As managing editor of Tim Hanrahan's letter to the editor of Plastics News complaining about the high cost of exhibiting at NPE is continuing to generate attention. The latest: Chicago's CBS 2 posted a story Tuesday night titled "Chicago Conventions Take A Hit Due To High Costs."
Correspondent Jay Levine noted that the $345.39 that Hanrahan paid for four cases of Pepsi products at NPE2009 "could cost Chicago a major trade show."
Most notably, Levine got Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley to comment about plastics company complaints about the high prices at McCormick Place:
"People don't realize that they become very, very selfish. They can't be. You can't have selfishness out there," Daley said.
He added: "There has to be reorganization at McCormick Place ... because it deals with less and less shows coming in town."
Interesting that Daley didn't fall into the trap of actually defending the $345.39 Pepsi.
Is change coming? Chicago blogger John Ruberry doesn't think so. In his Marathon Pundit blog, he recently posted an item headlined "Union extortionists may drive another trade show from Chicago":
Chicago's Mayor Richard M. Daley, still smarting from the Olympics debacle, met with the CEO of SPI in hopes of convincing him to keep the Plastics Show in the city on the lake.But don't expect much. Big labor is a major financial contributor to his political war chest.
That Pepsi won't taste any better if NPE moves to Orlando, but it will seem that way.