By Sunil Taneja
Toronto—IIDEX/ NeoCon Canada is maturing into a well regarded market here for the A&D community. Many attendees cite the show for its forward-thinking focus and the quality of the exhibitors.

Despite the praise and the bringing in of another market — the Canadian Facilities Management and Design Expo & Conference under the same banner, officials expected to draw 15,000 attendees for the two-day show this year. Approximately 15,000 people attended the market last year.

While the total attendance was not expected to change, Tracy Bowie, vice president of the show, noted the quality of attendees has shifted significantly, as well as the range from which the market is drawing its pool of visitors.

By subsidizing travel costs for designers from outside the greater Toronto area (GTA), she said the market has been able to grow its visitor representation from across the country. IIDEX/ NeoCon also incorporated an international buyers’ program drawing representatives from the U.S., Mexico, Brazil and other countries.

“The market has changed,” Bowie explained. “When we look at our statistics, more than 50% of attendees are coming from outside the GTA and that wasn’t the case before.”

“We have really tried to broaden our reach to what type of attendee comes to our show,” reinforced Trevor Kruse, interior designer, Hudson Kruse, and liaison IIDEX/NeoCon for ARIDO. “We are not limiting it to just architects and designers. We are targeting facilities managers, real estate people, builders, developers as well as landlords.”

He pointed out the market has grown in breadth and depth since MMPI took over the market’s management.

“The expertise, reach and influence MMPI has in running trade shows, as well as its network of exhibitors across North America has really been invaluable to IIDEX,” Kruse explained. “Every year since MMPI took over, the market has been larger.”

Bowie and Kruse added while the number of total attendees was expected to remain static this year, the quality of visitors has steadily improved. They noted the focus is on improving the quality of attendees through various initiatives including stronger educational and speaker programs, and working to attract members of other North American design associations, including IIDA, ASID and NCIDQ.

“We consistently try to strengthen our program,” Bowie said. “We don’t add more programs; we try to make sure the quality is better year after year.”

Another initiative is to bring in judges from across the country for the show’s various awards.

“It is all in an attempt to have those people go back and be our spokesperson by telling people in their jurisdictions what we have and how great it is,” said Kruse.

“We are working to ensure our exhibitors have the right 15,000 attendees, the ones who make a difference,” he concluded. “It has to be a real value for them to be here for two days.”