TIM LESMEISTER - Trade Show Executive

These aren’t the best of times, nor are
they quite the worst. But they do seem
to be the most uncertain. The challenges
today do not match those three months
ago and they may not match those
three months ahead. Whether a city
or convention center, decisions must
be made after thorough analysis and
a leap of faith. Large projects – such
as convention center construction –
may not be able to make that jump
comfortably, and many decisions are no
longer set in stone.
Pardon
our
Dust
By Renee DiIulio, senior editor, news & directories and
Nicole Burnes, assistant editor
Convention Construction in Flux; Building Slows but Does Not Stop
This edition of Trade Show Executive’s semi-annual Pardon
Our Dust provides details on 39 convention center projects.
An additional 26 venues are on the drawing board, with a
complete listing on p. 35.
Here are a few fast facts about construction currently
underway:
• Of the 39 centers in this report, 18 are new facilities
under construction and 21 are expansions.
Once-certain convention construction
projects are no more while some eternal
hopefuls have returned to the drawing
board (Jacob K. Javits Convention Center,
Cobo Center and others). Projects have
been abandoned: Gaylord’s Chula Vista
on-again, off-again, on-again project
is now off. Others were delayed: the
Legends Bay Casino-Resort-Spa in Sparks,
NV has postponed its groundbreaking.
Many continue to move slowly; projected
completion dates have been pushed back.
The Meeting Center at Echelon has not
Trade Show Executive Snapshot: By the Numbers
• Since October 2008, six centers have opened their
doors. Five of them were expansions and one is a new
building.
• The six recently opened centers brought online
2,139,911 square feet of prime exhibit space and
487,743 square feet of meeting space.
• According to the construction calendar 19 centers
will open their doors in 2009, 12 expect to complete
construction in 2010 and four will finish in 2011. There
are an additional four that don’t yet know.
yet set a new date for the completion of
its delayed project.
This edition of Trade Show Executive’s
Pardon Our Dust found fewer centers under
construction, contemplating construction
or just completing it than in the Fall 2008
edition. But boom times typically follow
busts, so construction has not completely
halted. There are 26 convention centers
in pre-development stages, and 39 centers
with construction underway. The industry
continues to look ahead, preparing for the
next growth cycle.
• When completed, projects currently underway will add a
total of 2,335,125 square feet of prime exhibit space and
1,884,359 square feet of meeting space.
• Of this, expansions will be responsible for 1,246,766
square feet of prime exhibit space and 516,213 square
feet of meeting space.
• New facilities will add 1,088,359 square feet of prime
exhibit space and 1,368,146 square feet of meeting
space.
• The average size of an expansion results in 433,444
square feet of prime exhibit space and 121,791 square
feet of meeting space.
• The average new build offers 108,839 square feet of
prime exhibit space and 124,377 square feet of meeting
space.
34 March 2009 Trade Show Executive www.TradeShowExecutive.com