CONTROL's Rich Merritt reports from the Emerson Exchange:
EMERSON AGOG WITH SUCCESS
Emerson Process Management expected 1500 attendees at its Global User Conference in Orlando, but 1800 people showed up. Although Jerry Moon, spokesman for Emerson, was elated, the registration people are worried that they'll have enough conference materials if too many more people appear. Every venue is jammed with people, and attendees are from all over the world. In one Pulp & Paper session, a speaker asked "How many people are not from the USA?," and more than half raised their hands.
Perhaps smarting from CONTROL editor Dan Hebert's recent comments about user trade shows being run by companies, John Berra, president of Emerson Process Management, said, "What makes this event unique is that it is run by users, for users. Our customers come from all around the world to learn and experience new, real technologies, explore application examples that are delivering real value, and hear proof of proven success." From what I've seen so far, the users certainly seem to be running things.
An Emerson marketing person said the conference has become such a success, they are running out of hotels capable of handling such a crowd. It seems that Emerson likes to keep everybody together in one hotel for schmoozing, socializing, and keeping everyone's attention focused on the show, so they can't hold it at a normal exhibit hall, like McCormick Place in Chicago. If they did, then their attendees would scatter to assorted hotels in the evenings, and go off to hear blues, eat ribs, or similar activities.
Alas, there are apparently only about six hotel/convention centers in the country that can accommodate an event of this size. If Emerson gets too many more people in coming years, their options may get even more limited. *Sigh* Must be tough to have problems like that.
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More to come. Off to a press conference now.
Rich Merritt
