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March 12-14, 2013. This was the Pensions and Investments East Coast Defined Contribution Conference. The show gathered the experts in the fields of investments, plan design, and communications to discuss changes in the industry and offer time-tested strategies that could help make informed decisions for a pension plan, and succeed in providing an adequate retirement income for the plan’s participants. In all there were 470 participants, 59 presenters, 19 sponsors and 30 exhibitors. In his keynote, Harvard University economics professor David Laibson spoke at DC East Conference and discussed why retirement savings accounts are still not working, including low contribution rates and “leakage” He also offered strategies to overcome some of those pension-sapping issues. Turns out some older ideas now need to be “pensioned off”…
March 11-14, 2013. At Cruise Shipping Miami boat people could launch new products, unveil services, meet cruise industry buyers and attend conferences covering up-to-date topics on matters relating to Cruise Shipping. No other event, we heard, brings together the international cruise industry like the Cruise Shipping Miami conference and tradeshow. For 30 years, Cruise Shipping Miami has been and continues to be the must-attend event for buyers and suppliers, we heard. This was a stimulating week of innovation, education and networking. CSM 2013 attracted a broad range of industry players and delivered the audience sellers were looking for — cruise industry buyers and decision makers, unlocking business potential across all shipping and related product sectors. Definitely worth “cruising around”…
January 31 – February 2, 2013. This show was billed as the Green Convention of the Americas, and it featured green building, solar clean tech, and much more besides. The MiaGreen Expo & Conference claims to be the only event in the United States providing access to the ever-growing, non-stoppable green, renewable and sustainable markets for ALL the Americas. (Miami is a well-known stopping-off point for countries to the South of the USA, i.e. pretty much the whole of Latin America). MiaGreen has, we heard, developed as the one-stop, all-inclusive, interactive conference and marketplace for sustainability, combining a major trade show with leading-edge educational and networking programs, with a huge range of Machinery, Equipment and Tools serving the above-mentioned categories. American enterprises dominated, with 80% US and 20% Latin America and Caribbean participation. Remember, green is the color of money…
Sept. 11-13, 2012. HD means Hospitality Design. The show is where designers, architects, owners, operators, developers and specifiers can see the best hospitality design products and services offered by artisans and manufacturers from around the world. Hospitality Design Boutique Exposition & Conference (HD Boutique) tries to differentiate itself from other industry shows with a distinct style and unusual venue, creating “a more personal and intimate” event (read comparatively small, but perfectly formed) which encourages networking with the most influential and exclusive hospitality owners, operators and design professionals. Visitors can “build relationships, discover new products and learn from the leading minds in the industry”. This show is billed as a unique hospitality experience, and you get to see bedding, lighting, decor, furniture etc. Hey, you lolling on the recliner, wake up….
 Ariel View of ConExpo #1 Trade Show in 2011 , the trade publication for the Trade Show industry has just published its Top 250 trade shows for 2011 and Las Vegas again leads the pack with 7 of the top 10.
While we haven’t fully explored the entire list, it does include several that have pulled out of Vegas because of the expense in exhibiting here. NAPTE comes to mind as they were one of the 1st to go back in 2008. It’s not so much the cost of rooms & meals because we all know that Vegas is king when it comes to cheap room & board. It is the cost of actually putting on the show for both the trade show companies and the exhibitors themselves.
Frequently we hear from vendors that one of the reasons they hate to exhibit in Las Vegas is the uncompromising stance of the unions. For example ASD which is 2 yearly now completely moved into the LVCC when it once was so crowded that it completely filled the Sands Expo, the South Hall at LVCC & the Mirage. Many vendors have pulled out because even if they had no trash or their booth wasn’t messy, they were charge daily for service, often when they came in the next day only to find their trash still full or their booth still with signs of the previous day’s floor flotsam.
The city of Chicago, in 2008, negotiated a deal with the unions that in order for them to grow their trade show opportunities, the unions would give up some concessions while the city agreed to promote their venues as a better bang for the buck. Certainly not in January but April – October, they have increased their trade show purchased footage by several 1000 sq. ft.
2008- In June, major trade show contractors and the union representing the largest single group of workers on the trade show floor announced a new collective bargaining agreement designed to further reduce costs for McCormick Place exhibitors and provide them with greater operational flexibility
Miami and Dallas have followed the lead of Chicago and have been able to attract many more trade shows, not just from Las Vegas but globally since revamping their trade show efforts.
Recently both CES and the Shot Show have renewed their contracts with Las Vegas, but as the old Wall Street adage goes “buy low, sell high, make a profit” it is the opinion of B-T-B that LVCVA needs to think about where it wants to be in the next 5-10 years with the trade show industry that has become the bread and butter of the casinos or do they want to continue to lose market share while focusing on weekend events like the Electric Daisy Carnival that brings crowds with limited money for gambling or trade shows, the bigger of the high dollar revenue drivers? Who has more disposable income; 6 20somethings stuffed in a hotel room with 20.00 each for the weekend or the business person coming for 3 days finding him/herself at 2am jet lagged and in the casino to chill out.
Rossi Ralenkotter & his staff have done an amazing job with turning Las Vegas into a business destination for companies and executives alike but we need to keep growing as THE place to not only have fun but to bring products to market in a business friendly environment.
Where’s Oscar?
Mar. 12-15, 2012. The Cruise Shipping Miami brings together the international cruise industry to launch new products, unveil innovative new services, meet cruise industry buyers and attend conferences covering cruise-related topics. The recent recession was not kind to the industry, and selling off unsold cabin inventory has been a topic for heated debate, with some arguing that deep discounting was damaging the market’s image and profitability. Other topics were shipbuilding, repair, and refurbishment, terminal design and operations, regulatory issues, crew-recruitment, shore excursions and port services, overall industry development, plus new industry shifts to markets like Asia. The conference fielded expert panels and speakers including cruise line CEO’s and cruise industry leaders. Now, who’s in charge of rearranging the deck-chairs?
Mar. 01-03, 2012. The FESPA Americas print exhibition provided the USA, Central and South American region with a showcase of wide format digital, screen and textile printing innovations. With the new challenges the global print industry presents, print solution providers needed to revolutionize their thinking and innovate their business in order to take advantage of future growth opportunities. FESPA Americas offered the chance to keep up-to-date with market trends, gain inspirational ideas to improve business, learn about new technologies and search for innovative products, equipment and suppliers to enhance print production. This was a large format printing exhibition, from wide format and fabric digital printing to textile and silk screen printing. All the fashion fit to print, in fact….
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