MoreCHICAGO — The International Carwash Association™ (ICA) has decided not to hold the 2013 Car Care World Expo™ in Chicago due to certain “work rules,” a Chicago Business story said.
The June 13 story said the Expo will instead be held in Las Vegas once again. It has been held there for the last five years, and the last time it was held in Chicago was in 2002. It has also been held in San Antonio and Orlando in the past 10 years.
Eric Wulf, CEO and executive director of the ICA, said in the story, “Chicago simply is not a possibility given its work rules.” Wulf also said the uncertainty concerning the state’s “wide-sweeping reforms” and the challenges being presented by several unions contributed to their decision to not pursue a venue in Chicago. “We had been in Las Vegas for five consecutive years, and our belief was that was where we were going to stay,” he said.
Wulf said they had considered the McCormick Place in Chicago because it would allow for exhibitors to set up their own booths.
In a June 13 Las Vegas Review-Journal report, it stated that legislation enacted last year by the state of Illinois would have allowed exhibitors to do this, but unions have “tied up” the legislation and now there is a possibility that it would not be enforced by 2013. Wulf said in a Chicago Tribune story, “Until the work rules are on par with Las Vegas, it’s a no-go for us.”
Chris Meyer, vice president of sales for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said in the Review-Journal story, “We look forward to continuing our longtime relationship with the Car Care World Expo and helping them grow their show. This reinforces that there is no better value for the experience than Las Vegas.”
