CTIA Breakdown
It’s been more than a week since we were at CTIA and after escaping the heat and the high prices of Las Vegas – and after some contemplation – we thought it’s time to break down our experiences.
There was definitely less this show – less of everything. Approaching the convention centre, the reduced advertizing-spend of the usual device manufacturers was plain to see: there were hardly any giant banners on or opposite the venue. I guess they are diverting marketing spend to R&D to improve touch screen technology!
The show floor was noticeably less in size and we still don’t understand why the IT and Entertainment show is held separately. What was evident was the more business like attitude of everyone there. There was a much more pro-active – let’s get something out of this – approach from everyone we met. For us, that meant people were more focused (less “Which party are you attending tonight”, talk).
People in the content space were there, but few were exhibiting. There were plenty of opportunities to meet with prospects and customers, but in coffee shops rather than on the 3rd floor of an over-ambitious stand. That felt right – and prudent in the current climate.
We attended with a couple of key objectives. Meetings with customers and prospects, and to kick-off a PR drive around new customer announcements and the opening of our U.S. office.
To facilitate this, we took part in the ShowStoppers press event. Apparently there were less companies taking part this year, but from our point of view that was great news, as we got lots of interest in Fabric. No small feat when Skype was also in the room previewing their iPhone app.
BnetTV was also there conducting interviews, and we got to talk about our announcements:
Overall, we came away with a positive feeling about the show and the industry in general. Mobile is weathering the economic storm better than many industries, but there’s a sense of realism around which is helping shape purchasing decisions based on ROI and value for money, not blag. While that may have some of our competitors worried, from our point of view, that can only be a good thing!
