2011 PRI Trade Show Booth Count Already Exceeds 2010
•More booths were plotted in the initial floor plan layout for the 2011 Performance Racing Industry Trade Show than the entire number of booths in the 2010 PRI Trade Show.
•There are already over 110 racing companies committed to the 2011 PRI Trade Show that did not exhibit last year. Over 70 of these companies are past exhibitors absent in the last few years due to challenging economic conditions but are returning in 2011 to Orlando this December. (All of these figures are as of February 28.)
•Over 40 companies that are brand new to the racing industry’s trade show will be there in Orlando with new cutting-edge racing technology on display.
•An astounding 90 percent of exhibitors in the 2010 PRI Trade Show made an immediate decision to renew their exhibit option for 2011 and are now plotted on the floor plan.
•Over 50 companies expanded their number of booths for 2011.
•Over 50 companies elected to take advantage of the new island exhibit format.
•The PRI Trade Show’s famed Machinery Row section—the best place for race engine builders to comparison shop precision machining equipment from over 100 manufacturers—has grown in booth space over the previous year.
“I’ve never seen exhibit option renewal forms come in this fast," exclaimed Reed Morales, senior sales and marketing manager since 2002.
“It’s been a very tough couple of years for many companies in racing, so it was a good feeling to see some great racing companies return," said Judy Kean, senior sales and marketing manager. “It’s an excellent sign for all of us in the racing industry."
“Companies are very happy with the business-to-business quality of buyers at every PRI Trade Show," said Francisque Savinien, director of global sales and marketing for PRI. “Many expanded their number of booths to better meet the demands of these kinds of buyers."
Buyer attendance at the PRI Trade Show has remained strong and stable, despite the sudden downturn in the economy that shocked everyone at the end of 2008. There was even an uptick in buyer attendance at the 2010 PRI Trade Show over the previous year. For 2011, it’s expected that 40,000 buyers will come, shop, buy.
Most important, buyers travel to Orlando from throughout the United States to make inventory decisions for their racing businesses at the PRI Trade Show. Plus, international buyers arrive from 65 countries. The PRI Trade Show is a true national, and international, professional trade-only show.
Buyers also come from all segments of racing, including drag, stock car, open wheel, road racing, off-road, karting and more.
Last year, the PRI Trade Show had approximately 3,000 booths and 1,000 exhibitors. “We’re already ahead of where we finished last year, and we now have the entire year to get even more racing industry suppliers to exhibit at the 2011 PRI Trade Show," said Eric Jurado, sales and marketing manager. “It’s good for everyone to have as many racing companies as possible exhibiting all in the same place at the same time."
Every year, during the PRI Trade Show, each exhibitor is provided an Exhibit Option Renewal Form that will make their exhibit part of the initial floor plan plotting session that takes place in February. It’s the best time to request the same location in the PRI Trade Show, a different location, or more booths.
Many exhibitors returned their exhibit option renewal forms while they were at the PRI Trade Show in Orlando, bringing them to the Show Office in the Orange County Convention Center.
Then, in February, members of the PRI team—sales and trade show—hold a week-long off-site meeting devoted exclusively to laying out the next year’s Show floor plan according to the requests of the exhibitors.
The 2011 PRI Trade Show will be held December 1–3, in the North/South Building of the Orange County Convention Center, in Orlando.
It is timed to provide owners and managers of racing retail stores, race engine builders, motorsports engineers, professional race teams, WDs, fabricators, race track promoters and more the opportunity to preview the hottest new advances in racing components, technology and engineering, so they can make purchase decisions and have products in inventory in time for the start of the next racing season’s sales.
For more information, go to www.performanceracing.com.