ORLANDO/LAS VEGAS — Convention center exhibit halls at two of the nation’s largest trade show destinations are bustling again as the busy fall trade show season gets off to a 2021-style start. The return to in-person shows is a welcome addition to show organizers, exhibitors and buyers who found themselves sidelined after COVID-19 shut down too many shows. While some exhibitors may have signed their contracts with some trepidation, most saw all of their doubts evaporate once the doors opened.
“From a business perspective, our booth was profitable within three to four hours of opening the doors,” said David Pedigo, CEO of Auralex Acoustics, of his company’s participation in InfoComm 2021, hosted by AVIXA and held Oct. 22-29. “Everything after that was a piece of cake.”
And those visitors were ready to do business. James Liu, president of Absen Inc., said, “Within 15 minutes of the show opening on the first day, all questions were gone. Our booth was packed and very busy. And most importantly, we had a lot of quality customers who came here with reasons: either they bring a project or they want to discuss a partnership with Absen.”
Auralex and Absen were just two of the 254 exhibitors that visited the 124,100 net square foot InfoComm show at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) in Orlando this fall. As David Labuskes, CTS, CAE, RCDD, CEO of AVIXA, said, “InfoComm is the place for business, networking and learning in the AV industry. It was incredible to be back in person and welcoming AV professionals to help them grow their businesses, careers and knowledge base.” For those who couldn’t make it to the show in person, InfoComm 2021 is extending the show through November 30 with an on-demand virtual experience.
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Other successful trade shows taking place this fall in Orlando included ASIS International’s Global Security Exchange (GSX) 2021, held September 27-29 at the OCCC. This hybrid trade show and conference for the global security community attracted 7,200 in-person attendees and 300 exhibitors, while another 1,400 tuned in online.
Trade shows gear up in Las Vegas
The 2021 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show, held Nov. 2-5 at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), drew 1,300 exhibiting companies to the massive show, which serves the $47.8 billion automotive aftermarket. Like InfoComm, SEMA had to go virtual last year, but with a total attendance of more than 100,000 this year, it may be the largest convention in Las Vegas since the pandemic began, taking up residence in the West, North, Central and South Halls of the LVCC. Part of the draw may have been the high-profile attendees and automotive enthusiasts such as former “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno and country music star Keith Urban, but most came to see the thousands of aftermarket automotive parts and accessories on display for classic and performance vehicles.
“Our industry was eager and excited to reunite at the 2021 SEMA Show after being apart for nearly two years,” said Tom Gattuso, vice president of events for the SEMA Show. “The in-person interactions, meetings, product demonstrations, tours and seminars were invaluable in helping attendees discover new products and trends and build strong, lasting relationships.”
“While the specialty equipment industry has shown resilience and seen increased retail sales during the pandemic, this year’s SEMA Show highlighted how essential trade shows and in-person gatherings are to doing business. We are pleased to have been able to contribute to the recovery of in-person events and hope our contributions will help propel more events in 2022.”
The National Hardware Show (NHS), which celebrated its 75th anniversary, also took Las Vegas by storm.th anniversary at LVCC from October 21-23. The show, which also pivoted to digital in 2020 and added a year-round digital hub in 2021, attracted 690 exhibitors this fall, including 259 newcomers to the show.
“We are grateful to all the exhibitors, attendees, staff and media who made this show possible and successful,” said Beth Casson, event manager at the National Hardware Show. While the event was a little smaller than before the pandemic, there was plenty of action to ensure everyone got their money’s worth. For example, NHS co-hosted the North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA) industry-wide conference, which included educational sessions, networking and awards programs. Recorded content will soon be available on the show’s NHS Connects platform.
“Despite a smaller footprint, we have made significant investments this year to ensure the NHS remains the go-to destination for industry members to make meaningful connections and celebrate successes for years to come,” Casson said. The NHS also worked with the LVCC and its event provider, Freeman, to ensure its 2021 show was its greenest yet by replacing its paper directory with a digital version, using reusable and sustainably sourced signage and eliminating aisle runners to reduce CO2 emissions.
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International exhibitions are booming
Trade shows were also a hit outside the United States. The Dubai Air Show, which kicked off in mid-November, featured more than 20 national pavilions showcasing over 160 commercial, military and private jets. The show offered more than 50 hours of training, tours and membership clinics for startups, and displays of the latest aerospace technologies. The show, organized by Tarsus F&E LLC Middle East, ran from November 14-18 at the purpose-built DWC Dubai Airshow venue.
MEDICA and COMPAMED recently held a highly successful four-day trade fair in Düsseldorf for 46,000 members of the medical technology industry and associated suppliers from 150 countries. “The mood in the exhibition halls was always relaxed and optimistic,” said Erhard Wienkamp, Managing Director of the Düsseldorf Trade Fair Division. “Talks with our customers showed that in many cases we exceeded expectations. People were finally able to make new contacts and intensify existing contacts in person.”
The trade fair welcomed 3,033 MEDICA exhibitors and 490 COMPAMED exhibitors, including 254 from the US. “These figures are encouraging and were unlikely to reach this level in the spring,” said Christian Grosser, Director Health & Medical Technologies at Messe Düsseldorf. “By combining the trade fair events and the digital additions (the trade fair offered a digital livestream of the presentations, as well as specialist forums, matchmaking and online showrooms for exhibitors), MEDICA and COMPAMED gave the industry a strong boost. The exhibitors are happy to have come to Düsseldorf and are already actively inquiring about participation opportunities next year.”
Contact David Labuskes at (703) 277-6748 or [email protected]; Tom Gattuso at (909) 610-2030 or [email protected]; Beth Casson at (203) 840-4800 or [email protected]; Erhard Wienkamp and Christian Grosser at +49(0)211-4560-01