SMOTA announced a new venue for 2020: Hard Rock Stadium, home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins and host of the 2020 Super Bowl LIV in Miami, FL. The first show will be Feb. 23-24, 2020, with future dates to be announced soon. The move follows a two-year long renovation project of the Greater Broward County Convention Center, the most recent home of SMOTA. The Hard Rock Stadium is located just 17 miles southwest of the convention center and the Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport.
“Hands down, this stadium venue is the best move for the future of the show, as we elevate the look and feel,” states Beverlee Maier, executive director, SMOTA. The announcement made at the show this week generated a lot of positive buzz, Maier reports. She notes that the new venue promises a unique, vibrant and elegant experience separating itself from traditional “shoe shows.” The new venue aims to attract visitors from a broader geographic reach than SMOTA’s current primary base of Central America, Caribbean Islands and the southern United States.
All exhibitors will be located together on the VIP Club Level with the option of of an open booth or Club Suite overlooking the field. Some of the venue benefits include free parking, dozens of TVs for marketing brands and product, and a broad variety of food options. There is also plenty of room for future expansion of the show.
With the new digs will come a new name for SMOTA, which show organizers are currently discussing. A decision is expected in the next few weeks.
SMOTA, founded in 1958, is a membership organization operating three trade shows annual in South Florida.
