19 November 2009

ChicagoÃ¢â¬â¢s convention loss: OrlandoÃ¢â¬â¢s gain

One of the nation’s largest trade shows in the plastic industry deserted its traditional home at Chicago’s McCormick Place for Orlando, mainly for cost reasons.

An executive committee found holding the triennial NPE International Plastic Exposition would provide large reductions in the major expenses by both exhibitors and attendees by relocating to Orlando. These include:

• An average of almost half on utilities for booths.

• Another 19 percent savings on on-site hauling and rigging for exhibitors.

• Another 12 percent on lodging.

• And 11 percent on travel.

SPI first considered changing venues after receiving survey responses and numerous reports from NPE 2009 exhibitors and attendees that costs in Chicago had grown too high and that the work rules of the labor force had become a hindrance to exhibitors, according to James Buonomo, chairman of the SPI Board and CFO of Nypro, Inc.

"After carrying out due diligence on possible venues for NPE 2012, the NPE Executive Committee determined that by moving the show to Orlando, SPI could save the plastics industry up to $20-million," said Buonomo. "A savings of this magnitude will play a substantial role in SPI’s mission to stimulate our industry’s economic recovery."

The move marks a dramatic change for the largest plastics industry event in North America.

Founded by SPI in 1946, NPE has taken place at Chicago’s McCormick Place since 1971, and that venue has been linked with NPE in the minds of industry people around the world.

The convention draws up to 80,000 delegates. It will now take place April 1-5 in 2012 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.

By David Wilkening