SHOW NEWS: Las Vegas Main Exhibit Hall Sold Out

John Wolz

The main exhibit ballroom is sold out and nearly half of the overflow space is taken for the National Industrial Fastener Show/West, show management announced.\
The trade show will be on November 4-5, 2003, at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas. Exhibit hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday and 9 a.m. to noon on Wednesday. Conferences and the opening reception are on Monday.
The show is likely to have a busier feel this year as exhibit hours have been cut 16.7% from last year, which compacts distributor traffic into fewer hours.
With the reduced hours for 2003, distributors walking the show floor for the entire 10 hours can spend an average of 1.1 minutes per booth for the 550 estimated exhibits.
In past years exhibitors in the neighboring Champagne and Versailles ballrooms have complained that much of the Paris Ballroom traffic does not reach the auxiliary halls.
Show management announced in a news release that there will be �special things to ensure good traffic� in the extra halls but has not offered specifics.
One past exhibitor suggested that since booths in the Champagne and Versailles ballrooms add up to $184,095 in revenue on top of the $782,515 from the main Paris Ballroom, show management could easily sponsor substantial hourly door prizes to draw traffic to the two extra halls.
General manager Gloria Crase reported 439 companies have booked 504 booths as of August 1. Show management described booth sales as �running appreciably ahead of last year�s pace.� Sales are behind the 2001 pace when they reported 600 booths sold by July 23 of that year.
No Hall of Fame on Program
For the first time since 1982 there is no National Industrial Fastener Show Hall of Fame on the schedule this year.
The NIFS Hall of Fame was held in conjunction with the show in Columbus, OH, until it was moved to Las Vegas for 2002. The banquet drew friends and colleagues of the honorees to the show.
Show officials have not commented on the absence of what would have been the 22nd annual event.
In the early years show management brought in sports celebrities Woody Hayes, Rocky Blier, Bobby Knight, George Blanda and Terry Bradshaw to add excitement to the annual banquets. Show management has not hired guest speakers in recent years.
If the NIFS Hall of Fame is gone, the industry won�t be without awards programs. The Industrial Fasteners Institute introduced an awards program in 2001 and issued news releases welcoming nominations and naming the selection committee.
The North Coast Fastener Association conducts a Hall of Fame and several associations have special or life membership awards to honor leaders. The Chicago Bolt, Nut & Screw Association is considering reinstating its Hall of Fame after a 10-year hiatus.�2003 FastenerNews.com