Editor Allan Leibowitz comments on the news of the week

As we conclude our IMHX wrap-up this week, it seems appropriate to ponder the future of materials handling trade shows. While there were good exhibitor numbers at IMHX (we're still waiting for the attendance figures), some notably big players were absent, including Jungheinrich and Linde. Some attendees thought these absences impacted negatively while many exhibitors relished the additional attention they enjoyed without their competitors in the halls. Some questioned the value of these shows, not just in the absence of big players who are starting to run their own events, but as online communities replace the need for show attendance. Meanwhile, we're still perplexed about next year's clash of the giants: organisers of Modex in the US and Logimat in Germany have scheduled their shows at exactly the same time. Maybe it's co-incidence, but nonetheless, it will leave many delegates with an either-or choice. Even though the shows are in different markets, some people might well have attended both in ideal circumstances.