Thinking of doing LSAF next year.

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avahifi

Thinking of doing LSAF next year.
« on: 9 May 2018, 06:52 pm »
I am thinking of exhibiting at the LSAF next year.

The rooms look pretty small, at least the part where equipment can be played.

Anyone who was there that can give me some feedback on how the rooms were used and with what success?

Thanks,

Frank Van Alstine

Brad

Re: Thinking of doing LSAF next year.
« Reply #1 on: 9 May 2018, 07:01 pm »
They have some larger rooms available on the first floor.
The regular rooms are the 'living room' of the suite, with bedroom in the back.
Depending on how you arrange things, you are limited to 4-6 guests at a time who are somewhat in the sweet spot.


You'd be a great addition to LSAF!
It's a fun, friendly show.

marvda1

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Re: Thinking of doing LSAF next year.
« Reply #2 on: 9 May 2018, 07:26 pm »
also some of the rooms on the second are designed a little different that gives you some more space.  talk to the hotel.

see if you talk salk into coming.

gab

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Re: Thinking of doing LSAF next year.
« Reply #3 on: 9 May 2018, 08:17 pm »
Frank - spend some time browsing the pictures from earlier years, like this one:

https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=116381.0

Lots of good pics showing the various room sizes. The one shown on the first pic of the above link is the one GR Research tended to use when showing. Its probably the best room of the choices IMO. The really big conference type rooms tend to be square and one vendor who was in one on Fri ended up moving upstairs to a smaller room because they couldn't get the sound they wanted. I think there are 2 types of the smaller rooms, one a little bigger than the other and probably the pick if you don't go for the medium size room.

Hope to see you there next year!

gab

Hydro

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Re: Thinking of doing LSAF next year.
« Reply #4 on: 10 May 2018, 01:43 am »
I attended this year on Sunday. The rooms were much bigger than at Chicago or Denver. Very laid back atmosphere. Not as many big names represented with an emphasis on value. I think you would be well received.

Norman Tracy

Re: Thinking of doing LSAF next year.
« Reply #5 on: 11 May 2018, 03:50 pm »
Hello Frank.

As a Lone Star Audio Fest fan, exhibitor, and the author of an annual show report https://positive-feedback.com/author/norman-tracy/) on the event let me encourage you to join us first weekend of May 2019. Audio by Van Alstine would be an outstanding addition to LSAF.

When I contrast my experiences exhibiting at RMAF vs. LSAF what stands out is in Denver the order of business was stress – excitement – fun while in Dallas it is fun – excitement – stress. As a smaller more intimate event run by enthusiastic volunteers keeping it fun for exhibitors and attendees alike is a core principle. Given the recent sad implosion of LAAS I am all the more appreciative of the core of volunteers who have made LSAF happen since 2007. The first paragraph of my PF report on the 2015 show goes into more detail on its history and culture.

You asked “give me some feedback on how the rooms were used and with what success”. Here are my experiences and observations. Your options are first floor conference/banquet rooms or second floor suites. Typical year will have one or two exhibitors on the first floor, the rest on second floor with overflow or late bookers on the third floor.

My opinion is the best first floor room is the Carrollton Room, here is a picture of JWM Acoustics debut in that room in 2015.



I covered this room in my 2015 PF report basically raving about the sound achieved by Joshua W. Miles’ JWM Acoustics debut. As a Junior Grade Hi-Fi Journalist I felt vindicated this year by Joshua’s very positive review in TAS and subsequent inclusion as a Recommended Component for his Alyson AML II speaker. This year Austin Acoustic took the Carrollton Room for their ultra-Fi horn system featuring 4-way horns, 8 tube amplifiers, another half dozen pre-amp and power supply boxes, plus PC digital, turntable, and (oh joy of joys) reel-to-reel tape. Carrollton is a long deep room so with all that gear in one end 4 rows of three seats each fit for the listeners. The sound achieved justified the resources expended, mountain top peak listening experience.



The Mesquite banquet room is the other first floor option and I believe the largest room available. In 2016 the Raven + Legacy team showed two complete systems using big Legacy towers each with their own Raven electronics, plus display tables with more Raven amps on static display and room for 15-20 chairs for listeners. The sound Raven Audio owner Dave Thomson got out of those systems was SOTA and this was before Legacy’s DSP room correction magic box was introduced.





Acoustic issues are reported in Mesquite, bass issues for Austin Acoustic in 2017 and in 2018 this is the room Audio Thesis moved out of for their Rosso Fiorentino speakers in favor of a second floor suite. Of course nobody has a HiFi show without complaining about room acoustics.

The Embassy Suites venue as the name states is an all-suite hotel. All the second floor rooms are suites with a living room + mini-kitchen in front, hall past the bath to rear bedroom. The front rooms feature HDTV on a credenza chest, sofa, easy chair, work/dining table, office style chair, and a couple of other upright wood chairs. I just move the table from long to short wall and turn easy chair to join sofa on long wall to face system placed on other long wall. The front room table and/or HDTV + credenza are often moved to the bedroom to free up more space. Most of us move the furniture around ourselves, for a $25-$50 upcharge the hotel staff will move all furniture in the front room into the bedroom.






Some exhibitors find the hotel furniture useful.






The following pics show the other popular way to use 2nd floor rooms. All hotel furniture pulled from the front room with the system placed on the wall facing the door. Seating can be on the sofa or a couple of rows of the more upright dining room style chairs.




One variation among the 2nd floor rooms is the four corner suites are setup as small conference rooms. These include big conference room tables, more of the upright chairs, and I believe lack a sofa. The next picture is one of Audio Thesis’ 2018 rooms sited in one of the corner suites.  If someone were exhibiting headphone gear the big conference table and extra chairs in the corner rooms are perfect for setting up headphone listening stations.



Very excellent sound can be achieved in the 2nd floor suites. The solid concrete construction and room dimensions yield a bass peak circa 60 Hz experienced exhibitors deal with. The quality is such that as attendees tour the rooms it is easy to hear both the broad stroke differences between topologies as well as the subtle details in reproduction character the pursuit of Hi-Fi is all about.

With all the details fresh from LSAF 2018 this post has turned into a bit of tome. I will finish it off with a few more semi-random details.

The hotel requires we not damage the walls by taping signage or acoustic treatments to the paint. They do enforce a charge for damaged wall paint. Self supporting banners and drapes are popular among the professional exhibitors. The show officially closes at 6 PM but listening goes on past midnight for those so inclined and I have never heard of the hotel asking for the music to stop or be turned down. Of course when you do want to shut down and get some rest a closed door signals the night owls to look elsewhere.

A note about making reservations. Once the LSAF discount is setup in the Hilton system the reservation call system can get you a reservation on the reserved block (i.e. the 2nd floor) at the discounted rate. What you cannot get is a specific room number from the call center (option 1 on the hotel’s phone menu). Many of us have favored room or rooms and the way to get those or 1st floor room is call the Embassy ask to speak to the on site sales/event staff and if that room is open get it reserved. Now that reservation will come with a disclaimer that the room may not be available at check-in time. Let me explain something lest that be taken as incompetence by hotel staff or LSAF organizers. For most Hi-Fi shows exhibitor rooms are several thousand dollars. At LSAF it’s a few hundred dollars because the cost is simply the Embassy Suites’ regular room rate minus the LSAF discount.  Part of the high cost of other shows is the organizers sign a contract with the hotel to buy blocks of rooms. Rooms they will pay for regardless of if they are filled with Hi-Fi fanatics or sitting empty. So in addition to the costs of professional event marketing and management baked into the exhibitors’ cost is a guess of the cost to cover any empty rooms. With that guarantee the hotel is willing to block off the event rooms assuring availability. What one gets for that higher cost is the rooms are set apart from the general guest population. At LSAF the day before our event starts the rooms may have other guests in them, and if they decide to stay an extra day we get a different room on 2nd floor. Do not let the length of this explanation lead you to worry it’s a game of musical chairs, the Embassy Suites staff is eager to please and do what it takes to keep us happy. That is happy with our room first weekend of May, the rest of your life is up to you.

I hope to see you all at LSAF 2019.

marvda1

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Re: Thinking of doing LSAF next year.
« Reply #6 on: 11 May 2018, 04:44 pm »
with your room comes free buffet breakfast and afternoon drinks :icon_lol:
while you may get sales this show is not about trying to get sales.  it is more networking, meeting like friends, and have having a good time with audio.
not the 15  sec. listen and usher in the next group, you have time to sit, listen, get to know designer and system.  I heard one guy say he spent 3 hours in a room listening.

glynnw

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Re: Thinking of doing LSAF next year.
« Reply #7 on: 11 May 2018, 05:43 pm »
I also hope AVA comes next year.  People coming a good distance should keep their expenses down, unless you plan on a vacation in Dallas because this is a small show.  i don't know attendance figures, but when I was there Saturday afternoon there were probably less than 200 people there at that time. But really a great chance to connect seriously with some very dedicated audiphiles.  Did I mention that beer drinking is encouraged?