Everyone Needs a Stimulation Package, Even Trade Shows

The Graphic Arts Show Company (GASC) recently announced an economic stimulus plan for all Print 09 exhibitors. If you were on the fence about exhibiting, this might be the the financial push for your company to attend. Although the GASC reported that 81% of the floor space has been leased, there is approximately 247,000 square feet still available – roughly the size of 2 super Wal-Marts. The stimulus package is available for exhibitors with existing contracts, who have not downsized original floor space more than 50%, as well as new contracts.

There are two options for subsidizing the material handling contracted out to Freeman. The first option would subsidize the machinery material handling incurred by most large vendors with press or postpress equipment. The second option for smaller vendors would include a $5.50 per square foot rebate for material handling. For example, a 1,000 sq. ft. exhibitor would be invoiced $1,500 by Freeman instead of the unsubsidized $7,000 material handling fee. Both options offer significant savings for all vendors ranging between “hundreds to hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

The subsidy plan is, no doubt, an attempt to halt the reduction of existing vendors contracts while attempting to gain interest from smaller industry suppliers. Recent years have already seen a significant reduction in floor space of the traditional “heavy metal” press manufacturers including MAN Roland, Goss, Heidelberg, etc. As noted before, vendors are increasingly moving toward online demonstrations and on-site open houses to lure their top tier customers. The current economic conditions have only compounded an already existing shift in marketing dollars.

The GASC, along with many other show companies, must realize that these stop gap measures will only be useful in the short term. The GASC will still need a long term plan to combat the shrinking floor space and eventual exodus of industry leaders looking beyond Print09. The current economic stimulus should stem the tide of downsized contracts and empty floor space, but  the overall story for Print09 has yet to be written.

my print, prin 09, trade show, economic stimulus