We in the Southeast are planning a different and fun sort of fly fishing show for our FFF council Conclave... err... Festival in May. Manufacturers can only spend so much money seeing the same customer faces year after year and those faces aren't getting any younger. The guest speakers or stars of these shows, Bless their hearts, have usually been seen several times by people who go to shows so doing that again and again and expecting different results is sort of silly.
A show recipe that worked when we had 3-4% unemployment and a lot of disposable income to spend has to change with the times or you won't get added attendance.