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May 2001
On Top of the World
10 of the busiest international exhibition facilities from around the world
By Stacey Anderson O'Brien
Where is this global economy taking us? Around the
world, it seems. Besides the draw of American attendees
that international shows provide, many people come to the
United States to attend trade shows. So EXPO set out to identify
some of the busiest facilities in the world, looking at the number
of visitors and number of shows relative to their countries or regions.
In the end, here’s what we found: Common among most of the venues was their close proximity to airports, public transportation and four- and five-star hotels. Several of the facilities on our list offer more than 500,000 square feet of exhibition space, and many boast state-of-the-art technological services as well. Half of the sites we picked welcome more than 2 million visitors through their doors each year. And all host visitors from around the world.
The three U.S. facilities we highlight are more likely to attract international visitors, in part because these are destination cities that offer more than the trade show experience. And the other seven convention centers draw visitors from the United States, as well as audiences from their own and nearby countries. Is there substantial growth in store for the international trade show
market? It’s hard to say. But with the increased mobility of the world’s population and the number of shows opening in other countries, international exhibitions are no longer out of reach for many attendees.
So if you’re planning an international show, check out these 10 facilities.
Anhembi
Sao Paulo, Brazil
General location: North side of Sao Paulo, on the banks of the Tietê River
Nearby hotels: Ibis, Hilton, Renaissance, Sheraton Mofarrej, Caeser Park, Crowne Plaza, Della Volpe, LHôtel, Eldorado Boulevard, Inter-Continental, Maksoud Plaza
Web site: www.anhembi.com.br
Gross exhibit space: 736,000 square feet
Gross meeting space: 176,000 square feet
Number of events per year: 150
Number of visitors per year: 1.1 million
Hottest industries: technology, electronics, automotive, textile, home utilities
Notable: The Palace of Congress showcases numerous works of art created by famous Brazilian artists. An outdoor pool serves as an oasis for several species of native birds. A current remodeling project will upgrade the convention facilities and add air conditioning to the fair pavilion. Anhembi’s Sambadrom is a uniquespace built for carnival and samba school parades, but it also can be used
as an unusual setting for shows and special events.
Contact: Lawrence Reinisch, (55) (13) 6971-5482, (55) (13) 6971-5466, e-mail:turismosp@anhembi.com.br
Dubai World Trade Center
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
General location: Bur Dubai section of city
Nearby hotels: World Trade Center Hotel
Web site: www.dwtc.com
Gross exhibit space: 366,700 square feet in seven halls and 255,550 square feet at the Airport Expo Dubai complex
Gross meeting space: Same as above, also a 200-seat conference theater
Number of events per year: 50 to 60
Number of visitors per year: 1.2 million
Hottest industries: medical, oil and gas, technology, jewelry, travel and entertainment, telecommunications
Notable: The center, established in 1979, was inaugurated by H.H. Sheikh Rashid and Queen Elizabeth II. It became a full member of the World Trade Center’s Association in 1984. An expansion now underway that should be complete in mid-2003 will add 44,000 square feet of exhibit space and a convention center that seats 6,200. The complex includes a 39-story office complex, a business club, 492residential apartments, and the Dubai International Congress Center. The center also offers multi-channel simultaneous translation and state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment.
Contact: Ibrahim Al Hashemi, Corporate Manager–Exhibitions, (971) 4 332-1000,
e-mail: info@dwtc.com
ExCeL
London
General location: East London, on a 100-acre site on the northern side of Royal Victoria Dock
Nearby hotels: The Four Seasons Hotel, Tower Thistle Hotel, Holiday Inn Express at Canning Town, Granada Travelodge
Web site: www.ExCeL-london.co.uk
Gross exhibit space: 722,000 square feet
Gross meeting space: 100,000 square feet
Number of events per year: 200
Number of visitors per year: more than 2 million
Hottest industries: fashion, technology, travel and entertainment
Notable: Phase one opened in November 2000. With 25 acres of roof, ExCeL is the biggest single-roofed structure in the UK. The exhibition center was built over the water on a platform supported by 350 deep-bored marine piles. The facility offers a sophisticated IT and communication infrastructure and is accessible by air, rail and car. ExCeL has commissioned established artists to create more than 100 works of art to adorn the walls. An on-site beauty salon offers everything from Indian head massages to pedicures.
Contact: Giles Nash, 020 7476 0101,
e-mail: gilesnash@excel-london.co.uk
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
New York City
General location: West side of Manhattan
Nearby hotels: 145 in Manhattan, among them New Yorker Ramada Inn & Plaza, The Chelsea Star, The Gershwin Hotel, The Hotel Wolcott, Southgate Tower Suite
Web site: www.javitscenter.com
Gross exhibit space: 814,400 square feet
Gross meeting space: 28,000 dedicated square feet
Number of events per year: 150
Number of visitors per year: 2.5 million
Hottest industries: technology, fashion, giftware
Notable: The Javits Center is covered by 16,000 specially glazed windows that retain heat in winter and block heat in summer, and its 18-story entry hall is known as the Crystal Palace. It takes a four-man, full-time crew to clean the windows year-round. Outside, the building provides a five-block-long reflection of the city as the sun rises and sets each day. The Javits Center has hosted the New York International Auto Show, PC Expo and the Linux World Conference & Expo.
Contact: Jim Hamilton, Director of Sales and Marketing, (212) 216-2186, e-mail:jhamilton@javitscenter.com
LA Convention Center
Los Angeles
General location: downtown Los Angeles
Nearby hotels: Omni L.A. Hotel & Center, Westin Bonaventure, Sheraton Grande, Biltmore Hotel, Holiday Inn, Hyatt Regency, Hotel Inter-Continental, Wyndham Checkers Hotel, New Otani Hotel & Garden
Web site: www.lacclink.com
Gross exhibit space: 720,000 square feet
Gross meeting space: 147,000 square feet
Number of events per year: 140
Number of visitors per year: 2.6 million
Hottest industries: technology, giftware, manufacturing, entertainment
Notable: In 2000, the LA Convention Center became one of the largest solar-powered buildings in North America, with 3,400 solar panels producing 800,000 kilowatt hours each year. The center played host to the 2000 Democratic National Convention. It boasts a fiber distributed data interface (FDDI), which is a multimode fiber optic backbone with connections that terminate throughout the center, allowing data information to reach all locations within the facility. Popular protocols using the FDDI backbone are high-speed Ethernet and DSL for Internet connectivity.
Contact: Patricia Gunness, (213) 741-1151, ext. 5340, e-mail: pgunness@lacclink.com
Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Center
Melbourne, Australia
General location: on the banks of the Yarra River, 15 minutes from the airport
Nearby hotels: Crown Towers, Sheraton Towers, Centra Hotel, The Grand Hotel, Savoy Hotel, The Westin
Web site: www.mecc.com.au
Gross exhibit space: 258,000 square feet in exhibition center, 21,625 square feet in convention center
Gross meeting space: 17,329 square feet in exhibition center, 74,067 square feet in convention center
Number of events per year: 877
Number of visitors per year: more than 1 million
Hottest industries: medical, technology, printing, automotive, equine
Notable: The center is located in an area that was, from the late 1840s until the 1950s, the heart of the Melbourne Maritime district of shipping, trade and associated commerce and industry. Examples of this era remain with the old sailing vessel, the Polly Woodside, permanently docked alongside the center. The facility is currently midway through a $26-million (AUD) enhancement that will upgrade data, Internet, voice and video services, as well as refurbish and reconfigure meeting and function areas.
Contact: Leigh Harry, Chief Executive, (613) 9235 8851, e-mail: lharry@mecc.com.au
Mexico City World Trade Center
Mexico City
General location: South part of Mexico City, near the Plaza de Toros Mexico and Ciudad Universitaria
Nearby hotels: Camino Real Hotel, Nikko Hotel, Presidente Hotel, Flamingos Plaza Hotel, Suites del Parque, Marriot Hotel
Web site: www.torrewtc.com
Gross exhibit space: 142,775 square feet
Gross meeting space: 59,830 square feet
Number of events per year: 690
Number of visitors per year: more than 2.5 million
Hottest industries: technology, automotive, telecommunications, weddings, manufacturing, sports, beauty
Notable: The museum housed within the World Trade Center complex was designed by Jose Alfredo Siqueiros, one of the most influential artists in Mexico. The facility boasts its own power plant that backs up all systems in the event of a power failure. Utilities (water, compressed air, ISDN lines) are hidden within the floor. The facility hosts the Business Expo, Farm Expo, and Merchandising Expo, as well as Internet World.
Contact: Javier Sirvent Camara, Director, (52) (5) 628-8366, e-mail: jsirvent@wtcmexico.com.mx
Miami Beach Convention Center
Miami
General location: heart of Miami Beach, adjacent to the Art Deco and South Beach districts, within walking distance of the beach
Nearby hotels: Loew’s, Delano, National, Raleigh, Holiday Inn, Shelbourne
Web site: currently being developed
Gross exhibit space: 502,848 square feet in four halls
Gross meeting space: 140,000 square feet in 68 rooms
Number of events per year: 73
Number of visitors per year: 575,000
Hottest industries: Business-to-business e-commerce, technology, telecommunications, corporations and associations targeting the Latin American market
Notable: The convention center began as an auditorium in 1950 and today includes more than 1 million square feet of functional space. The facility spans four city blocks and has played host to hundreds of thousands of delegates from dozens of organizations, as well as such shows as Graphics of the Americas and the Microsoft Global Summit. The Miami Beach Convention Center also hosted the Jackie Gleason, Ed Sullivan, Ted Mack, Arthur Godfrey and Mike Douglas Shows.
Contact: Ellen Schwartz, Director of Sales, (305) 673-7315, e-mail: eschwartz@smgmb.com
RAI International Exhibition and Congress Center
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
General location: between the city center and the Schiphol airport
Nearby hotels: Hilton, Okura, Novotel, Holiday Inn, Apollo, Le Méridien
Web site: www.rai.nl
Gross exhibit space: 813,324 square feet
Gross meeting space: 81,675 square feet
Number of events per year: 972
Number of visitors per year: 2.1 million
Hottest industries: pharmaceuticals, medical, technology
Notable: Ten of the facility’s 11 exhibit halls are column-free. And the center contains seven restaurants. RAI offers a fixed-fiber backbone of LAN and Internet services. Shows RAI hosts include the Holland Agro Exhibition. In addition, RAI hopes to complete a refurbishment project by 2005 that incorporates a 1,000-room hotel and adds 322,920 square feet of exhibition space.
Contact: Ilko Tonen, Sales Manager Exhibitions, 31-20-549-1212, e-mail: i.tonen@rai.nl
Singapore Expo
Singapore
General location: five minutes from the airport and 15 minutes from the city
Nearby hotels: Century Roxy Hotel, Ritz Carlton, Oriental Hotel, Marina Mandarin, Conrad International, Westin Stamford
Web site: www.singapore-expo.com.sg
Gross exhibit space: 670,000 square feet in six halls; additional 280,000 square feet outdoors
Gross meeting space: 14,500 square feet of conference rooms; 5,000 square feet in nine meeting rooms
Number of events per year: 270
Number of visitors per year: 2 million
Hottest industries: furniture and home decor, telecommunications, manufacturing equipment, food/hotel/beverage industry, building construction, technology
Notable: The center houses a cornucopia of specially commissioned Asian art pieces by artists from Singapore, Thailand, Australia, Indonesia and Malaysia. A main feature piece by Singapore artist Ng Eng Teng is a sculpture titled Friendship Gateway, which symbolizes the expo being the gateway to friendship and international understanding. The six exhibition halls are all interlinked and separated by a retractable divider that enables show organizers to book six halls that are all connected. The highest point of the hall is 99 feet, and the lowest is 33 feet. Exhibitors can build up to a three-story booth.
Contact: Shawn Teng, Manager of Venue Sales, 65-5808378, e-mail: expoline@singapore-expo.com.sg
Stacey Anderson O’Brien is a writer, editor and corporate communications consultant based in suburban Kansas City, MO. O’Brien, a graduate of the University of Missouri’s Schoolof Journalism, has covered hundreds of trade shows as a writer for Atwood Publishing LLC and served as EXPO’s editor in 1994.
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