The Graphic Arts Show Company (GASC) joined four other trade show organizers in blasting labor costs and union work rules at Chicago’s McCormick Place exhibition center, according to a story in today’s Chicago Sun-Times.
"We've gone from complaints about labor costs to anger and demand for change," Chris Price, vice president of GASC, is quoted as saying. He testified yesterday before a state legislative committee examining the agency that runs McCormick Place as well as Chicago’s famed Navy Pier.
Others spoke of steep cost markups by McCormick Place drayage companies and even of intimidation against exhibitors by union members. An official of an exhibitors’ group is quoted as saying that his members fear damage to their property if they protest against union practices. Others warned that shows would continue to relocate to lower-cost locations such as Orlando and Las Vegas if changes are not made.
GASC produces the Graph Expo and Print shows at McCormick Place, which has been criticized by many exhibitors as too expensive a venue. In response, GASC offered a “stimulus package” of cost-reducing incentives to exhibitors at Print last year.
GASC’s next event at McCormick Place is Graph Expo 2010 (October 3-6).
Discussion
By Pat Berger on Apr 05, 2010
Benjamin Franklin and his associates have participated in show attendance for years.
By Chuck on Apr 05, 2010
I hope Mr. Price has a bodyguard, he'll probably get "wacked" by the Chicago mob in the near future. In all seriousness, though, I love the city but this has been going on for years. I guess when GASC and it's owners were fat and happy with the profits, no one cared. Except, of course, the exhibitors who have long suffered and whose complaints long fell on deaf ears.
When September 11 happened during Print 01, my company decided in the uncertainty that we couldn't require our employees to go to a public venue that might be a terror target. Ultimately, we decided to pack up our booth. Talk about intimidation: there was nothing but threats from the unions, and verbal abuse, comparing our decision to protect our employees to the terrorists themselves. I've also had many items stolen from booths over the years, that we very much suspected were union members at the venue. It's a sick situation operating there.
By Barry on Apr 05, 2010
Chicago is a great town and has been a great venue for Print's largest show.
Does anyone remember when there was a Graph Expo East? Every other year, the show would be held in the Javits Center in NYC and then moved to the new Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philly. The expansion of McCormick opened up larger annual quarters for the show, and low attendance in Philly evidentally closed the discussion on concentrating in Chicago.
Orlando and Vegas could be East/West Alternates. Two cities with cheap airfares and lots of empty hotel rooms would help attendees and exhibitors alike. Most attendees are alternating attendance years anyway now, so it would lock them in on that schedule. Aditionally you would have the ying and yang of flipping between America's Family Vacation Capital and Sin City.
By Mark on Apr 05, 2010
It is about time! Great job Chris. I am behind you 110%. I remember how things were back in Philadelphia before the show left the unions at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Can you imagine what condition the rest of us would be in if we treated our customers the way the unions treat us as customers at McCormick Place?
It is time for McCormick Place to understand that for small business, we are now being required to make a choice. We can choose to pay our employees that want to work and keep their jobs versus paying exhorbatant labor rates to unions at McCormick for services and lack of quality that does not deserve the rate of pay they demand.
Trade shows are an important part of our marketing plan but we will find other venues and other tradeshows to market our products. The amount of funds we spend yearly for McCormick Place can easily be transferred to regional small hotel shows or distributor locations where costs can be contained and we have more control over the process.
I do not really expect a miracle to happen here after the years of greed and poor service we have all endured. We too have had items stolen from our booth, during show hours and afterwards. THis also shows a lack of respect for the customer by the unions.
I have no problem in moving this show to another location where we can be treated as customers and not feel like we are constantly being taken advnatage of.
I applaud the GASC for their comments but can the Chicago labor unions really change for the better?
By Tony on Apr 05, 2010
How about re-locating to the Javits Center in NYC?
By Donald Smithers on Apr 05, 2010
Gratuities for show floor help and assistance has been the norm far at least 25 years.
By Michael j on Apr 05, 2010
The unsustainability of no longer necessary overhead is at the crest of the "wave of creative destruction" moving through the economy. Any organization that is based on "information delivery" can no longer afford unneccesary overhead. As printers we've seen this for years. Last September it moved through the world of finance. Now it is moving through formal education.
It would be way cool if GASC, in addition to pressuring McCormick, do a little navel gazing. What is the core value of a trade organization? What can be jettisoned? How can they deliver their core value faster, better and cheaper at a PROFIT?
The no longer necessary overhead problem presents as legacy Union rules in print shops, convention centers, education, State governments and the Federal Government. It's all the same story, just in different specific contexts.
By George on Apr 05, 2010
We are happy to hear that Finally some dialogue on the abusive practices and intimidation of the unions at McCormick. What really needs to happen is a constructive dialogue on the future of the Graph Expo Show.
I have been a supportive fan of both Graph Expo and Print. However we've all seen the relevance of these shows diminished over the last 2 decades. The costs are too high for the related benefits of the Regional and now National show. Upon hearing that Heidelberg decided not to attend and now Komori has also joined them in sitting out this years show, made our company rethink our attendance.
Europe has a Drupa, Great Britian has IPEX and Japan has IGAS on a 4 year rotation. We think it's time for the US to look at the 4 year rotation also.
All of the major manufactures of Graph Arts equipment, supplies and services could use a break. They all have adaquate facilities, tech centers and opportunities to show their wares.
The years of made up "Show Special" pricing is gone. Everyone knows the best deals are made at "Year End"....
It's a New Era in Printing we need some New Thinking.
By Patrick Henry on Apr 05, 2010
To Barry and Tony: I do remember Graph Expo East, and I go back far enough also to remember Graph Tech, the regional show produced by the PIA affiliate that represented the New York City metro area in those days. I also was involved with "Graphic Communication Day," a later attempt to reestablish a trade expo for the NYC print market. The sad truth, though, is that New York City is just too expensive a venue for an event of this kind. Most of the criticisms now being aimed at McCormick Place were heard then about the Javits Center, which in my opinion is inferior to the Chicago facility in every way. But, I agree that if the Graph Expo and the Print shows can't get the respect they deserve in Chicago, it's time for GASC to find another destination city.
By Bryan on Apr 12, 2010
I am no fan of unions, but the costs are not just from labor. Freeman and GES and other exhibition houses hide many costs in "drayage" - "free" signs, "free" design work, "free" consulting, "free" stuff that isn't.
Secondly, many show organizers just pass these costs on to exhibitors - who then bear the brunt of the costs. When they get fed up with the high costs, they don't come back.
By Michael j on Apr 16, 2010
Bryan,
Good point. My sense is that when a business model is falling apart, you nickel and dime to get to sustainable revenue. I think you can see the same in lots of businesses. The most recent example is the Airline that is charging $45 for carry on luggage. I bet, the push back and brand damage wasn't close to being to worth it.
I think the same thing has been happening for printers. Instead of creating new sources of revenue by remixing their core strengths, they've been distracted by becoming something that is not a core strength.
So GASC should probably figure out what precisely is their core value. Then put some maniacal focus on doing that and stop doing things that are no longer necessary.
Discussion
Join the discussion Sign In or Become a Member, doing so is simple and free