Co-location serves many roles when it comes to the tradeshow industry. From helping to save struggling expos to creating mega events like Design and Construction Week 2014, which was formed when the International Builders’ Show and the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show decided to join forces, co-location has served the industry well.
More recently, the co-location of events has led to record attendance numbers for organizers in 2013.
AG CONNECT.
The AG CONNECT Expo and Summit 2013 recently had 30 co-located events at its show, which helped to nearly double attendance from the previous show in 2011.
AG CONNECT was record setting by all measurements. Aside from nearly doubling attendance, the expo also set records for exhibit space and the number of exhibitors. The 2013 show attracted nearly 11,000 registrants, compared to 5,800 registrants in 2011. The co-location of the American Farm Bureau Federation in 2011 had brought an additional 5,500 registrants to AG CONNECT.
The expo ran from Jan. 29 – 31 at the Kansas City Convention Center in Kansas City, Miss., and featured nearly 400 exhibitors and more than 220,000 net square feet of exhibit space.
“These are industry professionals who specifically wanted to take advantage this year of all that AG CONNECT had to offer,” said Sara Mooney, show director. “Exhibitors tell us they have quality dialog with the right people, and attendees tell us the breadth of education is key as well as executive interaction and product innovations.”
There were more than 30 co-located events at the show, including 10 association conferences, eight educational seminars and more than 13 exhibitor events.
AG CONNECT is owned and produced by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers.
The International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE) also turned toward co-location to set attendance records in 2013.
The IPPE drew a record 1,190 exhibitors to Atlanta for its January 29-31 event at the Georgia World Congress Center. The 2013 meeting marked the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association’s 65th year meeting in Atlanta, but also served as the inaugural year for a partnership with the American Meat Institute’s International Meat Expo. The joint venture, combined with a long-standing co-location with the American Feed Industry Association’s International Feed Expo, yielded 50 percent growth of the show floor, covering more than 430,000 square feet of exhibit space.
“That IPPE continues to grow and thrive after 65 years in Atlanta is a testament to our city’s hospitality industry and the pride we take in making our guests feel welcome,” said William Pate, president and CEO of the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We have a collaborative hospitality community, from our hotels and restaurants to our convention center, that work hand in hand to make sure each visitor to Atlanta has a great experience.”
IPPE is the world’s largest annual poultry, meat and feed industry event of its kind and is one of the 50 largest trade shows in the U. S.
“The number of attendees on the exhibit floor exceeded our expectations, and we are very pleased,” said James Adams, chairman of the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association. “We had an exceptional turn-out this year.”
Along with the increase in exhibit space, the annual expo brought more than 26,000 attendees, 20 percent of which were international delegates.
“The record attendance numbers serve as further confirmation that the 2013 IPPE was a rousing success,” said J. Patrick Boyle, president and CEO of the American Meat Institute. “With a year’s experience at the show, we expect next year will be even more valuable for attendees and exhibitors alike.”
