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.
This week, the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority (LVCVA) announced a massive $2.5-billion plan to improve the convention center district over the next decade. The first phase of this new Las Vegas Global Business District will take place over the next couple of years and includes a $150 million renovation and expansion of the existing Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC). Future phases will include the development of a World Trade Center facility and a centralized transportation hub that connects the LVCC to other convention centers and hotels on the Las Vegas Strip.
Last week, plans were announced to build a new 1,200-room hotel adjacent to McCormick Place in Chicago, but that plan has already hit some major snags. It seems the land owner has been planning to develop a massive data center on that spot. If an agreement cannot be reached, it’s possible that the city might have to use eminent domain to acquire the land.
And speaking of growth … entries for EXPO’s Fast-Growth Shows List are due March 8. The winners will be honored for their innovation as well as their accelerated growth, and will be featured in the May/June issue of EXPO Magazine as well as celebrated at an awards luncheon in Baltimore in June.
In show news:
- Six trade shows will be coming together during Las Vegas Fashion Week to create the “Modern Assembly” in August at the Sands Expo & Convention Center and the Venetian Resort. One of the shows is a new event and one is moving from Los Angeles — the others are existing Vegas shows. The idea is to make it easier to cross-market to buyers attending the shows, with a total of more than 2,500 brands of apparel and accessories.
- A unique collaboration is happening in Houston: the Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau is teaming up with Messe Duesseldorf North America to launch the Medical World Americas event in 2014. The conference portion of the event will be in partnership with Texas Medical Center.
- An update on the Toy Fair, which took place during the major blizzard that hit New York in mid-February: Only six of the more than 1,000 exhibitors cancelled, and international attendance was strong (most of them arrived before the storm hit). However, drive-in traffic fell by 9 percent, which is understandable given the dangerous road conditions.
