More than 30 computer companies from Utah participated last week in the largest computer trade show in the country.
Held each fall, the COMputer Dealer EXposition, or Comdex, attracted some 125,000 exhibitors and guests from throughout the world in its five day run. Of that total, many visited exhibits of Utah firms, each attempting to sell new and existing products and gain market share.According to Peter Genereaux, executive director of the Utah Information Technologies Association (UITA), the lure of Comdex is often hard to overcome.
"Comdex has become the largest computer trade show in the U.S.," he said. "As a result, many firms believe it's imperative they either exhibit, or at least send people to attend the show."
Utah-based companies exhibiting at Comdex range from industry giants like WordPerfect and Novell to smaller and lesser-known firms like Merasoft Corp. of Orem.
But, according to Wendy Baumgarten, director of marketing for Merasoft, exhibiting at Comdex has already been a good experience for the fledgling company.
"This is only the first time we've been able to show actual product at a trade show," said Baumgarten of the 1-year-old firm. "So far it's been very successful for us. In fact, we generated more than 300 leads the first day."
Merasoft's first product, Event Manager, was announced in July 1990 and is designed to make programs running under Microsoft Windows easier to use.
Roy-based Iomega Corp. received more than 1,300 customer leads the first day of the show.
"We've had great booth traffic and great interest," said Michael Joseph, vice president of marketing for Iomega. "We've won several industry awards for our Bernoulli products this year. More, in fact, this year than in all previous years combined. As a result, we're seeing a lot of interest in our company."
According to Joseph, Iomega's recently released Bernoulli 90 - a 90-megabyte, removable mass storage product - has sold better in its first 90 days than any previous Iomega product.Although designed primarily as a compute dealer show, Comdex has become much more.
"Comdex continues to bring together all elements of the computer industry, reflecting its products and marketing trends," said Sheldon G. Adelson, chairman and chief executive officer of The Interface Group, the producer of Comdex. "Comdex is an international marketplace offering the hottest new technologies, products, services and program that will set the business standards for the foreseeable future."
Not all Comdex participants agree with Adelson.
"It's gotten too big," said Steven Whittaker of Micro Security Systems, based in Salt Lake City. "It's become a show place. The reason I like Comdex, however, is that I get to meet the people I talk to on the phone. At the same time, we do good business here.
According to Whittaker, one of the biggest problems with trade shows, in general, is the strain they place on company resources.
"With five of our people at the show, and a dozen in the company, it creates a real drain on us," Whittaker added.
But many firms are willing to live with the added cost and burden of attending or exhibiting at Comdex.
"That's how we landed two major contracts last year, we attended Comdex," said O.D. Williams, president of Certified Management Software (CMS). "One contract was with the federal government and another with a large corporation. We wouldn't have gotten either one if we hadn't been here."
CMS, based in Salt Lake City, creates inventory and checkbook management software programs.
According to UITA's Genereaux, trade shows like Comdex create two major benefits.
"Outside of a few larger companies, most people in the information technologies industries don't realize how big high-tech is within this state," he said. "It's important that that word get out, and it is.
"At the same time, most people in Utah are just as unaware as the industry insiders. The truth is, there are some real benefits to us from having this diverse base of technology firms within our midst. I think we're just beginning to learn the real pluses that will be ours as a result."
David L. Politis is president of Politis & Associates, a public relations firm based in Salt Lake City specializing in technology clients.
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Firms that went to Comdex
Utah companies exhibiting at COMDEX last week included:
American Covers Sandy
Automation Technologies Midvale
Axonix Salt Lake City
CenTech West Jordan
Certified Management Software Salt Lake City
Clark Development Murray
Data Pad Lindon
DSK Orem
EFI Electronics Salt Lake City
Forval America Midvale
Fourmat Orem
Gazelle Systems Provo
Holmes Microsystems Salt Lake City
IEV International Salt Lake City
Megahertz Salt Lake City
Merasoft Orem
Micro Security Systems Salt Lake City
Netware Users International Provo
NewQuest Technologies Salt Lake City
Novell Provo
Pace Custom Cases Logan
SoftSolution Technology Orem
System Connection Orem
TEL Electronics American Fork
TextWare Park City
TranSoft International
Vertisoft Systems Salt Lake City
WordPerfect Orem