Green Shows Hit Red Light Before Launches

The green tradeshow segment is perceived by many to have one of the best chances of weathering the current economic storm. However, two recent green show launches have postponed their debuts, shifted venues and changed their collocation arrangements, demonstrating that every show, even those currently viewed as the trendiest, must be flexible in challenging times.

One show, VerdeXchange's GreenXchange Xpo, which IDG World Expo was to manage and collocate with its Entertainment for All Expo Oct. 3-5 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, changed from a tradeshow launch back to a one-day conference at a Los Angeles hotel. VerdeXchange is an environmental think tank and publisher.

The other, Green Media Enterprises' Green East, pushed back its Oct. 21-23 launch this year at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center of New York to March 26-28 at the smaller Pier 90 in New York. The show will collocate with Merchandise Mart Properties' March 26-29 Architectural Digest Home Design Show at the adjacent Pier 94.

For GreenXchange Xpo, it's quite different from what was originally envisioned. In June 2007, Robert Hertzberg, co-chairman of show sponsor G24I and former speaker of the California State Assembly, predicted that GreenXchange Xpo would be to those in the environmental technology sector what the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, is to economic world leaders and the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, is to the entertainment industry. At the time, David Abel, VerdeXchange managing director, agreed.

But now, GreenXchange Xpo has been rebranded from last year's GreenXchange Global Marketplace Conference and downsized from a tradeshow launch this year back to a conference format again. It will be held Jan. 26 without IDG's involvement as the VerdeXchange Green Marketmakers Conference at the Los Angeles Marriott Downtown Hotel.

Abel said GreenXchange Xpo would have included a marketing conference similar to the conference his organization held in conjunction with IDG World Expo Dec. 10-11 last year at Los Angeles' Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel, which attracted about 1,000 attendees. January's Green Marketmakers Conference will be similar to last December's event. It will feature a small, 14-booth exhibition, but the emphasis will be on the conference, not the tradeshow component.

The changes were decided upon in June primarily with the impending election and other political developments in mind, Abel said. VerdeXchange wanted to wait until a decision was made on whether wind and solar tax credits would be upheld by the U.S. Congress – which they were, as part of the recently enacted federal economic bailout. The delay was also related to the upcoming election, whose outcome could determine environmental priorities and funding and help the event, he said.

Regarding the synergies GreenXchange may have had with E for All, Abel said, “All we were thinking was how to leverage IDG's show management at the convention center.”

Diane O'Connor, president of Green Media Enterprises, produces Green East and Green West in Los Angeles. Both shows feature green products and services for corporate, government and individual buyers.

“Our original plan was to hold Green East in October, but despite the best efforts of all parties involved, we were unable to come to timely and acceptable agreements on all of the necessary components – not surprising for a first-time event,” O'Connor said. “When it became clear that the stars were not going to align in October, we recast our thinking toward a spring 2009 event and started exploring the various options and availabilities throughout the city.”

The decision to make the changes evolved over the summer, she added. At the time, GME was in the process of developing and producing a one-day Sustainability Forum for client Wolf/Sub-Zero, an appliance manufacturer, which wanted to hold an event in October at its midtown New York showroom to announce its line of sustainable appliances. Wolf/Sub-Zero representatives happened to know someone from MMPI who was in the same building during one of GME's meetings in the city and available for a quick introduction. Thus, GME was introduced to the Architectural Digest show's management team, O'Connor said.

“In the ensuing weeks, the conversation with them progressed to the point where it was decided that it would be mutually beneficial to have Green East and the ADHS run alongside one another,” she added.

O'Connor said the collaboration between GME and Architectural Digest is not as much a traditional collocation as a cooperative agreement to run the shows concurrently. There will be some cross-promotion of the events and cross-badging, since a significant number of the shows' respective attendees will be interested in seeing exhibitors at both shows.

However, she added, the shows target two very distinctly different markets, will be marketed separately and held at different – though adjacent – piers.

“In short, there is enough overlap to make it interesting for both of us,” O'Connor said, “but not so much that it might create a competitive situation or muddy our respective messages to the marketplace.”

She added that, despite Green East's move to Pier 90, GME expects to use Javits as a show site some time in the future.

Javits' Vice President of Sales and Marketing Doreen Guerin said that Green East made a good strategic business decision. “Collocating with a strong show like they're doing is a very smart move, especially for a show launch,” Guerin added.

She said that Green East's dates at Javits were only penciled in, and GME had still been in the due diligence process. GME also had been looking at March for the show, so the arrangement with the Architectural Digest show was the right connection, Guerin said. She added that she was happy for Green East and called the deal a win-win for New York City.

Green West was held May 20-22 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.