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Hello Exhibitors,
It is with deep regret that I must report to you that I have decided to postpone T.H.E. Show @ Anaheim for 2017 and move it to a new date in 2018. This was not an easy decision for me and the great team of T.H.E. Show to make but several reasons have come into play that have made this decision necessary.
I hope you will understand why as you are entitled to know:
1. The limited participation from high-end exhibitors-too many shows and a lack of budgets.
2. Hotel room sales compared to last year are smaller and a six-figure payment due just recently asked by the Hotel (Hotel attrition requirements), in addition to what has been already paid to the Hotel. This would be financially unattainable with a 3 week notice before this Show!!
3. Our concern is also for the attendee/ customer experience as well as yours. In our history, T.H.E. Show has never put on a mediocre event, not ever. Richard Beers would never have done it and neither will I. Many of you have already experienced a mediocre show recently, in some cases financially devastating to many businesses. Without a good Return of Investment (ROI), its not good for you, T.H.E. Show or our customers. The word of mouth and print on a mediocre show goes far and wide.
4. This one is the most heartbreaking of all. The second owner of T.H.E. Show, Beverly Harber, Richards life long partner, has been diagnosed with Stage 4 Small cell non-squamous Terminal cancer. Some of you may have met Beverly who was the talent behind the throne so to speak. She created some of the first source books and also financed the show for many years in the belief that T.H.E. Show would help an industry always under pressure to succeed. Beverly has recently moved from Salt lake to Las Vegas with me for better care in the company of family and friends. Cancer is truly a cruel and unforgiving disease.
All attendees and exhibitors will receive full refunds over the next 30 to 45 days. Kyle Robertson from T.H.E. Show office will oversee the details to ensure a proper refund to all.
I do want to thank all of those who have supported T.H.E. Show in the past and hope you will join us in 2018 when we announce a new date.
Sincerely,
Maurice R. Jung, President
T.H.E. Show
There’s a reason Scot Hull calls Tidal gear “The Rolls Royce of high-end audio,” it’s because it’s big, glossy, built by hand to last for generations, and offers a level of performance, fit, and finish that many competitors cannot match.
I was especially impressed by the Xtensions turntable and the DAC performance. Coupled with the impressive CanJam demo, Pro-Ject had a really superb showing at RMAF.
A system merely allows you to spatially experience what the recording engineers captured. this was a feel-good room with not only audio synergy, but in personality as well.
Oh my god, Justin Timberlake? That room's next
I first covered CES for AudioStream back in 2012 and wrote, "From the first minute I hit the Venetian's crowded elevator bank to the last, I could not help feeling behind. There's no way one person can cover everything at CES and T.H.E. Show unless their area of coverage is defined to include only those companies whose name begins and ends with an X." Looking at the current Exhibitor list, I could cover everything at CES 2018 in an afternoon.
I could speculate as to the reasons why CES has seen less "Hi-End" exhibitors each year but I don't like to speculation since speculation typically only serves to uncover our own prejudices. Suffice it to say that there used to be 6 floors-worth of hi-fi to cover which has become 1 plus a few rooms.
By my quick count, there are 50+ rooms in total and less than 50 exhibitors (some have multiple rooms). Even if I were to cover every room, and I wouldn't because some do not have any digital playback, the math says CES ain't worth it.
It’s that time of year -- as recent history demonstrates -- when high-end audio visitors to the Consumer Electronics Show feel a sense of doom, of foreboding that “It Will Suck Again.” Unlike this organ’s esteemed editors, who will not waste the time nor money for the Vegas trip, which Doug Schneider described as “too dick-all of a show” to be worth attending, I have contradicted myself by visiting it once more.
What if they gave a show. . . and nobody came? If you look at the numbers for the high-end audio sector alone, it certainly looks like something went south. However the rest of CES is thriving: gadgets, AI and even self-driving cars have supplanted much of what used to dominate these shows (one of the Innovations Award winners this year is Kohler's "intelligent bathroom.")