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Expo Line December 2004 5 ne of the hottest trends in the exhibition industry is the co-location of trade shows. In responding to corporate cutbacks that decrease buyer attendance, some trade show managers are collaborating with other exhibitions that have different audiences in a similar industry. The idea is that attendance to the combined shows will be more than the amount each would attract independently. Some show organizers have reservations about the concept's effectiveness. Others contend that co- location makes sense when two, three or even four shows combine to add value for each audience. When the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and Fancy Food Shows first co-located in 2002, each show honored the other's badges on the exhibit floor. But organizers soon learned there are unique challenges that come with co-location. For example, how do you handle pre and onsite registration when each show wants different information from its attendees? To make registration even more complex, FMI and Fancy Food Shows were joined by the All Things Organic and United Produce shows for a May, 2004 exhibition in Chicago. Registrants from over 100 countries were expected to visit more than 2,000 combined exhibits and attend many educational sessions and social events. The four organizations turned to CompuSystems, Inc. (CSI) to develop a registration solution that allowed each show to process advance registrations according to its specific needs. At the same time, they were to create a single onsite registration area that could service all registrants seamlessly. CSI's solution was to create one system for handling five separate registration databases – one for each association's pre-registrants and one for buyers who registered on site. “In many ways, combining registration systems is like trying to integrate five different accounting systems,” said Paul McCaffray, Chief Operating Officer of CSI. “What made it possible is that we had one data model containing information about all the shows for which we handled registration. “Onsite registration was the only area where the associations had to make any compromises in terms of gathering information,” McCaffray said. “Everyone had to agree on a universal registration form.” Can You Combine Registration for Co-located Shows? By IAEM Midwestern Chapter Member Pat Fallon, CompuSystems, Inc. O Each association had its own show-specific badges for advance registrations. To facilitate processing the different badges during registration, each of the 60 registration stations had immediate access to all five databases. Thirty-five badge printers were on hand so that each badge could be printed on the appropriate stock. CSI succeeded in setting up a combined registration system onsite while protecting the integrity of each show's advance registration. As show organizers continue to seek new ways to add value to their events, the exhibition industry will see an increase in co-located shows. Using experts to avert problems with registration systems will help make your event a success. For more information on registration and other meeting-related services, visit CompuSystems' website at www.compusystems.com Members of the IAEM Midwestern Chapter were out in force last week in San Antonio at Expo! Expo! IAEM’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition. The meeting and exhibition were highlighted by solid educational sessions, fun networking opportunities, a great exhibit hall, and many, many awards. The exhibit on Thursday was filled with great information from a variety of vendors showing the latest in software, services, and facilities. The Friday awards luncheon saw several Midwestern members honored. Brian Casey, CEM, a longtime member who has served on local and national committees for more than 20 years was honored with the Distinguished Service Award. Over 60 new CEMs were honored as well. Midwestern members getting their CEM designation included Doreen Biela, Sara Peterson, and Rose Horcher. The event contained one big surprise. IAEM announced it is cutting its connection with EXPO magazine and the commercial partner in that venture. A new IAEM-owned magazine will be launched in the summer. More details to follow. All in all the San Antonio experience was a good one and will be hard to top next year. Expo! Expo! Proves a Success By Dick Barton, APR
