Nth Degree Trade Show and Event Marketing Blog

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I love NOLA – it’s the food (don’t you know me at all by now), the music wafting through the streets, the people, the culture, the trade shows and events. Wait, what? Ok, so when you think of New Orleans, trade shows are not the first thing to come to mind, but for us #tradeshowprofs and #eventprofs it’s a destination we will likely visit for work sooner or later. I know – boo, who wants to work when you can listen to Jazz, hang with the vibrant locals and discover culinary delights?

 

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Southern California has grown into a huge trade show and convention market with trade shows like E3 Expo and Natural Products Expo West drawing in huge crowds. In fact, Southern California hosts 21 of the top 250 US trade shows and conventions according to TSNNs annual list that ranks trade shows based on net square footage. That is nearly 9% of all the shows on the list. As a trade show exhibitor or industry veteran, this is likely not groundbreaking news, but at Nth Degree, we’ve seen our work grow more and more each year in this market so it’s worth paying attention to.

As part of the #tradeshowprofs club, I would like to say that my comprehension of exhibitor rules and regulations in the great city of Boston is on point – it’s not. I would fail this test. Luckily, I have
Nth Degree’s Boston trade show services team to keep me in check and help me share this knowledge with you fine folks. Things I do know: your trade show booth is a precious asset; you’ve spent months working with trade show vendors, your exhibit designer and the show association; you really, really don’t want anything to go wrong.

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Looking at our Chicago trade show planning calendar, the months ahead look quite busy with shows like #ASCO and #NRAShow coming to the city. Chicago is no stranger to trade shows and events, and it has also seen many changes in recent years when it comes to working conditions and exhibitor rights. Many of the changes benefit the exhibitor, but talk about confusing!

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You know who you are, and because of this you may not even be reading this post as you have a “To Do” list to attack before the weekend. But, in the off-chance you are scanning my prose with the promise that I may actually help make your life just a touch easier – welcome, fellow purists!

If you’re an event marketer, trade show manager, event planner or anything in between, you are probably Type A and you can move on to the next section.

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Working in the trade show industry is not for the faint of heart. It is for the innovative, the driven, the passionate, the energetic…the road warrior. And when you travel from city to city or rather, from airport to [insert trade show or event venue here] and back to the airport, you sometimes need a break from your trade show management duties to have some fun. You also need support from people with local know-how and a shared passion for the industry.

With that in mind, I connected with our City Manager in Atlanta, Mike Beske, to talk about the common questions he gets from clients and how he responds. He’s worked with trade show management and event management pros since 1982. His accomplished career in the industry, coupled with his southern hospitality was the perfect recipe for a great Q&A below. If you’ve ever been to the South, you know we love a good chat - enjoy!

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The New Year speaks to fresh starts and you and your colleagues resolving to work smarter, spend more time with your family and generally better yourselves to achieve that elusive work/life balance your HR Department keeps talking about. In light of this, we’ve chosen to highlight the trade show union rules and regulations in one of the biggest trade show and event markets in the country – Vegas baby!

It’s January, so with mega shows like #CES2016 and #SHOTShow you are likely to be thrown into this mix of revolving trade shows, tourists and festivities. The information below should help you cut through the chaos and get the details you need for a great show and a good start to your new balanced lifestyle.