Oh Say, Can You See … Baltimore

By the second weekend in November, Baltimore won't have just the National Anthem, crab cakes and the Inner Harbor to brag about – it also will be the site of the sixth annual Tradeshow Week Fastest 50.

The Maryland city on the banks of the Chesapeake Bay is the place to be Nov. 7-9 as Tradeshow Week once again recognizes the achievements of the 50 fastest-growing shows in the United States and Canada.

“We are so excited about this, I can't believe it,” said Tom Noonan, president and CEO of the Baltimore Area Convention & Visitors Assn. “We all know this is the Academy Awards of the tradeshow industry, and we can't wait to have it here in Baltimore.”

The TSW Fastest 50 honors shows that have experienced the greatest growth in terms of square footage over a three-year period. The 50 winners will be announced in August and the top prize in three categories (consumer shows, trade and/or association shows, and the overall fastest-growing) will be awarded at a black-tie gala at the Hilton Baltimore Saturday, Nov. 8.

The Hilton Baltimore, which will be the host hotel for the 2008 TSW Fastest 50, is now under construction and will open adjacent to the Baltimore Convention Center in August. When completed, the new hotel will have 757 rooms and 60,000 square feet of meeting space.

While Saturday's executive-level conference and Saturday night's gala will be held at the Hilton, there are plenty of events planned for the weekend elsewhere in Baltimore. Friday's opening night reception will take place at the American Visionary Art Museum and Sunday morning's farewell brunch at Geppi's Entertainment Museum.

“We're thrilled to bring the sixth annual TSW Fastest 50 celebration to Baltimore,” said TSW Associate Publisher Nancy Walker. “It's a great destination that is currently experiencing a tremendous revitalization.”

Noonan said to those who will attend the event, “You're going to see what a great, walkable tradeshow town this is.”