Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Big conventions increase Vegas shows

Two organizations that have conducted trade shows in Las Vegas will change their meeting cycles and gather here more frequently.

The International Baking Industry Exposition, which will meet in Las Vegas in September, has booked shows at the Las Vegas Convention Center in 2004 and 2007. About 30,000 people are expected at September's event, cosponsored by the American Bakers Association and BEMA, the baking industry suppliers association.

Meanwhile the National Association of Convenience Stores, which has decided to coordinate its trade shows with two petroleum industry groups, will gather in Las Vegas in October and again in 2004, 2006 and 2009. A spokesman for the association said the organization is rotating its show site with New Orleans and Chicago; all cities, he said, that are capable of hosting the large trade show as well as having enough hotel rooms for delegates.

"There are only a few cities that can support this size of a show," said Jeff Lenard, an association spokesman. "Las Vegas is one of the cities that best meets our needs."

Last year about 1,100 exhibitors had displays at the NACS show in New Orleans. Lenard said about 23,000 people attended the event.

"These aren't just 10-by-10-(foot) booths," Lenard said. "Anheuser-Busch brought out an enormous display for the last show."

The show is growing rapidly, Lenard said, because of the wide variety of services being offered in convenience stores. Suppliers of fast food, candy, car-wash equipment and fuel products are eager to display their products at the show.

In addition to growth within the industry, the convenience store concept is going global. With that in mind, the NACS has invited former British Prime Minister John Major to address the convention, scheduled for Oct. 20-23.

Lenard said beginning next year, the association will coordinate its trade show dates with those of the Petroleum Equipment Institute and the Petroleum Marketers Association of America.

About three-quarters of the nation's 120,000 convenience stores sell gasoline. Last year those stores sold 115 billion gallons of gas accounting for more than half of the stores' $269 billion in sales. In Nevada, 766 stores sold 725 million gallons of gasoline in 2000.

Lenard said NACS is looking forward to a lengthy relationship with Las Vegas.

"Las Vegas is well suited for how our industry operates," he said. "It was the first 24-hour industry and, in fact, the first 24-hour convenience store was a 7-Eleven that opened in Las Vegas in 1963."

Another industry that seems well suited to Las Vegas is the baking industry and the International Baking Industry Exposition will meet more frequently to give industry professionals an opportunity to see new technology at a faster pace.

"IBIE recognizes that Las Vegas is a very attractive location for our show," said John Paterakis, the exhibition's chairman and president of H&S Bakery, Baltimore. "Our international visitors particularly like this location and it's readily accessible for travel worldwide."

The exposition has been conducted in Las Vegas every four years since 1981. Because of scheduling conflicts, when the show takes on its three-year cycle, it will occur in late July or August instead of in the fall.

Kevin Bagger of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority said based on an attendance of 30,000 people, the show has a nongaming economic impact of $40.5 million on the city.

Conventions and trade shows have a growing importance for the city's economy as resorts scramble to win and keep customers from other emerging gambling markets. A conference next week will be a golden opportunity for Las Vegas to win even more convention business.

Meeting Professionals International's 2001 World Education Conference will bring 3,500 meeting planners to the city for a three-day event beginning July 22.

MPI's 19,000 members worldwide account for more than 772,000 meetings each year, the organization says. The average meeting professional schedules 84 meetings a year with a budget of more than $1 million. Of those planners, 51 percent work for corporations, 17 percent for associations, 17 percent are independent or work as consultants and 15 percent work for hospitals, universities, government agencies or multimanaged companies.

"The impact of 3,500 meeting professionals coming together is certainly significant when considering these figures," said Rossi Ralenkotter, vice president of marketing for the LVCVA. "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to highlight our city's stellar and diverse meeting and convention capabilities."

Nancy Murphy, director of sales for the LVCVA, said if the city makes a good impression on MPI's membership, it would go a long way toward attracting more conventions, trade shows and meetings to the city.

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