Readers Poll: The Ideal Convention Center
Gary Tufel -- Tradeshow Week, 2/13/2006
Convention centers have come a long way, and they're more user-friendly than ever. But the bar is always being raised. Changing times demand new services and amenities from facilities, and those facilities that don't provide them could soon fall by the wayside. Show managers, contractors and facility managers have definite opinions about what the perfect convention center should provide. Contributing Editor Gary Tufel asked them to describe their dream facilities, and got a variety of answers.
"The dream convention center of the future should be easy — easy on the show manager, easy for exhibitors and easy for attendees. This means it should have repositionable air walls so we can get 'just-the-right-size' halls, exhibit halls without large obstructions that create traffic-flow issues, meeting space that is easy to get to, abundant and flexible in size, building-wide Wi-Fi free for everyone, quality food service with plenty of seating right in the exhibit hall (so attendees and exhibitors don't have to leave to get food or a drink), center management that really understands shows and works to find the best solutions, unions that really understand that in the long run quality service is going to create the most business for the city, and a beautiful environment that isn't so special that we have to wear special shoes to walk in the hallways (after all, we really are running a tradeshow here).
"Oh, I guess it wouldn't hurt for the space to be free and for the electricity to be wireless."
Matthew Cohn, President, The ASI Show!
"My dream convention center is in Midtown Manhattan, has free high-speed wireless Internet access, a slant-floor, 3,000-seat keynote auditorium, a staff that truly appreciates our business, and is connected to a huge hotel with rooms priced under $200."
Carl Pugh, President, Radius Events
"An RFID antenna network that would help show management track and verify attendance, and also aid security efforts in tracking unauthorized movement of high-ticket product, adequate cell phone carrier antennas to provide coverage through the entire facility, electronic signage boards for meeting rooms and hall entrances operated from a central location, enough high-quality security cameras to provide coverage of all areas to help monitor activity and investigate claims of property loss, adequate number of covered freight docks, and lighting control that allows individual lights to be turned off from a central control station."
Kevin Johnstone, Director of tradeshows, NAMM, the Intl. Music Products Assn.
"Facilities will move from what we consider the three-dimensional spaces of today to multidimensional spaces in the future. Multidimensional space will take the flat exhibit floor of today and create flexible floor levels to afford vendors new concept displays. This will go beyond just the floor and will include variable ceiling heights to create unique, sui generis exhibits in the 'big box' of exhibit halls. The flow into tradeshows will move away from the straight lines and the building block approach to a new flow approach that will incorporate function with au courant space concepts, spectacular projection techniques, and specialty lighting, bringing exciting new theater and presentation onto the tradeshow floor."
Hugh Austin, Executive director, Georgia Intl. Convention Center
"My ideal convention center would be able to offer us long-term dates during our market weeks along with space for us to continue our rapid growth. Operationally, it would offer state-of-the-art freight access and consistently well-trained and affordable labor. For the convenience of our attendees, it would feature great transportation services and good food. The good news is that these are the continuous improvement goals of just about every convention center on the planet."
Britton Jones, President and CEO, Business Journals
"More adequate registration lobby and pre-function areas. Most architects feel that the lofty glass-enclosed lobbies they design are large enough. While they may be larger than hotel lobbies, they never seem to be purpose-designed. Poor attention to fire marshal exiting requirements, acoustics, registration needs, power and connectivity result in limited use of these spaces.
"The ability to quickly and easily update technology infrastructure on demand as each client's needs dictate. Most centers have invested in considerable infrastructure. However, what is current and up-to-date today may not be adequate six months from now. Also, better control of heating, ventilating and air conditioning."
Michael McQuade, Director, sales and marketing, Washington State Convention & Trade Center
"We would love to see facility-owned marshaling yards of adequate size with close access to the facility, as well as reliable wireless Internet access throughout all areas of the facility. Other wish-list items would include direct dock access without elevators to all exhibit hall areas, fixed hanging points for banners both outside and inside, and all utilities, including phone and Internet access, on 30-foot centers throughout the facility."
Ellen Beckert, Corporate director, marketing and communications, Freeman
