Global Fastener News

FEATURE

Photo courtesy of Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel

The first All American Fastener Show has been announced for May 6-7, 2010, in the southwestern Missouri tourist-oriented city of Branson.

Heidi Volltrauer, vice president for sales & marketing at Volt Industrial Plastics, told FIN the idea for the show started with the desire for a new, centrally located and small fastener show. The first year will be limited to 101 tables.

The “Meet in the Middle” slogan for the distribution-oriented show was chosen because of Branson’s location in the middle of the U.S.

Though in future years All America Fastener Show may be larger and have booths, Volltrauer said she doesn’t want to expand to a point that exhibiting companies “get lost.”

Volt Industrial is the initial show sponsor and Volltrauer is seeking other sponsors.

The show is scheduled for the new Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel near downtown Branson, across from the Hilton Promenade and Branson Landing retail and entertainment district on Lake Taneycomo.

Branson has expanded as an entertainment. Volltrauer noted there are Payne Stewart and multiple other golf courses, shows and entertainment, Branson Landing, Silver Dollar City and the Mark Twain National Forest and the Ozarks as attractions. Branson opened a commercial airport in May 2009.

Table rates are $695 and $795 for premium corner spaces. There is a $100 discount until February 1, 2010. The rate includes basic furnishings.

“I want to keep prices economical for the benefit of exhibitors,” Volltrauer emphasized.

Attendee registration is $15 in advance and $25 at the door. Hotel room rates start at $139.

The show promises “year-round promotion through our direct mail, advertising in industry specific publications, online links to your website and email. The show schedule includes an opening reception on Thursday evening and the trade show from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday. Web: allamericanfastenershow.com

Volt is a plastic fastener manufacturer founded in 1992 by her father, Joseph Volltrauer. She has been involved in the family-owned company since the beginning. Web: voltplastics.com

Volltrauer is familiar with Branson because Volt Industrial is located in the Northwest Arkansas city of Flippin, which is within a two-hour drive of Branson.
Volltrauer acknowledged that this is the first trade show she has organized. But she noted Volt has exhibited at trade shows for 17 years an “everyone has a first time in their business.”

For information contact Volltrauer, All American Fastener Show, 80 Industry Ln., Flippin, AR 72634. Tel: 877 865-8237 E-mail: info@allamericanfastenershow.com

Competing Spring Shows

The National Industrial Fastener Show/East is also traditionally held in May, but the 2009 show was cancelled. The next NIFS/East is scheduled for May 25-26, 2010, in Columbus, OH.

NIFS/East booths cost $1,395 to $1,545 plus furnishings for 2010.

The show has averaged 213 booths in the past eight years and had 164 in 2008. Distributor registration in 2008 was 321, down 16.2% from 2007. NIFS management report 51 exhibiting companies for 2010. Web: fastenershows.com

The biennial Southwestern Fastener Expo will be held April 8-11, 2010, in the Dallas suburb of Grapevine, TX.

The tabletop-style show is sponsored by the Southwestern Fastener Association and is held in conjunction with its spring conference.

Exhibitor prices for a furnished table is $395 for SFA members and $595 for non-members. Web: sfa-fastener.org

The next Southeastern Fastener Association tabletop show will be in conjunction with SEFA’s 35th anniversary spring conference scheduled March 10-12, 2010, at Caribe Royale in Orlando. Web: thesefa.com

Fastener Tech is held in odd-numbered years in Rosemont, IL, – near Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. The biennial show dropped from 165 booths in 2007 to 127 in 2009.

The next Fastener Tech is being planned for June 13-15, 2011.

Booths including basic furnishings were $1,495 in 2009. Web: mwfa.net

Industry Response

Multiple exhibitors contacted by FIN said they hadn’t heard anything about the show.

“I am intrigued,” responded one exhibitor who earlier decided not to return to Columbus in 2010.

“This is the first I have heard of it,” another exhibitor reacted. “But after reading the information, I am not sure what their target market is.”

“Good luck to her, but I have no interest,” said one company owner who frequently takes multiple booths at other shows. He added that it appeared to be a NIFS’ “clone.”

Another regular exhibitor at most fastener shows noted that “this is the first I’ve heard of it, but I would probably give it a try.”

“I don’t know why they are doing it or whether they will get exhibitors, but they are going ahead with it,” said another regular exhibitor. “Just what we need – another show.”

“Interesting,” responded another exhibitor at almost every fastener trade show. The exhibitor noted the format is similar to NIFS/East and the size is “nearly as big,” but the exhibiting cost is lower.

One person active in organizing an association trade show noted that “there are a limited number of distributors within a two-hour drive” and “regional jets are usually expensive to fly.”

He suggested the show should be after school is out so it could be made a family vacation.

He questioned if there is enough exhibitor support for another show. “It is only a few weeks prior to NIFS/East. Exhibitors only have so much money to spend on trade shows.”

NIFS co-owner Jim Bannister told FIN he is
“disappointed to see yet another fastener industry expo staring up … not because of the competition with us but, rather, because of the proliferation of industry expos spreading fastener manufacturers’ advertising dollars even further.”

Bannister said the traditionally annual NIFS/East is dropping to a biennial show in even number years alternating with Fastener Tech.

Bannister questioned the May timing of the All American Fastener Show – with NIFS/East also in May. “Does this make any sense?” he asked.

Despite his questioning someone else starting a show within three weeks of his, in 1997 Bannister scheduled the first NIFS/West just three days before the Specialty Tools & Fasteners Distributors Association convention. ©2009 GlobalFastenerNews.com

Related Stories:

• Bannister: NIFS/East Going Biennial in Even Years

Related Links:

• All American Fastener Show