· MLKing weekend and Carnival at rare proximity in 2008 only
· ISPO and SIA officials worked hard trying to alleviate show date conflict for 2008
· Retail attendance not affected by partial overlap

At a meeting at ispo winter in Munich held the week of February 5th top managers of SIA and ispo looked at all possibilities to try to alleviate a holiday-based show date conflict for 2008. ISPO winter dates are set for January 27th through January 30th, and SIA SNOW SPORTS TRADE SHOW is scheduled from January 29th to February 1, 2008.

An important consideration for both tradeshows in establishing show dates is the timing of national holidays, which in turn are key to retail attendance. “Located on different continents retail attendance to our show – the key to exhibitors’ success - is not affected by overlapping show dates,” acknowledges Tobias Groeber, ispo Exhibition Group Director, “however, of course we regret the hardship the 2008 holiday schedule presents to some exhibitor staff. Fortunately this calendar conflict is very rare.”

Dates for ispo winter must avoid the European holiday of Fasching, or Carnival. For SIA’s SNOW SPORTS TRADE SHOW, the Dr. Martin Luther King Holiday is a factor. In 2008 the two holidays are unusually close, allowing for no options to avoid an overlap of shows in between. MLK Day, in the USA typically associated with a peak in snow resort visits, will be 21 January, 2008, while Europe’s Fasching will start on 5 February, 2008.

SIA, which since 2002 has scheduled the opening of its show for the Monday following the Dr. Martin Luther King Holiday, will open its show on Tuesday 29 January in 2008.

ISPO will keep its required Sunday-through-Wednesday date pattern for 27 January through 30 January, 2008

Officials from both organizations expressed their concern and disappointment about the overlap but assure the snow sports industry no other holiday-based conflict can be expected through at least 2010.

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