Trade Show InsightsNews, tips & tools to expand your knowledge of exhibiting

Photo: stock.xchng / ColinBroug

They say the only thing constant in life is change. If that’s true, then this past week has been full of constants. First of all, two shows have announced cancellations:

• The Motivation Show, a long-time staple at McCormick Place in Chicago, will not take place in 2014. It seems there’s just not enough interest from potential exhibitors, which is a drastic change from the days when more than 2,000 exhibits filled McCormick and the show ranked among the top 200 largest in the country. (On a personal note, I’ve attended the show several times and it was one of the first I ever attended at McCormick, so I’ll always have special memories.) Meanwhile the Motivation Show Las Vegas, which was announced last year, will now be merged into the PPAI Expo.

Photo: Las Vegas News Bureau

It’s no secret that many trade shows have been breaking records over the past year — we’ve reported on many of those here. And much of that growth has been happening in two of the major trade show hubs: Chicago and Las Vegas. Now both of those cities are looking at their options to keep up with that growth.

Photo: stock.xchng / ilco

When show attendance grows, that sparks change and growth in other areas. For example, the Licensing Expo will introduce four new feature areas due to the expanded presence of key exhibitors. The show will be held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas in June and the four areas include: Art & Design, Characters & Entertainment, Agents & Brands, and Fashion. At another Vegas show, the World of Concrete posted a five percent increase in attendance and exhibit space. Much of that growth is coming from international attendance, so it’s no surprise that show producer Hanley Wood recently announced plans to launch World of Concrete India this fall.

Photo: stock.xchng / cmx82

Winter isn’t typically the season you think of growth but in the trade show world, there are signs of life appearing in various ways. If you’ve been to any events at Chicago’s McCormick Place recently, you’ve seen the construction of a new Hyatt Regency tower. Now moving into Phase Two, the project focus will be on renovating the existing guest room tower and onsite restaurant.

The latest report from the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) indicates that exhibit industry growth continued for the ninth consecutive quarter, although it did slow a bit in the third quarter of 2012.

If you’re an American, chances are you voted last week in the election. No matter which presidential candidate you voted for, the big winners of the night were the two convention centers that hosted the watch parties. Chicago’s McCormick Place hosted the Obama camp, while the Boston Convention Center was the gathering place for Romney supporters. EXPO has a great article on how both venues made these highly visible events happen.

Here are some shows that have recently come up winners as well: