Eventually, everything reaches the end of its lifespan. Food, magazines, humans, even entire planets: nothing lasts forever.

Especially not IT trade shows, which often reach the end of their lives almost as soon as they begin. The redoubtable Computer Faire finally expired in 2008, after an image-refreshing name change to Futurex failed to reignite the spark. Numerous other trade shows have launched and fizzled out after just one or two years.