Now Open in Euclid! The Great Lakes Expo Center
Expositions, Inc. manages the Expo Center and has a five-year lease of the facility with options to renew for an additional five. Expositions, Inc. is a 73 year old Cleveland- based producer of consumer shows. In the past seven decades the firm has rented more than 48 million square feet of exhibit space and attracted more than 15 million attendees to its various events.
Chris Fassnacht, President of Expositions, Inc, made the decision to move his firm's shows from the Cleveland IX Center – including the annual Home and Garden and the Sport, Travel and Outdoor Shows – as a matter of perfect timing.
“Quite simply, the increased cost of doing business (at the IX Center) was making it nearly impossible to make a profit,” says Fassnacht. “Not only were attendees tiring of escalating costs, but so were our exhibitors. The Great Lakes Expo Center will offer better value and significantly lower costs, and, in recessionary times like these, this is exactly what attendees and exhibitors want and deserve.”
According to Fassnacht, the Expo Center will be busy 12 months a year, hosting events as wide-ranging as Bridal Fairs and Custom Car Cruise-Ins to Cheerleading Competitions, Indoor Soccer tournaments and even Mixed Martial Arts events. A Sports Fan Fest celebrating collegiate and professional teams of Northeast Ohio is also on the horizon. “By 2011 we anticipate hosting at least 125 events per year,” says Fassnacht.
Mayor Cervenik and other city officials are excited about the new Expo Center. According to Frank Pietrovoia, Director of Community Services and Economic Development, ”We see the Expo Center as being a catalyst for further development by creating potential demand for a hotel and restaurant within three years as the number of shows increase.”
Pietravoia further stated that having the Expo Center within close proximity of the Euclid Square Mall property and the Bluestone Business Park currently under development further east, will increase the potential for mall property redevelopment.
Euclid Parks and Recreation Director Kathy Will is very pleased to report that her department has had a recreation promotional booth at several of the shows.
Ward 7 Councilman Daryl Langman said, “The Expo Center is a home run for Euclid. The City gets great publicity and much needed revenue while boosting business at our local eateries and stores.” Some estimate that city revenues from the Center, depending on the number of shows, will be in the $50,000 to $75,000 range.