Trade Show News by Tradetec Skyline Chicago

Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel & Convention Center in suburban Chicago will host the GEMS Expo - Glass Expo Midwest™ on December 8th-10th, 2008.  Many companies are looking for smaller venue’s for marketing their product and services.

Travel expenses are on the rise and the benefits of  smaller regional trade shows can be beneficial to achieving your marketing goals, without sinking all your resources into one event.  Creating a marketing message with banner stands that will draw and focus the trade show audience’s attention to your service and products with high quality trade show graphics can help lead into conversation & communication with prospects.

Niche marketing can be accomplished at the smaller trade shows and can provide focused groups of trade show attendee’s that are in search of the specific niche solution that your company provides.  Being able to spend time one-on-one with potential clients at regional events can lead into lasting customer relationships with local companies.

Working with a Chicago Trade Show Display Dealer to create your niche marketing plan for your companies upcoming trade show & events will allow you to pinpoint your goals while building relationships, focus on educating prospects and build strong networks within the Chicago Market.

While GEMS is the largest regional event in the country, typically attracting between 800-1,200 attendees, exhibit space is purposely limited to 100 booths or fewer. This helps ensure that attendees can meet with every exhibitor and every exhibitor can spend quality time with attendees. The deadline to reserve booth space is November 14.

Dana Meyers of Tradeshow Week examines the Trade Show Projections & Statistics for California - Industry statistics based on organizer projections supplied to TSW,

• A total of 482 trade shows are scheduled to take place in California in 2009, a 1-percent increase, compared with 2008’s 478 shows.

• Collectively, trade shows held in the area are projected to span nearly 58 million net square feet, feature 166,000 exhibiting companies and attract 4.4 million attendees. These figures give the area 8.2 percent of the U.S. market share of trade show exhibit space, 9.8-percent share of exhibiting companies and 5.5-percent share of attendees.

• Despite holding steady in terms of total number of trade shows, year-over-year comparisons reveal shows held in California will decrease in size according to all three indexes measured. The number of trade show attendees at the average show is expected to decrease by 15 percent in 2009, while net square footage and exhibitor figures reflect decreases of 7.5 percent and 4.9 percent, respectively, when compared with projected figures from the previous year.

• The average trade show booth space will encompass 348 net sq. ft., down from 358 net sq. ft. this year.

• The average business-to-business tradeshow will span 113,048 net sq. ft., host 322 companies and draw 7,244 attendees.

• The average hybrid show is expected to have 263 exhibiting companies spread across 78,171 net sq. ft. and attract 7,258 attendees.

• The average consumer trade show is expected to span 108,417 net sq. ft. and feature 209 exhibiting firms with 14,040 attendees.

Industry profileB-to-B shows will make up 52 percent of all the trade shows held in California. Consumer trade shows will account for 26 percent, followed by combination shows with 22 percent.

The state will host 56 health care trade shows, making it the No. 1 industry based on number of events. Tying for second are computers and computer applications and home furnishings and interior design, with 30 trade shows each.

Top cities and venuesSan Diego outshines all other California cities as the most popular destination with 87 events slated to take place in 2009. Following not-so-close behind is San Francisco with 63 shows and Los Angeles with 55. San Diego is the only California city to make the Top 10 list for North America, according to the Tradeshow Week Data Book, with a No. 7 ranking.

The San Diego Convention Center earns top billing as the venue with the most trade shows, 46. The Los Angeles Convention Center claims the No. 2 spot with 29 shows, and the Anaheim Convention Center nips at its heals with 28.

Top months for Trade ShowsStaying consistent with the rest of the U.S., the first quarter is the busiest season for California with 164 trade shows held between January and March.

March leads the way with 59 shows, and February comes in a close second with 58. October creeps in as the third most popular month with 53, followed by January with 47.

ConclusionWith five convention center expansions and plans for a new facility – the Gaylord Resort & Convention Center in Chula Vista – either proposed or under construction, California is looking to further expand its offerings to the tradeshow industry.

Projected statistics are voluntarily supplied by shows during TSW Data Book data collection and updated throughout the year as information becomes available. Shows submitting projections vary year to year, which may affect region totals.

There is continuous expansion and growth in the IT industry as well as the Electronics Industry,  trade shows focusing on solutions & products and electronics continue to draw in large crowds of attendees and buyers that are looking for the newest solutions in technology.

Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco brings in Web Developers, Designers, Consultants and Business Leaders.  Keeping your trade show display on the cutting edge with high quality graphics, presentations and A/V Equipment can make you an industry leader among the elite in the Silicon Valley.

Whether your business is based in Chicago, New York,  Orlando or San Francisco, your trade show display needs to define your products and services for the greatest advancement in this fast growing industry. WiMax World just concluded in Chicago with a record breaking attendance, further showing the value of trade shows in a fast paced industry.

Technology & Electronics Trade Shows:

CES - The largest Electronics Trade Show - January 8th - Las Vegas
MacWorld  - January 5th, 2009 at the Moscone Center - San Francisco, California
SPIE Medical Imaginging - February 7th, 2009 - Kissimmee, Florida
EHX - Electronics House Expo - March 12th - Orlando, Florida

OpenSource World Conference & Expo, a new event that is scheduled to take place in August of 2009 at San Francisco’s Moscone Center.

Targeting your niche market by exhibiting at smaller trade shows & venue’s, the inception of the Precast Trade Show began in Chicago.  The home of  Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute - PCI, The PreCast Trade Show will be held in February 2009 in Houston.  PCI has a large list of upcoming trade shows & events in the industry.

“The Precast Show is an equipment and services trade show designed by precasters and suppliers, and it puts the focus squarely on manufacturing, safety, technical training and the producers who are doing award-winning work in this industry,” according to Ty E. Gable, president of the National Precast Concrete Association. “The Precast Show was designed from scratch by the experts – the exhibitors and precasters who will be doing business on the trade show floor.”

NPCA held extensive brainstorming meetings with exhibitors and precast manufacturers and developed the event along with longtime trade show partner, the American Concrete Pipe Association. The Precast Show has been in the planning stage for more than two years, starting with a meeting of 66 major exhibitors held in Chicago in 2006. The group started with a blank sheet of paper, Gable said, and worked toward their vision of the ideal show.

The show will never be as large as the trade shows geared toward the entire concrete industry, but that’s actually one of its main benefits. Richard Isaacson, principal with iwi group LLC, based in Norcross, Ga., said that the largest shows are so massive that “some of your customers aren’t going to be able to find you. That’s the benefit of a smaller show. Everyone will be able to find you and you’ll be able to spend time with them. I’m excited about it,” Isaacson added. “I think it will give us a good opportunity to see our customers in a setting that is conducive to selling. It’s quality, not necessarily quantity.”

Chicago will soon be buckling down for winter time, but all over the nation there will be trade shows going on for the Outdoor Retailers and Sporting Goods Suppliers.  Start planning your trade show display for the upcoming events.

The Shot Show opens at the Orange County Convention Center on January 15th, 2009.  Advertising your upcoming trade shows to your prospective clients is a must when it comes to trade show marketing.  The Shot Show has recently released some information on fraudulent solicitation for the upcoming event and are warning exhibitors to use caution.

Last years event held record numbers of attendee’s and exhibitors with over 58,000 in attendance.

With the following events coming up around the corner, now is the time to plan your trade show display for your presence on the trade show floor, and define your spot in the market place.  With high quality trade show graphics, your marketing strategies can be defined and your message can be heard.

ATA - Archery Trade Association - January 8th-10th - Indiana Convention Center and 300,000 Square Feet of Exhibit Space

ICAST - July 15th-17th, 2009 - Orange County Convention Center- in 2008, ICAST exhibitors filled 1,350 trade show booths

Outdoor Retailer Winter Market - January 22nd - 25th, 2009 - Salt Palace Convention Center - Salt Lake City

Outdoor Retailer has proven to be the leading growth vehicle for brands that are interested in progressing and advancing into multiple channels of the outdoor marketplace.

Chicago Boat, RV & Outdoor Trade Show - January 14th - 18th, 2009 - McCormick Place - Chicago

In October, more than 5,000 emergency medicine professionals will descend on Chicago for the largest, most prestigious show in emergency medicine.  Scientific Assembly 2008  - October 27th, 2008. The attendees come highly motivated to participate in our advanced educational programs.

Trade Show Exhibits can help portray a message to a highly technical group with up to date multi-media presentations, functional trade show work stations, and graphics.

Exhibitors that have participated in Scientific Assembly in the past know the value this trade show brings. In 2007 there were over 5100 professional attendees and over 1800 trade show exhibitors.

Written by Jim Kendall - Daily Herald

SubscriberMail, LLC, is a 21st Century business: The Lisle company, which a year ago cracked Inc. magazine’s list of fastest growing privately held businesses, manages e-mail marketing initiatives for such clients as the Bulls, Blackhawks, Xerox and the American Marketing Association.

In comparison, trade shows smack of old-time excesses - a boondoggle for directors and senior management.

Why, then, does SubscriberMail exhibit at trade shows? Getting there is costly. Booths are expensive. Founder and CEO Jordan Ayan is a savvy e-mail marketer.

“There’s a point in time when you need to meet face-to-face” with prospective clients, Ayan explains. “The challenge is that trade shows are a really big investment, but you’ve got to do something to get your name out there. Trade shows are a very important part of growing a business.”

Besides, says Ken Buckman, trade shows have changed. “Trade shows have become an actual business, not just a free vacation for management, and spouses and kids,” says Buckman, CEO of Tradetec Skyline Chicago, a Lombard booth and trade show services provider.

The trade show industry was one of those that ground to a halt in late 2001. Attendance, Buckman says, still is below the totals of the late 1990s. The difference today is that attendees are more likely to be decision makers.

Still, there’s the cost factor. Depending on the size of your booth and travel, figure you’ll spend $30,000 and up to exhibit at a trade show.

“It’s a tough decision because of the upfront costs,” Ayan acknowledges. “You have to look professional. No card tables. Well-produced literature. Your sales people must look sharp.”

Ayan knows the excesses. He has paid “$400 to vacuum a 10×10 rug every day (and) $32 to replace the fish bowl we forgot.” Regardless, SubscriberMail is on plan to exhibit at “four to five shows” over the next 12 months.

Assuming you’re at least intrigued by Ayan’s assertion that trade shows offer an important face-to-face opportunity, it’s helpful to know how he chooses shows:

• If Ayan doesn’t know a show well enough, “I call others in our industry,” he says. “‘We’re thinking about the XYZ show. What do you know? Is it a good place to meet people?’ At some shows, the real activity is off the show floor, and you might not want a booth.”

• Ayan looks for shows that “really draw the decision-makers,” something he assesses by looking at the types of sessions the show offers, and the names and qualifications of the speakers.

• He looks at sponsors, too. “A successful show will have a large number of sponsors,” Ayan says.

• SubscriberMail grabs non-exhibit opportunities as well. “I do a lot of speaking,” Ayan says. The fact that Ayan is on the program creates both visibility and credibility for SubscriberMail - and is less costly than exhibiting.

© 2008 121 Marketing Resources Inc.