The recently concluded annual International Sign Expo and GlobalShop tradeshows proved particularly successful this year with their most well-attended events.
For the first time ever, ISA International Sign Expo 2013’s exhibit space has topped 200,000 square feet. It also marks the first time in the event’s history that it has been a complete sell-out with a waiting list established for companies that wanted to exhibit. The previous record-holder was the 2008 Expo in Orlando with 199,900 square feet.
“This milestone proves that there is no better place to explore the diversity of the on-premise sign industry than at ISA International Expo 2013,” said Lori Anderson, president and CEO, International Sign Association. “Every inch of the floor was filled with the latest ways to grow business.”
In addition to the sheer size of the exhibit space, Sign Expo 2013 boasted a number of firsts. A new Dynamic Digital Park showcased the latest in digital signage with Samsung Electronics America, Daktronics Inc., Almo Professional A/V and Stratacache among the top companies exhibiting. Sign Expo was held April 3-6 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.
Also concluding a successful show was the GlobalShop store design and visual merchandising tradeshow, which is the largest shopper marketing expo and conference in the United States and was held at McCormick Place in Chicago. GlobalShop brought together thousands of retailers, designers, marketers and suppliers in Chicago on April 16-18. The retail design industry’s largest annual tradeshow and conference grew in attendance and exhibit space for the third consecutive year.
More than 14,000 industry professionals walked through the doors of McCormick Place West for GlobalShop. Nearly 7,400 qualified attendees representing the world’s top brands and retailers came together, marking 15 percent attendance growth year-over-year. They gathered to see new innovations on an expo floor spanning 195,000 square feet and featuring 649 of the industry’s top suppliers.
GlobalShop show director Tim Fearney said 2013 marks the third consecutive year the show has seen double-digit growth in qualified attendance. Attendance grew by 11 percent in both 2011 and 2012. In 2012 GlobalShop was named the Fastest Growing Trade Show by Attendance by the Trade Show News Network.
“New events and innovative features on the expo floor attracted a number of attendees this year who either hadn’t experienced GlobalShop before, or hadn’t been to the show in several years,” said Fearney. “They were treated to a packed exhibit hall with six pavilions and showcases highlighting different aspects of retail design. These included the Design Inspiration Showcase for retail design firms and the Retail Design Collective Showcase for suppliers with Manhattan showrooms.”
The 2014 edition of the International Sign Expo is scheduled April 24-26 in Orlando while GlobalShop is scheduled March 18-20 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.
