The announcement from GASC regarding their "stimulus plans" for Print 09 proves that GASC understands the dire state of our industry. Every vendor has significantly dialed back expenses, cut executive and employee pay, reduced staff, restricted travel, cut ongoing programs, and more. Most of these cuts are survival strategies, but with Print 09 looming in September at least some of the savings will likely support efforts at that show.

I've posted before about the coming demise of most trade shows, and that in North America the last shows standing are likely to be Graphics of the Americas and GraphExpo/Print. This move from GASC (which I'd heard was in the works some weeks ago) reaches to the cold heart of the matter; the onerous and often rapacious drayage costs for moving large equipment in and out of expo halls. Taking advantage of this offer clears the way for equipment vendors to roll in the machinery that people come to shows to see and touch.

At Graph Expo last year leading vendors I spoke with said the cost for bringing some of their top products to the show was simply too high to justify the expense. I haven't talked to them since this announcement came out, but I expect to see them smile--and very likely rethink the lineup of boxes they'll bring to Chicago. This is a very good thing.

Everybody wins with this precedent-setting move. And it does set a precedent. How this will change shows in the future remains to be seen, and it most certainly sets expectations for the future, and it could backfire if the same offer is not made come 2010. But for now GASC has shown itself to be the leader in how print shows should be done.