Florida: Sunny Skies Lure Shows

The Sunshine State has many, if not all, demographic profiles covered. Trendy hot spots attract teens and young adults, families flock to world-famous theme parks and many of those baby boomers piling every spare cent into their 401(k) savings dream of this retirement mecca.

Because of Florida’s broad appeal and its sub-tropical climate, tourism is one of the state’s most lucrative economic sectors. It’s no wonder that show managers unfailingly make this peninsular state one of the leading tradeshow destinations every year. With powerhouse Orlando anchoring its exhibition industry, the state that was grouped into the Southeast for past Destination Focus reports has proven strong enough to stand alone.

Tradeshow Week Assistant Editor Candice Yang examines the exhibition industry in Florida.

According to figures reported to Tradeshow Week, in 2008 Florida is set to host 127,385 exhibiting companies taking up a total of 40.9 million net square feet of exhibit space. Scouting the products on display will be nearly 5.9 million attendees.

According to 2007 projections, 124,550 exhibiting companies were expected to display their products across 52.3 million net sq. ft. last year. Despite a drop in net square footage, the number of exhibiting companies is expected to go up 2.3 percent, and attendance is expected to go up 17.6 percent, from 5 million attendees projected in 2007 to 5.9 million in 2008.

The projected figures supplied for 2008 portray a healthy industry:

• Florida claims 5.9 percent of the country’s market share of net square footage, 6.7 percent of attendance and 8 percent of exhibitors.
• Approximately 16,948 attendees will roam 116,890 net sq. ft. of show space holding 364 exhibitors at the average Florida tradeshow.
• The state’s average public show will cover 231,137 sq. ft. of exhibit space, with 639 exhibiting companies and will be visited by 29,883 attendees.
• The average trade-consumer show hybrid will feature 260 exhibitors and 27,165 attendees across a 69,706 net sq. ft. showfloor.
• The average booth will occupy 321 sq. ft.

With 53 shows, the medical and health care sector tops the list of industrial sectors with the most tradeshows in the state. Included in this sector is the TSW 200 regular, HIMSS Annual Conference & Exhibition, ranked No. 68. The home furnishings and interior design industry comes in at a distant second with 22 shows expected this year. Apparel is the third most popular industry for shows in Florida, not too surprising considering that the state is home to trend-setting South Beach.

Dmg world media came in as the top show management company in Florida, with 11 shows in the state. As the year unfolds, a shake-up may be in the cards, since dmg announced in October 2007 that it plans to sell its consumer shows. Poised to inherit the top spot is the Florida RV Trade Assn., which produces 10 shows. The Great Bridal Expo Group and SmithBucklin are not far behind, with eight and seven shows, respectively.

In Florida, the most popular season for tradeshows is the first quarter, when 38.5 percent of the year’s shows are on the schedule. February’s 49 shows put it in the leading position. March will see 37 shows, and 36 were expected to take place in January. The third and fourth quarters understandably bring in the lowest number of shows, as hurricane season haunts the state beginning in June and tapers off at the end of November.

Orlando easily tops the list of the state’s cities in demand, with 115 shows booked over the course of 2008. So, it’s only natural that the Orange County Convention Center tops the list of the most popular Floridian convention centers, with 55 shows. Coming in second and third are the Miami Beach Convention Center (26) and the Tampa Convention Center (25), respectively.

This state proves that bigger is better. Boasting 22 of the most recent TSW 200 shows, Florida is a top contender in the tradeshow industry. Despite an anticipated drop in square footage this year, the Sunshine State still attracts exhibitors and a growing audience. And that may be enough to keep the large-scale shows coming.