C IS FOR COMMENTARY: 2011 CHICAGO merchant summit

This publish is Filed Under:

Home page Highlights,
Interviews as well as Columns

by Josh Crawley

~

Josh Crawley

I when once again made the trip to Chicago this past weekend for the Chicago Comics & enjoyment Expo (C2E2) as well as the merchant summit that instantly preceded it. As I may make a few comparisons to my merchant summit experiences last year, it may not hurt to reread the column I composed about that first. I’ll have a lot more about C2E2 in the coming weeks.

The merchant summit seemed a bit shorter than normal this year. part of that was because of cutting out the second day of programming, which was held Friday afternoon & during the convention last year. I wasn’t a fan of that, so I did appreciate that aspect. However, it was most likely likewise because of missing the very first 2 panels (which had no opposite programming, unlike the afternoon session). “Why did you miss them?” you ask? great question. somebody obviously made a decision it was a great decision to wait up until just weeks before the summit to add a new panel to the routine after having released the tentative routine about a month earlier. I comprehend not wanting to spoil the statement of diamond digital prior to the ComicsPRO merchant meeting, however that doesn’t indicate there couldn’t have extremely quickly been a “To Be Announced” panel as a placeholder in the routine to ensure that those of us who had to make travel plans might appropriately plan.

There was likewise a Dialog with diamond panel, too, however between being behind routine because of a flat tire as well as being in a quite great mood, I didn’t want to sour that mood by being in a panel that would no question get me irate somehow, as well as all the great news I understood I’d discover out about soon sufficient from buddies who were there.

As for the afternoon sessions of panels, one of them I’d gone to the year prior as well as was quite sure there was extremely bit possibility of much modification in the discussion. It is a panel I believe any type of merchant might get something out of as well as must go to, however I wasn’t about to sit with it again. The other two panel options weren’t so hot in my mind, however I selected one as well as sat with it. It was a bit of a summary of this year’s ComicPRO satisfying as well as the benefits of ComicsPRO. While we are a member, I wasn’t at the satisfying this year as well as believed I may get a few bits out of it because of different focuses from different people in the company.

There were likewise the normal “focus group” panels after that, which I’ve made a decision absolutely have the prospective to be fantastic however seldom ever are. a lot of publishers in their allotted twenty minute time frame spend only five of that on Q&A; the other fifteen on the equivalent of a press release. One publisher, though, does the opposite. It’s great, really, though somewhat redundant when that exact same publisher states you can email or phone call him personally when you have something you want to talk about; so a huge “Thank you!” to Nick from Dynamite Entertainment.

On the other hand, while one more publisher had a much much better Q&A this year – rather than trying to offer us their web-building suite (this is comics, not web design) – I truly wasn’t a fan of the continued justification for problems merchants seemed to have. Something may cause sales on products to go up, however that’s not indefinite, as well as keeping your clients in the dark (we retailers) will turn around to bight you on the bum.

All in all, I appreciate the time that goes into putting something such as this together, however after somebody pointed out to me that it seemed like a rush task this year, I’d be difficult pressed to disagree. Let’s hope next year is a marked enhancement as well as ticks like clockwork.

~

That’s all for this week! great journey!

~

Follow my tweets, email me, as well as be sure to keep an eye out on the Westfield Comics Facebook.

Josh Crawley may or may not be the keyboardist for Everclear. He strongly suggests you not bet that he is.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.