Smart Moves for Chicago and McCormick Place

OK, so this isn’t directly about digital printing. Or even printing. But it is one of my favored topics and one I usually find myself touching on as shows approach.

You may have heard that the playing field for trade shows in Chicago—home to GRAPH EXPO and the PRINT shows put on by Graphic Arts Show Co. (GASC)—has shifted slightly in favor of the very companies ponying up the big bucks to display their wares in McCormick Place. A new Illinois state law gives exhibitors the right to do far more of their own booth set-up than in the past, a move that can significantly lower the costs for companies participating in a show. It won't happen all at once, but this is good news. And coming on the heels of reductions in drayage (moving equipment in and out), it brings a smile to the show planners at all the vendors.