• Posted: July 16, 2021
• 2021 Chicago Auto Show, better construction, Global Experience Specialists (GES), John R. Keenor, McCormick Place

When the Chicago Auto Show announced their reopening in 2021, no one knew what that was going to look like. What safety protocols would there be? Would vendors want to book the show? Would visitors attend? Powering Chicago’s Executive Director Elbert Walters III spoke with John R. Keenor, an ETCP certified General Foreman at  Global Experience Specialists (GES) with more than 20 years of experience at McCormick Place, to learn more about the 2021 Chicago Auto Show, what to expect, labor needs, and more. 

Elbert Walters III: John, what can visitors expect to see at the 2021 Chicago Auto Show? 

John R. Keenor: The show will be a bit smaller this year, about 20 percent of its typical size. There’s not as much overhead lighting this year, but these companies still wanted to get out and show some of their product that. It’s a lot more carpet and cars, as we like to call it. 

That said, the show will still have about 19 auto manufacturers in attendance. Though the show will be different this year, there’s still a ton of new technology that automakers are excited to show the public. Additionally, I know participants are excited about this being one of the first post-pandemic events at McCormick Place. We’ll be able to demonstrate that trade shows like this can be done safely, while still providing opportunities for entertainment, education, and networking. 

Walters: With the show being smaller, how have labor needs shifted?

Keenor: The show normally has about 400 electrical journeymen on-site for the first three days of the show, this year there was a labor call down to 100 members.

Walters: What are the power needs for a typical show compared to this year’s needs?

Keenor: On a normal auto show, let’s say just for lighting, I would have approximately 14,000 amps of power just for lighting. I think we have 1,200 amps of power this year for lighting. There’s a lot of booths that didn’t even bring any type of lighting rig to the show. Toyota would be an example of that. That traditionally has about 2,000 amps of lighting for their cars. They have zero lighting this year, but they still wanted to have a presence at the show. They have smaller kits that they’ve sent just to have a presence and get back into the fold of things.

Walters: Though the show will be different, tell me about what having this show means for the electrical industry and the city of Chicago.

Keenor: This is extremely important, not only for the members of Local 134, but all of the labor unions in Chicago contribute to putting these shows on in the city. There’s a lot of work that goes into this behind the scenes that people don’t see: the hotel workers, the restaurant workers, and the cab drivers. This is a huge economic driving force for the city and the state of Illinois. I believe that 23 percent of the Chicago Automobile Trade Association’s sales come one month after the auto show so it’s a big economic force. 

Walters: In a nutshell, tell me what it takes to set up the Chicago Auto Show?

Keenor: We work with several lighting and truss vendors, the video wall vendors, and more. Vendors like Creative Technology, Tobins Lake Sales, Production Resource Group, Bluewater and 4Wall. These companies are experienced and understand the complexities of a show like this. Some of these guys have been touring with Ozzy Osborne to Celine Dion, and they’ve rigged in every arena and every convention in the country. So it’s a good team that they’ve got back together. These vendors are very, very thorough. They make sure members have everything they need, safety-wise. It’s great working with the vendors that we do to get this first show going again in Chicago. 

Walters: With this being such a large event, involving modifiable truss and elevated motor installations, are there special safety requirements for vendors?

Keenor: We put in separate rigging calls to make sure we have the right people that have been trained properly to come in here and install everything that goes above everybody’s heads. Items can be high and heavy so we want to make sure that what goes up stays up there until we want it to come down. In partnership with Local 134 and NECA, we make sure that we have the right members doing the right jobs and that everyone has been safety trained to make sure everything is done properly and as safe as can be. 

Walters: Can you share your outlook on the future of McCormick Place?

Keenor: I personally believe, from what I’ve seen so far, that we’re going to come back stronger than we were. We saw a downturn because of a slow economy back in 2008, everything was smaller. Well, 2019 was the largest year ever at McCormick Place. And I don’t see COVID is hindering that from talking to employees of the Hyatt hotel here on-site, they say they’re booked for the rest of the year. That just shows that we’re coming back strong. No one else has canceled it since the last cancellation in April. Every indicator is that it’s going to be full steam ahead for the Chicago convention industry.

The Chicago Auto Show is happening at McCormick Place now through July 19. For full event details, visit their website.