Yes, we are now less than 1 week to Singapore's COMEX 2009! This is the time when all Singaporean bargain hunters are busy cracking their piggy banks, when our teenage schoolers are perfecting their leaflet handing skills and when the 'war committee' (i.e. exhibitors) gears up to face the mass invasion of Singaporeans looking for their next hip gadget or to replace their outdated LCD TV bought at the last PC Show in June.
This year, COMEX 2009 is expected to be bigger than ever, taking up a massive 345,000 sqft of exhibition space (that's roughly 4 international standard football fields!), there will be 820 exhibitors enticing you to part with your money. Expect the big brands to show off their latest technology and gadgets during this 4-day event. The show will open from 10 September to 13 September 2009, 12pm till 9pm.
So, while there's still time before the event opens, here are my 7 tips on how you can survive COMEX 2009.
1. Do your research before you go. Unless you like people squeezing up to you from all sides and trudging along slower than a turtle, find out where in the 5 levels the stuff you want is at and plan your route to get in and out as quick as you can. In the past, very helpful geeks posts up full-color scans of the flyers and leaflets, so you can browse for your dream gadget before your decide to head in. Check out Bootstrike's COMEX 2009 page, its the best place to go for those scans when the show opens.
2. Don't forget your survival equipment. Make sure you have a bottle or two of water (because you know, human beings need water to live) and comfortable walking shoes - flip-flops and open-toe footwear are just begging to be stepped on. Lastly, bring a bag because you will inevitably be carrying around enough paper leaflets to open your own recycling plant.
3. Take public transport. Drivers, don't drive. This should be obvious to you drivers, especially if you are going on the weekend. I know that Suntec and the surrounding area have thousands of parking spaces, but trust me, they still won't be enough. Save yourself some pain and take the public transport. Just take the squeezing in the buses and trains as a warm-up to the BIG SQUEEZE at the event. It helps.
4. Avoid if possible. Really, really seriously decide whether you have to go to COMEX at all. With the 'recession' in the distant past (Singaporeans have very short memory), and the fact that its a school holiday week, expect a large percentage of the Singapore population to crush into the Marina area. Avoid if you are "just browsing".
5. Alternative browsing places. If you really must browse, go to Funan Mall or Sim Lim Square instead. In fact, past experiences have shown that you don't necessarily get better bargains at the show. You can pick up the same item for the same price at these places and you can avoid all that squeezing.
6. Good bargins on the last day. It is almost becoming a tradition that the last day will inevitably be packed with bargains, especially near the closing of the show, as the exhibitors want to clear away their stock and not have to bring the left over items back to their warehouse (because that seriously hampers their after event partying time). Again, unless you are a compulsive bargain hunter, my experience tells me it is more hype than anything else. There's a reason why there are left over stock, do you really want to shell out money for things that didn't sell well? 9 out of 10 times, these are items that weren't on your shopping list in the first place.
7. Parents be kind to your kids. Shows like this should not be a family outing, especially for parents with babies and young toddlers. Firstly, the noise level can't be good for those young ear-drums, and secondly prams and crowd don't mix, ever. Please be kind to your kids, go do something more worth while.
Lastly, please be kind to the environment and recycle those flyers and leaflets you take. It really pains me to see people who take them, glance at them, and just litter them all over the floor.
If you have any survival tips, please share them in the comments below.
