Yeah. I worked in the trade show industry for a number of years. The revenue that came into town from travelers to attend conventions at McCormick was mind numbing.
Millions of people flying in, eating at local restaurants, staying in local hotels, shopping. Many from attendees being from the medical/pharmaceutical profession where there is no lack of money.
That’s not even taking into account all of the union folks in the hall that relied on conventions for their jobs.
Chicago may surpass Detroit for biggest smoking hole in the US by the time this is over.
...trade show industry...
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Husband and I were talking about that the other day. We spent the 90s working the Fine Craft wholesale shows (Rosen Group & American Craft). Limited production handcraft wholesale to galleries, museums, boutiques. Buyers came in from all around the world.
Baltimore. New York City. Philly. Chicago. Minneapolis. Atlanta. Miami. Honolulu. Why would anyone spend thousands to go there and buy inventory or exhibit it? No restaurants. The hotels given over to bums. Crime. Riots. Mandates. The buyers are having virtual showings and the exhibitors are selling online, too.
Yet: I went to the show websites and all of them are simply listing the most recent shows as cancelled and taking applications for 2021. It’s like they are in denial.
I shudder to imagine any of those cities during the coming winter.
Not shedding any tears for the crooks in the unions, though. They just fleeced the exhibitors and most looked and acted like thugs even back then.