CHICAGO

Three more trade shows have committed to dates at McCormick Place on the heels of a labor pact that officials predict will open doors for major corporate shows that have shunned the city. The three show signings are with Reed Exhibitions, one of the largest private show management companies in the world.

"They had abandoned Chicago, basically, because they weren't getting the product they needed or the services they needed here," said Jim Reilly, chief executive of the state-city agency that owns McCormick Place and Navy Pier. Now, "a very big, very prominent show company is back."

The labor break-through—allowing stagehands, rather than show-floor electricians, to do audio-visual production work for presentations held outside the exhibit area—should open the door to potential mega-clients, such as Microsoft Corp. as well as mid-size corporate gatherings, officials said.