This year kicked off right with the LA Fit Expo, where nearly 60,000 expected attendees were on hand to share their love of fitness and health.  

The conference and exhibition was held Jan. 23-24 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. With so much going on at the show, it was hard to know where to go first.  And, with the two-day format, attendees packed the floor to get in as much as possible.

By Elizabeth Johnson

The cold January temperatures couldn’t be felt inside New York’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center last week as the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) Big Show sizzled with new technology and solutions for retailers.

The show is held in New York City every year - the mecca of the retail industry and a convenient location for international retailers who make up about 25 percent of the attendees.

In the latest Center for Exhibition Industry Research’s 5-year Census Report, the number of annual business-to-business and business-to-consumer events in the United States increased 3.5 percent to 11,427.

The 2015 CEIR Exhibition Industry Census tracked the overall number of B-to-B and B-to-C shows held in the U.S., Canada and Mexico to be 13,447, accounting for just more than 107 million attendees and 1.9 million exhibitors.

The first-ever “Global Exhibitions Day” - a global initiative that unites exhibition organizers, venues, associations and service providers from countries all around the world - will launch June 8.

Driven by Paris-based UFI – The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, and Dallas-based IAEE – The International Association of Exhibitions and Events, a growing list of associations and industry players have pledged to join forces to promote the industry and to highlight its achievements.

The status quo of holding a meeting the same old way just isn’t going to be good enough to truly capture and engage attendees in the future.

Change is on the horizon, with more of a focus on helping attendees find their ‘tribe’, create spaces and events for them to eat well and be well and make content more personalized and organic.

To address these imminent changes, Marriott International, as part of its Meetings Imagined initiative, partnered with the Professional Convention Management Association to review the implications on the future of meetings.

CES 2016 broke its own record from last year with 2.47 million net sq. ft. showfloor, up from 2.2 million last year, taking over the Las Vegas Convention Center, Sands Expo & Convention Center and the Venetian, as well as the Wynn, Aria, Vdara and Cosmopolitan.

Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (formerly the Consumer Electronics Association), the world’s largest technology show took place Jan. 6–9.

For the first time, attendance was capped at 176,000 to help with logistics and actual attendance exceeded 170,000.

As part of his 2016 agenda, N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo unveiled a $1 billion plan to dramatically increase not only the meeting and exhibit space at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center of New York, but also build a four-level marshaling yard and the largest ballroom in the Northeast.

“We are pleased to hear about the plan to expand the Javits Center on Manhattan’s Far West Side,” said Fred Dixon, president and CEO, NYC & Company.

When 1,292 attendees came to the 10^th Technology Conference & Expo, held by the American Society of Association Executives Dec. 14-16 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center at National Harbor, Md., it was the highest attended conference in the event’s history. 

Participants took part in 42 high-level practical education sessions within five pathways (Disrupters; Leadership & Strategy; Learning & Technology; MarComm & Technology; and The Business of IT) and a sold-out trade show floor.

Penton adds to its ground transportation portfolio with the acquisition of TU-Automotive from FC Business Intelligence for an undisclosed sum. The buy includes 13 global conferences and exhibitions, such as the world’s largest connected car event – TU-Automotive Detroit.

“The acquisition is hugely exciting for the future of TU‐Automotive. Penton has both deep roots in the automotive industry and shares our vision of a connected world where the vehicle plays a central role,” said TU‐Automotive Division Director Gareth Ragg.

Next year will be an interesting one for SIA Snow Show, since SnowSports Industries America, the show’s owner, will hold two shows that year.

In 2017, the show will switch from a January to a December timeframe at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, meeting the needs of buyers and sellers, according to SIA officials.

“This decision was made with great care and consideration given to the evolving buy/sell cycle, and an eye on the future growth of the industry,” said Nick Sargent, SIA’s incoming president.