Editor's Notes: Ice Forecast for Orlando This April

A few years ago, ice in Orlando, Florida would have seemed an unusual, rare event. However, the past two winters have made it seem like ice in Orlando in January might be not be so unusual anymore. But we're not talking ice in January; we're talking ICE in April and the current plan is to have this not be a rare event, but one that occurs every two years.

ICE USA 2011 (ICE being an acronym for International Converting Exhibition) is making its debut in the North American arena on April 6-8 at Orlando's Orange County Convention Center (OCCC). Although ICE USA is new, it has its roots in the expanding global ICE franchise owned by UK-based Mack Brooks Exhibitions.

The original ICE Expo got its start several years ago in Europe and has grown steadily, with more than 300 exhibitors and 5,000 attendees. ICE Asia held its second successful show in Shanghai, China in March 2010, and ICE South America, held in São Paulo, Brazil, was launched later last year. All ICE shows are held biennially.

In addition to its ties to the existing ICE shows, ICE USA also has North American roots. Mack Brooks Exhibitions acquired the CMM International trade show in 2009 and is combining the best of this once-successful show with the fresh face of its ICE franchise. According to Michael Boyle, ICE USA show director, ICE USA will feature many of the leading exhibitors from CMM International, as well as new equipment suppliers from the ICE events in Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

"The converting and package printing industry truly has become a global marketplace," says Boyle. "More and more suppliers need to interact directly with their customers around the world, and many converters are increasingly seeking cost-effective solutions from their peers across the globe."

One of the first decisions made by Boyle and his management team was the location of the inaugural event. Orlando came to the forefront not only because of the region's obvious drawing power, but more importantly, because of the advantages it could provide both exhibitors and attendees. "We saw the need to move the show out of the Midwest and felt that Orlando provided an attractive venue in terms of access and cost-effectiveness for both exhibitors and attendees," states Boyle.

ICE USA has been smartly positioned for a successful launch. For one thing, converting represents a dynamic industry with lots of exciting technologies that people truly need to learn about to stay ahead of the game. In addition, economic conditions continue to be described in cautiously optimistic terms, with companies seeing the need to invest for future growth. Our coverage of ICE USA begins on p. 34.

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