When Interop closed its five-day run at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas April 19, it confirmed what many conferences and expositions are experiencing this year. While the economy appears to be picking up and overall attendance is up compared to last year, companies are still lagging behind in tradeshow participation. And not unexpectedly since many exhibitors plan shows a year or more out and a year ago it was difficult to determine when the economy would begin to recover, the speed of the recovery, and if it would rebound to pre-recession levels.
Held April 15-19, Interop claims to be “the largest and most comprehensive business technology event” and annually features educational programs, workshops and expo showcasing the latest IT products and services.
Total attendance for the 2010 conference reached 13,295 compared to 2009’s attendance of 13,277. Paid conference attendance was up 28 percent with 1,914 individuals paying to attend conference seminars compared to 1,495 attendees in 2009.
Interop 2010 attracted 303 exhibitors, down 14 percent from 2009’s 355 exhibitors. About 100 of the 303 exhibitors were first-time exhibitors. Exhibit space totaled 85,000 net square feet, a 19 percent drop from 2009’s 105,000 square feet of exhibit space
Interop will return to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center May 8-12.
Aleta Walther is a marketing communications professional and freelance writer with several years experience as a corporate exhibit manager. Contact Aleta at: Aleta@prwriterpro.com.
