Next-gen Supercomm

From the world of trade show politics came news this week that the U.S. Telecom Association is leaving Supercomm behind as of 2006 in favor of its own expanded annual event. The USTA's partner in the show, the Telecommunications Industry Association, reportedly will not continue to produce Supercomm on its own after next year's swan song, but will instead launch a new annual show of its own.

If all that is true, it's another good indication of recovery and faith in the long-term vitality of the telecom industry. Just a few short years ago, big shows were dropping out of existence faster than their potential exhibitors were going out of business--and those were primarily the ones targeted at specific industry niches. Now, two of the industry's largest association feel secure enough about the future of exhibitors' trade show marketing budgets to venture off and hold their own shows.

It remains to be seen if the industry will embrace two major shows the way the USTA and TIA seem to be anticipating it will. There's also the very real possibility that one or the other will become quickly known as the lesser show and fade into obscurity, which is what happened in the wireless sector in the late 1990s, with the Personal Communications Industry Association's event that rivaled, then withered in competition with the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association's show. And from a purely nostalgic standpoint, it will be a little disheartening to see the Supercomm name become a relic after all these years.

But if it means improvement for the industry ... well then, so long, Supercomm.

e-mail me at jmeyers@primediabusiness.com