FMI exploring partnership opportunities for trade show
FMI exploring partnership opportunities for trade show
The Food Marketing Institute is exploring partnership opportunities for its trade show, but that should not negatively affect the United trade show, which runs at the same time, according to United President and CEO Tom Stenzel.
"We see it as a positive thing," Mr. Stenzel told The Produce News on Wednesday, Aug. 9, as he was traveling to the Texas produce industry's convention and trade show.
While United and FMI have a "co-location agreement along with the Organic Trade Association and the Fancy Food trade show, the United CEO said that all four shows are managed independently, and each group has its own way of doing things. For example, FMI has been running its own show for years, while OTA works in concert with a private trade show operator.
It is a well-known industry fact that FMI has been attempting to reinvigorate its show over the last few years. Consolidation in center-store commodities has been going on for many years, which has somewhat lessened demand for space at the expansive McCormick Center in Chicago, which has been the venue for the FMI show for decades and has served as home for the expanded FMI/United/OTA/Fancy Foods show for the past two years.
Mr. Stenzel said that United is committed through the next two years, and it is the association's intent to continue the agreement for the foreseeable future.
"This combined show brings the top retail executives together in a one-stop shopping environment, he said. "This format of multi-sections of the supermarket together at one convention gives us the best opportunity to influence what is happening in the supermarket industry.
Mr. Stenzel said that FMI has kept United informed as it has moved forward in exploring the possibilities of partnering with a private show management firm. He said that the association's executives announced their intentions during the May show, and the concept has received publicity recently because FMI has apparently narrowed its potential partners down to one.
"They told us that they were open to many different ideas, but it involved finding a financial or management partner that might take somewhere between 10 percent and 100 percent of the show, he said.
The United president said, however, that he doubted FMI would sell the entire show. "We think anything FMI does to reinvent and help grow their show is a good thing for us. We expect that they will find a partner, not just sell their show.
He said that planning for the 2006 show is well underway, and any substantive changes probably would not take place until at least 2007. But, again, he does expect better marketing to be the main result of the arrival of a third party.
Currently, each trade organization runs its own show, which is defined as inside the individual trade show area. FMI runs the common areas, such as the registration booths and the hall spaces shared by all of the trade shows. Mr. Stenzel said that this is not expected to change, but United would work with whoever is in charge to enhance the experience for its own exhibitors and attendees.
"We see it as a positive thing," Mr. Stenzel told The Produce News on Wednesday, Aug. 9, as he was traveling to the Texas produce industry's convention and trade show.
While United and FMI have a "co-location agreement along with the Organic Trade Association and the Fancy Food trade show, the United CEO said that all four shows are managed independently, and each group has its own way of doing things. For example, FMI has been running its own show for years, while OTA works in concert with a private trade show operator.
It is a well-known industry fact that FMI has been attempting to reinvigorate its show over the last few years. Consolidation in center-store commodities has been going on for many years, which has somewhat lessened demand for space at the expansive McCormick Center in Chicago, which has been the venue for the FMI show for decades and has served as home for the expanded FMI/United/OTA/Fancy Foods show for the past two years.
Mr. Stenzel said that United is committed through the next two years, and it is the association's intent to continue the agreement for the foreseeable future.
"This combined show brings the top retail executives together in a one-stop shopping environment, he said. "This format of multi-sections of the supermarket together at one convention gives us the best opportunity to influence what is happening in the supermarket industry.
Mr. Stenzel said that FMI has kept United informed as it has moved forward in exploring the possibilities of partnering with a private show management firm. He said that the association's executives announced their intentions during the May show, and the concept has received publicity recently because FMI has apparently narrowed its potential partners down to one.
"They told us that they were open to many different ideas, but it involved finding a financial or management partner that might take somewhere between 10 percent and 100 percent of the show, he said.
The United president said, however, that he doubted FMI would sell the entire show. "We think anything FMI does to reinvent and help grow their show is a good thing for us. We expect that they will find a partner, not just sell their show.
He said that planning for the 2006 show is well underway, and any substantive changes probably would not take place until at least 2007. But, again, he does expect better marketing to be the main result of the arrival of a third party.
Currently, each trade organization runs its own show, which is defined as inside the individual trade show area. FMI runs the common areas, such as the registration booths and the hall spaces shared by all of the trade shows. Mr. Stenzel said that this is not expected to change, but United would work with whoever is in charge to enhance the experience for its own exhibitors and attendees.
