Weekly News & Insights: The Only Thing Constant is Change

Photo: iStockphoto / franckreporter

With the arrival of Labor Day Weekend in the U.S., it’s an indication that the seasons are about to change. And while some people are happier about that than others, there’s no avoiding it … kind of like the changes happening in the trade show industry. In the past, this hasn’t exactly been a cutting-edge industry, but that too is changing in many ways.

It used to be that industry shows were produced by associations and consumer shows by independent event production companies. But now that our culture is shifting away from print publications, media companies are joining the world of expo production. The Dallas Morning News recently launched an event division which will coordinate events in categories such as education, technology, entertainment, and sports. For long-running events, there’s a need to reinvent as well. This summer’s EXPO Next Conference (produced by EXPO Magazine) had no shortage of ideas for becoming a next-generation show.

Along with this changing landscape of trade shows, expos and events, there’s a greater need to educate and recruit new talent to coordinate and produce the shows. This article from ExpoWeb.com has suggestions for things we can all do to help increase student awareness of working in this industry. And if you feel like your organization is a bit stuck in its ways, here are some great tips from Meeting Professionals International on how to nurture creativity in the workplace.

Individual shows are making changes, too. The Pet Industry Spring Show announced the 2013 event has been pushed back to April of 2014 in Atlantic City and will be a biennial show moving forward, to keep participation higher. The Tupelo Furniture Market has added a concurrent event, the Furniture and Home Accessories Show, which features jewelry, gifts and home decor for both the public and the furniture trade.

 

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