Pennsylvania CC Lands Tech Show

A year ago, the Pennsylvania Convention Center's labor problems might have made show managers squeamish about booking future events there. But this month, the organizers of Advanstar Communications' AIIM ON DEMAND had no qualms at all about signing up with the Philadelphia venue.

City tourism officials were so proud of landing the 125,000 net square foot technology show for 2005 that they held a press conference to spread the word. By their estimate, the 20,000 people attending next year's May 17-19 event will book 15,000 room nights and deliver a $19-million economic impact to the city. And in the hope that Advanstar will love the new venue, the convention center is holding dates for AIIM from 2006 to 2010.

Philadelphia officials view the new business as a sign that its convention center is finally becoming known more for its cutting-edge wireless network than for six battling labor unions driving exhibitor costs through the roof.

Tom Muldoon, president of the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau, credits the labor agreement that took effect in mid-October for the venue now being suitable for a Tradeshow Week 200 event like AIIM. "For the city, it's great," he said. "But if we don't do the job we're supposed to do, they'll find something else."

The fact that AIIM was lured from New York's Jacob K. Javits Convention Center may indicate that the pendulum is beginning to swing back in Philadelphia's direction when it comes to attracting Northeast tradeshows. Muldoon recalls tradeshows leaving New York for Philadelphia back when the Javits had its own labor problems a decade ago.

Javits dealt with its high labor costs. But long overdue for an expansion, now its problem is a lack of space. AIIM is the second technology show to recently be crossed from the Javits' crowded event calendar due to a lack of dates. IDG World Expo last December announced that it would move the 50,000 square foot LinuxWorld Conference & Expo to Boston's John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center for 2005 after it was unable to secure winter dates.

Brian Randall, general manager for Advanstar's technology division, said the PCC's new labor agreement wasn't Philadelphia's only attraction.

"The overriding factor was their proximity, and their fit with our strategic marketing plan," he said, adding that venues in Boston, Chicago and San Francisco were also considered.

The PCC's focus on technology was another strong selling point, said Randall. The venue, which offers 440,000 square feet of exhibit space and an adjoining hotel, was one of the first to offer wireless Internet service. It recently began providing the service free to attendees. The Javits, meanwhile, is still studying whether to launch a wireless network.

"The economic board in Pennsylvania really understood the attractiveness of creating an atmosphere dynamic enough for technologists to want to come to an event," said Randall. "People want to check their e-mail. When e-mail gets backed up, it impedes the work process. It's not a frivolous thing at all."

AIIM ON DEMAND represents the collocation of AIIM, which caters to business document management; ON DEMAND, which serves the digital printing industry; and the Digital Marketing Symposium. The 2004 show, held March 8-10, featured Xerox CEO Anne Mulcahy as a keynote speaker.

Before the PCC ratified its new labor agreement, the situation had become so troublesome that the state legislature proposed replacing the trade union members with state employees.

The landmark pact made local labor supplier Elliot Lewis responsible for managing the six unions as one unified group. It established straight-time pay for the first eight hours and let exhibitors in booths of less than 300 square feet perform work with non-power tools.

"We definitely noticed a change this year in the way things were run," said Mike Gempp, show director for the Philadelphia Intl. Auto Show, a 480,000 square foot consumer and trade event that drew 240,000 attendees to the center Jan. 31-Feb. 8.

While the new labor agreement was tailored more toward trade than consumer shows, Gempp said his show – the venue's largest – benefited from being able to put out crew calls at any hour and pay them straight time for the first eight hours. "That was definitely beneficial to our manufacturers," Gempp said. Having a labor broker on hand to resolve disputes also helped, he said.

Despite the landing of AIIM, the PCC's event calendar still lacks large shows. Muldoon is intent on regaining some of the lost business, be it from the Javits or some other venue. At one time, half of Philadelphia's events were tradeshows. In 2002, the PCC boasted 27 citywide conventions, most of which had been booked four or five years earlier. Unfortunately, few of those events were interested in future dates. "People said, 'Great building,' but the exhibitors said it was too expensive," he recalled.