Detroit
#1 Trade Show
“One of the world’s most influential car shows,” according to its venue the Cobo Center, the event spans nearly 1 million square feet and in 2017 brought in nearly 807,000 ticketed attendees. The show introduced Automobili-D, an exhibition of 180 brands focused on autonomous vehicles and sustainable transportation. On the lighter side, Pixar’s John Lasseter attended the show to reveal a life-size, drivable version of Lightning McQueen, the star of its animated Cars franchise, to promote the summer release of Cars 3. Next: January 13-28, 2018
Las Vegas
#2 Trade Show
Providing the largest selection of men’s and women’s apparel and accessories in the industry, the marquee fashion-industry trade show brought more than 85,000 attendees to the Mandalay Bay and Las Vegas Convention Centers. Visitors to the show were estimated to spend a total of about $100 million across Las Vegas, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Next: February 12-14, 2018
Chicago
#3 Trade Show
Once again co-located with the Beverage Alcohol for Restaurants at N.R.A. Show, the hospitality trade event at McCormick Place featured innovations such as drone-ready delivery tools, 3-D-printed pasta, and flying cotton candy. Spanning a record 695,000 square feet, the show brought in over 60,000 registrants. Capitalizing on last year’s epic World Series win by the Chicago Cubs, team owner and chairman Tom Ricketts, and sportscaster Mike Greenberg of ESPN’s Mike and Mike presented a talk on leadership and focus entitled “Defying the Curse.” Next: May 19-22, 2018
High Point, North Carolina
#4 Trade Show
Featuring tens of thousands of new product introductions, High Point Market is the place to go for interior designers, retail home furnishings buyers, and the like. Each semiannual edition attracts about 75,000 attendees and more than 2,000 exhibitors who represent over 100 countries. The market takes place across 180 buildings, spanning 11.5 million square feet of space. Next: October 14-18, 2017
Atlanta
#5 Trade Show
For its 60th anniversary staging, the winter 2017 showcase achieved record-breaking new buyer registrations and a spike in international attendance, bringing people in from 81 countries. Held twice a year at AmericasMart Atlanta, the event included the eighth annual Icon Awards during the summer edition, where a 16-category award show held at the historic Fox Theater was preceded by a cocktail reception and buffet, and later included a performance by hometown favorites the Indigo Girls. Next: January 9-16, 2018
Las Vegas/Orlando
#6 Trade Show (up from #7)
The co-location of the National Kitchen & Bath Association’s Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, the National Association of Home Builders International Builders’ Show, and two partner events, the International Window Coverings Expo and the International Surface Event, grew this year by coming to the Orange County Convention Center for the first time. The event brought together about 125,000 design and construction professionals—compared to the 80,000 who met at the Las Vegas Convention Center—and used 1.2 million net square feet of exhibit space. It will return to Orlando next year, followed by a two-year return to Las Vegas. Next: January 9-11, 2018
Columbus, Ohio
#7 Trade Show
Named for former bodybuilder, movie star, and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger—who co-founded the celebration of strength with Columbus-based insurance executive and sports promoter Jim Lorimer—the show again brought in 20,000 athletes this year, and it held 75 sports and events with competitors from 80 nations. A total of 1,000 exhibitors displayed sports equipment, apparel, nutrition items, and stages for competitions and entertainment. The weekend’s capstone event is the Arnold Classic, one of the world’s most prestigious professional bodybuilding competitions. “The Governator” does appear throughout the weekend at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Next: March 1-4, 2018
Las Vegas
#8 Trade Show
Featuring automotive specialty products, the 2016 show drew more than 70,000 domestic and international buyers. The displays at the Las Vegas Convention Center were divided into 12 sections, and the New Products Showcase displayed nearly 3,000 newly introduced parts, tools, and components. Next: October 31-November 3, 2017
Houston
#9 Trade Show
This year at the NRG Park-based event, the Women in the Industry Sharing Experience event was turned into a half-day conference. Previously a two-hour networking session, the conference consisted of three sessions where men and women discussed how diversity enhances the energy industry. Overall, more than 64,700 people attended the show, with 78 percent of attendees representing the United States and 22 percent coming from other countries. Including outdoor space, the exhibition floor was nearly 600,000 square feet. Next: April 30-May 3, 2018
National
#10 Trade Show
The New York-based conference generated lots of buzz this year when Hillary Clinton appeared before the release of her new book, What Happened. Also of note, the show created a Facebook Live lounge within the Javits Center where top authors were interviewed. Attracting 10,000 industry professionals from around the world, the expo serves as North America’s largest industry conference. It concludes with BookCon, a two-day fan fest. Next: May 30-June 1, 2018
Anaheim, California
#11 Trade Show (new to the list)
Boasting nearly 100,000 attendees, the National Association of Music Merchants show is the nation’s largest event for the music products industry. Held at the Anaheim Convention Center, the event attracts famous musicians who frequently are endorsed by exhibitors to show the products and equipment offered by those companies. This year was no exception: Stevie Wonder performed. Next: January 25-28, 2018
Las Vegas
#12 Trade Show (new to the list)
Created by the International Council of Shopping Centers, the place for retail real estate brokers, owners, and related industry professionals to make deals brought in 37,000 attendees and keynote speeches from the likes of Serena Williams, Steve Wozniak, and Barbara Corcoran. Held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the show included a sleek new gathering spot, ICSC Live, that served as the event’s social media headquarters. Next: May 20-23, 2018
