|
Sent: 6/26/2008 9:04:40 AM
Subject: NeoCon Xpress 2008 Postponement Announcement
(sent on behalf of MarkFalanga)
Dear NeoCon Xpress Partner:
On behalf of Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. (MMPI), and the NeoCon Xpress tradeshow team, I regret to inform you that
the NeoCon Xpress 2008 tradeshow, which was scheduled for October 2-3, in Los Angeles, has been cancelled.
Over the past decade MMPI has invested heavily in the Los Angeles marketplace since
launching NeoCon West in 1998.
Since its inception, the West Coast regional extension of NeoCon has been impacted by many changes over the years. These changes included fluctuating dates, a variety of venues and shifts in the area marketplace.
NeoCon West premiered at the Los Angeles Convention Center in March of 1998 and then was produced in conjunction with WestWeek at the Pacific Design Center. The show grew tremendously in
attendance and exhibitor participation over its first few years with over 14,000 attendees and more than 300 exhibiting companies participating in 2000.
In 2001, the Los Angeles Convention Center
changed our date rotation and NeoCon West was forced to move from its established time period in March, to November, during the week prior to Thanksgiving. In 2003, while we were able to shift the
date rotation back to March, momentum had shifted away from the show.
In 2004 we relocated NeoCon West to the L.A. Mart, allowing us to gain control over the show dates. L.A.DesignWeek was
launched in 2006 to bring together industry events and venues for a citywide celebration of West Coast design.
NeoCon Xpress was launched in August 2007 at the Los Angeles Convention
Center. NeoCon Xpress was designed as a post-NeoCon show where exhibitors could introduce their new products to the Los Angeles A&D community. The new show format attracted over 150
manufacturers to the inaugural event but unfortunately the attendance participation was not enough to support the manufacturers who participated.
For 2008, we changed the dates to October
and our A-team has worked extremely hard to secure exhibitors and promote NeoCon Xpress once again. Unfortunately, we have not been able to get the support required to create a worthwhile event. Rather
than produce a sub-par show, we concluded that it would be best to postpone the event and regroup for 2009.
While we are cancelling NeoCon Xpress 2008, we will continue to evaluate and
explore ways to bring new commercial products, information and networking events to the West Coast marketplace.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you and all of our show partners
for supporting NeoCon Xpress and NeoCon West over the years and we look forward to your continued support as we contemplate new endeavors in the future.
Best regards,
Mark Falanga
Senior Vice President
Merchandise Mart Properties Inc.
312-527-7537
mfalanga@mmart.com
|
