That's Sony Creative Software (good). Where is the huge Sony Broadcasting pavilion?

Well... That pdf is of the Central Hall... That's an odd place for SCS to be, unless they've changed all the "groupings" of vendors? Normally, ALL NLEs are in the South Hall.

I thought they had said something about being in a different hall next year (when I was there last year), but I'm not sure if that was all the NLE software groups or just SCS.

If it's just SCS then that's kinda like saying, "well, we're just going to go hide and you can see if you can come and find me." Or at least that's what I think.

Dave

If it's just SCS then that's kinda like saying, "well, we're just going to go hide and you can see if you can come and find me." Or at least that's what I think.Getting booth space at a trade show is filled with all sorts of hard-nosed realities, like paying a year in advance for prime space; under-the-table payoffs; last-minute swaps with other companies; and of course this year, the reality that a lot of companies have to cut back, and trade shows are the first to go.

I used to do a lot of trade shows worldwide, but the only place where I couldn't exhibit without paying money under the table was San Francisco.

When I arrived with my crew long before the opening of the show to set up my company's booth, we were told by the union boss that we were not allowed to carry anything, even one little brochure stack, onto the show floor. That was reserved for the unionized drayers. And, oh, ah, by the way, all of them were already booked through the last day of the show....

"But, with some encouragement they might have pity on the situation and do the work even though they were fully booked."

So knowing when I'm beat, I asked, "How much encouragement?"

"Oh, $250 should do it for the moment."

After I gave him a look that would have turned most people to plasma, he said, "I'll see what $100 can do."

But in spite of doing many trade shows in Vegas, I never had such problems there ever.

One time I had just gotten the booth set up after solving some magnificent problems caused by our booth designers, and the only thing remaining was that crate #13 was missing, but that was no big deal. Then one of my staffers pulled my shirt sleeve and advised, "Look, the Union Boss is coming towards our booth!!!"

I thought, "Oh, just shoot me, what the heck are they going to come up with now?"

So the guy arrives and says, "I'm the Union Boss, and I just wanted to make sure that my guys did a great job."

I looked at him, and thought he was absolutely serious and honest, so I told him that indeed, "the guys had been absolutely great to work with and that we were looking forward to coming back the next year."

The Vegas unions got it, they looked beyond their own palms, and that may also be a factor in the success of Vegas as a trade show destination.

Glad to hear that Vegas isn't as openly corrupt as Chicago and New York, two cities where I learned what "drayage" really means. Here's the official definition:

Drayage

It doesn't take much imagination to figure out the real definition.

http://www.nabshow.com/2009/exhibitservices/pdfs/master/c5.pdf

Considering Sony is projecting a $1.2B dollar loss, which might end up closer to $2.1B in losses, I would think they are trying to figure out how to minimize that loss at the moment.

First time in 14 years they will be showing a loss.

Dropping trade shows might be a good thing at the moment.

I've done very few jobs in Moscone through my union (IATSE) but those few times we also couldn't haul stuff in and out, the teamsters must roll it onto the floor. Fine with me, once it's in the door we can do what we want. There are a couple of unions involved there and we don't poach each other's work.

It's a different matter when you or your employer don't have a contract. The floor is the IATSE's workplace and they probably don't let you walk into their shop and start working just as you don't let your customers walk in and fool with your edit suite.

I have worked one or two jobs there for non-signatory video clients as a grip/electric and even though I'm a journeyman with the local we were restricted to breakout rooms and to what we could carry in our hands to the floor. My client didn't have a contract with the local and couldn't just walk around their shop doing work that IATSE brothers and sisters normally do.

Incidentally, one of the large corporate gigs I worked on there was one of 5 events for a large insurance firm. The same huge setup done 5 times at different locations around the country. The shows were all managed by one master contractor and they were a little surprised that the San Francisco local had the show installed in 2 fewer days than their prior venues were able to do it. I guess we forgot to drag our butts.

Maybe the other locations were all in "Right to be worked" states.

Yep, drayage could be handled by a contractor with or without a union contract, or the facility could have a union contract of their own to handle moving goods from the truck to the final destination. If there's a union contract it's with the Teamsters.

Lots of teamster jokes in the world stem from the fact that they spend a lot of time idling after everything has been unloaded and delivered. My favorite is:

How can you tell which kids on the playground are teamster kids?
They're the ones sitting around watching the other kids play.

Rob

My guess would be that the drayer unions in SF, Chicago, and New York are very very old unions, while the Vegas local is young.

Now that I see that Sony has moved their massive main booth from anchoring the South Hall Upper Level to instead a new location at the far end of the Central Hall, and SCS is right next to it, that makes me feel a lot better. SCS has never been next to it before. This is good for synergy.

I almost caused a work stoppage in an entire trade floor show in Chicago because I had a tuning-tool in my pocket (hex on one end and flat-blade on the other). I never pulled it out of my pocket, but its presence was enough for an electrician nearby to call the foreman and demand a work-stop until I left. In compromise I took the 79c tool out of my pocket, broke it in half and threw it away.

I do not understand how anybody can function with that kind of idiocy. Britain should be glad for Margaret Thatcher. If any union person tried to stop me using my spot that I've paid a load of money for I would immediately stick a left hook on him and anybody else that way inclined. Nobody gets between me and doing my business.

I mean, what is wrong with you guys? Are you that gutless? Get the event manager down there and get him getting his people working.

I had a long story about my experience with union, but deleted it.

Suffice it to say, Robert W, it is not that simple. There are states in this country where it is illegal to do anything unless you have a union person do it. And it is illegal for a union person to do anything outside his profession or specialty, or whatever they want to call it.

My experience made me feel like I was living in Germany, circa 1944, where everything was scrutinized by the police to make sure no union violations were occurring. Under threat of being arrested, we could not touch our own equipment.