ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) board of directors changed the dates of the International Lawn, Garden & Power Equipment Expo (EXPO) to Oct. 18-20, 2003. This unanimous vote for fall dates is a radical departure for the industry’s 20-year-old show, which traditionally convened in late summer.
The decision to move EXPO, which is sponsored by OPEI and managed by Sellers Exposition, was based on the results of a fax survey of dealers and landscape professionals, showing that 90 percent of dealers and 81 percent of landscape contractors preferred October dates. The survey also showed that 82 percent of end-users and 79 percent of dealers were more inclined to bring more people in October, meaning higher attendance due to increased schedule flexibility. In addition to surveys, OPEI also had trade show consultant Steve Miller conduct focus group talks and strategic planning sessions, all resulting in statistics that were favorable toward the October timeframe.
At this year’s EXPO, paid exhibit space dropped by about 10 percent because some key manufacturers, such as Encore and LESCO, decided not to exhibit. And a number of companies that did exhibit at this year’s show talked about downsizing or eliminating their booths for 2003 due to the fact that the show remains in the same location year after year and fails to attract new attendees.
However, October is a better time for new product introductions and outdoor booth weather – an average 69 degrees Fahrenheit – and OPEI representatives think this will pull in more exhibitors for 2003 despite this year’s decrease, pointed out Dan Ariens, OPEI’s EXPO chairman and president of the Ariens Co. “During strategic planning sessions, there was an almost unanimous agreement among manufacturers to show new products in October, whereas in July only a portion of their new products were ready to be unveiled,” Ariens explained. “This will be a major plus for attendance growth because 'to see new products' is always the No. 1 answer given by dealers when asked why they come to the show.”
Dick Tegtmeier, chief executive officer and founder of Encore Manufacturing Co., agreed. “It is the right time of year – much better for new product introductions and it is certainly much cooler in Louisville in October,” he said.
However, Encore did not exhibit at this year’s EXPO and Tegtmeier said he’s not committed to exhibiting at next year’s show either, despite the change in dates. “Since the show is for dealers and we’re not looking for distribution, it would be a waste of $45,000,” he said. “We saved the money this year and instead invited our distributors out to show them the new products and have some contests and things. We got 100 percent participation and saved some money.”
Also, since the November-slated Green Industry Expo (GIE), is only three weeks after EXPO in 2003, Tegtmeier said some manufacturers will probably hold off on exhibiting at EXPO to see how it goes and choose to exhibit only at GIE instead. “We’re committed to GIE this year and next year and we’re not planning to be at EXPO,” he said. “We’re sticking to our plans – we’d rather check it out first. I don’t think the first year of moving EXPO will necessarily have an overwhelmingly positive impact on the show because many folks like us will want to see how it goes and evaluate the situation first before spending the extra money.”
When asked about the competition EXPO may now have with GIE, OPEI President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Harley said, “I don’t think there will be strong competition – that was not our intent, obviously. And we have different audiences with dealers coming to our show and landscape professionals going to GIE with some minor overlap with landscape contractors who go to both shows. There’s definitely room for both shows in the fall.”
Other options for EXPO include moving the show location. The contract EXPO has with the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Ky., is up in 2004, which means OPEI can evaluate other options. When asked about possible changes in location, Harley said, “We’ll cross that bridge a little farther down the line. I think everything is on the table for us to investigate and take a look at. First, we’ll just see how the date change does.”
The author is Managing Editor of Lawn & Landscape magazine and can be reached at nwisniewski@lawnandlandscape.com.