Who Has the Real Automotive Show?

After the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey fired the company that managed its show for the past 19 years because of dwindling attendance, the management company warned the association it would launch its own show on identical dates, according to a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey. Rockland Exposition followed through with its threat, and now the alliance is suing its former show manager for trademark infringement and theft of confidential business information for scheduling a show with practically the same name, in the same venue, attempting to sell space to the same list of exhibitors.

Since 1990, the Annual AASP/NJ Northeast Regional Autobody/Automotive Trade Show, owned by the alliance and managed by Rockland, was held at the Rockland Community College Field House in Suffern, N.Y.

After the breakup with Rockland, the alliance announced it would move the show to the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, N.J., stage it March 20-22 and simplify the name to Northeast 2009 Trade Show. Secaucus and Suffern are 28 miles apart.

Shortly thereafter, according to the lawsuit, Rockland President David McCarey III announced he would hold his new show, named the 20th Northeast Regional 2009 Trade Show, also March 20-22 in the same Suffern venue where the alliance's show had been held.

Although the alliance declined comment, citing the pending litigation, its Web site promoting its show in New Jersey has a list of 121 of the 2008 exhibitors. Rockland's Web site promoting its show in New York has the same list of exhibitors.

Most exhibitors contacted by Tradeshow Week said they were aware of the dispute between the two once-friendly parties and hadn't decided if they would buy space at either show.

Ann Strong, vice president of exhibits for Bristol, R.I.-based Bad Dog Tools, said her company had exhibited at the alliance's show for at least the past eight years.

As for next year, though, she said, “I haven't made a commitment. I'm going to closely watch the situation.”

Strong said the old show always had been a good one for Bad Dog Tools. She also said her company exhibits at about 250 tradeshows per year, that she has seen similar rifts among management before and that she hadn't seen it turn out well.

“That's my big fear,” Strong added, “and I hope it doesn't happen to this show.”

Joe Amato of The Amato Agency also said he was aware of the lawsuit. Amato said his insurance agency exhibited at the alliance's show the past four years, and he plans to stick with it next year.

“I sell insurance products to the association and their members,” he said. “As such, I feel there is an obligation for me to support their show.”

When contacted by TSW, McCarey would only say, “This matter is before the courts, and we are going to let the courts handle this.”

In its lawsuit, the alliance stated Rockland used confidential business information to solicit exhibitors and attendees for its new competing tradeshow.

“Defendants have willfully, intentionally and maliciously interfered with Plaintiff's prospective economic advantage by contacting exhibitors and attendees of Plaintiff's prior shows and induced and continues to induce those exhibitors and attendees to contract with Defendants rather than Plaintiff for the 2009 Northeast Trade Show,” the lawsuit states. “Defendants have done this by ... intentionally deceiving the public into believing its 2009 tradeshow is a continuation of Plaintiff's Northeast tradeshow that Defendants previously managed for Plaintiff.”