Convention sues Denver company over ‘subpar’ trade show

An annual cryptocurrency and blockchain convention that will kick off its 2024 event Feb. 23, is suing the Denver trade show company that managed its 2023 convention.

Ethdenver, which featured Gov. Jared Polis in 2022, was a success in 2023, bringing 48,000 people from 115 countries to the National Western Complex, its organizers say. But behind the scenes, a dispute arose that is still playing out in court one year later.

Coast to Coast Trade Show Services, a Denver company, sued Ethdenver in December, accusing it of not paying Coast to Coast $438,000 for its work. Ethdenver responded to that lawsuit Feb. 9 by denying it did anything wrong and countersuing Coast to Coast.

“At the conclusion of the (2023) event, Ethdenver received numerous complaints from exhibitors and sponsors regarding dissatisfaction with the subpar service provided by Coast to Coast and Coast to Coast’s handling of the event,” Ethdenver alleges.

A blockchain security firm bought branding materials for its booth from Coast to Coast but never received them or a refund, and Coast to Coast misspelled another company’s banner, “resulting in unhappy investors and negative publicity,” according to the countersuit.

“Many of these exhibitors and sponsors expressed a reticence to return to the next annual event and cited Coast to Coast’s services as their primary reason,” Ethdenver claims.

Ethdenver spent $50,000 reimbursing unhappy companies, it said. It also bought $129,000 in equipment that Coast to Coast was supposed to provide and spent $93,000 on labor after Coast to Coast’s workers didn’t show, according to the Ethdenver countersuit.

The cryptocurrency convention claims that Coast to Coast refused to negotiate this summer, then sent Ethdenver a $400,000 invoice in September and sued it in December.

Ethdenver is asking Denver District Court Judge Eric Elliff to throw out Coast to Coast’s lawsuit and award Ethdenver the $300,000 that it spent fixing Coast to Coast’s shortcomings. It is suing Coast to Coast for breach of contract, unjust enrichment and bad faith dealing.

Coast to Coast’s lawyer is Steven Mulligan with Coan Payton & Payne in Denver. He and his client did not answer requests for comment about the countersuit.

Ethdenver is represented by attorneys Robin Jackson and Nathan Dillon in the Denver office of Michael Best & Friedrich. They declined to discuss the case as well.

Ethdenver 2024 is scheduled for Feb. 23-March 3, again at the National Western Complex.