With the goal of offering exhibitors and attendees significant savings while providing a world-class destination, ICE USA is joining a growing list of major trade shows that are holding their events at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

“Upon deciding to bring ICE to the United States and after acquiring the CMM brand, Mack Brooks began a review of possible new venues for this new venture,” said Bob Chiricosta, Director of Sales and Marketing for ICE USA. “We learned that the escalating costs associated with the traditional Chicago venues were limiting the amount of equipment that exhibitors were willing to run at the show. Our exhibitors know that displaying machinery is the most effective way to exhibit at trade shows,” Chiricosta explained, saying they needed a venue where the total cost of attending was attractive to exhibitors and visitors alike. Compared to the traditional Chicago location for converting, packaging, plastics and graphic arts exhibitions, large cost reductions will save the two groups on both lodging and travel. Additional substantial savings on rigging, drayage, on-site transportation and services for exhibitors will be passed onto exhibitors by the organizers.

“The lower costs, simpler work rules, and more flexible logistics in Orange County will cut costs dramatically as well as enable ICE USA to build a more dynamic show experience by attracting new participants and encouraging larger and better exhibits,” said Michael Boyle, Event Director for ICE USA. “The improved conditions will lead to more extensive displays of new technology and larger and more numerous machines in full-scale operation.” Several first-time trade shows in Orlando often see a spike in attendance with many exhibitors and attendees tacking on leisure time before or after the show in Orlando. According to the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau there are 115,000 hotel rooms in the Orlando area, 9100 of them within walking distance of the center. According to the recently released Metropoll survey, which tallied responses from 1,100
meeting professionals, Orlando is the #1 destination in the United States in which meeting
professionals plan to hold a major meeting in the next three years. Out of 21 convention center
attributes, the OCCC ranked #1 on 15 of the 21.