the June 2008 Issue in PDF Format - Trade Show Executive

Issues & Answers
By Hil Anderson, senior editor
Roots or Rotation? Deciding on a Location Strategy
Q: My association is considering
rotating its show between two fixed
locations. What are the advantages
of hosting a show in the same
location every year compared to
alternating sites?
A: As is often the case in the
exposition industry, there is no
clear answer to this question. Start
by weighing the pros and cons of a
fixed versus rotating location. Consider
the needs and desires of your present
attendee base as well as new sectors
that haven’t come to your show in the
past. “It comes down to knowing
your audience,” said Robert Brice, vice
president at Cygnus Expositions. “That
always drives event decisions, including
venues.”
Christopher Gribbs, senior director of
conventions at The American Institute of
Architects, has a particularly adventurous
membership to serve. You can tell when
the annual AIA National Convention and
Design Exposition is in town by the number
of badge-wearing delegates walking
around, looking at the buildings with
more than a casual glance. “They come
to our convention to learn. One way they
learn is by moving about within a town to
experience the city and its architecture,”
Gribbs said.
So, the task of the show manager
is to select a site that appeals first and
foremost to the audience and also meets
the necessary operational and logistical
requirements of the show itself.
Show managers told Trade Show
Executive that there were some basic issues
to consider whether an event should
commit to one city or move around:
• Venues: Holding a show in the same
city every year most likely means
you will contract the same exhibition
facility every year. “The building staff
may change over the years, but you
won’t have to re-learn their policies
and contracts every year,” said Brice.
“You also have a better chance of
getting the dates you want because
you can book them before anyone
else.” A key consideration in a longterm
commitment is projected show
growth. “You can grow, but you can
also shrink and wind up contracting
for much more space then you need,”
Brice said.
• Hotels: Contracting the same
hotels year after year offers similar
advantages to rebooking the same
exhibit hall. Room blocks can be
nailed down in advance and at a
presumably good rate. Organizers
know the hotel sales staff as well as
the convention and visitors bureau.
Brice cautioned that trade shows
might not be the only game in town
in cities that have a robust tourism
industry and can fill beds at full price.
“Over time, your room block can be
eroded,” he said. “You have to learn
to stand up for yourself.”
• Local convention and visitors
bureaus: Another two-way street.
Any CVB sales executive will say
every customer is valued; however,
they also must devote a lot of energy
to booking new business. “A set
rotation pattern is very similar to
an annual show that is held in the
same venue,” Brice said. “You can
be perceived as automatic business.
There is the potential they won’t work
as hard for you as they might for a
new piece of business.”
• Workload: Going to different cities
means doing a lot of groundwork
every year. “You have to secure the
hotels, secure a conference city and
get the dates and price ranges you
want,” Griggs said. “You might not
have the buying power of a repeat
customer who can say, ‘We come here
every three years. Can you give us a
deal?’” Association show organizers
will also have input coming in from a
selection committee that will be out
in the field on a fairly constant basis.
They will also have to reach out to the
local membership of the association
both as a courtesy and to enlist their
support in arranging activities and
marketing to potential attendees in
the region.
• Travel: CEIR research found that
48% of a show’s attendees come from
a 400-mile radius. This reinforces the
need to get a firm grip on attendee
demographics and how far they are
willing to travel. “The AIA show
draws from the region more than
from across the United States,”
Griggs said. “We rotate our show
location in order to reach a little
deeper into the segments of our
membership that might otherwise
not be able to travel.” Cost could
also become a larger factor in travel
decisions as rising oil prices drive up
the cost of both flying and driving.
Show organizers said it all goes back to
the audience and what they want. Do
they want to see the sites and experience
a new city every year, or do they prefer
the comfort level of a single location
or a small rotation? “The architectural
community is somewhat unique in that
they need variety,” said Gribbs. “Other
groups might want to just go straight
from the airport to the hotel and
convention center and stay there.”
Reach Robert Brice at (314) 968-4343
or robert.brice@cygnusexpos.com;
Christopher Gribbs at (202) 626-7353 or
cgribbs@aia.org; Doug Ducate at (469)
574-0686 or dducate@ceir.org
22 June 2008 Trade Show Executive www.TradeShowExecutive.com