The Motivation Show will be chock-full of changes when it returns to Chicago October 12-14, 2010. The changes are designed to reduce exhibiting costs while maintaining a full three-day program of education, exhibits and networking for attendees, paying particular attention to first-time show visitors.

The preliminary schedule opens with a full Education Day and follows with two full exhibit days. “Our new three-day show schedule for 2010 is intended to expand our education and networking offering, while maintaining a full 16-hour exhibit schedule at a reduced cost to our exhibitors, “ says Peter Erickson, Motivation Show managing director.

The education day will allow The Motivation Show to expand its highly successful Engineering Engagement Conference to include more sessions that do not conflict with exhibit hours. The conference has grown to include more than 70 seminars, two morning keynotes and two luncheon keynotes.

“Having a dedicated education day next year will help us design a more concentrated education offering for those attendees looking to improve their professional skills,” says Donna Oldenburg, conference director of The Motivation Show.

“Our research indicates that a higher percentage of conference attendees are first-time visitors to the show and they tend to stay longer than exhibit hall-only attendees. Our goal in 2010 will be to provide an education program that attracts more new and qualified attendees to The Motivation Show,” says Oldenburg. 

The two-day exhibit schedule will also reduce exhibiting costs by adding an additional straight time (ST) day for exhibitor installation, in turn reducing drayage costs. 

Additional savings include:

• Eliminating inbound overtime charges (OT) for material handling and double time charges (DT) for other building services by closing the exhibit hall on Saturday and Sunday

• Providing exhibitors with two full installation days at straight time rates by having all advance warehouse freight delivered prior to Monday at 8 am

• Reducing daily costs from three days to two days for cleaning and other services

• Providing straight time dismantling rates until 8:30 pm for carpenters, decorators and riggers, following the close of the show at 5 pm on Thursday.

“The new 2010 schedule will result in significant savings to help our exhibitors control their costs and improve their show return on investment,” says show director Nancy Petitti.  “The exhibit space rate will not be increased in 2010 in an effort to hold down overall exhibiting costs.”

In 2010, the show moves to the new McCormick West exhibition facility. McCormick West includes a 2,100-car parking garage, more than 60 wi-fi enabled meeting rooms and six restaurants and cafes for show attendees. 



2010 Preliminary Show Schedule

Tuesday, October 12--Conference sessions  9 am to 5 pm, plus a keynote luncheon and evening networking event

Wednesday, October 13--Exhibit hours 9 am to 5 pm, plus conference sessions, a keynote luncheon and evening networking event

Thursday, October 14--Exhibit hours 9 am to 5 pm, plus conference sessions and a keynote luncheon