Puerto Rico No Passport, No Problem

Attendees of shows slated to dock on the San Juan Peninsula of Puerto Rico may quickly learn that the island has a whole lot more to offer the meetings business than just sand and surf.

Tradeshow Week Assistant Editor Joalien Johnson took a look at the tradeshow industry in Puerto Rico.

By late 2009, the island's main meetings destination, the Puerto Rico Convention Center, will be surrounded by a 113-acre convention center district with hotels (one of which is a 500-room Sheraton), restaurants and casinos.

According to Thom Connors, senior regional vice president of SMG Latin America and the person who oversees the PRCC, the expansion will help attract more frequent offshore events.

Currently, the center, with its 152,700 square feet of exhibit space and 36,200 sq. ft. of meeting space, draws a steady 30 to 50 events per month (400 annually).

“We have been busy since the day we opened our doors with a combination of international meetings and conventions, regional trade and local public shows,” Connors said. He added that the design of the PRCC is a unique draw. “(The PRCC) is one of the most technically advanced and efficient facilities in North or South America. Seventy-five percent of the public areas have ocean or harbor views, and the outdoor covered terrace and fountain-side cafe offer opportunities (for guests) to enjoy the ambience of the destination any time of day.”

And the PRCC isn't the only venue with meeting space on the island. The Caribe Hilton and the El Conquistador Resort & Golden Door Spa also have space for groups.

According to statistics submitted to Tradeshow Week from 10 trade-exclusive shows with meetings on the island, in 2008 the average show will feature 2,450 attendees, 172 exhibitors and 22,733 net sq. ft. of exhibit space.

Other statistics indicate the average tradeshow booth this year will be 132 net sq. ft. in size with an average 14 attendees per 100 sq. ft. The busiest months for shows were January and February, and the most popular industry is medical shows.

Two medical shows that were held on the island in 2008 were Interphex Puerto Rico and Medical Device Puerto Rico, both of which have benefited from being based on the island, according to Kevin Richards, group vice president of international brand development of Reed Life Sciences.

Richards called the island a great place for events with a “top-notch convention bureau.”

“(Puerto Rico) has robust pharmaceutical and medical device industries, with over 100 facilities dedicated to the manufacturing of drugs and devices,” he said, adding that the island way of conducting meetings provides a refreshing change.

“Events there are non-traditional, with hours similar to other Latin American regions, with expositions late in the day and into the evening,” Richards said. “There's also plenty of networking and socializing, which is how business is conducted in Puerto Rico.”

According to Connors, Puerto Rico is a unique business hub.

“It's the cultural intersection of Madrid and Miami,” he added. “(It) offers a unique combination of business and pleasure environments: beaches, mountains, golf, music, dancing and fabulous food, as well as the finest convention facility in the region.”