Posted on 01/24/2010 7:00:37 AM PST by reaganaut1
CHICAGO—The sprawling McCormick Place became America's convention headquarters when it opened here 50 years ago, hosting buyers and sellers of products from candy bars to windmill turbines.
But in recent months, a gradual drop-off in business here has turned into a rout as a string of high-profile shows have pulled out. With the recession cramping convention business across the U.S., exhibitors say Chicago's high costs and complex work rules make other venues more attractive.
Chicago's Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, which runs McCormick, had an operating loss of $3.6 million in the fiscal year ended last June and expects to lose $24 million this year. The authority also expects to fall short by $53 million over two years on its debt payments, which are financed by taxes on tourist-related businesses. The state has to make up the difference.
...
Over the years, complaints have mounted about tough union rules and high costs in Chicago. New facilities in Las Vegas and Orlando, Fla., offered not only better winter weather and other attractions but also more flexible work rules.
Now the recession has put Chicago's high costs under a spotlight. In November, a big triennial plastics show that had been bringing as many as 75,000 people to Chicago since 1971 jumped to Orlando, saying it expected to save $20 million for its members through the move.
After one taste of Chicago in April 2009, the Health Information and Management Systems Society—which brought 27,500 people to the city—decided it wouldn't come back [...]
Exhibitors found costs for electricians in Chicago were four to eight times as high to construct the same exhibits used in Orlando in 2008, Mr. Lieber said. McCormick officials said electricians in Chicago do much of the work that might be done by other trades in other cities.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
I haven’t been to Chicago in 10 years, easily. And it’s an easy 3 hour drive via the Interstate from my house.
Not even the flagship store for Marshall Fields or the pretty holiday decorations hold any appeal for me anymore.
I think the last trip down was to take the kids to The Shedd Aquarium.
I could live without Chicago, easily. ;)
Unions (private not government) saw 10% of its members LOSE THEIR JOBS UNDER OBAMA IN ONLY ONE YEAR.
I hope the Chicago unions suffer greatly, for all the harm they have done in their support for Obama.
I was at McCormick South one morning, and got to watch some electricians setting up a booth for some sort of a trade show. All I could think was, “if I had a job like that I’d have a truck, a boat, a cabin, a fridge full of beer, and all the time in the world to play.”
The new wing of the Art Institute is worth a three-hour drive.
Tempting, but the ‘art’ travels up here to Milwaukee and Madistan on a regular basis.
I went through my “Monet Stage’ already. I’ve moved on, LOL! :)
Chicago is reaping what it sowed.
My favorite was a projection of a spiderweb onto a "canvas" that would tangle your shadow as you walk by. (There's a lot of crap, too).
I lived in Chicago twice for several years each time. It got worse. I assume its getting worse (Detroit???). Why is it that the libs (aka: DIM-oc-RATS) screw up great cities? So sad.
The degree of damage and the arrogance of the subsequent "explanations" put me off wanting to attend another trade show in Chicago.
Mr. niteowl77
Two interesting paragraphs left out:
“Last week Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and the authority board proposed legislation that would restructure the facility’s debt and convert McCormick’s union workers to state employees. That would strip those workers of the right to strike and give facility managers the ability to rewrite work rules that have brought complaints from exhibitors.
“Lawmakers instead passed alternative legislation that would toss out the current board and replace it with a smaller group charged with figuring out how to make Chicago more competitive. Mr. Quinn said he would sign that.
So the hold of the unions on the government is not as strong as you might think.
I manage much of the exhibit setup for my company and I can tell you that cities like Chicago and New York allow the unions to run roughshod over the people that paid to rent the space.
I have been threatened for plugging in my own lights by the unions.....you must hire an electrician for that if you exhibit in Chicago.
You must be careful fighting back because they can throw you out of the show for not following the rules.
Anytime too much power is in a small group’s hands, it leads to abuse. I don’t care which group it is, either.
I've done plenty of these shows and it is amazing what the unions get away with. I am heading to Orlando tomorrow for the PGA Merchandise Show. We have a 900 square foot booth that is going to wind up costing us in excess of $50K when it is all said and done. I wanted to buy a square hanging banner. The thing was expensive enough (well over a thousand dollars)...then I found out it would cost another $400 just to get someone to hang the thing. Needless to say, I balked.
About 10 years ago, i was helping with a booth at McCormick. The place is just huge. Anyways, we wanted to have a large cluster of balloons with the corp. logo on them...but the additional cost of $500 per day discouraged us so we didn’t do it.
I inquired as to why it costs $500 extra to have balloons and was told that the ‘union’ workers have to get the floaters down from the high ceilings.
I then talked with one of the ‘union’ workers and he told me that if nothing was on the schedule, they just waited a few days and the balloons came back to earth.
But if the balloons had to come down right away, the workers would argue over who got to bring them down...with a bb gun!
But, what about the Frango Mints?
chicago. panhandler central. if my conference never returns it will be too soon.
On the road to another epic fail!
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