Beyond the Numbers … How Exhibitors Rate the 2013 NIFMSE
11/8/2013 2:28:00 AM
FEATURE
From exhibit booths to overall registration, numbers were up for the 2013 National Industrial Fastener & Mill Supply Expo.
But was the trade show successful for exhibitors?
After major trade shows FIN surveys a variety of exhibitors to get their reaction.
The full story with more exhibitor comments is available to FIN Subscribers by CLICKING HERE.
A sampling of 2013 exhibitor comments:
“For the first time since 2008 the show had full life,” one veteran exhibitor declared.
“The show was a winner for me.”
“Thursday morning at the show was well attended.”
“Attendance was good, interest was high and folks seemed to spend a lot more time on the floor. Even Friday was busy.”
“Couldn’t ask for anything better,” said another happy exhibitor.
Not everyone was satisfied with the results: “Busy from 9:30 ’til 12:30, then everything slowed down. Second day was a bust. Nothing new about that.”
Exhibitor Suggestions:
Friday is the subject of most exhibitor suggestions.
Without show management adding something on Friday, “this show is strictly a one-day event.” One option mentioned was allowing distributors to enter free on Friday.
Another suggested show management provide a buffet breakfast for exhibitors from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. to allow booth staff to mingle and then draw visitors with a free Friday brunch between 10 and noon.
• One exhibitor mentioned pros & cons of the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas location vs. Mandalay Bay, where NIFMSE was from 2007 to 2010. The exhibitor found “more ‘nays’ than ‘yeas’ from my perspective” to returning to Mandalay Bay.
NIFMSE has announced dates at the Sands through 2015.
Another exhibitor suggested the trade show should alternate cities. “I am so tired of Vegas. ‘Been there, done that.’ Why not alternate with Nashville or Orlando to draw distributors not coming here?”
• “Greater effort needs to be made to attract East Coast distributors from New England to Florida.”
Another exhibitor found “attendance was heavily tilted to the West Coast.”
“The California team had a productive show,” one exhibitor noted.
• If NIFMSE management wants more machinery demonstrated at the show they need to create a separate entrance and run the machinery show extra hours on Friday or an extra day. “That way the people working their booths on the fastener side could visit the machinery side” on the third day,” one machinery supplier recommended.
For 2013 show numbers CLICK HERE.
How do you rate the 2013 NIFMSE? Email your reaction to: editor@GlobalFastenerNews.com.
The next NIFMSE will be October 22–24, 2014, in at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas. Web: fastenershows.com
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