Trade Show Exhibitors Association Names Vegas Favorite Convention City, McCormick Place Gets Best Convention Center

Held in conjunction with TS2—the so-called “trade show about trade shows” that overtook McCormick Place from Monday through Thursday this week—the Trade Show Exhibitors’ Association’s Foundation Gala took place at the Chicago Illuminating Company on Wednesday night. With decor from Kehoe Designs and tasting stations from local restaurants such as Carnivale and Petterino’s, the event served as a platform to announce the winners of the first annual Exhibitors’ Choice awards.

Based on votes that about 5,100 industry professionals cast on the associations’ Web site, Exhibitgroup/Giltspur took home the award for Best Exhibit House. Freeman won the Favorite General Contractor award, and Nth Degree was voted Favorite Installation and Dismantling Company. TWI claimed the prize for Favorite Transportation and Freight Company, and the National Restaurant Association’s Mary Pat Heftman—whom we spoke to in April—received recognition as Favorite Show Manager along with the Consumer Electronics Show’s Karen Chupka.

Other winners were Exhibit Surveys for the Favorite of the Rest—All Other Types of Suppliers award, and the Consumer Electronics Show for Favorite Show of 2009. Las Vegas was named Favorite Convention City, and McCormick Place won the Best Convention Center award.

If you are unsure of where to begin, start by teaming up with a Skyline Exhibits partner that is well versed in all the facets of trade show planning and preparation and success will follow.  Online exhibit management programs can track events, track results and can supply you with 24/7 access to your entire trade show program.

Leaving you with more time to focus on your face-to-face marketing strategies while at the tradeshow.  Contact your local Chicago Trade Show Displays dealer to find out more information on how a customized exhibit management program can help alleviate your biggest trade show obstacles.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) teamed with McCarran International Airport to provide the displays at the convention center, which provide identical information to flight information screens at the airport. This allows conventioneers to attend to business needs on the show floor because they have the most up-to-date information to plan their arrival time at the airport.

The convention center also features SpeedCheck Advance kiosks for checking in and printing boarding passes and Airport SpeedCheck Advance, which allows travelers to check their luggage for a fee.

“We are continually striving to improve the customer experience at the Las Vegas Convention Center, and the flight information displays are a natural addition to the facility,” said Hugh Sinnock, director of customer experience for the LVCVA. “Delegates now have the ability to check in and print their boarding pass, check their luggage and monitor the status of their flight all at the convention center.”

The Las Vegas Convention Center is currently the only off-airport facility to feature the flight information displays. Six 40-inch displays were purchased by the LVCVA for $14,000 and feature departing flights for the next four to five hours during peak times and further out during slower times.

Nov. 7, closing day of the SEMA convention, was the first time the boards were operational for a large convention.

People don’t go to trade shows to see the same old things they already know about and understand. It’s all about new, better, easier, faster and maybe more profitable.

The most noticeable and maybe the most discussed change in the displays filling the 100,000-square-foot Exhibition Hall fits none of the previously listed categories except for “new”: half a dozen GEA signs hanging over what has long been the WestfaliaSurge dairy equipment display.

The farming community is often considered a bit slow to accept change, and the worldwide adoption of the GEA moniker to the WestfaliaSurge brand is causing much discussion. The fact is, GEA, headquartered in Bochum, Germany, owns the Naperville, Ill., milking equipment operation (old-timers knew it as Surge) along with some 250 companies in 50 countries in an effort to meet the demands of world competition.                                                  John F. Oncken

Exhibiting at trade shows is great for new product launches and services.  It is the “new”  that we as a society are always looking for.  It is this very reason that your trade show display should be kept up to date, fresh & broadcasting a clear message.  If you continue to use the same trade show display year in & year out, no matter where you are exhibiting; Chicago, New York, Las Vegas or Orlando, you want to give your audience something different & unique to look at, a unique trade show display can attract visitors from the past more quickly if it has new elements to it.

Custom Modular Trade Show Displays are versatile exhibit solutions with a variety of components, accessories & features that are easily changeable and can offer a lightweight, yet compelling & inviting environment for prospective clients.

Exhibit Halls are a buzz with people looking for solutions and innovative ideas that will help their business and their productivity.  Your trade show booth should send them a clear message of how your products and services will enhance their business plan and goals.

According to the soon-to-be-released 2008 Tradeshow Week Major Exhibit Hall Directory, September is the busiest month of them all, with eight convention centers and hotels opening, or re-opening, their doors.

Phoenix awaits the late-December completion of the Phoenix Convention Center expansion, which will bring its total exhibit space to 690,000 square feet, from its previous 250,000 sq. ft. Convention Center Director Jay Green said groups have been booking space through 2025.

“Convention planners want to come to Arizona, but, because of the limited size of the former Phoenix Civic Plaza, were unable to do so,” Green said. “By nearly tripling the size of the former facility, the new Phoenix Convention Center will be one of the top 20 convention centers in North America in terms of size, and will be able to host more than 80 percent of convention business.”

The largest newly constructed center to open in the United States, with 150,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, is the Raleigh (N.C.) Convention Center (see related story on Page 1). But Expo at Mundo Imperial in Acapulco, Mexico, is even larger. Its grand opening is scheduled for next month with 244,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space and another 113,000 sq. ft. of meeting space.

“Mundo Imperial is bringing to Acapulco new business for all the hotels,” said Antonio Vera, director of sales and marketing for the venue, which cost more than $340 million. “Most of the expos and conventions … that we will be having in the next couple of years will be coming from the domestic market, from Mexico.” He added that, though flights from the United States are not as numerous as he would like, the situation is improving, and the Mundo Imperial staff is promoting the venue to U.S. association and tradeshow organizers.

Smaller destinations are stepping up with larger venues as well. Daytona Beach, Fla., opened its Ocean Center Convention Hall this month, after a $76 million expansion took the center from 225,491 sq. ft. to 452,491 sq. ft. Although the expansion is complete, the existing building will now undergo a renovation, scheduled for completion by the year’s end, according to Dave Byron, community services director with the Volusia County government, owner and operator of Ocean Center.

He added that the venue expected to receive its certificate of occupancy within days, and already has begun booking shows, including the Florida Fire Chiefs’ Assn.’s Fire-Rescue East, which expects its 2009 show to use more than 130,000 sq. ft., have between 250 and 300 exhibitors and attract about 9,000 attendees, according to Jim Wile, executive director of the FFCA.

Byron said marketing of the facility has been underway for 18 to 24 months, and bookings have been fairly strong for the next year.

“Because of our much greater capacity,” Byron said, “we’re very optimistic that we’ll be able to go … at least into the second-tier convention market in Florida and, in some cases, even the first.”

The Rhode Island Convention Center Complex renovation also was completed in September, with the ribbon-cutting ceremony taking place Sept. 5. The $80 million renovation, according to Tim Muldoon, general manager of the Rhode Island Convention Center, included an over-the-street walkway that connects the convention center to the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, a sports arena. Muldoon added The Westin Providence, which is connected to the convention center, added 200 rooms, giving it a total of more than 560 rooms and making it a bona fide headquarter hotel.

“Right now we have the ability to go after a little different market set as far as our convention business,” Muldoon said. “It makes the joining of the Dunkin’ Donuts Center … and the convention center all the more important, because we’re going to need that space for general sessions that are of a larger size than what we could have handled.”

The center’s renovation already helped the complex book new shows, including the 2009 GovEnergy Workshop & Exposition. The show, last held at the Phoenix Convention Center in August, will have a 50,000 sq. ft. show floor, about 200 exhibitors and a total attendance of approximately 2,500, according to the U.S Dept. of Energy, the show’s organizer along with four other government agencies.

Other new venues opening between now and the end of January:

Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center in Anchorage, Alaska, October, 86,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space
Jackson Convention Complex in Jackson, Miss., January, 60,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space
South Okanagan Events Centre in Penticton, British Columbia, September, 45,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space.

“Our convention center is perhaps the only municipally-owned facility of its kind in the nation to return revenues without any subsidies,” said Rosemont Mayor Bradley A. Stephens. “In order to keep this center profitable, we want to offer as much added value as possible to tradeshow managers, meeting planners, exhibitors and delegates alike.Another great reason to continue exhibiting in the Chicago Suburbs, at the end of the day, when you are finished walking the exhibit hall, and the convention center doors close.  There are several choices of entertainment at the new state of the art complex and with the variety of restaurants, you don’t have to rely on that “trade show food” any longer.  Entertaining your trade show clients, just got a step closer to the convention center.

The theme of Muvico’s Rosemont Megaplex is the “Golden Age of Movie-Making.” The facility features:

• Luxury and roomy stadium seating with phenomenal sightlines – the chairs are 24” wide with reclining seatbacks and 46″ of legroom, leaving plenty of space for people to walk through the rows;
• the Children’s Playroom – an on-site interactive room where movie-going parents may leave children for ages 3 – 11 in a safe, secure area with a computer zone;
• a game room;
• a full service restaurant and bar;
• the Gallery – reserved for those 21 years of age and older, this is a second level, VIP, premier seating space (featuring plush, overstuffed love seats), a separate VIP entrance with valet parking and all-you-can-eat popcorn;
• Dolby sound and state-of-the-science motion picture technology;
• Muvico Theaters’ expanded concession menu with its signature Hot Spot Grill, featuring items such as chicken fingers, quesadillas, popcorn shrimp, pizza and more.

By Rachel Wimberly — Tradeshow Week, 7/7/2008

The food show world has been topsy-turvy ever since the Chicago-based mainstay Power of Five held its final event at McCormick Place in 2007.

And, just when things seemed to be settling down, the cancellation of one of three shows that remained in Chicago has thrown things into a tailspin once again.

The Natl. Assn. for the Specialty Food Trade decided to discontinue its Spring/Midwest Intl. Fancy Food & Confection Showcase that was scheduled to be collocated with All Things Organic and the U.S. Food Export Showcase April 5-7 at Chicago’s McCormick Place.

Ann Daw, NASFT president, said, “We have come to the conclusion that the Spring Fancy Food show at McCormick Place is no longer providing the majority of our members with the most effective means by which to grow their businesses in the Midwest.”

How many times have you raced through a hotel lobby, rental car facility or other travel venue, wishing you could just check the real time of your flight quickly on a digital display board?

It’s no longer a wish for busy attendees at the Donald E. Stephens Convention and Conference Center, but a real convenience, located right in the front lobby. Officials of the Stephens Center have had a TouchQuest FlyteBoard installed. It was developed by Flyte Systems, in partnership with digital signage software provider, Digital Minds Inc.

Trade Show attendees and exhibitors no longer have to scramble to figure out if a flight is delayed or canceled.  The Donald E. Stephens Convention center is bringing convenience and technology to their trade show and convention center audiences.

Hosting over 100 trade shows a year, bringing this technology into the convention center will help  exhibitors and attendees alike manage their time on the trade show floor.

The average rate for carpenters in Chicago may have gone up this year compared to last, but that doesn’t necessarily mean exhibitors at tradeshows at McCormick Place will be paying more.

In fact, because of a new two-year collective bargaining agreement with the carpenters union that went into effect June 1, exhibitors will probably be paying less overall, despite the results in that category of Tradeshow Week’s 2008 Survey of U.S. and Canadian Labor Rates.

New rules that could be easier on exhibitors’ pocketbooks include straight time rates from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the break of a show and the time-and-a-half rate window being expanded from eight hours to 12 hours on Saturdays, said Juan Ochoa, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority. Previously, time-and-a-half and double overtime rates were charged, respectively.

“That’s pretty good in terms of what the overall costs will mean to the shows,” he added. “(It shows) we’re consistently moving in the right direction as it relates to our competitiveness.”

The Chicago & Northeast Illinois District Council of Carpenters is the fourth union representing McCormick Place workers to negotiate more flexible work rules during the past two years. Riggers, decorators and electricians previously negotiated new contracts that resulted in changes:

* reduced crew sizes
* reduced overtime charges, particularly on Saturdays
* no overtime charges at all during the first four hours after a show closes
* staggered start times
* a wider range of tasks exhibitors can do themselves
* customer service training for union workers

“We recognize the importance of the convention and tradeshow industry to Chicago, and that is why we were willing to make changes that will lower costs and provide greater flexibility for exhibitors,” said Frank Libby, second vice president of the carpenters union. “We believe the changes we agreed to will help attract more shows and lead to more work for our members.”

The agreement with the carpenters union was different from those negotiated with the union in the past because Freeman and GES, the two major contractors that stage shows at Chicago’s McCormick Place, were able to negotiate directly with the union. Previously, the general service contractors had to abide by agreements made between the union and the Mid-American Regional Bargaining Assn., a group that represented Chicago-area building and construction trade associations.

“It’s a huge stepping stone for us to get to that process,” said John Patronski, executive vice president of GES.

Ellen Beckert, spokeswoman for Freeman, said, “We put into place some specific conditions that were relevant to the tradeshow industry. Those are working conditions that especially impact the tradeshow industry because of the work that we do.”

In 2007, according to information supplied to TSW, the average carpenter’s rate in Chicago was $87.20 for regular time (straight time), $131.98 for overtime (time-and-a-half) and $169.58 for Sundays (double overtime). This year, rates rose to $92.53 for regular time, a 6.1-percent increase; $140.42 for overtime, 6.4 percent; and $182.88 for Sundays, 7.8 percent.

The average U.S. rate for carpenters also rose, from $64.97 for regular time to $78.95, from $100.78 to $117.06 for overtime and from $115.18 to $144.01 for Sundays.

Beckert and Patronski said the new work rules will save exhibitors money because, for example, if a show closes at 4 p.m. on a Friday, exhibitors would pay the lowest rate for the four-hour period immediately after that and have a larger amount of time on Saturday when the time-and-a-half rate would apply.

“Rate is one thing, because labor has to be paid,” Patronski said. “The work rules and the straight-time window of building (and) crew sizes, those also become a huge driver when you look at bargaining agreements.”

Patronski said the work rule changes translate into more significant cost savings than if the rates weren’t rising by a small percentage each year.

“Budgeting and anticipating labor cost in the city is more than the rate,” Beckert added.

Peter Eelman, vice president of exhibitions for the Intl. Manufacturing Technology Show, agreed.

“Rates are probably the least of our worries,” he added. “What can really make progress is when you can make these work rule adjustments that make sense to the exhibitors.”

Eelman is part of the Labor Management Council, a group made up of representatives of the MPEA, Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau, show managers, service contractors and unions that deal with labor issues at McCormick Place and Navy Pier.

With the agreement with the carpenters in place, almost all the Chicago unions that deal with tradeshows have renegotiated contracts that are more show-friendly, according to the MPEA. The only remaining union involved with tradeshow work, the Teamsters, have a contract that expires Dec. 31.

“For us, it’s a sign of continued progress,” Eelman said. “This is a goal we’ve had for many years.”

Eelman’s show is scheduled Sept. 8-13 at McCormick Place, and he added that the new rules will help as show officials finish planning IMTS.

The agreement also allows for random alcohol and drug testing.

That, Patronski said, “is very, very significant.” He added it’s important for employers to have the ability to test randomly rather than only after accidents occur because it promotes a safe work environment.

The previously negotiated contracts carry the same drug and alcohol testing provisions.