephone interview. An executive summary of the industry outlook survey will be published in the July issue of Surplus Today. A complete report of the survey will be available via downloadable PDF for a fee.

Stay tuned…