Conventions and trade shows: ranked by 2004 attendance.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

THE 15 largest conventions and trade shows in Los Angeles County attracted 1.7 million attendees in 2004, flat from a year earlier.

The Greater Los Angeles Auto Show was by far the biggest show, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the total attendance for the 15 events on the list. That was followed by the 2004 NBA All-Star Jam Session, which drew 120,000 to events held at the L.A. Convention Center. The All-Star game was held at Staples Center.

The Los Angeles Convention Center accounted for 10 events, down two from the year before. The Fairplex in Pomona accounted for four events this year, with the addition of the Tattoo and Body Art Expo that reported attendance of 30,000. Other events at the Fairplex include the Asian American Expo, the 52nd Annual RV Show and the Off Road Expo, which reported attendance of 60,000, 45,000 and 40,500, respectively.

--David Nusbaum

THE PACESETTER

GREATER LOS ANGELES AUTO SHOW

ONCE again, the annual auto show is by far the largest convention or trade show in Los Angeles County, with more than 1 million visitors.

Show organizers plan to move up the date of the show. The last winter show will be January 2006; starting in November of that year the event will be scheduled in fall. The event, which currently runs just prior to the Detroit Auto Show, has often lost out to Motor City when it comes to unveiling new products.

"The show needed to have its own date because manufacturers want to do more product launches in Los Angeles," said Andy Fuzesi, general manager of the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show. He expects those Los Angeles-based launches to increase by about 25 percent in 2006.

The date change will also allow manufacturers to devote more resources, including display equipment, to Los Angeles that had been previously shared with Detroit. "Manufacturers will be able to spend more money in L.A.," Fuzesi said. He also expects more executives to attend the show and for it to draw increased national and international media coverage.

First held in 1907, the show is sponsored by the Greater Los Angeles New Car Dealers Association, which was formed to put on the event. The 2005 show drew 1,007,066 attendees, down from 1,077,719 in January 2004. Event sponsors attributed the decline to the heavy rains.

--David Nusbaum

Rank    Event                                           Attendance
        * location
        * host city

  1     Greater Los Angeles Auto Show                    1,077,719
        Los Angeles Convention Center
        Los Angeles
  2     2004 NBA All-Star Jam Session                      120,000
        Los Angeles Convention Center
        Los Angeles
  3     Emerald Nuts Quality of Life Expo                   80,000
        Los Angeles Convention Center
        Los Angeles
  4     E3-Electronic Entertainment Expo                    65,000
        Los Angeles Convention Center
        Los Angeles
  5     Asian American Expo                                 60,000
        Fairplex
        Pomona
  6     52nd Annual California RV Show                      45,000
        Fairplex
        Pomona
  7     Auxiliaries in Ministry Convention                  45,000
        Los Angeles Convention Center
        Los Angeles
  8     Off Road Expo                                       40,500
        Fairplex
        Pomona
  9     Ski Dazzle                                          38,000
        Los Angeles Convention Center
        Los Angeles
 10     California Gift Show (January)                      30,047
        Los Angeles Convention Center
        Los Angeles
 11     Tattoo & Body Art Expo                              30,000
        Fairplex
        Pomona
 12     California Gift Show (July)                         29,085
        Los Angeles Convention Center
        Los Angeles
 13     ACM Siggraph 2004 Conference                        27,825
        Los Angeles Convention Center
        Los Angeles
 14     International Salon and Spa Expo                    26,000
        Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center
        Long Beach
 15     Hot Import Nights                                   22,000
        Los Angeles Convention Center
        Los Angeles

Rank                     Description                       Show Dates

  1            annual consumer automotive show             Jan. 2-11
  2              NBA All-Star weekend events               Feb. 11-16
  3       consumer health and fitness show, pick-up        March 4-6
           location for L.A. Marathon participants
  4       international trade show for interactive         May 14-16
           entertainment, educational software and
                      related products
  5     consumer show focused on Asian food and goods      Jan. 29-30
              to celebrate Asian Lunar New Year
  6       consumer RV show with California dealers         Oct. 15-24
                 representing manufacturers
  7              religious youth convention              June 28-July 3
  8     annual consumer automotive show for off road       Oct. 9-10
            and aftermarket performance products
  9         consumer ski and snowboard show with            Dec. 2-5
               shopping, seminars and clinics
 10          gift and home furnishings show for            Jan. 17-20
                     professional buyers
 11         tattoo and body piercing artists show          July 16-18
 12          gift and home furnishings show for            July 19-22
                     professional buyers
 13     computer graphics and interactive techniques       Aug. 8-12
 14      trade show for salon and spa professionals        Jan. 24-26
              with hair and makeup classes and
              presentations on industry trends
 15                    custom car show                      March 6

Rank    Show Web Site             Sponsoring Organization
                                  * headquarters
                                  * phone

  1     laautoshow.com            Greater Los Angeles New Car Dealers
                                  Assoc.
                                  Los Angeles
                                  [phone]
  2     nba.com                   National Basketball Association
                                  New York
                                  [phone]
  3     lamarathon.com            L.A. Marathon Inc.
                                  Los Angeles
                                  [phone]
  4     e3expo.com                Entertainment Software Association
                                  Washington, D.C.
                                  [phone]
  5     asianamericanexpo.com     Chinese Overseas Marketing Service
                                  Inc.
                                  Rosemead
                                  [phone]
  6     carvshow.com              Recreation Vehicle Industry
                                  Association
                                  Reston, Va.
                                  [phone]
  7     aimconvention.com         Church of God in Christ Inc.
                                  Memphis, Tenn.
                                  [phone]
  8     offroadexpo.com           Primedia Inc.
                                  New York
                                  [phone]
  9     skidazzle.com             Ski Dazzle LLC
                                  Laguna Beach
                                  [phone]
 10     californiagiftshow.com    dmg world media
                                  Orange
                                  [phone]
 11     bodyartexpo.com           GUI Corp.
                                  Hacienda Heights
                                  [phone]
 12     californiagiftshow.com    dmg world media
                                  Orange
                                  [phone]
 13     siggraph.org              Association for Computing Machinery
                                  New York
                                  [phone]
 14     isse-shows.org            Beauty & Barber Supply Institute
                                  Scottsdale, Ariz.
                                  [phone]
 15     hotimportnights.com       Vision Entertainment
                                  Irvine
                                  [phone]

NA--Not Available

Note: Information on this list was provided by the convention centers
and sponsoring organizations. The Long Beach Area Convention & Visitors
Bureau and the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center both
declined to provide information. The Southern California Boat Show may
have qualified for this list, but declined to provide information.

To the best of our knowledge, this information is accurate as of press
time. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and
thoroughness of the list, omissions and typographical errors sometimes
occur. Please send corrections or additions on company letterhead to
the Research Department, Los Angeles Business Journal, 5700 Wilshire
Blvd., Suite 170, Los Angeles 90036. [c]2005 Los Angeles Business
Journal. This list may not be reprinted in whole or in part without
prior written permission from the editor. Reprints are available from
Wright's Reprints, [phone].

Researched by David Nusbaum