Converting Magazine

Mark Spaulding

Death of the four-day trade show?
April 3, 2008

Two primary converting events (CMM and Labelexpo Americas) recently announced new dates for their next editions. What's missing from recent versions of both shows is...a whole day!

Labelexpo Americas 2008 will now run Sept. 9-11 at the Stephens Convention Ctr. in Rosemont, IL, eliminating the half-an-opening day Sept. 8 on Monday. Driven primarily by a few exhibitors with very large booths (and investments and expenses), Labelexpo Americas grew by an extra day for the 2004 and 2006 editions. Obviously, show organizer Tarsus's customers had quite an influence. But what happened?

CMM Intl. 2009 will run June 2-4 at the same venue, cutting the previously scheduled June 1 opening day on Sunday. It's been a four-day show ever since at least 1993 when I first heard of it as part of my work on Packaging magazine. Again, what happened?

Has our industry consolidated, contracted and otherwise imploded to the point where a four-day trade show is too long now? Are exhibitors not willing to spend the money to put staff up for an extra day, even though the cost for displaying their equipment can't possibly be that much more? Maybe, as more exhibitors are tending toward 10x10 booths with videoscreens rather than running machinery, equipment shipping costs aren't even that much of a factor anymore.

On the attendee side, will converters be just as happy with only three available exhibit days? I think so, after all, how many companies need to send staffers to a show for more than a day or two, especially ones with a shopping list at the ready. Nowadays, I don't think anyone goes to a show to browse; they are seriously intent on finding something to buy.

For the show organizers, attracting similar attendance numbers in one less day makes for more crowded aisles and booths, giving everyone at least the impression of a jam-packed event. We'll see what happens this fall and next summer.

In the meantime, CPP Expo will be concurrent with the five-day Pack Expo Intl. 2008 in Chicago this November. Linked with that major, biennial event, CPP Expo can't possibly run less than five days, and with its whole premise as part of the "packaging supply chain," this only makes sense. If it was somehow--or might ever be--a stand-alone event, three days would be plenty.

Posted by Mark Spaulding on April 3, 2008 | Comments (1)