ProFood Tech Show Set to Launch in 2017 at Chicago’s McCormick Place

Three different entities have teamed up to launch ProFood Tech, a new event that will focus on processing technologies serving the food and beverage industry.

ProFood Tech will make its debut April 4–6, 2017, at McCormick Place in Chicago.

The event will be jointly produced by PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, Koelnmesse and the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA).

Center for Exhibition Industry Research’s Predict Conference Will Take Deep Dive into State of the Trade Show Industry

In just a few days, C-level trade show organizers, suppliers to the industry, financial experts, invest banking firms and media will gather Sept. 16-17 in Chicago for the Center for Exhibition Industry Research’s (CEIR) Predict – Annual Exhibition Industry Outlook Conference.

The past couple of years, the conference typically was broken up into experts talking about specific market sectors, but this year, led by Britton Jones, president and CEO of Business Journals Inc. and CEIR’s board chairman, the program has been redesigned.

Urban Expositions, Marketplace Events Both Acquire New Show Groups

Trade show mergers and acquisitions are in full swing, with two big organizers – Urban Expositions (recently bought by Clarion Events) and Marketplace Events – scooping up more shows for their rapidly expanding portfolios.

Hot on the heels of the first acquisition, Womens Wear in Nevada, under the Clarion ownership, Urban Expositions also bought Hamptons Expo Group.

The New York-based show group founded and produces ArtAspen, ArtHamptons, Houston Fine Art Fair and Palm Springs Fine Art Fair.

OFFPRICE Showfloor Grows Once Again at Summer Show in Las Vegas

The off-price industry is enjoying a heyday in which more national retailers are turning to the channel looking for a boost, and the OFFPRICE Show in Las Vegas remains a vital place to go for stores of all sizes from across the country.

This year’s summer show, held in August at the Sands Expo & Convention Center during Las Vegas Fashion Week, not only saw an uptick in attendance, but also in net square footage.

The footprint of the showfloor increased from 131,000 net square feet last year to 135,300 net sq. ft.  at this year’s event.  

“Blue Sky Meetings” Create Solutions to Challenges Facing National Retail Federation’s Trade Shows

Once a year, National Retail Federation staff members and key stakeholders gather together and brainstorm on how they can not only solve challenges they have with their trade shows – Retail’s BIG Show and Shop.org Annual Summit, but also talk about how to make them a more personal experience for attendees.

They call the sessions “Blue Sky Meetings”, according to Eric Olsen, NRF’s vice president of education strategies, at which they discuss “anything under the blue sky you could think of” in regards to improving the shows.

U.K.-based Clarion Events Takes Majority Partnership in Urban Expositions

U.K.-based Clarion Events, with more than 200 events in 35 countries, has become a majority partner in Kennesaw, Ga.-based Urban Expositions, which has a portfolio of 37 events serving nine industry sectors.

"We are thrilled to partner with such a well-established, international event organizer as Clarion," said Doug Miller, president and CEO, Urban Expositions.

IMEX America Focuses on Going Green at October Event in Las Vegas

Attendees and exhibitors to this year’s IMEX America, on tap Oct. 13-15 at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas, will experience a show that’s even greener than last year’s.

A new charity recycling initiative, becoming part of the Green Team and attending relevant education sessions will help attendees to reduce waste and increase their awareness of corporate social responsibility.

This follows the results of the MeetGreen® Sustainability Report for IMEX America 2014, which showed a 31 percent reduction on total waste from the previous year.

Outdoor Retailer Signs Back on in Salt Lake City Through 2018

Even with so many attendees it's not easy to find a hotel room close by and some exhibits are outside in tents, Emerald Expositions’ Outdoor Retailer community has spoken loud and clear saying they want to stay in Salt Lake City.

The company listened and recently signed a contract to keep the massive show in the city through 2018.

“Salt Lake, and the State of Utah have proven to be wonderful hosts to the Outdoor Industry and to Outdoor Retailer over the years,” said Marisa Nicholson, vice president and Outdoor Retailer show director.

Trade Show News Network Unveils TSNN Top 50 Canadian Trade Show List

Trade Show News Network (TSNN) has unveiled the TSNN Top 50 Canadian Trade Show list of rankings.

Culled from show management and data supplied to TSNN, the list represents the top 50 trade shows held last year ranked by net square footage in Canada. The full list can be found at: http://www.tsnn.com/toplists-cdn.

Snagging the No. 1 spot once again was Regina Exhibition Association’s Canada's Farm Progress Show, with a whopping 1,232,670 net square foot showfloor at Evraz Place in Regina, Saskatchewan.

Latin American Exhibition Industry to Gather in Mexico

Exhibition industry leaders from across Latin America are heading to Mexico at the end of August for two major industry events: Reed Exhibitions Mexico’s ICOMEX, and the AMPROFEC annual congress.

ICOMEX, a part of Reed’s global IBTM business event series, takes place Aug. 24-26 at Centro Banamex, Mexico City. It will be followed by the 18th edition of the Mexican Association of Professionals of Fairs, Expositions and Conventions’ (AMPROFEC) annual congress in San Luis Potosi Aug. 26-29.    

Partner Voices
Overview: The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality. In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way. “We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.” Amenities: The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.  The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need. Gold Key Members The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events. OCCC Events: This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.  The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:  AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023 200,000 Attendees $257 Million in Economic Impact MEGACON 2023 160,000 Attendees $205 Million in Economic Impact Open Championship Series 2023 69,500 Attendees $89 Million in Economic Impact Sunshine Classic 2023 42,000 Attendees $54 Million in Economic Impact Premiere Orlando 2023 42,000 Attendees $108 Million in Economic Impact