Chicago in Two Acts

Act One.

Let’s face it…we love Chicago. It’s a great town; and, if you are putting on a tradeshow in the food industry, there is no better venue. FPSA, and its predecessor organizations, have located more tradeshows in Chicago than any other U.S. city…by far! Draw a two-hour driving distance around Chicago and count the number of food companies located within the circle. That will explain, in great part, Chicago’s popularity. Add an exceptional exhibit facility supported by great hotels and restaurants in one of the world’s most important transportation hubs and you get the full picture of why we love Chicago.

But, if you have done a tradeshow in Chicago, you know the blemish that spoils the picture I have been painting. It’s the arcane labor practices that have made exhibiting a painful, and expensive, proposition for many exhibitors. It’s become a joke. “How many McCormick electricians does it take to screw in a light bulb”? (The answer is three). And the same goes for bringing in a simple booth or plugging in a computer, etc. This “joke” has had some serious consequences for the trade show business in Chicago with the flight of some very large shows to Orlando and other more “labor friendly” venues.

While we were negotiating for dates in Chicago for PROCESS EXPO, we made known both our concerns about the labor costs as well as our support for the reform legislation that was being discussed. Recently we came away with two victories: one, we have Fall dates for 2011 for PROCESS EXPO; and, two, meaningful labor reform that will save our exhibitors thousands of dollars is now a reality. Here are just a few highlights of the changes we can anticipate:

• Exhibitors may unload and load materials from privately owned vehicles with the use of non-motorized hand trucks and dollies
• Shows will be allowed to solicit an outside electrical contract group
• Exhibitor/exhibitor employees are permitted in a booth of any size to skid, position and re-skid all exhibitor material, machinery and equipment
• Exhibitor/exhibitor employees are permitted in a booth of any size to deliver, set up, and plug in, interconnect, and operate an exhibitor’s electrical equipment, computers, audio-visual devices, etc
• Exhibitor/exhibitor employees are permitted in a booth of any size to set up and dismantle machines, materials, install signs, graphs, props, balloons and other decorative items including drapery, skirting, tables, etc
• Major changes regarding straight and overtime pay have been made (see http://www.fpsa.org/SB3215-Enrolled for more information about changes to labor costs)
• Crew sizes are not to exceed two persons and will be determined by the required task rather than a minimum, standard-number of crew members

Act Two.

While we are excited about our plans for the “new and improved” PROCESS EXPO 2011, work goes forward to deliver an exceptional event this July in Chicago. Targeted e-mails, hundreds of letters, thousands of phone calls, are all part of an on-going campaign to deliver quality buyers to the three-days of the show. While we are confident that these activities will yield positive results, true success will be measured and defined by the degree that exhibitors participate in this promotion as well.

When surveys ask the primary reasons that motivated people to attend a particular show, unfailingly the number one response is “I received an invitation from my supplier”. Your e-mail or phone call to you your customers delivering them a free registration to attend the show will have a significant impact on both the quality and the numbers of visitors we will have this year. So please send out your “exhibitor invites” with free passes if you haven’t done so already. We need your help. We want a strong foundation this year to build our show together in 2011 and beyond.

David Seckman, President
FPSA