Randy Acker, president and COO of Exhibitor Media Group, the organization that puts on EXHIBITORLIVE, taking place at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, October 31 – November 3, recently sent the following open letter to exhibitors at the show:
Dear EXHIBITORLIVE Exhibitor,
Thirty-two months have passed since we last walked the EXHIBITORLIVE show floor in 2019. And, it’s been 19 months since the postponement of EXHIBITORLIVE in 2020.
Thank you for your patience and persistence, your resiliency and the resourcefulness you’ve displayed throughout this historic shutdown of the industry we all love. To say it’s been difficult is an understatement.
But now, finally – It’s time to “Go LIVE!”
What will EXHIBITORLIVE be like? How many attendees will there be? How many exhibitors will show up?
Amid the uncertainty, here’s what we DO know:
Two hundred exhibitors are confirmed and committed to exhibiting at the upcoming EXHIBITORLIVE, including five new exhibitors that just signed in the last couple of weeks.
Shows currently held in the United States are experiencing attendance levels of 25 to 50 percent of their “normal” pre-pandemic events. EXHIBITORLIVE registered attendance currently stands at 70 percent of our 2019 attendance. Attrition among buyers who registered is expected. We continue to promote attendance and our goal is to meet or exceed that 50-percent threshold of active buyers.
Buyers registered and confirmed represent companies including 3M, Amazon, Johnson & Johnson, John Deere, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, Medtronic, and Panasonic, just to name a few. They’re coming to solve their toughest challenges by seeing new ideas at work inside the exhibit hall, or by discovering new solutions they can apply immediately to their face-to-face marketing programs. To help prepare them to face these challenges, we have more than 100 educational sessions prepared for conference attendees, 50 of which are new.
Speaking of new, for the first time ever, the Welcome Reception will be brought directly onto the show floor on Monday, November 1, at 6:30 p.m. This has been a long-time request of many of our exhibitors. Our intent is to maximize the exposure for exhibitors and provide an attendee experience promoting active engagement.
We will be celebrating those achieving their Certified Trade Show Marketer (CTSM) certification and a special First-Time Attendee networking opportunity for those joining us at EXHIBITORLIVE for the first time.
There will again be a New Product Showcase and Buyers Choice competition, and a curated Exhibit Hall Tech Tour. There will be energy and excitement — and new business opportunities.
This year’s theme, “Re-Connect with Your Species,” will be more important than ever. After all, making connections is what our industry does best.
On behalf of the entire staff at EXHIBITOR Media Group, producers of EXHIBITORLIVE, and show producer Hall-Erickson Exposition Management, we can’t wait to see you!
