7/6/2009
NEWS BRIEF

“Yes, you could roll a bowling ball down the aisles,” show management of the International Fastener & Precision Formed Parts Manufacturing Exposition acknowledged in its post-show news release. “And, for the most part, do so without significant risk of causing injury to the relatively few hardy souls who took time away from the worries of the current economic slump to attend the four-day event.”

Show organizers generally focus on something to paint a positive picture of an event, but IFE management gained respect from several exhibitors with its post-show candor.

“They showed they understand the problem,” responded one exhibitor.

“We’re not going to sugar coat this,” IFE’s Ray Zirkle acknowledged. “We knew we were operating within a tough economy and in spite of exhibit sales being off substantially, we did more – and spent more – on our attendance promotion efforts this year than we did for our successful event in 2007.”

Zirkle is executive director of the International Fastener Machinery & Suppliers Association, which organizes and sponsors IFE.

IFE is working with Interwire on co-located shows for 2011.

The final marketing for the 2009 show was targeted at potential attendees within driving distance of the show at Cleveland’s I-X Center, Zirkle noted.

Even a wide variety of free IFE conference programs had scant attendance.

IFE 09 totaled 57 exhibitors, down from 100 in 2007.

A few exhibitors did report selling machinery off the show floor.

“I’m a big belier in shows,” IFMSA chairman Ray Sullivan said. “Considering the nature of our equipment, we need to present and demonstrate our machinery to the customer in a face-to-face setting. This show was a reflection of the current state of affairs in the automotive industry – the largest segment of the fastener market.”

Sullivan’s Cinco Industries did sell a machine to an aerospace fastener manufacturer.

Jim Flanagan, president of Reed Machinery Company Inc., said that though attendance was down, he came away with “a number of quality leads, which, if they work out, will make our exhibit experience more than worthwhile.”

For information on IFMSA contact Zirkle. Tel: 203 794-0444 or 800 688-1698 E-mail: rzirkle@bzsales.com