Show organizers for the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society thought their annual conference and exhibition held great promise. More than 1,800 attendees had visited the professional group's 1992 national show in Tampa, and with any luck, they thought, another 700 would come to the Õ93 event in San Diego. To their amazement, 4,400 attendees -- nearly 2 1/2-times the number who saw the Florida show -- descended on the San Diego Convention Center scene.
"It was a monumental Maalox moment," HIMSS' Andy Pasternack recalls of the grossly underestimated crowd. "It was like Disneyland without the rides -- lines everywhere. We had a sea of people just waiting to register and no way to deal with them."
The HIMSS experience is not an isolated one. Phenomenal, unexpected growth in attendance and/or exhibit sales sweeps the exposition industry on a regular basis, astonishing managers for shows geared toward everything from sporting goods to office equipment. Such a flood of growth can flow from many sources: a competing show folds, a new marketing approach kicks in, two or more associations join forces, a niche industry experiences a technological breakthrough. Regardless of the cause, what you as a show manager do to handle your show's fast growth becomes critical to its success and future.
Gradual growth is the expected norm for both trade and consumer shows. You sell 100 booths in the first year of your event, gain increased attention from your exhibitors and attendees, learn more about the industry and reasonably expect to pull in 120 10-by-10s next season. With this controlled expansion, you can carefully prepare as your show develops and never be caught off guard. You regularly reserve more facility space, for example, add to your sales force and support staff, and contract with suppliers that can handle your ever-increasing operational needs.
But what happens to the same show when it explodes from 100 to 500 booths in a single year? Suddenly your space is too small, your staff is seriously strained and your decorator repeatedly uses the phrase, "sardine-like." The question of adequate insurance comes up, reports start flooding in about the lack of hotel rooms and you'd gladly trade your assistant manager if someone would offer you another 30 yards of drape.
Anyone who's experienced it will tell you that fast growth, and how you deal with the natural pains it brings, is one of the most important challenges your show will ever face. "We lucked out in being able to handle so many unexpected attendees and made sure both they and the exhibitors had a good experience," says Pasternack, HIMSS' Assistant Director for Publications and Communications. "But we also knew we wouldn't be so lucky two years in a row."
On the surface, exceptionally fast growth seems like a show manager's dream. More sales means more money; higher attendance means better satisfied exhibitors. But don't let such sirens of speedy growth lure you onto their rocks. Unexpected leaps in your sales and/or attendance figures mean a tremendous boost in responsibility. If you can't match the accompanying expectations and demands, the bigger-number benefits evaporate almost immediately.
Take your facility space, for starters. After your 100-booth launch, the last thing you expect to have next year is five times that number of exhibitors. Consequently, you've probably contracted for a hall space only slightly larger than your initial year. In the middle of your record-setting booth sales cycle, you realize you won't have the space to accommodate everyone.
Breaking the lease and booking a different facility is expensive, exposes you to litigation and basically is not an option. Besides, your entire promotional effort up to that point has centered on the appeal and use of that particular location. It's too late to change, so what are your options?
Using space creatively
Look first at the space you have and evaluate what more might be done with it. "Include your general contractor in the early planning stages, so you can lay out a floorplan that gets the absolute most out of the space you have available," suggests Julie Smith, Director of Marketing and Special Projects for GES Exhibit Services. "Every facility has a maximum layout: what the fire marshal will allow in terms of booth numbers, aisle requirements and crowd capacities. There's only so much you can squeeze in, but a good contractor can help."
Space utilization became key during the 1994 HIMSS Conference & Exhibition, held in February at the Phoenix Civic Plaza. Thanks to a national focus on health care information issues, the show grew from 93,000 to 184,000 net square feet -- a 98-percent jump -- in a year's time. "We just kept expanding the space we had," says HIMSS Exhibits Manager Nina Spinner. "We took walls down by the front door and set up extra booths there; we moved the exhibitor lounge and put in another 26 booths where it used to be. You just have to do whatever you can to use your existing space creatively."
Floor layout hangs on the requirements of your particular show. What kinds of exhibits will you have? How many cross-aisles will you need? How many exhibitors call for corner booths? What's most important to your specific industry? An interior design show, for example, probably will require more open space than, say, a hardware show in which both exhibitors and attendees are more accustomed to gadget-packed areas. Again, your contractor can help guide the way.
Beware of too much shoehorning, however. Whenever you eliminate open or public space to accommodate another exhibitor, you make a distinct trade-off. Consider your lounges, for instance. "You can go into those areas for more booth space if you need it, but most operators find rest spaces and entertainment areas vital to their success," says Mike Fisher, Executive Director of the National Association of Consumer Shows. "Without them, attendees will walk through a portion of the show and leave. You need those areas so attendees can rest and stick around for the other exhibits."
What about converting your meeting space to booths? After experiencing 85-percent growth between its '88 and '89 seasons, the Professional Golfers' Association of America began selling meeting rooms to larger clients at its annual PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, a practice it continues. Those exhibitors, in turn, build temporary "mini-stores" to attract attendees to their wares.
Even more space was needed for the 280,000-square-foot event, however. So organizers expanded beyond the Orange County Convention Center into the adjoining Peabody Orlando hotel. "We price the space the same no matter where it is," explains John Zurek, PGA's Director of Trade Shows. "We're offering one product and delivering a global customer who wants the latest in golf technology and expertise. We don't see much difference in space location. Our exhibitors realize what they're getting, and we don't hear any grumbling about it."
Converting your meeting facilities to exhibit space may work, but where do you then hold your meetings? The Radiological Society of North America faced just that question when it staged its 356,000-square-foot, November '93 show at Chicago's McCormick Place. The group lost its previous meeting space when the McCormick Center Hotel was demolished to make way for expansion. "If we didn't come up with a solution fast, we would potentially lose people to the downtown hotels," says Michael O'Connell, Director of Meeting and Convention Services. "We worried that they might not come back for the rest of the exhibits."
O'Connell found his innovative solution in Lake Michigan. After lengthy negotiations, he arranged to have the 200-foot Odyssey and 190-foot Spirit of Chicago luxury cruise liners docked beside the convention center. A contractor then installed a heated hallway, so delegates could attend their meetings afloat, without having to brave Chicago's winter weather. Even better, O'Connell says, RSNA spent less than half the $50,000 it would have cost to rent additional exhibit hall space and convert it into meeting areas.
Far more common space-gaining options in sudden-growth situations are tents, pavilions and other temporary outdoor structures that house additional exhibitors. Such facilities can provide the breathing room you need while your expanding show finishes out an existing lease arrangement, awaits the completion of a planned facility expansion or desperately searches for a larger venue for next year's exposition.
A temporary structure proved a show saver for Western Shoe Associates' International Buying Market, which has experienced twofold growth in a mere 18 months. "Basically, our competitors went out of business, and suddenly our Las Vegas show was the only place in the country that exhibitors could use to reach the industry," says Chris Aiken, Associate Director. "It's nice to see your show grow, but at the same time you're faced with the incredible responsibility of providing space for all the extra exhibitors."
Aiken and his team, already making full use of the Sands Expo Center and a south hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, overflowed into three temporary pavilions at the LVCC as well. "It was either tell our largest exhibitors they couldn't have the space they wanted, or use the pavilions," says Aiken. "We didn't have a whole lot of choices."
Temporary structures can have their drawbacks. They're usually built over parking lots, and the flooring can be inferior to indoor space. Exhibitors may feel they're being asked to occupy secondary locations, and you might have to install electricity, lighting, plumbing and heating and air conditioning systems. Weather, too, can be a considerable factor.
Updating insurance coverage
Your exhibitors won't be the only ones who want to know if your temporary structure will withstand Mother Nature's elements. Your liability insurance carrier will, too. "Any time you make any kind of changes to a show covered under an established policy -- like adding tents -- your insurance company will want to know about it," says Mark Poindexter, Showstoppers Program Manager for Huntington T. Block Insurance Agency, Inc. "The liability company would need to know the number of tents, the percentage of the show under tents and conditions affecting the slip-and-fall factor."
In fact, insurance matters should concern all fast-growth show managers, temporary facilities or not. Liability coverage can change depending on the number of booths in a show. Increased attendance might drive your event into another premium bracket as well. Once again, growth carries additional costs, but failure to make the arrangements could prove even more expensive. "If a policy hasn't previously recorded an added tent or an increase in attendance," Poindexter says, "the situation could be viewed as a misrepresentation, and any subsequent claims might not be covered."
As for the additional cost of temporary facilities, be willing to negotiate. The facility management might help off-set costs in order to keep a particular show in its location. Or your show might be scheduled as a back-to-back event with another group needing additional space, allowing you to split set-up costs with another show manager.
Delegating duties
Rapid show growth brings challenges beyond your facility space. Not only will you have more to do with a bigger show, you'll need more people to do it. "You have to delegate responsibility to capable and key managers; it's just not humanly possible to stay on top of all the details yourself," says the PGA's Zurek. "Let go of some areas, and you'll be pleasantly surprised by what you find from your people."
Besides relying on key managers, think about redirecting other personnel from less vital functions. When HIMSS organizers faced the "sea of people" waiting to register, the team immediately called in reinforcements from other conference areas. "We had students manning poster sessions and student aides assisting some of the faculty people," says Spinner. "So we pulled them in to help speed the registration."
Consider temporary employment agencies, too. Every convention city now is well-stocked with agencies playing a part in one of the country's fastest-growing employment trends. Even managers can be had on a temporary basis, and you might be fortunate enough to find an agency that offers staff with previous show experience.
In terms of the various contractors you need to pull off a fast-growth show, lay that foundation from the start of your working relationship. "To handle growth, you must try to assure that you're doing business with the right kind of partners, from the hotel to the general service contractor to specialty publishing houses," notes Zurek. "It's important to find those companies that will roll up their sleeves with you when you need them most."
Take some comfort, too, in the fact that most contractors probably already have faced unexpectedly large show situations before. Use their experience and ask them for advice, hints, tips and help as it applies to your current situation. Spend some telephone time explaining your growth problem and soliciting their solutions. Among the benefits: you'll open yourself up to undiscovered possibilities, foster their support for your show and operate more efficiently by delegating responsibilities.
Controlling a crowd
With exhibitor growth -- or, perhaps, instead of it -- you may find yourself facing increased attendance. How will you register the crowds? Will your floor layout allow smooth circulation throughout the show? Have you allowed adequate lounge and refreshment areas to induce lengthy visits in the exhibit area?
During one of McRand International Ltd.'s International Collectible Expositions last summer, attendance figures topped 110 percent of what the Lake Forest, IL, management firm had counted on. "It was a combination of better response to our marketing than expected, hotter products and several new exhibitors," admits McRand President Michal McClure. "We literally had to get out and direct traffic and physically move things out of the way in some areas."
Because of the stratification of the exposition industry, it's virtually impossible to establish one exhibitor/attendee ratio that applies to all shows. That figure depends on your show's target industry and focus. "The key is not clogging the aisles with attendees," stresses Steven Hacker, President of the International Association for Exposition Management. "If you do that to the extreme, you're damaging the interchange between buyer and seller. A lot of exhibitors think it's like standing beside a trout stream packed with fish and just hauling them out, but it's much more complex than that."
Crowd control becomes critical when you're dealing with larger-than-expected attendance. Map out flow patterns. Spread your high-congregation areas: lounges, hands-on exhibits, refreshment service and demonstration areas. Place "draw" spots such as bookstores, membership services and door-prize registration away from other high-density locations.
More people means more of most everything: more hotels, more transportation, more parking. When The Interface Group blankets Las Vegas with its annual Comdex computer show -- one of the largest trade show in the world -- incredible measures must be taken to handle the 175,000 attendees. For example, Interface arranges for more than 250 additional taxis, secures more police officers to control gridlock and lengthens exhibit hall hours. The management company even goes so far as to stagger visitor arrivals and departures throughout the five-day event. In that way, the city's 28,000 sold-out hotel rooms can be stretched as far as possible.
"Participant experience is also very important to us," notes Interface Vice President Richard Schwab. "Imagine if all the people going to the Super Bowl were going there for the first time. It would be pandemonium. We've conditioned people to prepare for going to Comdex, and from a show management standpoint, we rely heavily on their experience."
Stretching your budget
Show dailies, on-site programs and other printed material also must be considered when you face a larger crowd. Secure a price for press overruns. Decide how to stretch what you've already budgeted for. The HIMSS show ran 2,000 short on all materials, but controlled the problem somewhat by distributing first to pre-registered attendees and recycling. "Most of our exhibitors were fine with it," says Pasternack. "They were just pleased to have the attendee numbers."
Additional printing, like all your show operating expenses, means you must weigh the cost of increasing your event size against the revenue you'll derive from it. No magic formula will tell you whether the growth is worth it. You'll have to put pencil to paper and crunch the numbers that apply to your particular show.
"A 20-percent gain or more in your exhibit base won't necessarily mean you'll make more money from your show," reminds Fisher, of NACS. "You have to work out the equation and see where you'll make money for what you're having to spend." Be sure, also, to factor in any intangibles. After you run your numbers, for example, you may find fast growth means you'll break even or even record a loss. But if the increased exhibitor base or larger attendance means you'll have an even stronger show next year, then you've probably made a good investment in your show's future.
Fast-growth shows indisputably present great challenges. But with foresight, perseverance and patience you can ensure that your event survives the stresses and strains of an unexpectedly larger format. "In show management, you have three choices," says McRand's McClure. "You can make it happen, you can watch it happen or you can wonder what happened. If you focus on the first, you won't have to deal with the other two."
Sidebar: The benefits of fast growth
When McRand International Ltd. bought and assumed management of the International Adventure Travel Show two years ago, the event sported a collection of 140 mostly small exhibitors gathered in the ballroom of a Chicago hotel. In February, McRand held its show at the Rosemont Convention Center, where travel professionals and adventure enthusiasts could see on-site rock climbing demonstrations, a dogsled team and the latest high-tech hang gliders, among other displays.
Most impressive from a show management perspective, however, was the exhibitor count. The number of participating companies -- ranging from Abercrombie & Kent to Backpacker Magazine, Air India to the Molokai Visitors Association -- totaled 275, representing a 96-percent growth rate in just two years.
"When we take over a show, we try to double its size in that amount of time," says McRand President Michal McClure. "Our first year is a learning process. The second year we take the things we've learned about the show and its market and try to expand as much as possible." The company, which manages five shows a year including its International Collectible Exposition, is proof that fast-growth shows can be wildly successful -- if their surges in exhibitors and attendees are carefully planned.
McRand relies on a systematic strategy that encourages growth but controls it as well. During staff planning stages, for example, emphasis is placed on making sure company employees are never overloaded with a show that's too big handle. Planning, then carrying out the plan, is essential to the company's success. "Everything still comes back to the '5-P Rule,'" McClure stresses. "Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance."
McRand actually grew the adventure travel show 43 percent, from 140 booths to 200 booths, in its first year of ownership. This year's jump to 275 booths and 90,000 net square feet, represents a 37.5-percent increase over last season. "We take every element of our shows apart and put them back together again," McClure explains. "It's kind of like somebody giving you a car. If you want to double its speed, you take each component apart, from the engine to the wheels, and rebuild it so it's better and faster."
McClure suggests that show managers purposely limit the amount of growth in their shows from year to year. Set a cap on exhibit sales that reflects your target industry, then stick to it. Remember, too, that the kinds of exhibitors you sell are as important as the total number of participating companies.
"Exhibitors can change the nature of your show," McClure warns. "You have a certain image or feeling to your event, and if you sell to the wrong exhibitors, that changes. We could easily add other exhibitors to our adventure travel show and sell it out, but that would change the focus of what we're offering. We could get away with that for one year. But the next, our key exhibitors would begin to drop out. The biggest danger is promising something and then not being able to deliver."
Sidebar: Slow growth pains
Growing pains come in many forms. Most painful of all, perhaps, are those that result from too little or no growth at all. Stagnation in booth sales and attendance need not signal the death of your show, but you haven't much time if you want your event to survive.
Gary Huffaker, Chief Operating Officer of Meteor Exhibitions Inc., had helped manage a 40-year-old automobile after-market show for 15 years when its owners began to run into trouble. "In '88 their international show had 230,000 net square feet and exhibitors from 60 foreign countries," Huffaker says. "Now the show barely exists. I think it's down to 80 booths, and they don't know what to do with it."
The problems came with a shift in the industry and the show owner's decision to ignore those changes. Distribution networks were altered, the new-car industry changed, manufacturers consolidated and industry segments such as body shops spun off their own successful shows.
"It was a matter of the owners ignoring the market," notes Huffaker. "They buried their heads in the sand." Possible solutions might have included identifying new and different market segments as exhibitors, allying similar shows and organizations under a single-show umbrella and increasing the attendee base to attract and maintain exhibitors.
The National Office Products Association also had show growth problems, experiencing a 5-percent annual decline in sales of its 60-year-old annual event since 1989. But instead of standing by passively, the group teamed with the National Office Machine Dealers Association and the Local Area Network Dealers to hold a combined show in Las Vegas.
"We went from 600 exhibitors the year before to over 900 as soon as we merged," says Meg Ellacott, NOPA's Exhibit Manager. "Because the show is much larger, it's more impressive to exhibitors and attendees. That impact helps the show and the participating associations, and we're not only rebounding but increasing sales because of it."
If your show's growth is slow, consider the following to salvage this year's event:
Consolidate your floorplan. Your general service contractor can help you make the best use of too much floor space, giving maximum visibility to the exhibitors you do have. Less is more, if you use it properly.
Review your schedule. Make certain that all your show hours fall during non-competing time. Don't fight with meetings for your attendees. Also consider reducing show hours, so that more people will visit the floor at one time. The activity will enhance the show for all involved.
Pull in your attractions. Work as many "draws" into your exhibit space as possible. Bookstores, membership areas, food service kiosks and door-prize registration will all help bring attendees into contact with your exhibitors.
Concentrate on your entryway. Make the exhibit hall as enticing as possible with a creative visual invitation to what lies inside. A strong theme, carried throughout the show, also will help bring attendees into the exhibit space.
Stress your qualified attendance. Numbers alone are not important, especially to trade shows. The number of qualified buyers, however, can make or break a struggling event. Bring in attendees who can make buying decisions and provide them the best venue in which to interact with your exhibitors.
Off-load extra space. Just because your show's experiencing slow times doesn't necessarily mean others are, too. Check with the facility manager to see if a consecutively running event needs extra exhibit space. You may be able to reduce your expenses or apply much-needed resources to other more-productive areas of your show.
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