SHOW NEWS: Chicago Show Returns to Roots for 25th Anniversary

John Wolz

The Mid-West Fastener Association will mark the 25th anniversary of the Chicago Fastener Show by returning to its tabletop roots.
The Mid-West Fastener Show will be June 12, 2006, at the Sheraton Chicago Northwest in Arlington Heights, IL, near Chicago”s O”Hare International Airport. A “Fastener Bash” reception and dinner will follow the show and the 54th annual golf outing will be on June 13.
Exhibitors who have been with the show all 25 years will be given first choice for the limited number of tabletops. Once tables are reserved an alternative literature promotion will be announced.
For information contact MWFA executive director Nancy Rich. Tel: 847 438-8338 Fax 847 438-7580 E-mail: mwfa@ameritech.net Web: mwfa.net

Hurley Succeeds Retiring Crase at NIFS
Susan Hurley has replaced Gloria Crase as show manager for the National Industrial Fastener Shows. Veteran show manager Crase, who has been with NIFS since it began 25 years ago, retired in August. Crase will be honored at the 2005 NIFS/West show.
General partner Jim Bannister told FIN that Hurley “has been understudying Gloria for several years” and is working toward exhibition industry credentials. She has been with Bannister & Associates Inc. in accounting and in association, meeting and trade show management.
Crase and Hurley can be contacted at NIFS, 34 N. High St., New Albany, OH 43054-8507. Tel: 614 895-1279 Fax 614 895-3466 E-mail: gcrase@bannister.com or susan@bannister.com

NIFS/East Moving to Atlanta for 2007
The 27th Annual National Industrial Fastener Show/East will be held May 22-23, 2007, at the Georgia International Convention Center, near Atlanta”s Hartsfield Airport.
Show management cited proximity to the airport, Interstate highways and parking and the suburban convention center”s right-to-work policy allowing exhibitors to transport and set up displays as advantages.
For 2006 East show management announced 100 booths have been reserved for the 26th annual distribution-oriented show, which is returning to Columbus, OH, where the show was founded and held for 22 years. The trade show will be on Tuesday, May 2, 2006, with conferences and an opening reception preceding on Monday.
Show manager Susan Hurley predicted “we will exceed the 2005 show in size and attendance.” There were 223 booths and 376 distributors registered for the 2005 East show in Baltimore.
Show management will seek to revive the NIFS Hall of Fame at the 2006 East show with a luncheon and a “rededication” of the hall of fame garden at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Not held in 2003 or 2005, the NIFS event has been the subject of jokes even by HOF members and industry cynicism for its selection process. Prominent industry figures have turned down nominations in recent years. Web: fastenershows.com
Fastener Fair Europe Different From North American Events
The similarity to North American and European fastener trade shows are some of the names: Earnest Machine Products, Brighton-Best, Ramco, Powers Fasteners, Hariton Machinery, National Machinery and Alloy & Stainless were among the 198 exhibiting companies from 27 nations.
Beyond the names were many differences at Fastener Fair Europe, held September 14-15, 2005, for the first time in Stuttgart, Germany. There are the European hard walls instead of back drapes to separate “stands” (booths).
Selling at the European fastener show is more social with many booths having tables and comfortable seating for sales meetings. Numerous exhibitors had blocks of Parmesan cheese, Swiss chocolate or beer and wine. Show management provided private meeting rooms for exhibitors.
Fastener Fair Europe was almost a new show. Though show organizer Jerry Ramsdale has held a regional show in the UK for a decade and a European show for three years beginning in 1999 in Maastricht, Netherlands, the 2005 show was moved and reconfigured in the off-year for fasteners at the giant hardware show in K�ln (Cologne, Germany) Practical World.
Ramsdale announced that based on results of the 2005 show “Fastener Fair has successfully established itself in the heart of Europe and Stuttgart 2007 is definitely “on.””
There were numerous other differences such as stand sizes varying. Instead of a basic 10×10 booth there were multiple sizes as small as 1×3 meters.
Though English was the language most overheard and frequently used, everything from Russian to Chinese was heard in the aisles. The show program was in both English and German.
Visitors stayed at hotels throughout Stuttgart with the subways and streetcars providing easy access. Trains arrived every 15 minutes creating a noticeable surge at the show entrance.
When longer registration lines than expected formed on the opening morning, show management quickly called in convention temps to keep attendees moving into the exhibit hall instead of waiting in line.
Brighton-Best Socket Screw had one of the largest exhibit spaces with two giant balloons to draw visitor attention. Each covered the equivalent of one booth.
“Everybody in the UK knows us,” managing director Ray Southam explained. “Europe is different. Germany is very, very slow to break into. We need to get noticed.”
Lancaster Fastener Co. Ltd. caught eyes with a “luxury” stand. The hard walls appeared to be a rich wood paneling and their fasteners were displayed in jewelry boxes.
Managing director Sam Wilson explained the strategy is to “make a statement about quality.” From the practical side it makes shipping the sample fasteners easy.
LLS Titanium produces surgical screws and special kits for bikes made with titanium. Their products are sold throughout the world, including Australia, Brazil and the U.S.
The LLS Titanium stand caught attention with one of its non-fastener products titanium skullcaps.
The Numbers
There were a total of 1,603 visitors to Fastener Fair as counted by scanning badges at the entrance, Show Data Systems reported.
Nearly three quarters of visitors registered at the show. Of the 816 registering in advance 48.4% did not actually attend. There were 456 exhibit staff.
Visitors came from 51 countries with the host country of Germany dominating with 42%. Italy was second with 9.5% and the UK had 6.8%
More than three quarters came from Western Europe and the combined Eastern (10.5%) and Western Europe totaled 94%.
Scandinavian visitors the longest traveling distance within Europe accounted for 4.7%.
Among the countries: Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Morocco, Syria, Russia, South Africa, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, China, Taiwan, Canada and the United States.
Show management reported 26.6% of visitors marking a classification were company directors or owners; general management 14.4%; purchasing 25%; and engineering or technical 8.5%.
Distributors, importers and wholesalers totaled 59%. Manufacturers totaled 33%, corresponding to the 32% expressing interest in manufacturing technology (heading, tooling, wire, heat treatment and inspection).
The next Fastener Fair will be a regional event in the UK on April 5-6, 2006, in Coventry, England. For information contact Jerry Ramsdale. Tel: (44) 1707 882022
Fax (44) 1707 882282 E-mail: info@fastfair.net Web: fastenerfair.com \ �2005 FastenerNews.com