Noel Ward The second question, after 'What do you see that you like?' is usually something along the lines of, 'What do you hear about attendance?' This almost rhetorical question is a guaranteed conversation starter, something akin to 'How about them (fill in the local seasonal sports team)?' The real answer is a closely guarded secret known only to the privileged--few of whom are press and analysts--so conjecture, assumptions and wild guesses are typical responses. A casual observation is that the show is busy, but this may be deceptive. A lot less of the Javits Center real estate is occupied this year and some aisles seem narrower giving the appearance of a crowded floor. To be sure, some booths are mobbed. Xerox, with the iGen3 is clearly the largest and busiest, so crowded with people pressing in to look at the new press and get sample prints that it's sometimes difficult to cross from one side to the other. Next door, Oce, with a modular layout that doesn't allow traffic to collect in any one spot, is very busy, as are Heidelberg and HP, the latter with all its space devoted to the various flavors of Indigo press, and a great white and blue wall blocking any glimpse of booths further back in the hall. Observations and conversations with other vendors such as Exstream Software, Elixir, Creo, Scitex Digital Printing, Danka, and IKON all indicate very busy times. How this ultimately translates into new business remains to be seen, but it appears that On Demand 2002 is a success, at least for those vendors with a story to tell and solutions for a rapidly changing market.