Intl. CES Beats Biennial Shows

Electronics show glides past IMT, PACK EXPO Intl. on the TSW 200 list

By Margo McCall -- Tradeshow Week, 5/9/2005

It's not too surprising that the 2004 Intl. CES was ranked the largest annual show in this year's Tradeshow Week 200. After all, the Consumer Electronics Assn.'s early-January gathering has held that distinction for the past four years.

But last year, CES even glided past two of the traditional big biennials.

With a nearly 1.4 million net square foot showfloor, 2,525 exhibitors and 95,172 attendees, the Las Vegas-based Intl. CES outsized the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute's PACK EXPO Intl./Food Processing Machinery Expo, whose 1.2 million net sq. ft. showfloor at Chicago's McCormick Place was down from its previous show in 2002, when exhibit space reached nearly 1.3 million net sq. ft.

Intl. CES in 2004 also swept past the Assn. for Manufacturing Technology's Intl. Manufacturing Technology Show, whose nearly 1.2 million net sq. ft. showfloor, also at McCormick, was more than 126,000 sq. ft. less than its previous show in 2002. That year, the last time the shows went head to head, Intl. CES was about 34,000 net sq. ft. smaller than IMTS and 51,000 net sq. ft. shy of PACK EXPO Intl.

Intl. CES may have surpassed both IMTS and PACK EXPO Intl. in the 2004 rankings, but it will be a bigger task to catch up to the triennial CONEXPO-CON/AGG held this past January. CONEXPO-CON/AGG was 602,000 net sq. ft. larger than Intl. CES in 2002. But since the Intl. CES showfloor expanded by more than 150,000 net sq. ft. between 2003 and 2004, eventually catching the triennial isn't entirely out of the question.

The 2005 Intl. CES, held Jan. 6–9 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, drew 145,867 attendees (including booth personnel) and 2,550 exhibitors to a more than 1.5 million net sq. ft. floor. The 2006 show has the potential for even more serious growth, since it will take over the Sands Expo & Convention Center, in addition to the LVCC and Alexis Park.

Karen Chupka, CEA vice president of events and conferences, said there has been a waiting list for certain parts of the show for several years. So far, 1.4 million net sq. ft. of next year's Jan. 5–8 show has been sold, but, she added, "It's still early in the game."

Although being the biggest show has its rewards, Chupka said it's also tough to stay ahead of the competition. "It's really challenging in a sense," she said. "When there is a show in the same category that's ahead of you, you know the bar you have to reach. I feel like sometimes for us, it's a blank page. We have to watch what everybody behind us is doing."

With such a large show, navigation becomes even more important. This year, CEA launched a new navigational system featuring icons of different consumer electronics categories. Chupka said attendees took to the new system, but will probably need another year to get entirely used to it.

The United States' largest 2004 tradeshows experienced healthy increases across the board in the latest TSW 200, a phenomenon not seen since 2000. The largest shows averaged 2.8-percent increases in numbers of exhibitors, 2.5-percent gains in attendance and 2.3-percent hikes in net square footage.

Together, the largest shows delivered a $5.4 billion economic impact on the cities where they took place, up from $5.1 billion in 2003, according to TSW research.

The American Library Assn. Annual Conference & Exhibition, Nightclub & Bar/Beverage Retailer/Beverage & Food Convention & Trade Show and the NADA Convention & Exposition were the biggest gainers in net square footage. The Natl. Show, NADA and the library conference had the highest percentage of growth in exhibitors. And The Rental Show, SNA ... The World's Showcase of Horticulture and Cosmoprof North America had the greatest growth in attendees.

Las Vegas hosted 38 of the 200 largest shows, including six of the 10 largest, the same numbers as in 2003. Chicago hosted only 18 TSW 200 shows in 2004, down from 27 in the previous year. Orlando hosted 18 TSW 200 shows in 2004, one more than in the previous year.

With 14 TSW 200 shows, Reed Exhibitions, as in years past, hosted more of the largest shows than any other organizer. VNU Expositions produced 12, while George Little Management produced 11. VNU, however, sold the most exhibit space, followed by Reed.