After the Hurricanes: Florida Is Open for Business
By Rachelle Crum -- Tradeshow Week, 3/7/2005
The 2004 hurricane season took a major toll on the Southeast, especially the state of Florida. From Orlando to Panama City to Tampa, most of the state was under attack during a good part of the June-to-November season — 45 days to be exact.
While several managers were forced to either postpone or cancel their shows, many say last year's erratic weather won't stop them from staging shows during hurricane season again.
And since Florida officials spent nearly $5 million to assure them that the state's facilities are conducting business as usual, shows continue to head to the Sunshine State during hurricane-prone months.
"We make decisions on venue and timing on the basis of customer needs and customer value. There are valid, customer-driven reasons why having a show in the Southeast during a timeframe when hurricanes are possible is still the best choice," said Eileen Baird, show manager for Reed Exhibitions' InterBev, which took place Sept. 27–28 at Orlando's Orange County Convention Center.
The biennial show, planned for Sept. 26–28, was shortened from three days to two due to Hurricane Jeanne. It featured 275 exhibiting companies in nearly 60,000 square feet, substantially less than the 2002 show in Atlanta, when it spanned 125,970 sq. ft. and showcased 493 exhibitors. Nevertheless, InterBev is again scheduled for September 2006 at the OCCC.
The American Bonanza Society Annual Convention was to precede InterBev in Orlando from Sept. 8–12, but hurricanes Charley and Frances forced the show's cancellation. Hurricane Charley destroyed the site of the show's hangar party, at Gateway Airport's Ranger Jet Center in Kissimmee, Fla., and since ABS members fly private planes, weather always plays an important role.
The rotating show is headed to Dallas Sept. 7–11 this year, and organizers are cautioning members that if the show does head to the Southeast again, November is looking like a better choice.
"We would make it a little later in the year if we looked at Florida again," said Nancy Johnson, ABS executive director. However, she added, "All of our members' favored months are September and October, which is a little problematic."
When the ABS selected Orlando's Caribe Royale All-Suites Resort & Convention Center as the 2004 show's location, organizers were confident that the weather would permit the show to go on — especially since it had been more than 30 years since a hurricane seriously affected the city, Johnson noted. "We just planned it in a really bad year."
At least hurricanes give event planners notice, Johnson added. Tracking Hurricane Frances' onset was a piece of cake compared to dealing with extreme weather in Wichita, Kan. — in the middle of Tornado Alley — where ABS is headquartered.
Gutsy show organizers venturing into the Southeast during hurricane season this year are in luck. According to tropical meteorology expert William Gray, the 2004 hurricane season was an anomaly. In a December report for the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University, Gray predicted that the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season would be average compared to all the years between 1950 and 2000.
This year, Gray forecasts six hurricanes (the average is 5.9), 25 hurricane days (average 24.5), three intense hurricanes (average 2.3) and six intense hurricane days (average five). Last year, eight hurricanes with winds up to 111 mph struck the Southeast in 45 hurricane days. Six of the storms were intense hurricanes during 23 intense hurricane days.
However, according to the CSU study, the probability of a major hurricane making landfall this year is estimated to be 30 percent above the average.
To correct any misconceptions that Florida was still in repair mode from the four hurricanes that affected the state last year, Gov. Jeb Bush and Visit Florida officials launched a massive recovery campaign. Last month, they announced that 3 percent more tourists visited Florida in 2004 than in 2003.
Along with a See for Yourself sweepstakes contest (offering consumers the chance to win a Florida vacation by viewing webcams from around the state), the tourism marketing group also targeted several tradeshows. One of them was the American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting in San Diego Jan. 9–13, where officials distributed film footage taken after the hurricanes and provided weather forecasters with information about the upcoming 2005 hurricane season.
The organization also recently introduced free event insurance to cover show rebooking costs for management companies whose shows are displaced because of a hurricane.
In addition, the tourism group buttonholed media members during the recent Super Bowl in Jacksonville, especially since several Florida Panhandle cities (like Panama City Beach, largely spared by the 2004 hurricanes), continue to battle a perception that the storms destroyed much of the area.
"The Florida Panhandle is not in ruins. That is a misperception by the media," said Barbara Sclafani, show manager for the New Orleans Boat Show.
Dave Monforton, associate director for the Natl. Assn. of Industrial Technology, said he is determined to hold the group's annual convention in November 2007 at Panama City Beach's Edgewater Beach Resort — but he still is hoping for a little bit of luck.
"A storm in October 2007 would be a concern to me," he said. "But hurricanes go all over the place. You just have to cross your fingers about that kind of stuff."
| Facility | Location | Exhibit space (sq. ft.) |
| Orange County Convention Center | Orlando | 2,053,820 |
| Georgia World Congress Center | Atlanta | 1,370,000 |
| Ernest N. Morial Convention Center | New Orleans | 1,100,000 |
| Kentucky Exposition Center | Louisville, Ky. | 1,068,050 |
| Miami Beach Convention Center | Miami Beach | 502,848 |
| SHOWPLACE | High Point, N.C. | 470,000 |
| AmericasMart Atlanta (Gift Mart, Merchandise Mart, Apparel Mart) | Atlanta | 400,000 |
| Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center | Kissimmee, N.C | 400,000 |
| Charlotte Convention Center | Charlotte, N.C. | 375,000 |
| Palmetto Expo Center | Greenville, S.C. | 368,000 |
| Source: 2004 TSW Major Exhibit Hall Directory | ||
| Show | Show management | Show site | Size (net sq. ft.) |
| ICUEE | Assn. of Equipment Manufacturers | Kentucky Exposition Center | 1,113,881 |
| Intl. Lawn, Garden & Power Equipment Expo | Sellers Expositions | Kentucky Exposition Center | 826,890 |
| Annual Natl. RV Trade Show | Recreation Vehicle Industry Assn. | Kentucky Exposition Center | 765,315 |
| Mid-America Trucking Show | Exhibit Management Associates | Kentucky Exposition Center | 724,300 |
| Florida RV SuperShow | Florida RV Trade Assn. | Florida State Fairgrounds | 685,000 |
| Midwest Manufactured Housing Show | Show Ways Unlimited | Kentucky Exposition Center | 616,500 |
| PGA Merchandise Show | Reed Exhibitions | Orange County CC | 557,000 |
| IAAPA Convention & Trade Show | Intl. Assn. of Amusement Parks & Attractions | Orange County CC | 537,000 |
| Coverings | Trade Show Intl.* | Orange County CC | 518,956 |
| SHOT SHOW | Reed Exhibitions | Orange County CC | 511,600 |
| *Show is now managed by Natl. Trade Productions. Source: 2004 TSW 200 | |||
