CEDIA EXPO is cutting short its stay in Atlanta by one year in response to association member complaints about the southern host city. Instead, CEDIA will be bringing its annual convention back to Indianapolis for 2010 and 2011.
After one more year in Atlanta, September 22-26, 2010, EXPO be held in Indianapolis September 7-11, 2011, and September 5-9, 2012.
Originally CEDIA had planned on a three-year EXPO run in Atlanta followed by at least two years in Dallas. Atlanta proved to be an unpopular location after just one year, however, making a similarly designed Dallas venue an unappealing answer as well. Exhibitor contraction and hotel and convention center expansion in Indianapolis made that midwestern city viable again.
“After listening to members’ feedback and closely monitoring the trend of exhibitors’ booths, CEDIA leadership performed extensive research on the viability of bringing EXPO back to a city that not only is cost-effective for our exhibitors but accommodates the needs of our attendees and members across the globe,” CEDIA chairman Ken Erdmann said. “Our members are very fond of Indianapolis. With the expansion of the Indiana Convention Center and new hotels, Indianapolis is once again able to provide CEDIA EXPO with a platform to grow.”
While CEDIA is based in Indianapolis, the association operates internationally, and its annual tradeshow draws tens of thousands of attendees from dozens of countries. Indianapolis hosted CEDIA EXPO from 1999-2001 and again from 2003-2005. The expansion of the Indiana Convention Center includes the addition of more than 250,000 square feet of exhibit/meeting space and a new Marriott Place hotel complex with more than 1,300 rooms.
“Indianapolis was a growth city for CEDIA EXPO in the beginning,” CEDIA CEO Utz Baldwin said. “In light of the recent economic climate, it is the right time for us to get back to our roots and provide the membership with a host city they are familiar with and one that provides an accessible, affordable, and CEDIA-like atmosphere.”
Registration for CEDIA EXPO 2010 in Atlanta will open June 1. More information may be found at www.cedia.org/expo.
