Boston’s Yankee Dental Congress Will Open as Planned, Despite Blizzard Predictions
January 26, 2015
A massive blizzard with up to three feet of snow predicted in some parts of the Northeast, as well as a few thousand flight cancellations, isn’t stopping organizers of one of the largest medical shows in the country – Yankee Dental Congress, with more than 25,000 expected attendees – from doing all they can to get the show open Jan. 29-31 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.
Katie Hauser, director of communications for the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, which oversees the center, said all of the show’s stakeholders had a meeting today to discuss how to keep everything on schedule, despite the weather.
“It really goes to show how everyone can come together,” Hauser said, adding that Freeman, labor that works at the venue, the venue’s public safety team, catering and AV, basically anyone involved with getting the show open on Thursday, is pitching in to help.
“Tomorrow will be a light move-in day,” Hauser said. “We’re putting all essential staff up in a hotel tonight.”
In addition, the exhibit floor was being kept open this evening for a few extra hours, and there would be extended hours on Wednesday and Thursday as well.
On the Yankee Dental Congress Facebook page under a message that said they would notify everyone by e-mail if there were any cancellations, several commenters chimed in and said they would be jumping on trains just to make it there.
Boston isn’t the only major city with a show set to move in this week. In Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, the Philadelphia Auto Show opens its doors Jan. 31-Feb. 8.
The show will feature more than 700 cars on 700,000 square feet with 250,000-plus attendees.
The snow, however, is not expected to have any impact on the show’s move-in or attendees getting there, according to a spokesperson.
Another big show set to open in New York City at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center is Emerald Expositions’ NY NOW (formally the New York International Gift Fair) on tap Jan. 31-Feb. 4
That show, ranked No. 29 on the 2013 TSNN Top 250 Trade Show List, is expected to draw more than 35,000 attendees and 2,800 exhibitors to a more than 500,000 net sq. ft. showfloor.
In a statement from Emerald Expositions, show organizers said: "The NY NOW team, Javits Center and Freeman are all working together to stay on top of the weather forecast and contingency plans are in development to ensure that all freight will be loaded in this week with as little disruption to your setup plans as possible. The NY NOW team will be at the Javits starting this evening to work with exhibitors and the facility."
Freight delivery is still scheduled to commence Jan. 28. NY Now already has a planned staggered opening ((Handmade Designer Maker and Handmade Global Design Jan. 31 and the entire market Feb. 1).
Back in Boston, Hauser said, “Luckily, this isn’t the first time we have dealt with snow. The only difference is there will be three feet of it.”
She added the fact that everyone is moving forward just points to “another example of these resilient meeting planners. We will be ready.”
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