THE Show - worth going?

If you go to T.H.E. Show, you also go to CES. The CES "Specialty Audio" section is in the adjacent hotel. Together, these shows have just about everybody you'd want to see, far more exhibitors than at the Stereophile shows.

The big difference is that CES and THE Show are for dealers and manufacturers and distributors to do business. It is not a consumer show and while many consumers go, don't expect people to spend much time with you unless they are slow. The manufacturers are marketing to their buyers--not consumers. The Stereophile show is specifically designed for consumers. It's mostly dealers setting up and selling to consumers.

I believe this year the Show/CES is open to the public

THE Show might be open to the public but CES is still industry only. Of course, many do find a way in.....

Kal

They are both industry-only (including this year, no change there). Yes, plenty of consumers get in, which is not necessarily a good thing. Both are far above any stereophool show in terms of scope, but then again CES/THE are designed for business-to-business deals, not consumer tire-kickers, as Rives mentioned.

-Ed