I was having a conversation last week with my long-time friend Tom Corcoran of Corcoran Expositions, Chicago. For several years, Tom's company managed the UP Show along with several other state restaurant association shows. For 10 years prior to that, he managed the National Restaurant Association show, one of the largest in the country.
Tom suggested that one of the challenges the UP Show faces is the long memory of those in our industry. A 250-booth show with 3,000 high-quality attendees is a great show. In many states, the exhibitors and association would be ecstatic. In fact, that about mirrors the success of the Michigan Restaurant Association and its show. So why do we not have celebrations and fireworks in Minnesota with these same numbers? The long tail of memory. There are many in our industry who remember when the show was X.
I was around then and I remember, too. But these are different times. We face the many opportunities operators have in the distributor shows. We know that the internet plays a part in item selection and purchase. Nonetheless, a 250-booth show that serves as the largest gathering of hospitality operators in the state annually and connects the industry can have tremendous value.
We'll be doing more at the show this year to maximize the industry's presence. We plan to have opportunities for legislative action from our Association booth. We plan to engage our 67 Kitchen Cabinet leaders from around the state (leading restaurateurs in each of the 67 state senate districts).
If you've got ideas on how we can make the show an even more powerful industry get-together, let me know. I'm all ears.
David Siegel, CAE, IOM
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