New Events Target Sensing Industry
By Gary Tufel and Margo McCall -- Tradeshow Week, 4/5/2004
With sensors contained in just about every modern appliance or piece of equipment we use, it's not surprising that there's growing demand for sensor-related tradeshows.
Two tradeshow firms recently announced they will launch sensor shows this year. IDG World Expo and FuelDog Events together are launching an event for the wireless sensor networking industry. And Advanstar Communications is expanding its activity in the same realm.
IDG and FuelDog's Wireless Sensing Solutions is scheduled to debut Sept. 21-22 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill. The tradeshow is designed to address evolving standards and emerging technologies in the wireless sensor and mesh-networking marketplace.
About 250 attendees and 31 exhibiting sponsors are expected. The target audience is manufacturers, software developers, integrators and end users.
According to GMD Resources, FuelDog Events' consulting and research affiliate, the wireless sensor industry is expected to grow to over $10 billion in sales by 2010, and unit sales should grow from less than 30 million today to close to 1 billion by then.
IDG President David Korse said wireless sensing technologies will have an enormous impact on business. "This is an opportunity for us to create an event around which an exploding industry will coalesce," Korse said. "With Wireless Sensing Solutions, we aim to reach a core audience of global leaders in this space, bringing together every major manufacturer, developer and strategist – those companies that are charting the future of the industry. Our goal is to become the de facto forum for educational and deal-making opportunities."
Advanstar Communications, meanwhile, plans to hold its inaugural SensorGov Expo & Conference Sept. 13-15 at the Virginia Beach Pavilion in Virginia Beach, Va. The tradeshow intends to bring together sensor-focused strategists, engineers and technologists from U.S. government and military organizations.
Advanstar has been monitoring the sensor industry since 1989, when it launched the semi-annual Sensors Expo & Conferences, held each spring and fall. The 2004 spring show, scheduled June 7-10 at the Cobo Conference/Exhibition Center in Detroit, is expected to draw 2,500 attendees and 150 exhibitors and span 25,000 net square feet. According to Advanstar, the 2003 fall show at the Anaheim Convention Center drew 6,500 attendees and 315 exhibitors and spanned 44,000 net square feet. No date has been set for the 2004 fall show.
