Tourism Trade Show Program Design

Purpose: Connect the lodging community with vendors, suppliers and local businesses that contribute to their business priorities and their customers’ satisfaction.

Strategy: At the Estes Park Events Center, the Chamber and Visit Estes Park will host a trade show with pipe and drape booths from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for suppliers and local recreation businesses to showcase their services to the lodging community. Visit Estes Park is coordinating an educational session on the state of tourism from 3 to 4 p.m., followed by an Estes Inspired cocktail reception from 4 to 6 p.m. showcasing local restaurants and beverage suppliers. Exhibitors can register on this event page:

• Suppliers and recreation providers for the trade show from 10 to 3

• Restaurants for the Estes Inspired reception where they can host a table to sample their best menu items from 4 to 6:30 p.m. 

• Lodging owners and their staff can register on this event page to attend for free

History: Years ago the Estes Area Lodging Association partnered with Visit Estes Park to create a similar trade show that grew in participation then waned. We have heard from leaders of that initiative that the loss of interest was due to a waning lodging participation. For this reason we are making this event free for members of the lodging community and adding a top notch cocktail reception to lavish some appreciation on our frontline workers.

What is the cost to participate? 

Exhibit prices are for either the trade show from 10 - 3 or the cocktail reception, which will be set up from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. Evening exhibits will be F&B and recreation only. We don’t expect anyone to exhibit the full day, but we can talk about accommodating any exceptions.

• Local members of the Chamber pay our member showcase price of $100 

• Local non-members can pay $250 or join the Chamber for $300 and get a free booth

• Out of town suppliers can pay $350 or join the Chamber for $500 and get a free booth

Resources:

The Chamber will be updating this event page as details materialize. There is a link on that page to the rolling FAQ on the following page, also posted online here.

FAQs

Why should I spend a day at this trade show?

The value of a trade show that lodging members reported in our survey include:

1. Connecting with suppliers, co-op purchasing
2. Connecting with peers on co-ops and practices
3. Learning about local services and events

Why do Chamber members have to pay for a booth? Why do nonmembers who join get a free exhibit?

On why we have to charge for events, here’s the general rule of thumb for running the Chamber as a business. If the event does not cost the Chamber anything, we’ll offer it free to members and at a fee to non-members. If there’s a significant out of pocket cost, we divide that between the beneficiaries in an equitable way, always giving preference to members.  Why are we offering a free booth to new members? We have a goal to get to 400 members this year and we will eat the cost of that $100 booth if we can leverage this opportunity to reach that goal.

We can dig deeper into our financials if you want to see that and we can bring to the board a governing policy about not holding events that cost money. In this case the Tourism Trade Show is free to the lodging community to equip their members, with the burden of cost on those who want to leverage this collective presence of the lodging industry to promote their business. Can we get enough there? I sure hope so. We’re marketing this to the entire lodging industry – over 800 businesses. We hope this will lead to a larger referral base for our members.

Can restaurants exhibit all day from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. for the same price?

It’s your choice. We assume that most restaurants will not have the capacity to exhibit all day, but if you would like to, we won’t stop you. We’d love for you to have the chance to sample your cuisine to as many people as possible.

Does the registration fee cover the price of my booth?

Yes, we’re throwing in the cost of table, pipe and drape. If you need to rent linens because you don’t have a branded table cover, we are pursuing a discounted price for you.
 

What's the cost of a booth for my lodge?

The purpose of this show is to create a VIP event for our lodging community. If you are exhibiting, you are working. Our goal is to connect you with suppliers, training resources and local business owners so you and your staff are better informed about local services and events. Please plan to come as our guest. If you own a restaurant in your lodge, please consider exhibiting at the cocktail reception in the evening.
 

What sort of educational events are you planning?

Visit Estes Park is working with the Colorado Tourism Office and other tourism organizations for that general session Tuesday afternoon. On the show floor, our vendors will provide 10-20 minute mini webinars on

• Hospitality Talent Management, Onboarding & Training
• Customer Service and Deescalation
• Laws and Regulations that impact lodging
• Best Practices (laundry, hot tubs, bedbugs, etc.)

2022 Estes Inspired Tourism Trade Show Coming to Estes Park                    

January 26, 2022, Estes Park, CO — The Estes Chamber of Commerce and Visit Estes Park have partnered to host a tourism trade show on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, at the Estes Park Events Complex.            

In conjunction with National Tourism Week, the two organizations are hosting a trade show aimed at celebrating what inspires community members to live, work and play in the destination as well as the industry that makes much of it possible: tourism.

Attendees of the show, Estes Park lodging, restaurant, retail and attraction business owners and employees, will connect with suppliers from all over Colorado, enjoy an educational event on the state of tourism and interact with exhibits from local businesses that offer food, drinks and recreation to Estes Park visitors. An Estes Inspired reception will feature live music, snacks prepared by local restaurants and “Estes Inspired” beers brewed for the occasion by local breweries.                    

The agenda includes:                                             
●  A supplier trade show from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.                        
●  An educational event from 3 to 4 p.m.                                
●  An Estes Inspired reception from 4 to 6 p.m.
                                
Vendors seeking access to the Estes Park tourism community are invited to contact Donna Carlson at the Estes Chamber to register their exhibit now. Options run from $100 to $350. Contact donna@esteschamber.org.
                                
The Estes Chamber of Commerce is the “new” chamber in Estes Park, 100% founded and funded by members, in May 2019. The Chamber is the voice of business with the Town of Estes Park, Estes Park EDC, Visit Estes Park and other organizations collaborating for a stronger business climate and tourism economy. The success of the Chamber is measured in making Estes Park a better place to live, work and play. www.esteschamber.org.
                                
Visit Estes Park drives year-round economic growth by responsibly encouraging visitor demand. For more details about VEP go to VisitEstesPark.com.