Tradeshows Trump National Politics

By Rachelle Crum -- Tradeshow Week, 5/15/2006

This month, nearly two dozen U.S. cities are tripping over themselves to bid for the 2008 Democratic and Republican national conventions, events that guarantee them the limelight and substantial economic impact.

The Democratic Natl. Committee invited 11 cities to bid by May 19; the Republican Natl. Committee, 31 cities by May 22.

Some traditional tradeshow cities, like 2004 convention hosts New York and Boston, are expected to submit bids. Las Vegas is also in the running.

However, the parties shouldn't count on bids from a few other prominent tradeshow cities, including Orlando, San Antonio and Atlanta. Officials in these cities have opted to bow out because their meat and potatoes — tradeshows and conventions — are too valuable to take out of commission.

The mayors of Orlando and Orange County informed the two parties that the $100 million price tag for hosting a convention was too steep.

That is what it would cost to supply the necessary security arrangements and construct and later tear down an arena with suites inside the Orange County Convention Center.

Kathy Canning, deputy general manager for the center, said things may have worked out if the parties had allowed part of the center to be used for a tradeshow or convention during the political gatherings.

"We felt pretty confident," Canning said, "that we could do it in one building, so that we wouldn't displace any business."

However, she added, at the OCCC "the parties would want to control both buildings" and Orlando wasn't able to "come up with the kind of bid that they were looking for."

Jose Fernandez, Orlando's senior adviser for public policy and business development, said in a memo to Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer that the parties requested access to the convention center for three to six months before their events. "Canceling shows that have already been booked could possibly represent a loss of up to $200 million," he wrote.

The Democratic and Republican conventions will be held Aug. 25–28 and Sept. 1–4, respectively.

Michael Sawaya, director of convention facilities for San Antonio, said either convention would have used both the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center and the Alamodome. "We're just very busy. It would be just too demanding for us," he said.

According to Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau spokeswoman Lauren Jarrell, Atlanta has removed itself from the bid process because the Georgia World Congress Center is already booked with tradeshow business during those dates.

Additionally, San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau spokeswoman Laurie Armstrong said the Northern California city won't bid on the conventions either.

"Moscone Center is not configured in arena style to accommodate the television coverage required," Armstrong said, adding, "Like Orlando, we already have commitments that we could not break in order to make the center available for the length of time required for the convention."

A few Southern California cities won't be bidding on the conventions either, according to Los Angeles and San Diego CVB officials.

New Orleans is "still entertaining" bids for both conventions, said Jeff Anding, director of convention marketing for the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau. An event, he said, would likely be hosted primarily in the New Orleans Arena, with other functions at the Louisiana Superdome and Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

If New Orleans wins either convention, Anding added, "We do have business that would be affected. However, we feel that we could work with those groups to make a mutually satisfactory solution available."