ATLANTIC CITY – The future of the trade show industry is in the hands of millennials and Gen Z. Data shows that younger audiences are willing to prioritize exceptional and engaging experiences, which is exactly what consumers are looking for. National Sporting Goods Collectors Convention (NSCC) was recently offered to the Atlantic City Convention Center (ACCC). The annual five-day event, which took place from July 27 to 31, was the 42nd iteration and its largest since 1991. The ACCC hosted the convention in 2016 and was scheduled to host it again in 2020, but it was postponed due to the pandemic.
There were 60,000 attendees, vendors and sponsors in attendance, and the city was packed with collectors ready to trade sports cards, purchase new merchandise and get autographs from famous athletes. The Tristar Autograph Pavilion, located at the show floor, featured 144 athletes signing autographs, including Dan Marino, Joe Montana, Odell Beckham Jr., Rickey Henderson, Mariano Rivera, Julius Erving and Floyd Mayweather, among other sports legends. Additionally, former Navy SEAL Robert O’Neill, a member of SEAL Team Six, was available for photos and autographs.
“The 42nd “The National was by all accounts one of our most successful events, with attendance being the second-highest in show history,” said John Broggi, NSCC show director. “The convention center location allowed us to market to a broad demographic within reasonable proximity to Atlantic City. The result was a large number of new attendees – 54% of those who responded to a survey on our website indicated that 2022 was the first National they had attended.”
This year, the show exemplified another trend: a B2B show combined with a B2C show. “We had a blast,” said Larry Ross, a trade show consultant who worked on the show. “We had record attendance and sales.”
Interest in sports memorabilia has skyrocketed during the pandemic as people have cleaned out their closets and rediscovered their sports cards. “It’s really helped the industry,” Ross said. “People have started to realize what they’re sitting on. There was a time when this show was mostly older men. That’s not the case anymore. The show was full of young kids. Plus, the crowds were awesome and people were there to spend. Every dealer I spoke to said they’ve had record sales.”
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According to ACCC CEO Jim McDonald, the 2022 edition of NSCC was the largest event held at the ACCC and Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in the past decade. The event utilized every exhibit hall and meeting room, totaling more than 500,000 square feet of space, more than 100,000 square feet larger than its 2016 footprint. “Attendees and exhibitors from around the world traveled to the city, booking more than 11,000 room nights, enjoying the beaches, gaming, dining, shopping and nightlife,” McDonald said.
Location, location, location
Atlantic City’s famous boardwalk, restaurants, entertainment venues and casinos were bustling. “It was a pleasure working with the 42nd“NSCC and contribute to the overall success of the show,” said Jim Ziereis, vice president of sales, Caesars Entertainment Atlantic City.Tropicana, Harrah’s And Caesars Atlantic City “The events were included in the official show block, allowing us to showcase all the latest developments at the Atlantic. Our restaurants and bars were packed with sports celebrities with many new retail outlets recently opening.”
According to Meet Larry Sieg, President and CEO of the Atlantic City and AC Sports Commission, “The “The five-day event exceeded attendee and exhibitor expectations with a grand slam. This event is Atlantic City’s largest consumer event and has energized the destination with more than $20 million in projected economic impact. We look forward to the opportunity to host NSCC in Atlantic City in the future.”
The 2023 national edition will be held in Chicago, while OVG360 and Meet AC continue to work with event organizers to bring a future event to ACCC.
Contact Larry Sieg at (609) 318-5538 or lsieg@meetac.com; Larry Ross at Lross345@aol.com; John Broggi at Jvbroggi@aol.com