NIFS/East Cancelled for 2009; Planned for Columbus Again in 2010

John Wolz

Show management cancelled the 2009 National Industrial Fastener Show/East, but announced it will hold the trade show again in 2010 in Columbus, OH.
Though show management cited the global economic crisis, observers noted that the show was struggling even before the economic downturn. The number of booths at the May 21, 2008, show dropped 34.7% and distributor registration fell 16.2% from 2007.
The once-dominate industry show peaked at 653 booths in 1998, but the highest number of booths in the past eight years was 282 in 2001. NIFS/East has averaged 213 booths in the past eight years and in May this year drew only 164.
Distributor registration figures have declined from a high of 1,753 in 1995 to a low of 321 for 2008. Distributor registration averaged 442 during the past eight years of the show, which was first held in 1981.
The next NIFS/East is scheduled for May 25-26, 2010, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.
Show manager Susan Hurley announced 2009 exhibitors would be given credit toward the 2009 NIFS/West Show, the 2010 East Show or receive refunds. Booths cost $1,495 to $1,595 plus furnishings.
Show owners Jim Bannister and Mike McGuire blamed the economy for what they termed “postponement” of what would have been the 29th annual trade show. “The current economic crisis has had a crippling effect on many fastener companies due to severe cutbacks in manufacturing, construction and other industries using our products and services,” they wrote.
The owners predicted the economy would improve “in the next six to 18 months and the fastener business climate will improve greatly. The 2009 West (Las Vegas) Show is as strong as ever and we see better days ahead.”
NIFS/West is scheduled November 16-18, 2009, at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Many in the industry are questioning whether there will be another NIFS/East.
The 2010 show had been planned for Baltimore. One trade show expert speculated that changing it to Columbus may be an attempt to avoid cancellation fees this year with the Greater Columbus Convention Center.
The cancellation of 2009 was not a surprise. Numerous past exhibitors were talking openly about not returning. NIFS had not yet posted a list of 2009 exhibitors on its website, which one past exhibitor took as an indication that “the list was short.”

“That is not surprising news although it is interesting,” one past exhibitor reacted to the cancellation.
“The Columbus show is a total waste of time and money,” declared another exhibitor with no plans to return.
“If they want us to exhibit in 2010, they are going to have to announce major and bold new marketing plans,” a past exhibitor said.
Instead of returning to Ohio, one exhibitor who “had not fully decided on attending the Columbus show to exhibit,” suggested “to be successful it needs to move each year.” He named New York, Dallas, Florida and Maryland as prime locations.

Columbus Alternatives
The cancellation of the Ohio show could boost Fastener Tech 09. The second staging of the show, sponsored by the Mid-West Fastener Association and Fastener Technology International magazine, is scheduled for June 8-10, 2009, at the Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL, near Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. Fastener Tech 09 will include a trade show for fastener manufacturers, distributors, users and suppliers, educational programs, keynote breakfast, all-industry reception and networking events.
But putting NIFS/East on ice doesn’t guarantee exhibitors will support Fastener Tech.
“Will they get the quality and quantity of distributors into the hall?” one exhibitor asked. “They have six more months with no competition to get the job done. If they (Fastener Tech organizers) fail to get distributors there, we won’t return in 2011.”
Another potential beneficiary of NIFS/East’s declining numbers is the Southwestern Fastener Expo, which is held in even-numbered years in Texas. The 2008 show in Houston cost SFA member exhibitors $395 (non-members $595), including furniture and post-show networking dinner.
“It is a good time for the regional shows to try to put something together as a group,” said a multiple booth exhibitor.

Economic Blame?
Many exhibitors blame NIFS management for failing to revitalize the East show. “The shows are so tired and I just feel like they (show owners) are milking the cash cow until it runs dry,” declared one exhibitor who had already decided not to return to Columbus.
For years exhibitors have been complaining that NIFS/East had declined to a regional show but remained at national prices. Show management irritated some exhibitors last summer by issuing a defense of NIFS/East touting visitors from 38 states at the 2008 show. That triggered exhibitors from the distribution-oriented show to start counting and they discovered that a 50.6% majority of distributor registrations were from Ohio alone, and more than three-quarters were from five Midwestern states (see the May 29, 2008, and July 22, 2008, issues of FIN).
After Hurley declared in a post-show news release that the “2008 East Show was successful by all measures,” some exhibitors questioned if show management even understands what has been happening to the East show.
In their cancellation statement, Bannister and McGuire wrote that they “are unwilling to present a fastener exhibition which does not meet the high standards and expectations that our nearly 30-year history of valuable and successful fastener industry conferences and exhibitions have created.”
“Are they ignoring their own numbers?” one past exhibitor asked of years of decline for NIFS/East.
For NIFS information contact Susan Hurley. Tel: 614 895-1279 E-mail: info@fastenershows.com Web: fastenershows.com �2008 FastenerNews.com