Trade shows are an expensive endeavor. Big or small company no different.
The small fish need to partner up to mitigate costs. But the expense of travel, rooms, food, entertainment, especially in the big city is no trifling amount.
Setup. Teardown. Making sure everything is as perfect as the surroundings allow.
The after show hours can be just as arduous for an exhibitor as the actual show hours.
I hated trade shows But they were/are a necessary evil.
Now as a participant selfishly I want fewer attendees. That is what I want. But more of… focus on the $10k and less system so we can get more youth involved. However I realize the profit lies in the big ticket sales. Ten $10k sales would not match the profit seen from one $100k sale