OFA Short Course Named One of 200 Largest U.S. Trade Shows

The OFA Short Course trade show has been named as one of the 200 largest trade shows of 2004 by the annual edition of Tradeshow Week 200. With 133,000 net square feet of paid exhibit space, the OFA Short Course was ranked as 196 in the United States for 2004.

Tradeshow Week annually ranks the impact of trade shows by the net square footage of space sold. According to the magazine, net square footage for trade shows increased by more than 2 percent in 2004.

“I’m extremely proud of this honor,” says Wendy McAtee, OFA director – expositions. “This is a prestigious list to make, and I’ve worked most of my career to get this show in the top 200. It’s been one of my goals since we were a 200-booth show many years ago.” McAtee joined the OFA staff in 1980.

The OFA Short Course trade show has grown steadily over the past 76 years. In 1964, the Short Course had an attendance of 1,000 and a 50-booth trade show. In 1981, the Short Course moved from one downtown hotel to the Ohio Center and the Hyatt Regency Columbus Hotel. Attendance was 2,200, and the trade show featured 259 booths.

In 1991, the Short Course moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, and the trade show expanded to 599 spaces. In 1998, Short Course came back to Columbus, and the trade show featured more than 900 trade show booths. By 2004, the trade show grew to more than 1,300 spaces and overall attendance topped 9,800. The OFA Short Course is contracted to be held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio, through 2010.

The Short Course is sponsored by OFA – an Association of Floriculture Professionals, a non-profit educational organization with 3,300 members worldwide. OFA has 77 percent of its membership outside of Ohio and 7 percent outside the United States. For more information, visit www.TradeshowWeek.com or contact OFA at 614/487-1117; fax: 614/487-1216; ofa@ofa.org; or www.ofa.org.