Mack Brooks launches ICE USA
New Intl. Converting Exhibition set for April 6-8, 2011, in Orlando (FL); event evolves from former CMM Intl.
Mark Spaulding -- Converting Magazine, 11/24/2009 1:00:00 AM
A new industry trade show and conference, ICE (Intl. Converting Exhibition) USA is being launched by Mack Brooks Exhibitions, Ltd. (St. Albans, UK). Set for Apri 6-8, 2011, the event will be held in Orlando, FL.
The Orange County Convention Ctr. in Orlando, FL, is a likely site for the new ICE USA 2011 event.
The launch comes on the heels of Mack Brooks' Nov. 13 acquisition of CMM Intl. from PennWell (Tulsa, OK). Mack Brooks decided not to continue
promoting the CMM brand. CMM Intl. is being replaced by ICE USA, which now
becomes the fourth in a global series of Intl. Converting Exhibitions. Mack Brooks is also the organizer and owner of ICE Europe (which opens in Munich, Germany, today); ICE Asia (Shanghai, China) and ICE South America (Sao Paulo, Brazil). Each are significant events in their own right and take place every two years, the company says.
"This acquisition comes at a time when there are signs that the US market is beginning to recover, and we are keen to position ICE USA in North America as the leading trade fair for the converting of flexible materials," says Mack Brooks CEO Stephen Brooks.
"We have already found suitable dates in the very busy exhibition calendar and have decided to run ICE USA in the traditional spring slot held by CMM during odd years. As part of our strategy to revitalize the converting exhibition landscape in the US, we have chosen Orlando as the location for our new event ICE USA."
Michael Boyle will manage the new show in the US as event director. Known to Europeans as the man who made ICE what it is today, Boyle is in the process of setting up an expert team for Mack Brooks in the US, the company says."What others see as a problem is an opportunity," explains Boyle. "I will work closely with the industry to make it a success. Ten years ago, I said Europe needs a stand-alone converting show like CMM in the US. I was right. If you look at ICE today, it's a glowing example of success through dedication and focus. Today, I say that North America, more than ever before, needs its own stand-alone converting show.
"CMM may have had its day, but a more streamlined and focused ICE USA show is certain to prosper and succeed. Orlando is a breath of fresh air, and I invite all converting-industry suppliers to open the doors and breathe deeply," adds Boyle.
ICE facts:
ICE Europe, which takes place every two years, began in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in 1999 and moved to Munich, Germany, in 2003 where it has prospered and grown to the current level of more than 80,000 net sq ft of booth space, filling all four halls of the M,O,C, Exhibition Ctr. and gaining a reputation for being a place to buy and specify leading converting machinery and technology.
CMM facts:
This acquisition marks the end of a long and gradual demise of a once great and prosperous trade fair. Since the heydays of the 1980s and 1990s, CMM has undergone several changes of ownership and management, including a move from McCormick Place in Chicago to Rosemont (IL), where the last two CMM shows have taken place. The last CMM in June 2009 had less than 2,000 visitors.
Chiricostajoins ICE USA
02/01/2010ICE Europe 2009 closes with record results
02/09/2010ICE Europe 2009 readies for Tuesday opening
02/09/2010
