PRI Is Too Big for Indiana's Britches

When the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show left Indianapolis after its 2004 show, it was with a promise to come back as soon as the Indiana Convention Center & RCA Dome expanded enough to handle the fast-growing event. Unfortunately, even before the expansion could be completed in time for that anticipated 2011 return, PRI show organizers already know it was going be too little too late.

The show had a letter of agreement with the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Assn. to return annually from 2011 to 2013 to the bigger facility, but officials from the Performance Racing Industry and the ICVA have confirmed the show has grown too large during the intervening years to return to Indianapolis.

At the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, “right now, we take up more than 1 million (gross square feet),” said John Kilroy, associate publisher and editor at Performance Racing Industry.

Even after the Indiana CC completes its expansion in 2010, it will add just more than 250,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space to the existing 500,000 sq. ft.

“We fully understood than our agreement with PRI to return after expansion was never an iron-clad guarantee,” said Bob Bedell, president and CEO of ICVA. “The agreement was well intended and in good faith for both parties. However, the growth of (PRI) has simply exceeded (their) expectations, as well as ours. We both worked hard to find a creative solution to handle the expanded show, but it just didn't work out.”

The show was staged for seven years in Indianapolis, where attendance grew from 25,000 to 39,000, until moving to Orlando in 2005. It has continued to grow there, according to show officials, surpassing 40,000 attendees. The show is contracted to stay in Orlando through 2016, Kilroy said.

The 2007 show, ranked No. 45 on the 2008 Tradeshow Week 200, had 1,445 exhibiting companies on a 425,100 net sq. ft. showfloor with 35,000 professional attendees and 10,000 exhibitors at the OCCC.

“We're thrilled to have them,” said Gary Sain, president and CEO of the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau. “They've been a great customer and a great partner.”

The 2007 show had an economic impact of $59.3 million in the Orlando area, according to the bureau.

Kilroy said Indianapolis was a great host city, “however, we just outgrew the convention center space.” Visitor spending at the 2004 show in Indianapolis was estimated by ICVA officials at $26.6 million.

PRI Producer Steve Lewis pointed out that the decision was dictated completely by the size of the facility.

“I want to emphasize that (Indianapolis) has done nothing wrong,” he added. “On the contrary, everything in Indianapolis – from the city to the facility to the hospitality to the hotels – was perfect in the time we were there.”

Even though the expansion won't help Indianapolis regain PRI, the ICVA has booked several groups because of the expanded space, including the Natl. Truck Equipment Assn. and the Natl. Federation for Catholic Youth Ministries, according to ICVA officials.

“While we regret losing any business, there's no question (the) expansion was not only necessary, but will result in Indianapolis' continued growth and success in booking tradeshows, conventions and meetings,” Bedell said.

During the past few years, the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Assn. had declined the opportunity to bid on 150 events because it didn't have enough convention space or hotel rooms to accommodate them, according to Chris Gahl, the association's spokesman.

In addition to the increased amount of exhibit space being built during the expansion, about 2,200 hotel rooms will be added to the downtown inventory for a total of 8,000.