FMI Picks Dallas for 2009, Tries to Maintain Power of Five
By Rachelle Crum -- Tradeshow Week, 7/3/2006
A few weeks after the Food Marketing Institute unveiled a new format for its tradeshow — changing from annual to biennial, featuring an education forum in even years and rotating to different cities — the group named Dallas as the site of the May 2009 edition of The FMI Show.
The 70-year-old show has taken place in Chicago since 1982, after spending five years in Dallas.
As for the 2008 education forum, FMI Senior Vice President Brian Tully said the group is "looking at Las Vegas, but we haven't finalized anything yet."
The show for the last three years has been part of The Power of Five, along with the Spring/Midwest Intl. Fancy Food & Confection Show, organized by the Natl. Assn. for the Specialty Food Trade; All Things Organic Conference & Trade Show, by Diversified Business Communications; United Produce Expo & Conference, by the United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Assn.; and U.S. Food Export Showcase, by Convention Management Group. The five shows are slated to take place together for the last time (on an annual basis in Chicago) in May 2007.
As of press time, the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau and FMI were in separate talks with the four groups about the future of the shows.
"We would like to maintain the Power of Five," said Tully. "We haven't finalized anything. We will be talking with (the four groups) as they sort through their options."
Nevertheless, Tully doesn't expect FMI to abandon the Windy City altogether.
"Chicago will definitely be considered as a return destination. Certainly, I would like to (return to Chicago)," he said, adding that FMI's movement from the city reflects its interest "to try some different cities, plain and simple."
Tully said FMI chose Dallas because it is "in the center of the country. It has a great airport for international arrivals, and certainly the convention center has expanded (since 1981)."
In celebrating FMI's decision, Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau President and CEO Phillip Jones said, "Isn't that wonderful? We're headed in the right direction finally."
The bureau also recently attracted the American Library Assn., which will take its annual, rotating convention to Dallas in 2012.
The two shows will allow the bureau to showcase the redevelopment of the downtown area, including new hotels that "really help put Dallas in a more competitive posture," Jones said.
The 2005 Power of Five, formerly known as the Supermarket Industry Convention & Educational Exposition, ranked No. 40 on the Tradeshow Week 200. The 2004 event ranked No. 32.
According to FMI, the May 2006 combined shows featured 2,000 exhibitors and attracted 35,000 attendees.
The FMI board's Long Range Planning Committee recommended the show format changes, which must still go before the board in October.
