{"id":857,"date":"2015-03-17T13:07:39","date_gmt":"2015-03-17T13:07:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev-mhisolutionsmag.officialdirectory.com\/?p=857"},"modified":"2015-06-18T16:48:54","modified_gmt":"2015-06-18T16:48:54","slug":"promat-2015-celebrating-30-years-of-change-and-growth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mhisolutionsmag.com\/index.php\/2015\/03\/17\/promat-2015-celebrating-30-years-of-change-and-growth\/","title":{"rendered":"ProMat 2015: Celebrating 30 Years of Change and Growth"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"13-214-0_2137\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In addition to 2015 marking the 70th anniversary of MHI, it is also the 30th anniversary of MHI-sponsored ProMat. At its core, ProMat provides attendees with access to the latest material handling, logistics equipment and technologies. But it has also evolved to become an internationally revered brand that represents the largest expo for manufacturing and supply chain professionals in North America.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the show started, it was on the B-level in the North Hall of McCormick Place,\u201d says Tom Carbott, MHI\u2019s Senior Vice President of Exhibitions. Carbott has been with MHI for the past 24 years, and has participated in MHI expos since 1979. \u201cProMat 2015 will have more than 800 exhibitors and 35,000 attendees. The event sold out all 330,000 square feet of exhibit space in McCormick\u2019s South Hall\u2014which is the largest space available in the facility.\u201dProMat is consistently named to the Trade Show Executive Gold 100 list year after year, and has seen consistent growth over the last 30 years in both exhibit space and attendance.<\/p>\n

While ProMat\u2019s longevity, size and success can be directly attributed to a number of factors, there is a single resounding theme that unites them all: change.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat has made ProMat exceptionally successful and a very reliable investment for both exhibitors and attendees is MHI\u2019s commitment to challenging itself each year to constantly re-evaluate the event,\u201d says Brian McNamara, President of MHI-member Southworth International Group. McNamara currently serves on the MHI Board of Governors as chair of the ProMat and MODEX show committee, and first got involved with the organization in 1998.<\/p>\n

\u201cMHI contracts annually with an outside agency that conducts in-depth interviews of both attendees and exhibitors at the conclusion of each show,\u201d he explains. \u201cThey ask more than 100 questions, then prepare a report and PowerPoint presentation that exceeds 200 slides.\u201d<\/p>\n

MHI and the show committee take the findings very seriously, reacting by making adjustments to ProMat (and MHI\u2019s other expo, MODEX) based on that information, McNamara says.<\/p>\n

That commitment to analysis, reflection and improvement began in earnest prior to ProMat\u2019s debut in 1985, when it replaced the annual National Material Handling Show (which had been in existence since 1948). Just changing the event\u2019s name spawned intense debate, recalls John Nofsinger, who previously helmed MHI as CEO for 26 years prior to retiring at the end of 2011. Nofsinger now serves as an Executive Advisor to the organization. Before his stint as MHI\u2019s leader, he was an industry member.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the early 1980s, MHI decided to refocus the show and the industry away from product features and specifications and instead highlight productivity,\u201d he says. \u201cThe name \u2018ProMat\u2019 is an acronym for \u2018productivity through material handling.\u2019 We wanted to take a \u2018here\u2019s why these solutions contribute to your business\u2019 success and profitability\u2019 approach.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not everyone at the committee level was ready to take that leap. Others had concerns about the event\u2019s prospective new name. Discussions got so heated at times that Nofsinger likens the process to a war.<\/p>\n

Among the name change dissenters were John Hill, Director of MHI-member St. Onge Company, current MHI Director at Large, and one of MHI\u2019s longest serving leadership members. \u201cThe name \u2018ProMat\u2019 sounded to me like a wrestling show\u2014and it still does,\u201d he laughs. \u201cBut it\u2019s a brand now that resonates, and people worldwide know what it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

By Jeff Woroniecki, MHI Chief Operating Officer<\/em><\/p>\n

Click here to read the full article.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In addition to 2015 marking the 70th anniversary of MHI, it is also the 30th anniversary of MHI-sponsored ProMat. At its core, ProMat provides attendees with access to the latest material handling, logistics equipment and technologies. But it has also evolved to become an internationally revered brand that represents the largest expo for manufacturing and …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":858,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-857","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry-trends"],"yoast_head":"\nProMat 2015: Celebrating 30 Years of Change and Growth - MHI Solutions<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mhisolutionsmag.com\/index.php\/2015\/03\/17\/promat-2015-celebrating-30-years-of-change-and-growth\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"ProMat 2015: Celebrating 30 Years of Change and Growth - MHI Solutions\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In addition to 2015 marking the 70th anniversary of MHI, it is also the 30th anniversary of MHI-sponsored ProMat. 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