MEETING: ISPA EXPO 2012, convening at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis on March 14–17. The International Sleep Products Association (ISPA) is the trade association for the mattress-manufacturing industry, and EXPO
“is a show for the mattress manufacturers, who are the buyers, to source machinery and com- ponents and services necessary in manufactur- ing mattresses,” said ISPA Senior Vice President Catherine Lyons. The biennial trade show typi- cally draws 3,400 to 3,500 attendees and about 200 exhibitors.
CHALLENGES: Over the past decade, ISPA EXPO has had its ups and downs. Lyons said: “We do follow the real- estate market very closely” — which has made for a volatile last four years. And regulatory changes that boosted the show’s square footage and atten- dance from 2004 to 2006 have largely been absorbed into the marketplace. ISPA is also dealing with consoli- dation in the industry, which affects both suppliers and buyers. As a result of consolidation, some suppliers are declining to exhibit, or choosing not to exhibit as often as they once did. When it comes to buyers, consoli- dated companies often send fewer representatives.
NO SLEEP ‘TIL INDY: The next ISPA EXPO, whose organiz- ers are grappling with consolidation in the mattress- manufacturing industry, will be held in Indianapolis.
THERE’S A MEETING FOR THAT? Cold Comfort
SNOW & ICE SYMPOSIUM 2011: If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, you’re probably beginning to shiver at the prospect of another long winter. But chill out — the Snow & Ice Management Association has been on the case since June 22–25, when it convened its 14th Annual Snow & Ice Symposium in Schaumburg, Ill. On the agenda: a show floor with the latest in snow- and ice-removal technology (1), “snack and chat” networking pro- grams (2), Ingram Snow & Ice Control’s tricked-out salt truck (3), and bottled water kept cool in — what else? — an ice sculpture (4). For more information, visit www.sima.org.
Another challenge is that, be- cause anywhere from one-quarter to one-third of EXPO’s audience hails from overseas, ISPA is facing into the stiff wind of the global economy — the poor state of which, Lyons said,
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GROUP SHOT
Square Bowls
MEETING BOWLS,
TIMES SQUARE, NYC: A public art installa- tion designed by a
Spanish collaborative named mmmm ... brought spaces for private conversation to Times Square in
New York City, one of the world’s most public spaces. The installation was
originally planned for
one month, but was so popular with visitors, it was extended twice that long.