Too confusing?

Becky Boswell Smith -- Home Accents Today, 11/1/2005

Making plans way in advance is not my style, usually, but I do try to stay more organized in my professional life. Lately, however, that's getting more and more difficult.

A message to market organizers: pick a date. Any date. Just pick it and keep it. Thanks.

Quick, readers? When is High Point next year? Uh? No, I mean the second date change for October. Make that September. No, it's still October although it's Monday through Sunday now.

And not to be outmaneuvered, Las Vegas just shifted its dates, too. The July market is one week earlier than previously announced.

OK, I got it now. I think.

The entire market calendar is becoming a greater challenge, both for retailers and exhibitors. For both groups, going to any market is expensive and for exhibitors, it may or may not end up being worth the expense.

It's a puzzlement, as Yul Brynner said in The King and I. A real puzzlement.

We know there are fewer retailers out there. Difficult economic times are thinning the ranks. We also know from various surveys that retailers are choosing to go to fewer shows, take fewer buyers and stay fewer days.

So we add venues, expand facilities, combine markets and mix in parts of international shows. In a year's time, I or other editorial staff members attend almost all the shows. Each has something special to offer, but there certainly is repetition of product. How can it be otherwise?

Is there a reasonable solution to all this?