Global Fastener News

It will be a smaller International Fastener Expo for 2021 vs. the last pre-pandemic trade show.

The 40th IFE currently expects exhibiting companies to be about one third of the 650 at the last in-person trade show in 2019.

The 40th annual International Fastener Expo is slated for September 21-23, 2021 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.  The 39th trade show was cancelled as an in-person event and held virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  Web: FastenerShows.com

Show manager Morgan Wilson acknowledged “we know this is not going to be a normal IFE event in terms of overall attendance levels,” but added that there are “still 230+ exhibitors and attendance has continued to build including some of the top VIP’s.” IFE management is “optimistic that we can have a productive event.”

Wilson said the FastenerShows.com website vendor list and floorpan is updated daily.  Though several multiple booth exhibitors have cancelled in the past few weeks, Wilson said 80% are scheduled to be there.

One exhibitor who usually brings a staff of 10 or more, is bringing only three people for 2021.

There may be some empty booths. A few exhibitors told FIN they won’t staff booths at all, even after IFE management declined to refund their booth deposits.

The aisles may be less busy too.  Multiple distributors told GlobalFastenerNews.com that only principals or key staff will be sent to Las Vegas.

One distributor said he usually brings several staff members to Las Vegas as a “perk,” but this year the company “isn’t going to attend any autumn fastener event.”

Originally titled the National Industrial Fastener Show & Conference, the trade show was first held in Columbus, OH in 1981.  The Las Vegas version started in 1997. Emerald Exhibition acquired the trade show in 2015 and renamed it as the International Fastener Expo in 2017.

Emerald does not announce specific attendance numbers, but has pegged recent IFE’s as “more than 5,000 attendees from 30+ nations” and about 650 exhibiting companies.  The record registration under the previous owners was 4,606 in 2014 – which included 1,347 distributors and 2,477 exhibitor staff.

FastenerShows.com currently states Emerald is “prioritizing the safety of our community and colleagues; we continue to monitor this rapidly developing situation. As updates become available, we will post these here. Further resources will also be posted here on the website.”

Earlier IFE posted that it “will implement a health & safety plan to reduce chances of Covid-19 spread” and follow the recommendations and guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the World Health Organization and state and local officials.   “We will adapt and change our plans as recommendations become available, to limit potential spread most effectively,” according to Emerald’s statement.

Safety measures may include:  Required social distancing and face masks; heightened cleaning and sanitizing of public spaces; daily temperature screenings; hand sanitizer stations; based on facility recommendations, wider aisle widths on the exhibit floor; and medical personnel onsite.

Las Vegas hotels near Mandalay Bay range in price from $21 for Excalibur to $275 for Four Seasons.   

A sampling of other recent Hotels.com prices:  Delano $224; Fairfield Inn $147; Desert Rose $94; Motel 8 $75; Galaxy $63; Tropicana $50; MGM Grand $47; New York New York $38; and Luxor $28.