Maybe you should send a communication to Pro Mat. But remember 80% of the US population is living ~200-300 miles west of the Mississippi River & eastward to the Atlantic coast.
Again in the past the MHI shows were held in places like New Orleans, San Francisco & met with low attendance - travel costs the primary issue. And they were also held in Detroit, Cobo Hall, but the unions messed that up.

And costs are always a consideration the lift ruck industry is not like the auto shows one it is relatively low volume, in a great year 200K unit sales in five ITA classes in the US - 40K which are low priced units Class III low lift electrics, a very competitive market with new "low" priced off shore products from emerging entering the market all the time. Current market conditions says there is an excess production capacity, reductions in staff, etc. When an economic downturn starts the first two things that are taken out of the budget are advertising & new capital expenditures and these are the last items added back after the recovery period - in between those two points - it is "guerilla warfare"