4/4/2016 5:52:00 PM
HEADLINES
NIFMSE: ‘Who Aren’t You Seeing At the Show?’
It isn’t just a question of filling the aisles with people. The Emerald Expositions LLC executive in charge of the National Industrial Fastener & Mill Supply Expo makes it clear that the trade show organizer understands the difference between “total number attending” and “quality attendees.”
Karalynn Sprouse, executive VP for the merchandise, international sourcing & manufacturing groups, is asking NIFMSE exhibitors: “Who aren’t you seeing at the show?”
Emerald has “a team to go out and get them,” Sprouse told FIN in an interview at Emerald’s office in Hollywood. Emerald Expositions, which acquired NIFMSE after the October 2015 trade show, will seek not just CEOs but purchasing staff and engineers.
“Bring your staff,” Emerald marketing VP Camille Candella says to CEOs.
Those potential attendees may include even niche markets connected to the fastener industry. Emerald also is expanding NIFMSE marketing to exhibitors of adhesives and specialty tools industries – including drills, hand tools, power tools, and plant maintenance and safety products.
Linh Vu, director of marketing, said Emerald will be looking at “Who are the potential attendees who are not there?”
Attendance inducements include the possibility of hosting some key attendees the first time and encouragements to stay two days.
“We’re marketing people,” Vu explained.
While previously distributors’ purchasing staff was welcome, past NIFMSE management wanted only distributors in the convention center. Categories such as fastener engineers for OEMs weren’t invited by previous management.
Sprouse came to Emerald two years ago after six years with a similar trade show / publication company – UBM Advanstar – where she was VP for the Fashion Group. Her trade shows included MAGIC – which she described as the largest fashion industry trade event in the world and 6th largest trade fair in the U.S.
Before UBM Advanstar, Sprouse worked for the Los Angeles division of Media News Group as VP of advertising. She said her experience in publication advertising impressed an executive who hired her “because it demonstrated I could meet deadlines.”
Emerald’s top executive, CEO David Loechner, has 32 years in the trade show industry.
The first step for Sprouse following the NIFMSE acquisition has been “networking.” Sprouse began contacting fastener organizations and surveying exhibitors and interested parties – whom she refers to as “partners.” In May, she will speak at the North Coast Fastener Association’s 8th annual Distributor Social.
“Emerald isn’t making any large format changes in 2016,” Sprouse told FIN. “We prefer to get to know the current state of the fastener industry, survey both attendees and exhibitors this year, making small improvements to this year’s event while doing completely thorough research via connecting with key advocates, media partners, attendees and exhibitors.
She finds answers to questions about extending hours and lots of ideas.
“We’ll keep asking questions,” Sprouse said.
Next, Sprouse and Emerald staff are traveling to other fastener events to meet the industry. In addition to domestic, there are potentials in Taiwan and Mexico.
Another question Sprouse has been asked as she meets the fastener industry is about the show location. It was first held in Las Vegas in 1997 as the “West” version of the original “East” trade show in Columbus, OH. While surveying, Sprouse has found some interest for moving or rotating NIFMSE to other sections of the U.S., but “there remains strong support for Las Vegas.”
The question of domestic vs. importer exhibitors has come up and Sprouse expects continued international exhibitors.
“The universe is smaller,” she explained. “There is a widening universe outside the U.S.”
It is reasonable to think of international exhibiting companies in proportion to percentages of where fasteners are manufactured, she suggested. “There is a balance between domestic with international.”
History of Emerald
Emerald dates its acquisition experience back to 1985. The list of decades now includes well-known names within the trade show industry.
The Emerald Expositions name was created in 2013 when Onex Corporation acquired Nielsen Expositions from the The Nielsen Company. Onex Partners is a private-equity firm founded in 1984. Onex has offices in Toronto, New York and London and $21 billion in assets under management. Onex has completed 480 acquisitions. Its businesses employ 192,000 people.
According to Emerald, its 2014 acquisition of GLM, a company founded in 1924, made it the largest U.S. B2B trade show operator.
Emerald operates 90+ trade shows annually, including 29 ranked in the Top 250 nationally. Emerald touts that it connects 525,000 buyers and sellers. Its industries include: Gift, home and general merchandise; sports & apparel; design jewelry, luxury & antiques; photo; healthcare; military; food; eCommerce; licensing; and international sourcing.
Emerald is involved in trade shows in 30 cities, has 370 employees in 10 cities and is headquartered in San Juan Capistrano, CA.
• One focus for Emerald is acquiring only the leading shows in any market. NIFMSE is the largest fastener trade show in North America.
• Emerald also prefers long-standing trade shows. JA New York – a jewelry trade show – is more than 100 years old. NIFMSE – first held in 1981 in Columbus, OH – is Emerald’s 14th trade show which is more than 25 years years old.
• NIFMSE becomes Emerald’s 10th trade show held in Las Vegas. Emerald’s Las Vegas shows range from the Sports, Licensing & Tailgate (SLAT) with 332 exhibiting companies to retail merchandise show ASD with 2,600 exhibitors.
NIFMSE had 634 exhibiting companies totaling a record 829 booths in 2015. Emerald’s Las Vegas presence gives NIFMSE “shared services and negotiating power,” Sprouse pointed out.
All of the acquisitions give Emerald experience in taking over a trade show as it has NIFMSE.
Whatever changes Emerald makes with the fastener trade show over the coming years, “attendance is #1 with quality attendance as a focus,” Sprouse said. Email: karalynn.sprouse@emeraldexpo.com Web: EmeraldExpositions.com
For 2016, NIFMSE will change to a Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday format. Conferences and opening reception on October 25 and the trade show on October 26-27. For information contact show director Susan Hurley. Tel: 614 895-1279 Email: info@fastenershows.com Web: FastenerShows.com
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