the September 2008 Issue in PDF Format - Trade Show Executive

News
Continued from page 8
Lawn & Garden Show in Wheeling, IL,
Birdwatch America, Material World and
Technology Solutions in Miami Beach.
“We are looking forward to extending
our regional market niche to Boston and
the New England area,” said Doug Miller,
president of Urban Expositions. He
added that his company’s sales, marketing
and buyer relations staff would ensure a
smooth transition and additional product
offerings for their Boston customers.
Reach Alan Steel at (914) 421-3200 or
alan_steel@glmshows.com; Doug Miller at
(678) 285-3976 or dmiller@urban-expo.com
Korse and Shomer
Acquire Abilities Expo
from Questex
Santa Monica, CA - 5Net4 Productions,
a new company formed by industry
veterans David Korse and Lew Shomer,
has purchased Abilities Expo, a series
of three shows geared to people with
disabilities and corporate and HR
managers that oversee ADA programs.
The expo is a strategic fit with Shomex
Production’s diversity career fairs. Shomer
started with one event in 1984 and has
since produced over 500 events.
Richard and Pat Wooten launched
Abilities Expo in 1979 to improve the
quality of life for those with disabilities
by introducing products, services
and information that were previously
inaccessible to them. Richard Wooten,
who was paralyzed with polio when he
was 15, said, “At Abilities Expo, you can
turn someone’s life around in just a few
days.”
Abilities Expo will be held in
Minneapolis, September 12-14, 2008;
Metro New York, April 17-19, 2009;
and Southern California, May 29-31,
2009. Korse has plans to expand the
franchise into other areas of the country.
“With an aging population of seniors,
returning veterans and the technology
that prolongs people’s lives, we feel that
Abilities Expo will provide the latest
information on products and services
that will enhance the quality of life for
caregivers and people needing assistance
with disabilities,” said David Korse, CEO
of 5Net4.
Reach David Korse, CEO at (310)
450-8831 x130 or dkorse@shomex.comm
Vegas Economy
Rearranges Convention
Center Expansion
By Hil Anderson, senior editor
Las Vegas, NV – The first full makeover
of the Las Vegas Convention Center
will get off to a more low-key start
after officials decided it would be more
prudent to divide the project up into
three stages and extend the construction
schedule.
The new plan for the $890 million
project calls for the renovation of two
existing exhibit halls before the construction
of new meeting rooms and a grand
concourse and lobby is started. The work
will begin in early 2009 rather than this year
and will likely push completion back from
the original target of 2010 until 2011.
The change was not expected to affect
any events currently on the convention
center schedule, said Chris Meyer, vice
president of convention sales for the Las
Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority
(LVCVA).
The revised construction plan will be
carried out in three phases:
Phase 1
• Renovations of the North and Central
exhibit halls, including the current
Grand Concourse.
• Utility relocation.
• Construction of additional restrooms
for Central Hall.
• Construction of new police and
fire stations.
Phase 2
• Renovation of South Hall, including
new meeting rooms.
Phase 3
• Construction of new lobby and
Grand Concourse.
The LVCVA said the major reason for
the change in plans was the nationwide
economic slowdown which has led to
reduced visitor spending and a downturn
in room tax revenue
The economy, particularly the tighter
credit market, was cited by Boyd Gaming
Corporation earlier this month when it
announced it was temporarily suspending
construction of its Echelon hotel project.
In addition, it took MGM Mirage more
time than originally anticipated to line
up financing for its ambitious CityCenter
project.
The Las Vegas Convention Center
was opened in 1959 and is now one of
the busiest convention and trade show
venues in the U.S. It offers 1,984,755
square feet of prime exhibit space and is
No. 3 on TSE’s ranking of the nation’s
top convention centers.
Reach Chris Meyer, vice president of
convention sales, at (702) 892-0711 or
cmeyer@lvcva.com
Boyd Temporarily
Suspends Construction
of Echelon
By Hil Anderson, senior editor
Las Vegas, NV – Boyd Gaming
Corporation announced August 1 it was
suspending construction of its $4.8 billion
Echelon complex on the Las Vegas Strip
due to a tough U.S. credit market and a
slowdown in the overall economy.
Originally scheduled to open in 2010,
construction of Echelon began last
Summer on an 87-acre site where the
landmark Stardust casino once stood.
When announcing its Q2 financial
results, Boyd said that it would likely be
three or four quarters before work would
resume on Echelon, which will include
approximately 5,000 hotel rooms and
180,000 square feet of exhibit space.
“While we remain enthusiastic about
the long-term prospects for the Las Vegas
market and Echelon, this is the right
decision for our company at this time,”
said Keith Smith of Boyd Gaming.
Smith, who became president and
CEO in January, said Boyd was in
discussions with its two development
partners about delaying their respective
agreements on the project. The delay
10 September 2008 Trade Show Executive www.TradeShowExecutive.com