November/December 2004
New look at an old strategy

If you would have told me five years ago that co-location would be one of the most popular growth strategies today, I would not have believed you, mostly because our industry was not as open to partnerships during the booming late 90s. But today co-location is hot. If you need proof, look no further than Food Marketing Institute’s (FMI) Supermarket Convention & Educational Exposition and it’s successful co-location with four other shows earlier this year (see our cover story, Co-location goes mainstream). All Things Organic, a show that co-located with FMI, nearly doubled its event in one year with co-location, according to show producer Brian Perkins with Diversified Business Communications.

Co-location isn’t a new concept. Independents and associations alike have been co-locating events for more than 10 years. But in the last year or so, co-location has really come to the forefront as a viable option for shows in many industries. Everyone seems to be doing it — or at least considering it.

According to an EXPOweb News poll in October, 64 percent of show organizers are considering or planning a co-location for their events. And according to a market survey for the Exhibition and Convention Executives Forum (ECEF) 2004, 34 percent of respondents planned to co-locate in 2004, compared to 27 percent in 2003 and 14 percent in 2002.

As attendance has dropped over the last few years, show organizers having been looking for ways to increase attendance and traffic on the show floor. And with attendees wanting to go to fewer shows, co-locations have offered a good solution in some cases.

Last month, a number of major co-locations were announced. The Society of Manufacturing Engineers, the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association and the American Welding Society have formed an alliance to produce a new joint event. The Club Managers Association of America, the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America and the National Golf Course Owners Association are joining forces to launch and manage the Golf Industry Show. The new AEC-Science and Technology will be co-located with four other events.

Co-location can take many forms. Co-located events can have separate identities in shared or adjacent space, they can merge under an umbrella event with a brand new identity, or they can combine with one or more partners staging a pavilion or show-within-a-show. It has also become a less risky format for launching new shows.

But for as many proponents of co-location, there are just as many skeptics. Co-location isn’t for everyone. Whom you partner with and the long-term viability of their event should be carefully considered. And co-location may lose its popularity as the economy gains steam. But there’s no doubt that now’s the time to take a new look at this old strategy.

Danica Tormohlen, Editor
dtormohlen@ascendmedia.com

P.S. If you launched a show in 2004, be sure to enter EXPO’s show launch of the year award (see page 16 for details).