Indianapolis, IN–CEDIA, which announced less than a month ago that it would launch its first Spring EXPO next April in Las Vegas, has adjusted the dates and location of the event to Dallas, April 29-May 2 to avoid conflict with a competitive trade event in Las Vegas.
Shortly after Las Vegas was announced as the show location earlier this month, CEDIA contacted media outlets to let them know that the site would no longer work due to scheduling programs. No other details were given at the time, but hints were made that negotiations were underway for Dallas, around the same time. The change, according to a CEDIA spokesperson, was a result of concerns by a security industry trade event that was scheduled in Las Vegas during the same dates that CEDIA’s Spring EXPO was originally slated.
In other scheduling news, CEDIA has indicated that it would send its fall EXPO to Atlanta for two years, beginning in 2009. No commitments have been made for 2010 and beyond, despite an earlier agreement to bring the event back to the expanded Indiana Convention Center in 2010, for four years.
CEDIA executive director Don Gilpin has said that EXPO will need about 900,000 square feet of space this fall and 1 million by 2009. After the Indiana Convention Center expansion is complete in September 2010, it will have only 747,000 square feet of exhibit space, plus another 188,000 square feet of ballroom and meeting space and 267,800 square feet of so-called pre-function space.
Gilpin hopes that Spring EXPO will help to eliminate the waiting list for new exhibitors and offer more opportunities for the different CEDIA stakeholders, including attendees, education and certification participants, and manufacturers.
The new Spring EXPO offers manufacturers more one-on-one time with attendees and a second opportunity during the year to launch products specifically designed for the residential electronic systems industry,” Gilpin said. Also, Spring EXPO will be the second-largest educational opportunity besides EXPO, which is already reaching more than 28,000 attendees.
Gilpin also noted that CEDIA expects the Spring EXPO attendance to have a similar demographic make-up to CEDIA EXPO, with a higher concentration of West Coast-based electronic systems contractors, sales representatives, and consultants.
Booth space sales for CEDIA Spring EXPO 2008 opened in August. Companies interested in exhibiting may contact Jennifer Roth of CEDIA at 317.328.4336 or [email protected]. More information is available at www.cedia.org/springexpo.
