Marshall Yard:

I’m struggling to get my brain around NPE and HIMSS making decisions to leave McCormick Place.

Is it the weather? Chicago does get cold in the winter time.

Is it the business world expressing their disagreement with President Obama? I understand that some disagree with some of his policies. I suppose changing the host city for your tradeshow to a non-Obama city could be one way to flex your economic muscles.

Is it Chicago-style cuisine? Perhaps contemporary diets are incompatible with deep dish pizza and Chicago style ‘dogs - and that would upset expo attendees.

I’m at a loss here, people. Please help me pin down the cause for these two significant tradeshows departing from McCormick Place Convention Center. Thus far, it appears these are totally random occurrences, without any specific cause. Is there any way we can prevent this from happening to the other prominent trade shows held in Chicago?

NPE is the big buzz at McCormick Place this week of 6/15/09. If you don’t know what NPE is, go here, here, here, or here. I’ll be bringing some highlights from the show, as well as photos and stories of any travails I encounter.

“I don’t know how to put this, but I’m kind of a big deal.”

HCEA is the Healthcare Conventions & Exhibitors Association. Their annual tradeshow for exhibitors is coming up! This offers Healthcare companies to see some of the latest and greatest ideas from exhibit houses, and determine the best direction for their 2010’s exhibit program. That means exhibitors are trying their hardest to sell, sell, sell themselves [and their shiny new display booths] at the ‘09 HCEA show.

“ABC. A -Always, B -Be, C -Closing. Always be closing. Always be closing.” … “Coffee’s for closers, ONLY.”

We’ll also be taking a look at virtual trade shows; an experience I recently encountered with a graphic designer turned trade show coordinator; as well as critical aspects of evaluating exhibit designs. It’s going to be a great week here at the Marshall-Yard: the #1 trade show blog in the United States, and [arguably] the #7 trade show blog in Nepal.

NPE  will be hitting McCormick Place in June of 2009, start planning your exhibit design,  it is not to early to focus on your exhibit and marketing strategy.

NPE 2006 showed an increase in attendance from previous years, with an expected attendance of 75,000 plus for the 2009 show,  exhibiting at NPE 2009 is a fantastic opportunity for your company. 

New Technology Awards and Technology Conferences are being planned, introducing new products and technologies into the marketplace at the International Plastics Showcase Tradeshow, is a great doorway for companies that want to get in front of industry leaders.

Exhibit design and creating an impact on the tradeshow floor should be a well thought out process and teaming up with an exhibit house early on, can help create a unique and succesful trade show experience. Wrapping your new products and services with a customized rental exhibit can help you focus on gaining the traffic into your exhibit booth.  With a stunning variety of graphic solutions and exhibit design, it will help in every aspect of operation when the trade show opens.

Creating a total experience through exhibiting should focus on the message you are wanting to convey.  Your exhibit should be more than just timber and glue.  Presenting a detailed but simple plan includes a time line.  Smart Detail and Smart Design, planning early will give you an edge to focus on the clients and the audience you want to speak to.