While RedlineXpo is entering its fourth year of managing the Rocky Mountain Show (RMS) in Denver, we decided it’s time to expand, and create an expo with a broader audience than the mountain states that attend RMS.
Obviously there are a ton of factors to consider when choosing a location for a high end expo:
Travel - does it have a good airport that is easily accessible for points throughout the U.S.?
Hotels - does it offer a wide range of accommodations, and bonus points if the location has super fun, creative lodging options
Transportation - once landed, is the city easy to get around in
Convention space - is there a location that can accommodate hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of attendees
Fun - is the city a place where attendees would want to spend multiple days, most likely away from their families
Cost - can we adequately accommodate all of these needs and do so at a price point that is competitive and in line with budgets for the year
It’s quite a list, and there are few cities that can meet all of those criteria. When we stepped back to evaluate, it was clear: Las Vegas was the best option for launching The Reunion.
Here’s how we’re leveraging everything Las Vegas has to offer to create an ideal environment for buyers and sellers to conduct business but also have some fun with it.
A Massive Souvenir, Gift, And Resort Expo All Under One Roof
There is no shortage of convention facilities in Las Vegas. After all, it’s home to The Las Vegas Convention Center, the third largest convention center in the United States behind the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) in Orlando, Florida and McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois.
As ambitious as our plans are for The Reunion, The Las Vegas Convention Center is…too ambitious. After all, we want this expo to actually feel like a Reunion, where folks can rekindle existing friendships and make new acquaintances.
The Mirage Hotel & Convention Center then came into focus because it has a world class expo space, super fun entertainment options, sophisticated dining, and they offered us an unbeatable room rate. The combination of which meant we could host The Reunion entirely under one roof and
give our exhibitors and attendees a myriad of options for business and leisure.
If you’re attending The Reunion, you can take advantage of those great room rates by going here.
The Best City For An Expo In April
A major change for us and the industry as a whole is the fact that we’re hosting The Reunion in April. In the last year now, we’ve received a lot of feedback from both exhibitors and buyers who are increasingly concerned by issues they’re seeing in the supply chain, and production and/or shipping delays.
After a lot of conversations and research, the idea of creating an April show seemed like it would solve a lot of headaches for the industry as a whole. The timing of The Reunion gives buyers and sellers the opportunity to fulfill orders well in advance of the impending holiday season, as well as add items they might need for immediate delivery.
As one buyer put it, "The spring show offers me the peace of mind of having everything sorted well before the holiday season, avoiding last-minute hiccups. As a buyer, the spring show gives me a head start, allowing for a more thoughtful selection and customization process."
Another buyer based in Seattle said, “This is the time of year I am traveling to visit vendors, and a show in April will be great for kicking off the next year’s designs.”
Of course, as early as April is in Spring, it’s never a sure bet to have nice weather. Las Vegas though, with its year round dry and sunny climate, gives us a good chance to see some sun and get outside to enjoy warmer temperatures.
(Image courtesy of TripSavvy)
Networking Opportunities For Souvenir & Gift Producers
Yes the expo is the central attraction of The Reunion but we’d be remiss not to mention the broad range of networking options available outside of the convention center. Exhibitors and attendees alike will find value in being able to walk a short ways down the hall and enjoy a meal or take in a Cirque du Soleil show and still have the chance to chat with other exhibitors and buyers.
And because we’re able to make everything so accessible and affordable, we’ve been able to assemble a VIP Retail Advisory Committee that will attend the expo and provide us with invaluable, high level insights that will help make the expo more useful for everyone involved, and should give our exhibitors even more exposure to high level decision makers.
Without an attractive destination like Las Vegas and The Mirage Hotel, getting commitments from such an influential group would have been much more challenging - maybe not even possible.
On top of all that Las Vegas has to offer, we’re hard at work developing a three day agenda that will inject some fun and creativity throughout, while also encouraging business while the expo hall is open. After all, we’re all traveling to Las Vegas to ensure that orders are received and fulfilled in time for the holiday rush.
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