On Tuesday night, hours before the 28th Chicagoland Outdoors Show was scheduled to begin at the Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, John Lewinski affixed his autograph to some legal papers.
That exchange of documents made the Connecticut-based show manager the new owner of the largest outdoors show in the Chicago area. Lewinski took over from Reed Exhibitions of Waltham, Mass.
That also made Lewinski the point man for an event that has dominated the outdoors winter show scene but has faced recent woes. This year’s five-day show, which ends Sunday, has shrunk. Conflicts with several other shows have siphoned off exhibitors, and the program has grown stale.
Reed has always guarded attendance figures more closely than a poker hand. However, whereas the Chicagoland show was once the 900-pound gorilla in the room, other show operators have thrived by specializing and diverting attention from an event that represents tradition but suffers from such side effects as an $11 parking fee at the adjacent Rosemont garage.
Lewinski, 49, spent many years working for Reed and brings a familiarity with the show’s history.
“My job is to look forward,” Lewinski said on the first day of the show, adding he would be working on the Chicagoland show “24/7. I don’t have any other business. This is it.”
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Dates for next year’s show are already set–Jan. 16-20–but Lewinski said everything about the show faces review for the following years.
“Absolutely, it needs attention,” he said.
As recently as a few years ago, operators of other outdoors shows in the Chicago area shied away from competing for customers with the Chicagoland show. In a dramatic departure, this weekend three other shows have overlapping dates: The All-Canada Show opened Thursday at Pheasant Run Convention Center in St. Charles, the Chicagoland Muskie Show opened Friday at Harper College in Palatine and the Midwest Fly Fishing Show opened Saturday at the Renaissance Convention Center in Schaumburg.
Once upon a time, the Chicagoland show was a 10-day event. It was the great white shark of outdoors shows for the region. But these smaller fish have been nibbling away at the market. The Chicagoland show was all things to all people in the outdoors. In this age of specialization, it should be no surprise that narrowly focused shows have found a niche.
But the Chicagoland show has more potential to appeal to the masses, and while it almost certainly never will be a 10-day extravaganza again, it always should be the go-to event with the most clout.
With more exhibitor space and a wider focus, the Chicagoland tries to offer more. It definitely attempts to be family-friendly, with a kids fishing pond, a mobile aquarium and a hokey but popular visit from DockDogs–a long-jump competition for dogs.
The Chicagoland show always has had the ability to attract big-name speakers, and this year it featured 2006 Citgo Bassmaster Angler of the Year Mike Iaconnelli on Wednesday and Thursday.
“It’s primarily a fishing show,” Lewinski said. “That’s the core. We’ll try to have more of a local focus.”
Lewinski is very conscious of making the event fun for the whole family.
“We just want to make it a fun, exciting experience,” he said, “one that people look forward to.”
They always have, but it seems more than just a fresh coat of paint is needed now.
One sign of a healthy, popular show is Sunday attendance, wrapping up the event and a non-workday for most people. All of the shows, however, are worried this year. Not only does the forecast call for snow, but the noon Bears-Seahawks playoff game also could result in aisles in front of exhibitors open wide enough to bowl.
“That’s completely out of our hands,” Lewinski said.
– The Friends of the Fox River organization was presented the Humanitarian Award for volunteer cleanup and preservation efforts at the Chicagoland show’s Outdoor Achievement Awards Luncheon.
Gerald Rodeen was presented the Conservation Award for his efforts with Pheasants Forever. Duke O’Malley, a retired Chicago firefighter and outdoors writer, was given the Youth Support Award for 20 years of introducing youngsters to fishing.
– The next major event is the 77th Chicago Boat, RV&Outdoors Show from Jan. 17-21 at McCormick Place. About 600 boats and 200 RVs will be on display.
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