Explorers of EXHIBITOR2014, a tradeshow and conference geared toward tradeshow exhibitors and event marketers, will also get to walk the floor of an Emerald Expositions-produced tradeshow occurring simultaneously at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas this March.
While EXHIBITOR runs from Mar. 16-20, GlobalShop, a visual merchandising tradeshow and conference for the retail industry, takes place from Mar. 18-20.
When Exhibitor Media Group discovered that GlobalShop overlapped with the show it owns, the company reached an agreement with Emerald Expositions to allow registered attendees with exhibit hall passes to walk the floors of either show. Additionally, those with GlobalShop badges will have access to ASD, a wholesale tradeshow for general merchandise, from Mar. 16-19.
“[The agreement] made sense since there is a lot of crossover,” said John Pavek, chief marketing officer, Exhibitor Media Group. “We have exhibitors at both shows. GlobalShop is the visual merchandising cousin to tradeshow displays; both shows use similar architecture and attract attendees involved in marketing.”
These attendees who work in marketing may also appreciate other changes at EXHIBITOR this year, such as its use of electronic signage in the registration square.
“The electronic signage offers the advantage of being able to change [the message] quickly. They’re interactive and visually appealing for attendees,” added Pavek.
Other additions to the show include an awards ceremony honoring industry excellence and another ceremony honoring legends who have made a significant impact on the exhibit industry.
Consisting of about 300 exhibitors, 50 of them new, on nearly 80,000 square feet of space, EXHIBITOR will also once again provide its New Product Showcase.
“There are 45 new products that are certified as never being used. [The showcase] is a major attraction and the No. 1 reason people attend the exhibit hall,” said Pavek. “There are also a lot of technology products from software to applications. Interactivity seems to be the trend.”
Many of the products introduced at EXHIBITOR are still used today.
“We saw the first widespread use of tension fabrics. It took off in the ‘90s I believe,” said Pavek. “There wasn’t much in the way of software in the industry back then. There tended to be exhibit systems, connectors and hardware. Now, we’re moving into technology-based products, from surface tablets to interactive displays and 4D monitors.”
Now in its 26th year, EXHIBITOR has grown from its days of competing against TS2, a tradeshow for the tradeshow industry that preceded EXHIBITOR but ended around 2011 after running for nearly 40 years.
“I was at the first [EXHIBITOR] at Bally’s in Las Vegas in 1989. It was the upstart show at the time; TS2 was already established,” added Pavek. “It had less than 100 exhibitors on 15,000 square feet of space, but it became one of the premier shows in North America. There were those who doubted we would make it, but here we are 26 years later; some shows don’t reach that.”
Although the show has made it, there is still more to achieve, according to Pavek.
“We haven’t reached our full potential. We’re primed for growth and want to get bigger and better. We want to continue to bring innovative programs and education to the industry,” Pavek explained. “We also look to attendees for ways to improve the show.”
One thing that doesn’t seem to need improvement is EXHIBITOR’s location.
“Vegas offers the facilities that are right for us. We always had [the show] in a hotel. It’s important to have that environment where rooms are available and attendees don’t have to get on a bus to go across town to a venue,” said Pavek. “Also, Las Vegas is the No. 1 tradeshow destination. It’s easy to get to from any place in the country.”
Aside from the show’s origins at Bally’s and its current stay at the Mandalay Bay for the last few years, EXHIBITOR has also taken place at the Mirage and the Venetian.
To learn more about EXHIBITOR2014, visit http://www.exhibitoronline.com/exhibitorshow/2014/index.asp.
