July/August 2005
25 Bargain Destinations

EXPO’s annual review of cities with more than 150,000 net square feet of exhibit space offering the most affordable hotel and meal rates

By Barbara Axelson

Despite the upswing in the industry, show organizers continue to search for value destinations for exhibitors and attendees. Which cities offer the best deals?

EXPO — with more than a little help from PKF Consulting in Atlanta and Smith Travel Research in Hendersonville, TN — has come up with our annual roster of 25 bargain destinations that offer substantial exhibit space (150,000 net square feet or more) and alluring cost savings (determined by combining average daily hotel room rates and federal per diem rates). They are listed here in alphabetical order.

Find out what value-added incentives — from waiving attrition fees and free transportation to attendance promotion and registration staffing — these cities and centers offer to show organizers. For more details, contact the convention and visitors bureaus directly.

1. Albuquerque, NM
Albuquerque’s high altitude means the climate is mild year-round, a plus for planners and attendees. Most of New Mexico’s 19 Indian pueblos are a short drive from the city. There’s a program for show organizers using 500 hotel rooms on peak that qualifies for free meeting space at the Albuquerque Convention Center.

2. Atlanta
One of the nation’s largest hubs, about 2,600 flights touch down in the city each day, and 80 percent of the U.S. population is within a two-hour flight of Atlanta. A ticket on the rapid rail is $1.75 and delivers guests from the airport directly to the hotel district and convention center. The Georgia World Congress Center embraces a policy of providing value with “no hidden costs.”

3. Cincinnati
For groups using two or more hotels and the convention center, the bureau provides a complimentary information booth and a custom-designed Web page, personalized with a welcome to attendees and information about Cincinnati and a pre-show e-mailer. Teleconferencing capabilities include broadband and downlink dish. Programmable information signage is available throughout the convention center.

4. Cleveland
Money-saving amenities include discounted attraction packages, free parking depending on the size of the event and a reasonable rapid transit system from the airport for just $1.50. Cleveland’s ambassador corps assist at citywide conventions with a meet-and-greet at the airport, with transportation assistants and directional staff. The CVB telemarketing staff can help with attendance building. A local media directory is provided.

5. Columbus, OH
Preferred agreements with an in-house audiovisual company and service contractor give planners options at a discounted rate. The convention center, which features an 80,000-square-foot food court and retail shopping area, provide shows with coupon books. The Arena District, the city’s newest nighttime destination, is steps away from the convention center and downtown hotels.

6. Denver
Denver’s mile-long 16th Street Mall is served by free shuttle buses. Many downtown attractions are a block or two from the Mall. Tours of the U.S. Mint are free, as are tours of the State Capitol. To streamline loading and unloading times, separate loading docks at the auditorium and on the meeting-room level permit trucks to service them without interfering with exhibit-level loading.

7. Detroit
The discount airline Spirit has its largest hub in Detroit. Located in suburban Detroit, the new Novi Expo Center, which will open in the fall of 2005, will offer flexible and open work rules. The city’s convention package includes up to $100,000 in transportation subsidies once downtown hotels are full.

8. Ft. Lauderdale, FL
A new meeting planners’ incentive program for those booking 600 peak room nights in August and September 2005 and 2006 offers free rental of all floor space throughout the entire 600,000-square-foot Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center. The bureau Web site features access to 3-D floor plans and a VIPlanners club to receive special offers and news updates via e-mail. Attrition fees will be waived at contracted hotels.

9. Houston
The city’s pedestrian-friendly downtown features street performers and is home to more than 70 restaurants and nightclubs. Free performances are offered at the Miller Outdoor Theatre, an amphitheater open from April through October that features the Houston Shakespeare Festival, musicals and the Houston Symphony.

10. Indianapolis
Indianapolis hotels, restaurants, retailers and the convention center display welcome signs specified for the incoming group and deck their frontline personnel in welcome buttons. A complimentary welcome program is coordinated by the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Authority to provide a visual presence to incoming visitors. Hotels at a variety of price points are within walking distance; 3,000 rooms are linked by skywalk to the convention center.

11. Kansas City, MO
On the weekends, group rates are typically lower. Event listings are featured on the the CVB’s Web site, as well as in convention alerts that are sent to both the membership and the media. The CVB offers liaison services with its members and the city government for all meetings and conventions. The CVB also assists with off-site event ideas and venue locations. 

12. Minneapolis
Two types of housing systems are offered along with a comprehensive welcome program with airport welcomes, signage and welcome ribbons. Assistance with hotel bids and contract negotiations is available, and registration and housing can be combined into a one-step process for attendees. With 1,350 flights a day coming into Minneapolis, the city is convenient for attendees and exhibitors.

13. Nashville, TN
In addition to the cost savings associated with non-union labor, live music entertainment is easily accessible in Nashville for a reasonable price. The Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center can offer everything under one roof, which translates to transportation savings for shows. The CVB provides promotional materials and marketing tools such as e-cards.

14. Omaha, NE
The newest convention center between Denver and Chicago, the Qwest Center and Arena is a state-of-the-art facility with an integrated 17,000-seat Arena. Located just 2.5 miles from the airport, the center offers convenient access to transportation, hotels, shopping and entertainment.

15. Orlando, FL
Value-added services include registration staffing through the CVB registration program. Specially discounted attraction tickets are offered to convention delegates. The bureau also provides printing services at very competitive rates, often saving show organizers money on printing and shipping charges, as well, if delivery is direct to the meeting facility.

16. Philadelphia
Exhibitors can set up booths up to 300 square feet and use non-power tools and pre-strung drape. The Pennsylvania Convention Center is within a block of 3,000 hotel rooms. Set-up Monday through Friday to avoid overtime and booking during the off-season months are other ways to cut costs. With 40 percent of the U.S. population within a day’s drive of the city, most shows experience increased attendance at lower cost.

17. Phoenix, AZ
Organizers can save 33 percent off published rates for the Phoenix Convention Center by using off-peak time periods. The same off-season also affords management and their guests flexibility on tee times and more affordability on greens fees at more than 200 area golf courses. Discounts on hotel/resort rates and spa packages are also available. Additionally, the use of union labor is not required at the convention center.

18. Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Welcome Pack 2005 contains coupons for discounted meals and attractions that include more than 35 restaurants and places such as the Carnegie Museums and theatres in and around town. Visitors can take the T subway or regular buses from anywhere within the downtown area at no charge.

19. Portland, OR
Using the Interstate Light Rail Train system provides a car-free alternative to reach the Portland Metropolitan Expo Center and other popular destinations. Shows that contract more space will receive discounts in their package pricing. The facility offers full-service catering and the largest wi-fi hot spot in Portland.

20. Richmond, VA
Situated in the heart of Virginia’s capital city and just minutes from the Richmond International Airport, the Greater Richmond Convention Center offers a 700,000-square-foot facility. A new Cyber Café provides visitors free use of six freestanding Internet accessible kiosks, while serving as a “hot spot” to provide those who have a personal laptop computer the ability to log onto the Internet at no charge.

21. San Antonio
This city offers “Hot Dates” on its Web site and suggests that planners start there to negotiate excellent rates. The airport is eight minutes from downtown; thus transport is easy and reasonable. There are 10,000 hotel rooms close to the convention center in the downtown area (30,000 citywide), and the bureau offers attendance builders and program shells to organizers along with registration personnel.

22. Seattle
The Citywide Concierge Center is located in the Washington State Convention & Trade Center at no cost to users. Reservations, tour bookings, ground transportation, arts and sports tickets, and services such as spa/salon visits and flower orders are offered, as well as a TicketMaster box office. Approximately 6,000 hotel rooms are within an easy walk and all Metro buses in downtown Seattle are free.

23. St. Louis
Groups with more than 1,000 rooms on peak are offered an entertainment shuttle that goes to hotels, downtown restaurant and entertainment districts and the President’s Casino. New labor agreements at America’s Center permit exhibitors to assemble their own booths of up to 300 square feet in size, use hand tools, and hang signs and graphics. Handcarts may be used, and exhibitors can drive into special loading areas.

24. Tampa, FL
Summer is value season here; mid-May to mid-September offers great price breaks with holiday weekends at even lower rates. An Attendee Discount Booklet features deals and discounts at many area attractions. The historic streetcar system provides reasonably priced, unlimited ride passes for show management to purchase for delegates to go to shopping and entertainment districts.

25. Tucson, AZ
Destination marketing collateral is available for delegates, as are online materials and e-blasts. For those booking into the Tucson Convention Center and the downtown Radisson City Center Hotel, a “Sunsets and Savings” program offers $10,000 to use toward local transportation, rentals or receptions. Details are on the CVB Web site.