Shows, Meetings Do the Super Bowl Shuffle

Staff -- Tradeshow Week, 4/16/2007

Over the years, Super Bowl Sunday has become about as close as it can get to being a national holiday without an official act of Congress. So, when an industry association and the manager of a Tradeshow Week 200 show learned they had scheduled their events to conflict with the Feb. 3, 2008, game in Glendale, Ariz., they had different ideas about how to respond.

The Photo Marketing Assn. Intl. Annual Convention & Trade Show, originally scheduled Feb. 1–4 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, moved its dates back a day to Jan. 31–Feb. 2, so its attendees could get home in time for the big game.

On the other hand, Meeting Professionals Intl. scheduled its Professional Education Conference-North America Feb. 3–5 in Houston, and is sticking with that plan.

MPI Communications Director Kathryn Goldstein said, "Having the conference the same weekend as the Super Bowl gives us some fun and exciting options for our networking events."

Plans haven't been finalized yet but, Goldstein added, there will be plenty of places to watch the game that first evening of the meeting.

PMA Executive Director and CEO Ted Fox said he heard from too many exhibitors and attendees to take the same approach.

"While we are fully committed to the city of Las Vegas and our early February dates, we have listened to the comments and concerns of our various constituencies regarding the overlap with Super Bowl XLII," Fox said. "We've responded in a timely fashion."

The fact that Super Bowl Sunday falls on one of Las Vegas' busiest weekends probably helped him make his decision.

"Super Bowl week has traditionally been an exciting time for the city of Las Vegas and its hotels," Fox added, "We anticipate tying into a number of these events for our attendees and our exhibitors."