SHOW NEWS: NIFS Again Schedules West Show During STAFDA

John Wolz

The National Industrial Fastener Show/West will move to the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas for 2007 through 2010. The schedule is: November 12-14, 2007; November 2-4, 2008; November 16-18, 2009; and November 8-10, 2010.
Show partners Jim Bannister and Mike McGuire set the 2010 trade show during the 34th annual convention of the Specialty Tools & Fasteners Association, which was earlier announced for November 7-9, 2010, in Phoenix.
Several industry leaders said they could not think of any benefit to the fastener industry of Bannister and McGuire scheduling their West show during STAFDA.
Neither Bannister nor McGuire responded to questions about the scheduling.
In 2003 the last time NIFS scheduled its West show during STAFDA one observer calculated both shows lost potential exhibitors and exhibitors lost attendees. At least two National Fastener Distributor Association board members were at STAFDA instead of NIFS/West.
“They [Bannister & McGuire] caused a lose/lose situation for the industry,” one observer told FIN.
Adding to the conflict this time is that McGuire joined STAFDA earlier this year leading to questions of “What “member loyalty” is he demonstrating?” and “Which show will Mike attend?”
“This is not a last minute booking where there are few choices. There are hundreds of convention centers. If they lose attendance or exhibitors it will be a self-inflicted wound.”
In 1994 Bannister complained about a fastener manufacturing show being scheduled within two weeks of his 1995 Columbus show.
Since then Bannister and McGuire have scheduled all 14 of the 1997 through 2010 NIFS/West events in Las Vegas within 14 days of STAFDA conventions. In his letter to then FIN editor Dick Callahan Bannister charged that the manufacturing show “has exhibited a total lack of regard for the industry by scheduling their trade show so close to ours. Prospective attendees and exhibitors will be forced to make a choice as to which show they visit or participate in.” Bannister noted that having the two “events only 14 days apart has to have a negative impact on both.” Bannister added that he read the manufacturing show announcement with “disgust.”

Despite the conflict with STAFDA, some exhibitors were pleased with the new location for 2007-2010. NIFS/West outgrew the Paris ballroom in 2000 and show management recently announced all 640 booths were sold for 2006.
The NIFS record was 653 in 1996. Mandalay Bay can provide up to 1,000 booths in one hall.
Many exhibitors over the years complained that the two auxiliary ballrooms at the Paris Hotel are “second and third class” locations with less distributor traffic than the main Paris ballroom.
Last year there were even complaints from attendees that the narrow Paris aisles were too crowded.
“If show management had been willing to listen to exhibitors they would have moved to a larger convention facility years ago and set a record this year,” suggested one exhibitor. “After all these years of our complaints they finally caught on that Paris is too small. Duh.”
Another exhibitor complained that show management is “bragging that they are “sold out” for 2006. A steel supplier who fails to have enough wire rod for a fastener manufacturer customer would apologize, not brag.” \ �2006 FastenerNews.com