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Jason Lgood points, for sure.
in reading it, it sounds to me as though much of the problem could be solved by addressing the fixed costs of setting up at a show.
Drastically reduce it, and you should get more dealers willing to set up. The out of pocket up-front goes down, makes it easier to make money, may encourage more activity at shows if the dealer isn't hung up on clearing a high break-even, etc. If this happens, then you get more varied inventory, and thus more customer interest. The problem I see with the shows is that dealers are focused on making slow dollars, rather than fast nickels. The mentality that inventory isn't turning, so maximum margin must be realized is what is slowing activity...reduce fixed costs to encourage a fast nickels, high turnover environment.
Another bogey to be cleared for the in-person sales: Both sellers and buyers alike may be more hesitant to buy in person because there may be better deals to be found online in the various venues...just a thought, albeit not tremendously well thought-out.