May 2006
Best Practices: Launching a public event at a trade show
PRI’s racing event draws a standing-room-only crowd of 8,200 and clears a tidy profit

By Cathy Chatfield-Taylor

When Performance Racing Industry (PRI, www.performanceracing.com) Trade Show Producer Steve Lewis decided to stage a short-track racing event in conjunction with his first Orlando show, he set his sites on filling the 5,500-seat grandstand to capacity. He did that, and more, without spending a dime on radio or TV advertising. The MOPAR-PRI Sprint & Midget Classic drew a standing-room only crowd of 8,200 and cleared a tidy profit.

“I always wanted to do a public event like this, but we always had the show in a cold-weather city. It wasn’t feasible in Indianapolis in December, ” Lewis says. “When we were making the transition from Indianapolis, I needed it to be a seamless experience for exhibitors and attendees. I wanted them to focus on something special instead of why we weren’t in Indianapolis.”

Although Indianapolis was a “sweet spot” for the more than 45,000 racing industry professionals who attend, PRI relocated to Orlando after seven years to give exhibitors more space. The move allowed the show to expand from 650,000 gross square feet in 2004 to about 800,000 net square feet in 2005.

A promotional highlight for the 18th annual show, held Dec. 1–3 at the Orange County Convention Center, was the 1st annual night at the races featuring champion drivers from the NASCAR and USAC circuits. Held Dec. 2 at Orlando Speedworld, the event presented a 40-lap Midget race, followed by a 40-lap Sprint Car race. The victor in the first race started last in the second. Winning both races would have earned a bonus prize of $50,000, for a total potential purse of $115,000. A 20-minute drifting exhibition and 20-lap race among legend mini cars were added attractions.

The action-packed format appealed to Masters Entertainment Group, which covers the industry for ESPN and exhibits at the PRI Trade Show. The group filmed an edition of its weekly talk show from the trade show floor and also packaged the races for national cablecast on ESPN2 twice in February 2006. The TV deal sweetened the pot for sponsors. The sales team landed a title sponsor, $50,000-to-win sponsor, drifting exhibition sponsor and 10 associate sponsors.

Although the race was a public event, PRI did no public promotions. “We decided that we would focus the entire marketing effort on the PRI constituents,” Lewis says. “We put the materials together and did direct mail to exhibitors and attendees, and strong phone sales for exhibitor packages.” Full-page ads also ran in Performance Racing Industry magazine.

Priced at $20 per ticket with no discounts, nearly 1,500 tickets sold in advance. In all, PRI sold 5,000 general admission tickets, as well as 3,200 pit passes at $30 each. Fewer than 500 of the ticket holders were local attendees.

“We wanted it that way,” Lewis says.

PRI Trade Show Manager Karin Davidson handled the logistics for the race night, including arranging for free shuttle buses from the trade show to the racetrack and back to the hotels. The Race Track Express not only shuttled about 1,100 people but also provided added entertainment — “Bud on the Bus” — sponsored by PRI.

Although the standing-room-only audience overwhelmed concessions and restrooms at the racetrack, response to the event was enthusiastic.

“I just wanted something to take their mind off the move,” Lewis says. “It went way beyond that. This will become a significant race in the industry to participate in and watch.”