Boat and Sportshow targets suburban audience
Having proven its appeal to a specifically suburban audience, the Schaumburg Boat & Sportshow will return for a second year at the Schaumburg convention center Thursday through Sunday.
Though it almost immediately follows another show at McCormick Place by the National Marine Manufacturers Association, organizers last year discovered an entirely different audience was to be had by holding a second show in the suburbs.
"A lot of suburbanites, quite frankly, don't like to go to McCormick Place," show manager Keith Ogulnick said. "It's a long way to drive and it's expensive to park."
He added that this is especially true of the suburban fishermen who seemed to flock more willingly to the Schaumburg show last year and give it a different focus than the Chicago show.
The emphasis on fishing is much stronger at the Schaumburg show, Ogulnick said. Most boats there are under 30 feet, while more cabin cruisers and other larger boats go on display in Chicago.
Still, the decision to try a second show last year felt like something of a gamble.
"A little bit of the concern was that we were competing against ourselves, but we really weren't," Ogulnick said.
The crowds that arrived in Schaumburg in no way diminished the expected audience in Chicago, he added.
"And then there was the fact that it was a new venue. Even people in Schaumburg didn't know where the Schaumburg convention center was," Ogulnick said. "We didn't blow down the doors -- we didn't expect to -- but we found ourselves with a highly qualified audience."
Once a suburban venue was sought, Schaumburg itself was chosen over Rosemont for a number of reasons, Ogulnick said.
First, organizers felt a brand new venue felt right for a brand new show. But the facility itself proved easier for the exhibitors to work with, not to mention the helpfulness of the Renaissance staff, he said.
"It really is a hidden gem, that hotel," Ogulnick said.
The Schaumburg Renaissance was recently rated highest in customer satisfaction among all the Renaissance hotels in North America in 2007.
Ogulnick hopes word-of-mouth will help build on last year's success and bring out between 13,000 and 14,000 people over the four days.
There will be promotions, seminars and an indoor trout pond at the show, designed to appeal to both adults and kids.
As the show opens on Valentine's Day, Thursday's promotion is Daily Herald Discount Day & Cupid's Ultimate Outdoors Adventure.
The first 200 adults to arrive will receive a free 30-day subscription to the Daily Herald, while couples will be able to register for prizes ranging from a weekend night stay at the Schaumburg Renaissance Hotel next door to a guided fishing trip from professional Patricia Strutz.
Strutz also will deliver one of Thursday's seminars, "Who Says Fishing Isn't Romantic?" from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
The first 200 children 12 and under to arrive Friday will receive a free tackle kit, while the first 200 kids on Saturday will get a free fishing rod.
The first 150 children to arrive Sunday will get a free tackle box. Sunday also is Adopt-A-Dog day from noon to 4 p.m., hosted by DuPage County Animal Care & Control.
Since those heading up to Canada to fish or boat now require a passport, attendees can apply for a passport at the show from 1 to 8 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
If you go
What: 2008 Schaumburg Boat & Sportshow
When: 3 to 9 p.m. Thursday; 1 to 9 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
Where: Schaumburg Renaissance Hotel & Convention Center, 1551 N. Thoreau Drive, Schaumburg
Cost: Adults $8; Youth 13-15 $4; Children 12 and under afre free; Thursday only seniors 65 and older receive a $2 discount
Call: (312) 946-6242 or visit SchaumburgSportshow.com