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LOOK I NG A H E A D What Major Trade Shows are on Tap for April GlobalShop 2013 APRIL 16-18 McCormick Place, Chicago, IL Retailers have been focking to GlobalShop in recent years at rates high enough to place the event on the Trade Show Executive Fastest 50 in the attendance category. Nielsen Expositions experienced doubledigit growth in crowd size at GlobalShop for the second year in a row in 2012 and nearly reached 12,000 qualifed buyers. Tis year fnds GlobalShop moving to McCormick Place afer four solid years in Las Vegas and also shifing its date to April afer taking place in early March in 2012. Next year, the event returns to Las Vegas and the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. Show Director Tim Fearney said he expected uninterrupted growth in attendance as well as exhibitors and exhibit space, which reached 183,000 net square feet (nsf) last year. GlobalShop is aspiring to capture the growing international market for store design and shopper marketing and has established an extensive program of digital content oferings and outreach to international customers. "Educational sessions at GlobalShop really resonated with attendees last year," Fearney said. "Tere were many new conference initiatives to get excited about, including frsts, like topic-based education tracks and Spanish language sessions." Reach Tim Fearney at (770) 291-5421 or tim.fearney@nielsen.com ITEX National Expo & Conference APRIL 17-18 Rio Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV Questex Media Group is setting the stage for a new growth spurt for the business IT exhibition, which marks its 13th year in operation. Te exhibit foor this year will include a number of new exhibitors and sponsors as well as new technology zones. ITEX will also host two co-located events, including dealer and customer meetings held by larger exhibitors and the annual meeting of the National Printer Repair Network. 18 February 2013 | Trade Show Executive "Te show foor will ofer hundreds of best-of-class exhibitors, including dozens of companies that will be exhibiting for the frst time," said Group Show Director Wendy Loew. Some of the co-locations will take advantage of the pre-conference day on April 16 and wrap up their business before the exhibit hall opens for business. Te exhibit hours were extended this year and Questex told exhibitors 89% of ITEX attendees were planning to sign contracts with vendors they meet with at the show. Reach Wendy Loew at 617-219-8343 or wloew@questex.com Kitchen & Bath Industry Show APRIL 19-21 New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, LA 63 on the TSE Gold 100 Tis will be the 50th edition and the last truly stand-alone KBIS before it co-locates with the International Builders Show next year as part of Design & Construction Week in Las Vegas. Nielsen Expositions drew more than 21,000 attendees in 2012 and sold 250,000 nsf of exhibit space, down (10.7)% from the previous year. Te 2013 show will likely hover around the same levels. Nielsen could reverse the trend if an ambitious new marketing strategy pays of. Rather than opting for a "one-stop" solution for its outreach to attendees and exhibitors. Jim Scott, managing director of the KBIS, and his team put together a coalition of four diferent advertising and marketing frms. Each frm handles a diferent aspect of the show. In particular, Nielsen brought in agencies to deal specifcally with social media and year-round digital platforms. "Drawing upon the respective strengths of four diferent agencies and entities that specialize in the building and design industry is key to transforming this year's show from a trade show to an annual industry event," Scott said. "In this new social era of connecting and collaborating, we are confdent this team will help to bring new insights into KBIS making it an inspiring, interactive showcase." Reach Jim Scott at (630) 240-9326 or jim.scott@nielsen.com LIGHTFAIR International APRIL 23-25 Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, PA 90 on the TSE Gold 100 AMC, Inc. is expanding its available exhibit space in Philadelphia this year to accommodate the addition of two new product categories — solar power and the sofware that runs complex lighting systems. Te new categories plus the addition of a sixth pavilion for exterior and street lighting point to the largest exhibit foor in the show's 23-year history, said Jef Portman, COO of AMC, Inc. "We are seeing truly transformational innovation in the lighting industry," Portman said. "From its inception, LIGHTFAIR International (LFI) has anticipated and addressed these changes." Last year's show took place in early May in Las Vegas and drew a record 24,121 attendees and notched 206,800 nsf of exhibit space. Attendees were encouraged to spend more time in the exhibit area by taking part in the LFI Passport Program, which included chances to win an iPad or MacBook Pro. Reach Jef Portman at (404) 220-2120 or jlp@americasmart.com LOOKING AHEAD identifies the people, products and places to keep your eye on in the days and weeks ahead as more news is about to unfold. Contact Hil Anderson, senior editor of Trade Show Executive, with alerts and news in advance at (760) 6309107 or handerson@tradeshowexecutive.com.