The announcement earlier in the year that Graph Expo is moving to Orlando, FL for one year in 2016 is noteworthy.
 
The Graphic Arts Show Company (GASC), the organizers of Graph Expo and PRINT (which runs every four years), moved Graph Expo 16 to Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center from Sept. 25-28, 2016. PRINT 17 returns to Chicago from Sept. 1-14, 2017.
 
Many trade shows alternate locations, although in the printing industry, drupa, the largest of them all, is always held at Messe Dusseldorf in Dusseldorf, Germany. Chicago has been the home for Graph Expo for as long as I have been covering the ink industry (since 1998), and it just might be time for a change.
 
Why is this move being made? Organizers say that the move was due to Chicago only being offered dates during Rosh Hashanah in 2016, but since Graph Expo is being held during the same holiday this year, I’m not completely sold. I can think of a few reasons that make sense:
 
• Location: Orlando is one of the leading conference locations due to the attractions in the area. Many attendees will go to Orlando with their families, and make a vacation out of the trip. I’ve gone to a few trade shows in Orlando, and always thought it was interesting that while the number of reported attendees would spike for that conference compared to other years, the actual number of people on the trade show floor seemed a lot lighter.
• Proximity to Latin America: In the Americas, the strongest growth for the traditional printing industry is in Latin America, and there is increasing attendance at Graph Expo from printers in the region. Orlando is an easier location for Central and South American printers to visit.
• Change of Pace: It’s not a bad idea to see if change will spark attendance figures, which have been in decline.
• Costs: Chicago is a costly place to do business. Orlando, with its non-unionized convention hall, will likely be less expensive than Chicago.
 
We will see what Graph Expo 2016 does in terms of attendance and interest, and while Chicago is the site for 2017, no announcements have been made past 2017.
 
The climate for large trade shows is changing. Even drupa has changed its plans this year: for 2016, drupa will move from two weeks to 10 days, but now starts on a three-year cycle instead of four. Times do change.