Over the last few months some industry associations have decided to move their annual tradeshows from Chicago to other North American locations. Given the current economic environment, this has become a major issue in the local Chicago media, as well as a hot topic of discussion among those of us involved in the tradeshow and event industry.

Why certain associations have chosen to leave Chicago is secondary to the perception across the industry that participation is too costly, whether in Chicago or any other venue.  I think those of us involved in the industry would agree that the way events and tradeshows are priced needs to be revisited. When a customer speaks, perception is reality and the market has spoken and spoken very loudly.

In our humble opinion, General Service Contractors are an important part of the solution. We need to work with everyone involved (exhibitors, show owners, associations, labor, unions, convention centers, third party providers, etc.) to understand their concerns and requirements and create innovative, new pricing solutions as soon as possible. We have to provide transparency to our customers within the context of the environment in which we operate.  This is not a new issue; we referenced a 1971 Chicago Tribune article {cited below} in a prior blog post in which this same topic was being discussed.  As an involved, invested participant in this industry, we need to create value-based pricing and product offerings that enhance any event, whether in Chicago or any other North American city.

{“Analyzing the Trade Show Industry” written by Thomas Powers appeared in the July 18^th edition of the Chicago Tribune}