Global Fastener News

December 1, 2015 FIN – The National Fastener & Mill Supply Expo has new owners.

Co-founders and co-owners Jim Bannister and Mike McGuire announced they have sold the 35-year-old fastener trade show to Emerald Expositions LLC.

Current NIFMSE general manager Susan Hurley will continue to manage the trade show as show director from her Ohio office. Bannister will have a consultant role during the transition.

Emerald CEO David Loechner described NIFMSE as “an attractive entry point for us into the industrials sector and broadens our end market exposure and opportunities. Fastener Expo aligns perfectly with the criteria we look for in acquiring new events – strong underlying market fundamentals, a ‘must-attend’ event with a clear leadership position, experienced and high quality management, and an event that will benefit from the management and infrastructure of the Emerald organization.”

San Juan Capistrano, CA-based Emerald Expositions operates 80 business-to-business trade shows and conferences in the U.S. Emerald’s trade show industries include gift, home and general merchandise; sports and apparel; design; jewelry; luxury; antiques; e-commerce; creative services; healthcare; military; licensing and food. Web: emeraldexpositions.com

Terms of the sale were not announced.

Connecticut-based Corporate Solutions was advisor to Bannister and McGuire.

Bannister issued a statement that he is “delighted that the National Industrial Fastener & Mill Supply Expo will continue to grow and thrive under the stewardship of Emerald Expositions.” Bannister termed the three-decade evolution of the show as “amazing.”

In October Emerald acquired HOW Design Live and the HOW Interactive Design Conference from F+W Media Inc. In March 2015, Emerald acquired the Healthcare Design Conference & Expo, Healthcare Design magazine, Environments for Aging and Construction SuperConference from Vendrome Group; and earlier the International Pizza Expo operated by Macfadden Communications Group and Pizza Today magazine.

Emerald Expositions has offices in seven states and is headquartered at 31910 Del Obispo, Suite 200, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675. Tel: 949 226-5700 Email: info@emeraldexpo.com

Record Booths in 2015; Distributor Numbers Down

The sale comes after a record number of booths at the trade show last month. The 829 booths last month topped 2014’s 822 – which broke the record of 821 set in 2007.

This year was the 35th anniversary of what was first known as the “National Industrial Fastener Show & Conference” in and originally held in Columbus, Ohio June 3-4, 1981.

Bannister and McGuire first met in 1980 when then 33-year-old McGuire called 44-year-old Bannister to suggest a national fastener trade show. (See the story in the Fastener History section of GlobalFastenerNews.com.)

The first Las Vegas version was held in 1997.

After the West trade show was started in Las Vegas, the original Columbus show – which peaked at 653 booths in 1998 – was cancelled after it dwindled to 53 companies with 55 booths in 2011.

The NIFMSE owners promoted the show as the “World’s Largest,” but it was overtaken in size in 2009 by Fastener Fair Stuttgart. Fastener trade shows in China may be larger too.

In September, McGuire sold his American Fastener Journal magazine to his ad salesperson Tom Massar of Massar Media. At the time McGuire explained he is “slowing down and stepping aside after three decades plus of publishing” the distribution-oriented magazine.

Numerous industry leaders have complained that despite 35-years of profiting off the fastener industry, none could think of any check the show owners have written for any industry cause.

The next NIFMSE is scheduled October 25-27, 2016, at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas. Web: fastenershows.com  ©2015 Fastener Industry News.  For information on permission to reuse or reprint this article, please email:  FIN@GlobalFastenerNews.com.

The story of NIFMSE is in the Fastener History section of GlobalFastenerNews.com:

2002 FIN – How the Fastener Industry Discovered Columbus
Officially, it was the “National Industrial Fastener Show & Conference” through most of its 22-year history. But to the industry the easier name and the term of endearment for the show held in the capital city of Ohio was simply “Columbus.”

1997 FIN – Las Vegas Show Gamble Pays Off
The owners of the National Industrial Fastener Show & Conference gambled that a western version of their show would be a winner in Las Vegas.