Trade Show Executive to Expand Data Offerings and Launch a New Event

Oceanside, CA – Trade Show Executive (TSE) will launch a new event, directory and report that will expand the data available to show organizers and fill the void left by the closure of Tradeshow Week, which was announced April 16.

In 2011, TSE will release a new directory of the 500 largest and most important trade shows in the nation. It will also launch Fast Track, an event honoring the fastest-growing shows and the organizers who defied the rough economy and made their events flourish. TSE is also in discussions with the Exhibition Services & Contractors Association (ESCA) to create a comprehensive annual report of labor rates, rules and union jurisdictions in the 50 top trade show cities.

“These launches and new initiatives will provide a level of continuity in the wake of Tradeshow Week’s departure and will also expand the knowledge base that currently exists in the trade show industry,” said Darlene Gudea, president of Trade Show Executive Media Group and publisher & editor of TSE.

Trade Show Executive 500
Trade Show Executive’s new directory of the nation’s 500 largest trade shows marks an important step forward in the history of the metrics that are vital to the exposition industry. “The Trade Show Executive 500 directory will become the trade show industry’s version of the Fortune 500,” Gudea said.

“For nearly 40 years, the show industry has relied on a small sample of 150 to 200 shows to track trends,” Gudea said. “The size and needs of the industry have changed. We felt it was time to expand to 500 shows and provide wider and deeper analysis by region and industry sector.” The analysis will also identify important benchmarks and new opportunities.

The directory will include the ownership and management of each show, profiles of exhibitors and attendees, space rates and other key features. The information will be indexed alphabetically and by management, industry sector, city, service contractor, registration firm and month.

Trade Show Executive’s ‘Fast Track’
TSE is currently in discussions with several cities interested in hosting the inaugural Fast Track in February 2011. Diane Bjorklund, vice president of events for TSE, said Fast Track would mark a seamless transition from the long-running Tradeshow Week Fastest 50 event. It will also provide a top-notch bookend to TSE’s popular Gold 100 Awards & Summit, which is held in September and honors the 100 largest trade shows in the U.S. “We will use the TSE Dashboard of Month Trade Show Metrics to identify the events that are growing the most rapidly,” she said. “In the past, these shows have been identified in our magazine and online news coverage. We felt it was time to organize an event to celebrate their success.” More.