IT&ME/Motivation Show

The two-day Motivation Show, focused on meetings & incentives industry professionals, was again held in Chicago on September 23 & 24 at McCormick Center. Each year, industry suppliers from all over the world converge for the opportunity to meet and greet corporate and third-party meeting planners. Huge exhibits are set up, direct mail campaigns are executed, iPods are raffled off and bags are stuffed with marketing brochures. But the question remains, are the exhibitors able to recoup their investment?

Motivation (IT&ME for us old-timers) is rumored to become more of a tradition than a vital opportunity to meet potential buyers. The show is split up into two main categories, travel and promotional products. While traditionally the travel side had a much larger presence, it seems that the promotional products section has taken over the dominant position in recent years. The travel side is split into subsets of hotels, destinations, CVB’s, DMC’s and travel management agencies. The largest exhibitor, as one would imagine, was Las Vegas, however that represented a shared facility with such participants as Venetian, MGM and LVCVB.

Total exhibit space sold was down 10% over last year’s show, and attendance was dropped by 6%, which undoubtedly demonstrates the uneasiness being felt as a result of the financial market woes. Many planners had registered to attend and for one reason or another were not able to make it. “You had some planners simply not attend at all and others come as they have done each year,” commented Paul Buccheit, National Sales Manager at the Venetian/Palazzo. “The ones that do attend approach the show with a plan of attack on who they need to see, then they leave.” Review on MeetingsNet.

As in years past, many larger vendors hosted evening functions that seemed to get a much better turnout than their counterparts with only an exhibit booth. SITE hosted an affair at the Peninsula that attracted 700 attendees. Some of other highlights were private parties hosted by Starwood at the House of Blues, Hilton at the Conrad and Golden Triangle, Tahoe & Reno at Smith & Wollensky’s, LXR at the Peninsula, Express Jet at Elm Street Liquors, 3D Destinations Cocktail Cruise on Lake Michigan, Gaylord at Rockit and Switzerland at the Museum of Science & Industry.

“I also see the evenings just as valuable as the show floor, if not more, for networking with potential clients.” said Buccheit, whose company hosted a well-attended party at SushiSambaRio. “There is still value in seeing your clients and developing the relationship further so that when business does pick up you are the first person they call.”

While the majority of exhibitors at the show don’t have the budget to host such extravagant affairs, the ones that market their parties effectively, usually get a great turnout. While attendance is in decline, the show appears to be far from standing on its last leg. The show organizers also scheduled the show on the heels of Yom Kippur, which negatively affected attendance as well.

While the economic “slowdown” is certain to have had a tremendous effect on attendees from out of town, many meeting planners still see the show as an invaluable part to their yearly plans. Having all major hotels and destinations in one location can allow planners to see most of their key suppliers over the two day period. It will be interesting to see the percentage of exhibitors that return in 2009.