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June 1997, Vol. 8, No. 6
Cajun computers
Will NEXPO '97 in New Orleans be reason for dancing in the streets?
Mardis Gras comes but once a year -- the Tuesday before the Wednesday that starts Lent, which for many Christians around the world are the 40 days of fasting and penitence preceding Easter.
The phrase means "fat Tuesday" in French, and the French settlers of New Orleans in the 1700s started a tradition of celebrating in a decadent style the day before submitting to their long devotional fast.
For we newspaper technologists, though, Fat Tuesday will come in June -- June 24, in fact.
On that day, a number of us will be attempting to cram into one day what had heretofore been the fourth and fifth days of NEXPO -- the Newspaper Association of American's 69th annual technical exhibition and conference, to be held June 21-24 at the New Orleans convention center.
The NAA, heeding complaints from suppliers, has eliminated the fifth day of NEXPO in an attempt to make the show and conference more compelling.
Now, I must agree that over the years we discussed bringing in a cannon and shooting it down the main NEXPO aisle on NEXPO Wednesday at noon. We were convinced we wouldn't hit anyone.
Nonetheless, that Wednesday always helped us gather information. You cannot image the looks of relief on suppliers' faces when we walked into a booth on Wednesday. We got complete cooperation and lots of information.
Ah, but times change, and NEXPO now seems destined to be a four-day affair.
And though the celebrations on the streets of New Orleans come only a couple of times a year (turns out they like to have carnival a little more frequently than annually), there is probably a case to be made for a certain amount of dancing in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center during NEXPO:
The recent NAA capital expenditures survey indicates that overall newspaper capital spending in 1997 will top $1 billion. The figure for 1996: $795 million.
Further, the survey indicates that computer hardware purchasing will increase by almost 50 percent (to $150.5 million) and computer software purchases will grow by almost 80 percent (to $83.4 million). Admittedly, a lot of that will go to the local CompUSA or networking company, but some of it must trickle into the coffers of our long-suffering suppliers.
A mid-sized supplier revealed to me recently that it had booked $1 million in new business in May.
A technology team at a 9000-circulation daily has indicated to us that it is going to New Orleans with a checkbook and it intends to buy. Last year, this paper didn't send anyone to NEXPO.
The NAA says NEXPO registration is up and that the show looks to be filled with people who can make buying decisions.
Inside, you'll find our recommendations about the 70 companies in our purview -- everything from the newsroom to the business office, from the composing room to computer room, from advertising to imaging -- we believe to be the most interesting at NEXPO. If you're only coming into NEXPO for a day, we have also recommended seven booths you should visit (one an hour is about all anyone can handle).
Out of the more than 150 companies in the pre-press end of the hall, we had to make some difficult, agonizing choices. There are a lot of really interesting new companies that will be exhibiting this year and a lot of new products from our old favorites.
As always, we'll have the full crew at the show -- Senior Editor Pete Wetmore; Correspondents John Bryan, L. Carol Christopher, Christopher J. Feola, Marion J. Love, George Powell; Circulation Director Marge Wetmore, and Research Assistants Donna Bryan and Isaac Mankita -- and we will devote the July and August issues of The Cole Papers to NEXPO coverage.
NEXPO '97 might not be cause for dancing in the streets -- but let's hope for some dancing in the aisles.
-- David M. Cole
See also:
Conference highlights (not the hot dogs)
Hellbox
From THE COLE PAPERS, June 1997, Copyright (c) 1997, All Rights Reserved.
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