If you've ever wondered as you stride across the carpeted savannah of a major truck manufacturer's stand how much it sets them back each year, they get no change from £100,000 for the site and stand construction. As one CM correspondent who fell over early into the show remarked, you would think for that kind of money they could glue the carpets down.
Most of the carpets incidentally get thrown away after each show, as the exhibitors have to clear the stands and it's cheaper to chuck them than pay for storage. So if anyone enterprising wants to make them an offer they could probably refit the rooms of a small house for a tenner.
Pay attention to the details on the stand - one of the many places the cash pours freely. For instance check out the rare tree in the middle of the MAN site - some arborealist will probaby be able to identify it for us. As one who has spent the entire morning checking the green credentials of the manufacturers I am particularly keen to see that, post-event, the tree goes to some kind and loving home and isn't discarded along with the carpets. Rumour has it that sales and marketing director Dave Cussans wants it for his garden...