We had passes to the show from a representative of Visual Technology, an exhibitor. When the security guard saw this motley crew from Richmond High School and their teacher, we were promptly told we couldn't go in. When the exhibitor said our tickets were legitimate, we were reluctantly allowed in. They're disrupting the show. That's the point.
Vendors think they're regular attendees.
The vendors supporting me told me all the vendors had actually taken a vote to exclude students from the exhibit. They had, however, voted to allow students to attend. An official of the Sun User's Group apologized and the following year again offered us tickets to the event. But my students voted not to attend any exhibits outside of Silicon Valley, even though I urged them to go. If so, students need another venue through which to learn about future technology.