Flew in for Venus, first time back at a big in person show in a while. The floor is wild as always, half trade show half circus. If any of the regulars here are around and want to grab a coffee away from the noise, say so. Always better to put faces to the handles. What is everyone actually here for this year, deals, hiring, or just the scene?
i am here with two of my models for a booth. is a good year i think, more serious people than last time, less only tourists. if you want to say hello we are near the cam area most of the day. berlin is always too expensive for us but worth it for the contacts you cannot make over email.
here hunting, not buying a booth. venus is underrated for deals if you skip the show floor circus and work the side events and the hotel bars instead. thats where the actual business happens, not at the stands. the stands are marketing, the bar at 2am is where someone finally sells you the site they swore was not for sale.
not there but living through this thread, keep the floor reports coming. closest i get to venus this year is reading you lot post about it from my desk lol
Here on the mainstream crossover side, mostly scoping how the bigger platforms are positioning themselves. Honestly the most useful conversations have been in the quiet corners, not the panels. If you came to learn where the industry is heading, pay attention to who the serious operators are quietly avoiding as much as who they are courting.
Day two report for anyone following along. Quieter on the floor today, which is usually when the real talking happens. Met a few people from here in person, which was honestly the best part. Overall read is that everyone is cautious but nobody is leaving. Lots of hallway talk about compliance costs and consolidation. Not a boom mood, more a settle in for the long haul mood.
love these updates. makes me want to actually go next year instead of reading about it after the fact lol. did anyone talk about where traffic is heading, or was it all compliance doom and gloom