Little Shows Make Money Too, You Know

Dear Editor:

Re: "Little Shows Get No Respect" (July 16, 2007):

Your editorial was perfect. For 47 years I have been producing tradeshows and, while they are small in room usage, they are fairly large in square footage.

These events are held in the Long Beach (Calif.) Convention Center, the Orange County (Fla.) Convention Center, New Jersey Convention Center and the Palm Beach (Fla.) Convention Center, along with the Los Angeles Convention Center.

We all know that rooms are the thing when these facilities are securing dates for their customers. However, I have always had excellent cooperation from those I mention. Perhaps it is due to the fact that, having served many years ago on the advisory board of the Miami Beach Convention Center, I know how important it is to the hotel industry which helps to fund these facilities.

On the other hand, you are correct in saying that our regional events are a steady event, each and every year (at times twice yearly), so what I have done is work closely with the powers that be and try to be as flexible as I possibly can.

Us non-room users help pay for the lights when the major events do not return.

Thanks for the article.

Larry Karel, President, Karel Exposition Management, Aventura, Fla.

Letters to the editor of Tradeshow Week are always welcome. Please send them to Editor-in-Chief Michael Hart (by mail) Tradeshow Week, 5700 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 120, Los Angeles, Calif. 90036-5804; (by e-mail) hartm@reedbusiness.com ; or (by fax) (323) 965-5306.