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National Fiery Foods Show 2000:
We’re Going To Reno, the Land of Plenty
by Dave DeWitt
The National Bowling Congress is headquartered in Reno. The National Fiery Foods & Barbecue Show’s home is Albuquerque. Why then, in 2000, will the National Bowling Congress be in Albuquerque and the National Fiery Foods & Barbecue Show be in Reno?
Good question.
Every few years, the National Bowling Congress leaves its Reno home and invades another city, bringing in tens of thousands of bowlers for a six-month tournament. This wreaks havoc with local show producers, who are forced out of their traditional convention center venues by this huge, long, city-wide convention. In 1993, the National Bowling Congress selected Albuquerque as its 2000 site which means that we were forced to find another place to hold the National Fiery Foods Show .
The announcement that our show was leaving for Reno was big news in Albuquerque. It made front page of the Albuquerque Journal, was a lead story on the six o’clock news of the local NBC-TV affiliate, and top-rated local shock jock T.J. Trout of 94-ROCK ranted about the loss of his favorite show for days. (Disclosure: he is a close friend of mine.) The mood of the city was bowlers, no--chileheads, yes! All this hoopla was a nice gesture, of course, but it had no bearing on the fact that we were indeed moving to Reno. So we immediately began searching for the best location that would provide the most benefits to our exhibitors.
Demographics
According to the latest figures available from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the residents of Nevada experienced the biggest increase in disposable income compared to all other states, up 16.37 percent from $32.37 billion in 1995 to $37.67 billion in 1997. And additionally, Californians have the most disposable income compared with all other states--$717.17 billion as of 1997, which equals 12.40 percent, or almost one-eighth, of all the disposable income in the entire U.S. ($5.78 trillion). That’s a lot of consumers to satisfy and a lot of markets to fill with products.
Location
It was important to keep the show out west because we were already contemplating a second show with a venue in the east--which is now the Florida Fiery Foods Show. There were many considerations for a new western venue: location, accessibility by air and highway, the hall itself, nearby lodging, and the fact that we wanted a destination city that would draw trade buyers. For that reason we ruled out Boise, Idaho. Some venues were simply too expensive: Las Vegas, San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, to name a few. Some venues were good, but they weren’t in destination cities: San Jose, Salt Lake City, and Sacramento are examples. I was leaning toward Tucson or Phoenix, but then I happened to visit the Reno Hilton to consult with the management on festivals.
I was immediately impressed because the Reno Hilton was literally a five-minute cab ride from the airport--convenient for exhibitors, buyers, and consumers from the Bay Area, I contemplated. Also, I couldn’t help but notice the size of the hotel--twenty-seven stories with 2,000 rooms, and a huge, free parking lot. I checked in at the desk, walked through a casino as large as one-and-a-half football fields, took the express elevator, and let myself into a nicely furnished suite. I quickly set out to explore the hotel and went directly to the Hilton Pavilion, the large show hall, conveniently located next to--another dramatic drum roll, please--the forty-lane Hilton Bowling Center. I felt like I was on The X Files.
But the Pavilion was nicely appointed, completely carpeted, and was just about the size of the Southeast Hall in Albuquerque. Hmmm, I thought. I checked out technical issues like electricity, load-in access, and the kitchens, and discovered that the Reno Hilton was an excellent possible venue for the National Fiery Foods Show--if we could work a deal with management.
That turned out to be easier than I ever expected. The Hilton management team was a dream to work with and soon we had negotiated a reasonable arrangement pending our final decision on the new location for the show.
Accessibility
I did some research and found that the Reno airport had not been closed by snow in March in recent memory. I also discovered that Reno, "The Biggest Little City in the World," is very much a destination city--in addition to a large prosperous population, there are tens and tens of thousands of visitors a week because of gambling, casino shows, other trade shows held at their convention center, and the gambling and skiing attractions of nearby Lake Tahoe. In addition, Reno is extremely accessible from all of California directly, and by hubs from all other major American cities. Because of these factors, I concluded that there would be no problem in attracting even more trade buyers to Reno, and to make sure they know about the show, we have a staff person who is totally dedicated to identifying and inviting new buyers, and to maintaining relationships with established buyers. We are also targeting a large number of consumers, as the advertising rates in Reno are particularly affordable. It also doesn’t hurt that Reno is a stone’s throw away from California--home of the largest concentration of buyers in the U.S.
Needless to say, I didn’t look for any other venues. I signed a contract with the Reno Hilton and we’ll be there in March. And the bowlers will be in our hall in Albuquerque.
The Reno Hilton Fact Sheet
2001 Rooms & Suites
One of the World’s Largest Casinos
Superbook--Race and Sports Book Betting
Complete Shopping Mall
Wedding Chapel
RV Park
The Reno Hilton Restaurants
The Steak House--Steaks and Chops
Andiamo--Italian
Asiana--Oriental Food
Johnny Rockets--Hamburgers
Lindy’s Deli--Breakfast and Lunch
Grand Canyon Cafe--Buffet
Chevy’s--Mexican
The Reno Hilton Entertainment
3000 seat Hilton Theatre
Just For Laughs Comedy Club
Fun Quest Family Fun Center
Movie Theatres
Aspen Lounge
The Reno Hilton Sports Facilities
Heated Outdoor Swimming Pool
Health Club
50-Lane Bowling Center
Outdoor Golf Driving Range
Indoor and Outdoor Tennis Courts