OPEI News: 2002 Show Results Mixed

Next year represents the 20^th year of the Outdoor Power Equipment Show in Louisville, Ky. But exhibitors at this year’s edition openly questioned the show’s future amid disappointing attendance and a shrinking trade show. As a result, the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), which runs the show in conjunction with Sellers Expositions, has increased its efforts to strengthen the show under the leadership of OPEI president and CEO Bill Harley.

Attendance at the 2002 show drew 21,579 buying attendees, which was comparable to last year’s turnout of 21,100. Among key attendee groups, landscape contractor attendance climbed about 6 percent while the numbers of dealers and distributors in attendance dropped roughly 7 percent.

Harley termed the show a “solid success,” especially given the overall economic climate. Unfortunately, paid exhibit space dropped by about 10 percent this year as key manufacturers such as Encore and LESCO pulled out of the show. Meanwhile, a number of companies that did exhibit at this year’s show talked about downsizing their booth for 2003 if they exhibit at all. While none of these companies wanted to comment about their future show plans publicly, they generally questioned the value of exhibiting at the show in relation to the costs associated with it.

Most of the unhappy exhibitors’ concerns centered on old gripes – the show remains in the same location year after year and it fails to attract new attendees. Harley and Sellers readily acknowledged that they must take some actions to keep the show healthy and growing. To that end, OPEI hired a veteran trade show consultant to conduct surveys and focus groups with attendees and exhibitors at this year’s show, and the preliminary results were positive.

“About 70 percent of the attendees rated face-to-face visits as important or very important,” reported Harley. “In addition, about 72 percent of the attendees rated the ability to comparison shop at the show as important or very important. And about 79 percent of the attendees said they would recommend the show as a ‘must attend.’”

Overall, Harley remains upbeat about the show’s future. “Yes, we’ve got some problems, but they’re problems that we can solve,” he noted.

Ultimately, the show’s future hangs on its ability to sell exhibit space, and current OPEI Secretary/Treasure Dave Zerfoss from Husqvarna expects the number of exhibitors to climb in 2003. “I think you’ll see a number of credible manufacturers return to the show next year,” he reported, noting that the OPEI absorbed the Portable Power Equipment Manufacturers Association this year, but too late for those hand-held equipment suppliers to exhibit at the show. “We also continue seeing new and different equipment, such as construction, and I think that will continue, which is positive since that equipment requires more floor space.”

As trade shows in all industries continue to struggle, Warren Sellers, president of Sellers Expositions, said OPEI has good things working in its favor. “The trade shows that are doing the best right now are the ones that are owned by or run by associations, and this show is owned by the whole outdoor power equipment industry,” he related, adding that the 173,000 square feet of paid exhibit space at this year’s show is down about 15 percent from the show’s all-time high of more than 200,000 square feet. “Hopefully, we’ve bottomed out.”

OPEI is also evaluating other opportunities for enhancing the quality of the show in 2003. This year, a one-day dealer conference was held the day before the show, drawing about 75 attendees. The association is already talking about adding a second day to that conference next year.