If You Don't Tell Them, Will They Still Come?

Shows put on by state societies apparently aren't drawing the attendees that they used to draw 10 years ago. The age of the Internet, the widespread growth of alternative sources for CPE, an increase in firm associations and alliance memberships, are probably all contributing to a perception that these shows no longer have the value they once had. The New York State Society of CPAs used to have two shows: now they only have one. But if a NYSSCPA member went to the society Web site (www.nysscpa.org), he or she would be hard pressed to find any mention of the 2005 New York CPA Business & Technology Show and Conference, which is sponsored by the NYSSCPA Foundation for Accounting Education.

You would have to go to the Web site of the company that is managing the show to find out any details about the upcoming event being held on July 25 and 26 at the Hilton in New York City. At www.flaggmgmt.com/ny/2005_att_schedule.htm, you can see the show's schedule and that Scott Cook, Intuit's founder and chair of its Executive Committee, will be the opening day keynote speaker. Also, you will note sessions on the AICPA's top ten technologies, going paperless, threats to your computer system, and what's new from Microsoft, to name a few topics.

Over the years, I have heard about various discussions regarding how attendance could be improved at the NYSSCPA show including changing the location and dates. I have a solution for the State Society: First try taking a more active role in publicizing it.

In reality, what it has appeared to become for the State Society, is an outsourced managed revenue source. This is evident in the minutes of the NYSSCPA's board of directors' meeting of September 22, 2004 reporting that the Society received approximately $112,000 from the 2004 trade show.

So, for those New York CPAs who know about the show and are planning to attend, stop by our booth (No. 518) and say hello. I should be there on the afternoon of the July 25^th.