What to do when your show/event is down in traffic and booked-space? Move? Thats a big gamble. And great place to take a gamble is in Vegas, where the Apex Show is moving, according to Circuits Assembly magazine:
“The Apex/IPC Printed Circuits Expo trade show will relocate to Las Vegas in 2008, show producer IPC said Monday. In a letter to exhibitors, IPC said the combination of a 12% drop in attendance coupled with an apparent distaste for the Los Angeles Convention Center factored heavily into the decision.”
Having been to the LACC before, I’d agree the location is not ideal for a ‘national’ show. Probably great for local shows, where on/off the freeway is more important than hotels & restaurants. Apex will be paying a $750,000 penalty for bailing on their 2008 contract, but will boost booth-space rental in Vegas by $4 a square foot to make up the cost. That’s $400 more for a 10×10 booth.
Personally, I’ve never seen a show benefit from moving, unless they are outgrowing previous sites. Now everyone is going to bitch about the high cost of booth-space instead of the location. Oh, and they might bitch about the location on top of the high cost. Apex’s news release says that shows moving to Vegas average a 21% increase in attendance, so maybe I’m wrong to be cynical.
Will the attendees follow the show? Will the exhibitors? It’s a gamble!
I am surprised there is still such a focus on trade shows. We are a B2B industrial manufacturer and we have nearly stopped attended shows in the US since 2000. We still do some shows overseas and small US shows that are very niche oriented. The big shows have definitely been out of our plans.
I am surprised there is still such a focus on trade shows. We are a B2B industrial manufacturer and we have nearly stopped attended shows in the US since 2000. We still do some shows overseas and small US shows that are very niche oriented. The big shows have definitely been out of our plans.