Army/navy Military expo

The very first Army Navy Military Expo (ANME) took place in Las Vegas at Caesar’s Palace on August 12-14, 2007.

These show dates coincided with the first three days of the ASD/AMD Trade Show across town at the Las Vegas Convention Center and the Sands Expo Center.
The concurrent dates were not an accident. The Army Navy Military Expo was designed to make it easy for buyers attending the ASD/AMD show to amortize the expense of their trip to Las Vegas by also visiting the new show at Caesar’s.

Exhibitors were drawn to the new show primarily by a lower booth cost, shorter show length (also a money-saver) and by the strictly army/navy emphasis.
With no history to draw on, the show opened with much speculation as to whether the effort would turn out to be rewarding or abysmal.
The general consensus during and post-show was that the Army Navy Military Expo was reasonably successful. In fact, the phrase most often heard was “pleasant surprise.” Perhaps going in with low expectations helped support the generally positive response, but many exhibitors believed that they got their money’s worth.
Company spokesperson Bob Broner reported that the show was viable enough for them to commit to the next show, which will take place again at Caesar’s Palace, again concurrently with the ASD/AMD show. Show dates for the ANME will be March 2-4, 2008.

“The first ANME show wasn’t great, but we were satisfied with it and we’ll give it another shot in March,” said Broner.
Ted Abma of Abma Sales was one of the early adopters of the ANME, and he was very pleased with his show experience. “Without a shadow of a doubt, better that the last ASD/AMD summer show that we attended a couple of years ago. Plus we got to go home a couple of days earlier that usual,” enthused Abma.
Abma noted that he has spoken with customers who did not make it Las Vegas this summer, and who haven’t attended the ASD/AMD show in a while, but who intend to visit the next ANME show. Repeat business has already been a side benefit.
“We’ve already gotten re-orders from accounts we met at the show,” Abma said.
A common thread among exhibitors pleased with the proceedings was the observation that the show attracted only on-target buyers for army/navy oriented exhibitors.
These exhibitors felt that the ASD/AMD show drew too many non-army/navy buyers who were considered time-wasters. Of course, some ASD/AMD exhibitors now feel that the wider gamut of buyers at ASD/AMD is one of the advantages of that show, but to each his own.
Gober Sportswear was one of a small group of companies that exhibited at both ASD/AMD and ANME.
Victor Gober does not regret doing double duty, and said that he’s guided by a spirit of adventure.
“You have to take risks in business to grow, and since our products are doing well now, we gave both shows a try,” explained Gober.
Ultimately, Gober found that both shows met his needs. “We saw mostly the same buyers at both shows, but they all were happy with the new clothes and colors we introduced at the shows,” Gober said.
Many observers liked the old-timey “Hilton ballroom” feel of ANME. Others, though, decried the obscenely long and uncharted journey from the lobby of the hotel to the show venue in a remote corner of Caesar’s Palace. But many exhibitors still felt that it will be great to be back at the Palace in March, 2008.