Ask any Amiga user what they look forward to all summer, and they�ll probably tell you, the Midwest Amiga Exposition. The Columbus, Ohio Amiga tradeshow has rapidly become a tradition among Amiga users from Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. For some as far away as the west coast, England, and Germany, the Midwest Amiga Exposition (MAE) is a timely injection of excitement during an otherwise non-exciting season.

Held in October this year, the show�s original purpose, as set forth in its inaugural year (1996) is descibed best by show organizer Dave Pearce. "My idea was basically to have a modest flea market by inviting a few local Amiga business owners and user groups to set up a few tables with Amiga stuff."

But, as Pearce quickly realized during the development of that first MAE, it was very easy to think bigger than a flea-market. Pearce was able to leverage the resources of the show�s primary sponsor, the AmiCON users� group. "Ronn Black, our president then and now, mentioned he had close ties with Kermit Woodall of Nova Design and someone at Softlogic, so he thought he could get them to attend. McIver Woody, who has been a long standing member and served with us as an officer that year, suggested we think bigger, so with his and the other officers suggestions, eventually over the next two or three months, we came up with the basis for the Midwest Amiga Exposition."

Of course, there were natural apprehensions about whether or not the show would be a success. 1996 was not a particularly kind year to Amiga users, and many questioned the choice of Columbus, OH as a venue for a computer tradeshow of this kind. "Through the whole planning process and during the show, I was a nervous wreck. I had visions in my head of going down in AmiCON history as one of the people responsible for the financial ruin of the local Amiga group!"

But the fledgling 96 Exposition turned out to be an amazing success, beating its break-even projection by almost 40%. AmiCON was impressed by attendance, and the show�s exhibitors were full of praise.

The goals of the first MAE were very much in tune with the goals of the community at the time. Although the Amiga public was aided by the immense group communication power of the Internet, the MAE was meant to fill a gap that only in-person touch and feel can fill. "You can't touch or pick up the products or talk in person with the people who made them over the Internet. You can't witness firsthand the expressions on peoples faces and how excited they are to show you what they've made for the Amiga," explains Pearce, "or fight for a look to see what exciting thing is happening over here or over there."

Indeed, the experience of a tradeshow has always been credited with lending tangibility to product announcements, boosting consumer excitement and confidence, and making personable customer contact. "There is nothing like looking out over a big hall full of people and being able to say, �These are the reasons we have choices�. When you are there you know you' re a part of this tenacious thing called the Amiga. We live and breathe, and are very much alive!"

But why? When confronted with the choosing Amiga or some other platform, the choice is obvious to the MAE�s organizers. Describing the early days of the Amiga platform, Pearce says, "Suddenly, Joe Average had a tool so well thought out, so forward thinking in it's design, and so advanced, other systems in the same category looked like toys. You can't say for sure even the designers knew how far it would go."

So, to exemplify the platform advocated by the AmiCON users� group, a wildly successful series of Amiga tradeshows was founded in 1996. No catering to Windows users to build the show�the driving forces behind the MAE are community spirit and effective Amiga technology. In reference to the virtues of the Amiga, Dave asks us, "Did Windows or Macintosh define multimedia or make it easier to use? Did they put broadcast video production within the reach of you and I? Did they define a new generation of machines that are proven to be useful years after [they were first] available?" Only the Amiga platform can make these claims forthright�that was the motivation behind the 1996 Expo.

1997 brought bigger plans. A move from a school gymnasium into a hotel conference center, a doubling of the number of exhibitors, and a global advertising campaign were expected to bolster the show�s performance and credibility. Again, Pearce and his user group worked for weeks and weeks to put all the details of the production in place, seeking representation from Amiga International, organizing show seminars, carefully allocated exhibition space, and sending out regular news updates.

Working with Bill Bennett, Pearce was able to secure the manpower to build the exhibition floor into a world-class environment for the 97 affair. Ronn Black made the group�s vision a reality by securing hotel space and contacting vendors. Meanwhile, Dave Bartz kept track of finances and Greg Finzer designed some popular Amiga-oriented t-shirts, flyers, and magnets to promote the show.

All of that hard work paid off. "I was definitely excited over last year's turnout. We were more successful in many ways, as well as in attendance and the number of exhibitors. Last year, we had almost 30 professional Amiga companies who exhibited. We were also privileged to have Amiga International and Amiga Inc. represented at our show, which was an Amiga show first. I think their presence definitely had an effect on our turnout."

The attendance was estimated at over 1000, which is well over double the inaugural attendance figure. About a dozen seminars and classes were held during the weekend event, as well as a Developers� Conference hosted by Amiga, Inc. and the Industry Council Open Amiga. The success of any movement is measured by the spirit of those effected, and the 1997 MAE seemed to have a positive effect on everybody involved.

So, how can a person top that? What will make the 1998 MAE more successful than last year�s?

Already brimming with excitement, Dave explains, "We have alot of the exhibitors from last years show signing up once again. Nova Design, Compuquick, Gamasoft, Asimware, the Amiga Inc. team, as well as Petro from Amiga International just to name a few. As far as the number of people we have at this time, I will say that it is more commitments than we had last year when the show was still this far off."

So, it does appear as though the 1998 Expo will be the largest in its three-year lineage. "We want to make this better and better every year. And we feel this reflects in the attitudes of the people who visit and exhibit at our shows. People who tell others what a good time they had will help us more than 200 full color ads in any magazine. And I expect to double our attendance figures again this year."

If the 1998 Expo, scheduled for October, can deliver statistically as the AmiCON hopes, regarding the show as a success immediately could still be premature. As Dave tells us, "The general Amiga public has to decide. They are the ultimate judge and jury on this case since they are the ones we are doing this for. Every year, we've tried to make the show the �next one to beat�. We've done this because we believe in what we are trying to accomplish."

So, whether it�s the rugged Amiga 3000 computer that purvey�s Dave Pearce�s e-mail, the two Amiga computers owned by Dave�s siblings, or the Amiga that is used to develop the MAE�s promotional materials, the focus is obvious: advanced multimedia technology that improves the interaction of all of us. Perhaps that�s what the Midwest Amiga Exposition is all about.

"Now that Amiga has a plan in motion, we have something again that makes all of us step back and say �I've never, ever seen a computer that could do all this!� "