World of Concrete, PGA, OFFPRICE and Other Top Trade Shows Propel Industry Forward in 2022
January 27, 2022
Multiple in-person business-to-business (B2B) events produced by members of the Exhibitions and Conferences Alliance (ECA) are ushering in 2022 with optimism for the industry’s continued comeback.
The ECA, a coalition of professional, industry and labor organizations, comprises the unified voice of the face-to-face business events industry and is a driving force behind the safe reopening of B2B events.
While events are seeing scattered cancellations from exhibitors and attendees due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the latest Omicron variant, thousands of businesses remain committed to attending trade shows and other events in 2022, according to the ECA.
The alliance pointed to professional events as a crucial resource for small businesses to help them rebound and recover from the impacts of the pandemic, as they rely on trade shows as a primary source for the networking and deal-making that moves their business forward.
According to the ECA, from June through October 2021, more than 1 million people—exhibitors, small and large business owners, and other attendees—flocked to hundreds of events held in dozens of major cities across the U.S., supporting this multi-billion-dollar industry that is vital to the existence of small and mid-sized businesses and helps fuel the U.S. economy.
This year kicked off with a strong showing at Emerald’s Surf Expo, held Jan. 5-7 at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) in Orlando, Fla., with hundreds of small and mid-sized businesses gathering to safely meet with buyers, press and other industry professionals.
Several other major shows have taken place or will be held over the next few months and beyond, with health and safety top-of-mind and a commitment to drive the events industry forward while supporting businesses and the overall economy.
Each of these events, produced by ECA member companies including Informa Markets, Reed Exhibitions (RX), Tarsus Group, Emerald and Material Handling Industry (MHI), is expected to generate growth for their respective industries and millions of dollars in economic impact for their host cities.
Informa Markets
Informa Markets brought World of Concrete back to the Las Vegas Convention Center Jan. 18-20 with a highly successful showing. The event drew 40,000 attendees and 1,100 exhibiting suppliers to the show floor, twice the show’s size in June 2021 and close to pre-pandemic levels. The June show was one of the first B2B in-person events to successfully stage last year, helping jumpstart business events for the first time since the pandemic began and serving as a bellwether for the industry.
“With success and safety at the heart of our planning, we are thrilled to be delivering the in-person event format in 2022,” said Charlie McCurdy, president and CEO of Informa Markets. “We [kicked] off with World of Concrete, and we’re moving forward with many others in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, Asia and elsewhere, based on our communities’ enduring belief in the value of the platforms we provide and the need to reconnect and recover together.”
McCurdy added that the events industry as a whole has a big responsibility.
“[The events industry] plays an important role in stimulating the vitality of the global industries we serve and the regional economies that host our events,” he said. “Trade shows traditionally generate $325 billion in business sales annually for a wide variety of industries, and World of Concrete—one of our 400 market-defining events around the world—delivered an economic impact of an estimated $109 million to Las Vegas in January 2020.”
RX
RX’s PGA Show began Jan. 25 and runs through Jan. 28 at the OCCC, with roughly 600 brands on the show floor and hundreds of registered buyers and media. It’s the first time the show has been held since the pandemic began.
According to Marc Simon, vice president of PGA Golf Exhibitions, PGA professionals and golf buyers have expressed a pent-up demand for sourcing merchandise and services and miss the in-person experience with products and company leadership at the PGA Show,
“There is a strong desire to return to peer networking and solutions-based programming to leverage the rising consumer interest in the sport and navigate the related challenges the golf industry faces,” he said. “The 2022 PGA Show looks different from previous events but is a welcome return to connecting in-person with peers and industry leaders and can be a bridge to help our industry adapt and thrive as we move forward.”
Meanwhile, Ken Kosak, PGA Show general manager, COO of Belfair in Bluffton, S.C., and PGA Show attendee underscored the importance of the event to the organization’s annual business plan.
“The ability to meet in an organized setting and see firsthand the latest trends in the industry is invaluable to me in managing our club,” he said. “Much of our industry is driven by relationship-building and networking, and to be able to see longtime friends, colleagues and business partners in person is incredibly exciting.”
Kosak added that he has tremendous confidence in PGA leadership hosting the PGA Show in an environment where everyone feels comfortable attending.
Tarsus Group
Tarsus Group’s OFFPRICE Show is set for Feb. 13-16 at the Venetian Expo in Las Vegas.
Douglas Emslie, CEO of Tarsus Group, noted how vital the OFFPRICE Show is to the retail industry this year more than ever due to ongoing supply chain disruptions.
“The OFFPRICE Show brings the U.S. retail industry together—it’s where retailers come to source in-stock inventory that can ship quickly and to meet all the important vendors under one roof,” he said. “Given the disruption that supply chains have experienced over the past two years, shows like this are more critical than ever, especially for small and medium-size businesses.”
Emslie added that while virtual events were a useful solution for some industries at the height of the pandemic, for many industries, especially retail, nothing can replace the value of a live event and the opportunity to see products in-person, meet new contacts and write orders on the showfloor.
“Our customers appreciate the opportunity to close business in a safe and secure environment,” he said. “It would take buyers weeks and multiple trips to meet with the same number of vendors outside of a show.”
Emerald
Following its successful Surf Expo this month, Emerald’s roster of upcoming events includes the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, set for Feb. 8-10 at the OCCC.
Like other ECA members, Emerald is committed and excited to lead the way in bringing in-person events back to its customers in a safe and productive way, according to Hervé Sedky, president and CEO of Emerald.
“Attendee presence at Emerald’s recent events has been driven by the need to meet rising consumer demand, which has resulted in extensive order writing and new business generation for our exhibitors, especially small and mid-size businesses that are heavily reliant on trade shows to drive their business,” he said. “This critical business function, coupled with the positive feedback from our customers, reinforces the relevance and sustainable value of our B2B in-person events.”
Sedky added that throughout the reopening process, Emerald has been vigilant about the health and safety of all who attend its events and remains committed to providing the safest environment possible for its trade shows and conferences.
MHI
MHI’s MODEX 2022 is set for March 28-31 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.
With more than 850 exhibitors in more than 400,000 square feet of exhibit space, MODEX 2022 will provide in-person, in-action solutions, insights and four keynote speakers, including Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Shaquille O'Neal.
Coupled with 172 show floor sessions, MODEX 2022 aims to offer practical solutions to complex problems and the education needed for industry innovation.
“MHI is committed to the global supply chain industry and is eagerly moving forward with producing a safe, dynamic and productive exhibition this March in Atlanta,” said Daniel McKinnon, executive vice president, exhibitions for MHI. “Our association, community and affiliated organizations need to re-engage in order to power this very critical industry forward. We cannot and will not turn back.”
Photo: Surf Expo, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fla.
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Partner Voices
Less than six months ago, Lisa Messina joined the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) as the first-ever chief sales officer after leading the sales team at Caesars Entertainment. A 12-year Las Vegas resident, Messina is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and serves on MPI International’s board of directors.
TSNN had a chance to catch up with this dynamic leader and talk to her about her vision for the new role, current shifts in the trade show industry, creating more diversity and equity within the organization, and advice to future female leaders.
Lisa Messina, Chief Sales Officer, LVCVA
With Las Vegas becoming The Greatest Arena on EarthTM, what are some of the things you’re most excited about in your role?
Our team was at The Big Game’s handoff ceremony earlier this month, and I couldn’t help but think, “We’re going to crush it next year!”
These high-profile events and venues not only drive excitement, but also provide unmatched opportunities for event planners. Allegiant Stadium hosts events from 10 to 65,000 people and offers on-field experiences. Formula 1 Grand Prix will take place in Las Vegas in November, after the year-one F1 race, the four-story paddock building will be available for buyouts and will also offer daily ride-along experiences that will be available for groups. And, of course, the MSG Sphere officially announced that it will open in September, ahead of schedule, with a U2 residency. It’s going to be the most technologically advanced venue as far as lighting, sound, feel, and even scent, and it will be available for buyouts and next-level sponsorships inside and outside. There’s no ceiling to what you can do when you’re doing events in Las Vegas.
Allegiant Stadium
As the trade show and convention business returns to the pre-pandemic levels, what shifts are you noticing and how do you think they will impact the industry going forward?
Our trade show organizers are very focused on driving customer experience. Most of our organizers are reporting stronger exhibitor numbers and increased numbers of new exhibitors, with trade shows proving to be almost or above 2019 levels. Now our organizers are really doubling down on driving attendance and focusing on the data to provide that individualized, customized experience to help attendees meet their goals and get the best value. Some companies continue to be cautiously optimistic with their organizational spend when it comes to sending attendees, but I think it will continue to improve. As the U.S. Travel Association makes more progress on the U.S. visa situation, we also expect a growing influx of international attendees.
What are some innovative ways the LVCVA helps trade show and convention organizers deliver the most value for their events?
We focus on customer experience in the same way that trade show organizers are thinking about it. We got rave reviews with the West Hall Expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), so over the next two years, we will be renovating the North and the Central halls, which will include not just the same look and feel, but also the digital experiences that can be leveraged for branding and sponsorship opportunities.
Vegas Loop, the underground transportation system designed by The Boring Company, is also a way we have enhanced the customer experience. Vegas Loop at the LVCC has transported more than 900,000 convention attendees across the campus since its 2021 launch. Last summer, Resorts World and The Boring Company opened the first resort stop at the Resorts World Las Vegas , with plans to expand throughout the resort corridor, including downtown Las Vegas, Allegiant Stadium and Harry Reid International Airport. The LVCVA also purchased the Las Vegas Monorail in 2020, the 3.9-mile-long elevated transportation system that connects eight resorts directly to the convention center campus. This is the only rail system in the world that integrates fares directly into show badges and registration. For trade show organizers, these transportation options mean saving time, money and effort when it comes to moving groups from the hotels to LVCC and around the city.
Also, the more we can focus on building the infrastructure around the convention center, the more it supports the customer experience and ultimately supports our trade show organizers. Scheduled to debut in Q4, Fontainebleau Las Vegas will offer 3,700 hotel rooms and 550,000 square feet of meeting and convention space next to LVCC.
What are some of the plans for advancing DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) within your organization?
We’re currently partnering with instead of working with a leading consulting firm, to lay the foundation and create a solid DEI plan and be the leader when it comes to DEI initiatives. The heart of that journey with the consulting firm is also talking to our customers about their strategic approaches to DEI and driving innovation in this space.
What are your favorite ways to recharge?
My husband and I have an RV and we’re outdoorsy people. So, while we have over 150,000 world-class hotel rooms and renowned restaurants right outside our doorstep, one of my favorite things to do is get out to Red Rock Canyon, the Valley of Fire, and Lake Mead. Five of the top national parks are within a three-hour drive from Las Vegas, so there’s a lot you can do. We love balancing the energy of Las Vegas with nature, and we’re noticing that a lot of attendees add activities off the Strip when they come here.
Valley of Fire
What advice would you give to women following leadership paths in destination marketing?
I think it’s about being laser-focused on what you want to accomplish; building a team around you that lifts you and helps you achieve your goals; and being humble and realizing that you do it as a group. No one gets this done alone. Thankfully, there are a lot of women in leadership in this organization, in our customers’ organizations, and in this city that we can be really proud of. We’re a formidable force that is making things happen.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
This article is exclusively sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. For more information, visit HERE.
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