It seems that more and more companies are holding events. We have plenty of trade shows, but apparently that wasn't enough. Now master agencies have shows (some have more than one). One PR firm became an event planning company.

I think there are just too many shows. I mean that in that most are just networking and don't offer much in the way of valuable content. Listening to the channel head give his canned remarks isn't any better in a convention center than it is in a downtown hotel. Plus those same remarks were probably in the newsletter.

I just saw the TELX Marketplace Live sponsorship guide for the December event in San Fran. Jeepers! How do carriers do 2 Channel Partners, 2 Comptel, 2 ITEXPO, 6 or 7 master agency shows, road shows, ITW, and then this one in the 4th quarter? At $6K per show plus personnel, hotels, meals, shipping, etc. that amounts to 15 shows per year minimum - at a cost of at least $150,000. I would rather see that money put in my SPIFF check.

I hear carriers say that agents need to add value. I'd like to say the same thing to the people running these events: where's the value?