In this new column of The LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT and Specifier News we ask you what you think about a specific topic or event. It’s all done over the phone and these quotes are right off the recording of the conversations. ‘We pick members of the profession at random and give ‘em a call. Who knows … we may be calling you!

Do you attend trade shows and why? (or why not?)

“Yes, I do attend them whenever possible, ifthey’re close, because they do keep you abreast of the latest products out there and help make contacts within the production end of things.”
Peter G. Arnold

Rehler, Vaughn Beatty Koone, Inc.
San Antonio, Texas

“Typically, I do not, just because I have in the past years but in recent years I haven’t found them to be that productive. In the office, we normally send representatives for the firm and we expect them to report back to us and tell us what they’ve seen.”

Gene W. Newman
Myrick Newman Dahlberg & Partners
Dallas, Texas

“On occasion I do. Seminars and probably more of the trade shows. There’s a certain amount of training in some of the seminars that I’ve been to, new information and that sort of thing. But I don’t know if there’s been that many trade shows around the Seattle area here.”

Roy Lehrer
Seattle, Washington

“I do when they are close around here. I get information on products and keep current.”

Cathy Caris-Hart
Phoenix, Arizona

“Yes, we do. We are selective about it, but we attend them to see the new things in the field that we know are coming out. We like to stay on top of that.”

David W. Reed
San Diego, California

“Yes, we do. The reason that we do is primarily for P.R. purposes. We like to stayin front of our clients. It gives most of our clients an opportunity to come and visit us and see us. Whereas, it’s a lot more difficult if you try to call on a hundred different firms around the country.”

Randall W. Jeffs
Association Administrators
Irvine, California

“I don’t usually attend trade shows. Most of the products that are dealt with at trade shows really don’t interest me because most of them tend to be more technical, like irrigation and so forth. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of products out there that really kind of turn me on, although we are expecting to attend the lighting trade show that is coming to San Francisco. But generally, I would say that I don’t find the field changes fast enough for us in terms of new products.”

Richard L. Schadt
San Francisco, California

“I attend some that are convenient. I update my information and make more contacts with people and learn about new products.”

James H. Coleman
James H. Coleman & Associates
Cupertino, California