Despite Slow Economy, Convention Numbers Up

According to an LVCVA Executive Summary, convention attendance in April was up 3.9 percent, compared with the same period last year. A significant increase in the number of conventions – 600 more than last year – helped drive the increase in attendance, but only resulted in a modest increase in the economic impact of 2.3 percent. [TSW]

Average daily room rates continued their downward trend, dropping 7.4 percent compared with a year ago to an average of $135.67. Although convention attendance was up, the number of rooms attendees used was down 6.1 percent compared with last year. Overall hotel occupancy was 90 percent.

Source: Trade Show Week, Diane Taylor

There’s No Difference Between Vegas and NYC?

Several trade shows rotate between Las Vegas or Chicago to capture exhibitors and attendees on the West Coast; and NYC or Orlando to capture exhibitors and attendees on the East Coast. But, is there any difference? Does one venue attract more participants than the other? [TradeShowWeek]

The folks at Trade Show Week asked exhibitors and attendees of Lightfair Intl., the annual tradeshow and conference for the commercial lighting industry, if either of their shows, NYC or Las Vegas, was more successful. Turns out, the show may have its differences city to city, but remains consistent and valid regardless of where it takes place.

AMC, producer and manager of Lightfair, narrowed the show’s rotation to just the LVCC and the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center of New York. Established in 1989, Lightfair historically moved between New York, San Francisco and Chicago before adding Las Vegas in 1998. By 2004, Lightfair had established a strict New York-to-Las Vegas rotation.

Las Vegas made sense, said Mike Turnbull, AMC senior vice president of marketing, because it was easier for people from the western third of the U.S. to attend the show.

“It’s a nice, complementary synergy,” Turnbull said. “There are certain things (in Las Vegas) you absolutely can’t do anywhere else in the world, and the same goes for New York. People have come to expect that Lightfair will be consistent wherever it is, but the flavor changes according to where it lands.”

Exhibitors and attendees alike had their opinions about the similarities and differences between the Las Vegas and New York shows.

“(The shows have) a very different attendee base,” said Mark Walsh, president and CEO of Lunera Lighting. “In New York, they come in and do their business and move on. (In Las Vegas) people have a little more social time. … It’s an easier opportunity to set up a breakfast or dinner appointment.”

“It’s imperative (to attend both),” he said. “This is the cutting edge, where you can take the pulse of the industry.”

Lightfiar Intl. management has done an excellent job making both shows viable. “(Las Vegas) has been a nice complement,” Miller said. “We operate with the same leadership team and standards in both cities, so it’s been a very fluid experience.”

Lightfair dates: Javits May 3-7, 2009; LVCC May 10-14, 2010

Source: Trade Show Week, Lisa Plummer

Good News: Union Eases Overtime Rules

Union organizers have negotiated directly with Freeman Cos. and with GES Exposition Services, the two major trade show contractors at McCormick Place, to form a new two-year contract aimed at cutting labor costs and hassles for trade show exhibitors. [ChicagoTribune]

In the contract, Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters extended its straight-time window on weekdays by four hours, from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The carpenters also agreed to shorten the double-overtime period on Saturdays. The new rate will be time-and-a-half for 12 hours on Saturdays, rather than the eight hours in the previous contract. The new terms extend the period by two hours in the early morning and by two hours in the late afternoon.

“This is a big deal for a lot of reasons,” said David Causton, general manager of the convention hall. “A lot of major shows open on Sunday, and they try to do all their setup and dismantling during the week on straight time. By expanding the window on Saturday it allows more work at final setup to be done at less than the premium rate of double time.”

Great news for all those exhibiting at McCormick Center!

Source: Chicago Tribune, Kathy Bergen

Photo: McCormick Center

How NOT to Organize a Trade Show

Exhibitors, who each paid $2000.00 for booth space, and the Red Deer Chamber of Commerce are baffled by the way an Alberta, Canada trade show was handled by its organizer. [AlbertaLocalNews]

Only 22 attendees were present at last week’s Rig Expo, in Red Deer’s hot oil and gas economy.

Paul Pearson, organizer of the show, ran ads including 700 names of business operators he hoped would attend and network with more than 60 exhibitors. No one named in the newspaper ads was approached to gauge their interest in attending. The list included the Calgary Flames, the World Professional Chuckwagon Association, Habitat for Humanity, and the Cancer Society.

Considering this was an industry-specific show, it doesn’t make much sense to include businesses that are not in the oil and gas industry. Interestingly, the Chamber of Commerce is questioning why the Rig Expo was even held in Red Deer since there are similar successful exhibitions in Houston and Calgary, where executives of the oil and gas industry tend be headquartered.

Pearson said he promoted the event for a year, sending out “hundreds and hundreds of e-mails” to drilling companies and contractors. On Friday, Pearson stated that he is broke as a result of the event.

Red Deer city officials are investigating to see if any crime was committed.

Suffice it to say, placing ads in newspapers and sending out hundreds of emails is not an effective way to organize, operate or market a trade show.

Source: Alberta Local News