Trade Show Executive
News, Views and Tools for Trade Show and Event Executives
June 2009
Ken
McAvoy
Man on a
Mission
TRENDING & SPENDING
Seven Indicators Will
Mark End of Recession
INNOVATION AWARDS
TSE Honors Eight Firms
for their Ingenuity
SPECIAL REPORT
Part VIII of a Ten-Part Series
on Shows with Dramatic
Attendance Growth
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
TSE_Cover_jun09c.indd 1
5/21/09 4:03:17 PM
TSE_Cover_jun09c.indd 2
5/21/09 10:52:06 AM
The experience around you
We’re the people
behind the people organizing
the greatest expositions on earth.
With our industry-leading technology and an unparalleled commitment to personalized customer
service, it’s no wonder why the GES® Worldwide Network produces over 3,000 events a year. We are
here to provide you with innovative show environments, creative design and all-inclusive logistics
so you can focus on the show.
Learn more about our team at: ges.com
GES WORLDWIDE NETWORK
Visit us online at ges.com
TSE_Cover_jun09c.indd 2
7-5x10_TradeShowExec_people_ad.indd 1
United States of America
United Kingdom
Canada
United Arab Emirates
5/21/09 10:53:32 AM
12/30/2008 8:47:37 AM
TM
June
2 0 0 9
VOLuMe 10 nuMBeR 6
Cover Story
20 Power Lunch
with Ken McAvoy
As senior vice president of Reed Exhibitions,
Ken McAvoy oversees the operational details
of 45 leading trade shows. He also serves on
the advisory boards of convention bureaus
in three major cities and is the point man for
the Friends of Javits. Ken is on a mission to
increase exhibitor ROI, customer satisfaction,
and to look after the interests of industry show
organizers and exhibitors.
24 INNovAtIoN AWArDS
Trade Show Executive’s 2009 Innovation
Award winners have continued the tradition
of past honorees by challenging tradition and
advancing the industry.
• a2z, Inc.
• Association of Equipment
Manufacturers (AEM)
• Champion Exposition Services
• Exhibit Surveys, Inc.; Constellation
Communication Corporation
• Exhibition Services & Contractors
Association (ESCA)
• The Global Executive
• ITN International, Inc.
• Mingle360
20
Photo Credit: Sherry Tesler
35 SHoW rePort
Part VIII of a ten-part series on attendance
building focuses on the National Truck
Equipment Association’s Work Truck Show
2009, which increased attendance 19% over
its 2008 event.
24
35
Trade Show Executive, The Gold Standard
Winner of:
2005
•GRANDAWARD,BestWriting
•BestHow-ToWriting
•Best Interviews
& Personal Profiles
•MostImprovedMagazines
&Journals
•GRANDAWARD,BestWriting
•BestOverallIssue
•Best How-To Writing
•BestDesign
•BestCover
•BestNewsWriting
•BestFeatureWriting
•Best How-To Writing
•BestRedesign
•MostImprovedMagazine
•GRANDAWARD,Best
Design&Illustration
•BestColumn
•Best Feature Series Writing
•BestHow-ToWriting
•BestCover
© 2009 Trade Show Executive, Inc. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher.
4
June 2009
TSE_ToC_june09.indd 4
Trade Show Executive
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
5/21/09 3:57:21 PM
ConTEnTS
June
6
TM
Member of:
2 009
news
• dmg Sheds Regional Gift Shows
• CEIR Reports Exhibition
Revenues Decline 19.7% in Q1
• Penton Cuts Staff Hours
• Vote Defeats Challenge to Dallas
Convention Center Hotel
• ABM Survey Reports B-to-B
Trade Show Revenues Grew in
2008; Began Decline in Q4
• TSE’s 2nd Annual Gold 100
Awards & Summit to Honor
Finest Shows in the Industry
EDITORIAL & PUBLISHING HEADQUARTERS:
TradeShowExecutivemagazine,2121PalomarAirportRd.,
Suite220,Carlsbad,CA92011.
Tel.:(760)929-9666Fax:(877)483-8912
EDITORIAL & RESEARCH
Vice president/publisher & editor:
DarleneGudea(760)929-9666
darlenegudea@tradeshowexecutive.com
editor-at-large:
CarolAndrews(562)505-7903
carolandrews@tradeshowexecutive.com
10 Flashes from the Field
18
News in brief about shows,
convention centers and service
contractors
chief economist:
FrankChow(760)929-9666
frankchow@tradeshowexecutive.com
Economic Recovery: Seven Signs
18 Incubator
assistant editor:
NicoleBurnes(760)929-9604
nburnes@tradeshowexecutive.com
PRINT Show Subsidizes Drayage
Costs for Heavy Equipment
Exhibitors
50
34 The Supply Side
38 ZOOM
TSE’s Trade Show Locator™
features the most important shows
scheduled in August 2009
46 Industry events
50 Parting Shots
48 People in the news
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Gary Sain
Liz Crawford
Damion Wan
Michael Franks
Nancy Hammervik
Robert Wiseltier
Bob Moore
48 Index to Advertisers
Edwin Blanco, Circulation Manager, Trade Show Executive magazine • P.O. Box 16435 •
North Hollywood, CA 91615 • Phone: (818) 286-3152 • Toll-Free Fax: (877) 483-8912
Please visit us at tsx.magserv.com and complete the online form for a free subscription.
Subscription Rates: Subscriptions are free to qualified show management executives who fit the criteria
and sign a qualification card annually. All others may purchase an annual subscription for $119. ($129 in
Canada and Mexico; $149 overseas.) Single copies: $14.95 per issue, plus $5 for shipping and handling;
TSE’s directory of Who’s Who Among Independent Show Organizers is $129; TSE’s directory of the
World’s Top Convention Centers is $129; TSE’s directory of the Gold 100 Trade Shows is $159.
TSE_ToC_june09.indd 5
columnist:
BobDallmeyer(323)934-8300
bdallmeyer@tradeshowexecutive.com
SALES & MARKETING
CHANGE OF ADDRESS AND NEw SUBSCRIPTIONS:
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
senior editor, news & directories:
ReneeDiIulio(310)939-0197
reneediiulio@tradeshowexecutive.com
news editor:
SandiCain(949)497-2680
sandicain@tradeshowexecutive.com
11 Trending & Spending
Metro Expo Carves Out Sizable
Niche in Tough NYC Contractor
Market
senior editor:
HilAnderson(760)929-9615
handerson@tradeshowexecutive.com
Trade Show Executive
Vice president/associate publisher:
IreneSperling(818)990-1080
irenesperling@tradeshowexecutive.com
adVertising manager:
LindaBraue(310)379-2217
lindabraue@tradeshowexecutive.com
adVertising manager, latin america:
RafaelHernández+52(55)2455-3545Ext.117
rafa.hernandezg@nuestromundogm.com
director of eVents:
DianeBjorklund(630)312-8915
dbjorklund@tradeshowexecutive.com
creatiVe director:
KennethWhitney(760)929-9564
kwhitney@tradeshowexecutive.com
technology & design manager:
RickyBello(312)617-8675
rbello@tradeshowexecutive.com
BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
RickSimon,ChairmanoftheBoard
MarkFeldman,President
JoanFeldman,VicePresident
DarleneGudea,VicePresident
June 2009
5
5/21/09 3:57:24 PM
news
dmg Shedding Regional Gift Shows
By Hil Anderson, senior editor
San Francisco, CA – dmg world media
took another step away from shows
serving consumer-based markets
by selling the California Gift Show to
Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc.
(MMPI) and putting its remaining gift
shows on the West Coast and in Canada
on the block.
Mike Cooke, CEO of dmg, said
the sale of the gift shows was part of
an ongoing overhaul of the company
that began in 2007. “We set out to
reshape the business to focus more on
fast-growing trade markets and less on
consumer-based products,” Cooke said.
“We have been successful thus far in
finding buyers who see great value in
these products which are no longer a
strategic fit for dmg world media, but still
have great potential in their regional or
niche markets.”
MMPI said the California Gift Show
would take place in Los Angeles as
scheduled July 14-20 under MMPI
management at the Los Angeles
Convention Center and the L.A. Mart,
which is owned by MMPI. The new
owners indicated that location of the
show in a major population center was
a key consideration in
their decision to make
the acquisition. “We
know the market wants
a large presence in Los
Angeles, and we know
the manufacturers
and their reps want a
well-organized event to
reach their important
Cooke
retailers,” said Joan
Ulrich, senior vice
president, MMPI.
Terms of the sale were not
announced. The Jordan, Edmiston
Group, Inc. (JEGI) represented dmg in
the negotiations.
The transaction announced
May 11 left dmg with gift shows in
Seattle, San Francisco, Vancouver,
Alberta and Montreal. The Portland Gift
& Accessories Show, which is managed
for dmg by Western Exhibitors, was
also being offered. The West Coast
shows and the Canadian events will be
sold in two separate packages and were
receiving inquiries from prospective
buyers, Cooke said.
The Canadian shows were part
of dmg’s first major move in North
Gift Strategy. dmg world media is trimming its presence in the gift show market by putting regional
events in Canada and the U.S. West Coast up for sale. The company is shifting away from consumerbased exhibitions in favor of trade markets.
America, specifically the
1996 acquisition of Southex
Exhibitions. Two years later,
dmg bought the California Gift
Show from the Atlanta Market
Center and then acquired
the three other West Coast
gift shows from Western
Exhibitors, Inc. in 2001.
The remaining dmg
business-to-retail operations,
based in Atlanta and White
Plains, NY, were not affected by the
West Coast and Canadian divestitures.
The GLM division runs dmg’s gift
shows. Its portfolio of 25 events
includes the New York International Gift
Fair as well as non-gift shows including
Surf Expo and the International Hotel/
Motel & Restaurant Show.
The company also announced it
completed the sale of its Structural
Objects and Functional Arts (SOFA)
business to The Art Fair Company. It
was also entertaining offers for its Arts
& Antiques portfolio, which includes
the Original Miami Beach Antique Show
and associated events in New York,
Washington and Las Vegas. Cooke said
a deal was expected to be struck this
Summer.
Last year, dmg teamed up with
Stephens Capital Partners LLC in a
blockbuster $53 million sale of dmg’s
portfolio of 38 North American
consumer shows to Marketplace Events
LLC, which Stephens formed as a
gateway to the exhibition industry.
Alan Steele, executive vice president
of business-to-retail for dmg, said, “With
all of the changes we have seen in the
gift market in the last ten years, it makes
sense to transfer ownership of regionally
based platforms for these shows.”
Reach Mike Cooke at (415) 464-8500 or
mikecooke@dmgworldmedia.com; Joan
Ulrich at (312) 527-7523 or julrich@mmart.
com; Alan Steele at (914) 421-3200 or
alan_steel@glmshows.com
6
June 2009
TSE_News_june09.indd 6
Trade Show Executive
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
5/21/09 4:04:44 PM
CEIR Reports Exhibition Revenues Decline 19.7% in Q1
By Hil Anderson, senior editor
Dallas, TX – The Center for Exhibition Industry Research
(CEIR) said the exhibition industry’s revenues in the First
Quarter were 19.7% below the same period last year and
contributed to an overall industry decline of 11.6%.
CEIR reported less-harrowing drops in the other
three metrics used to track trade show performance. Net
square footage was down 14.8% over Q1 2008; the number
of exhibiting companies, down 10.4%; and professional
attendance, down a modest 1.5%.
The declines had been anticipated due to the sharp
downshift in the global economy. CEIR said further declines
were likely through the first half of the year.
Reach Doug Ducate, CEIR president and CEO, at (469) 5740686 or dducate@ceir.org
Penton Cuts Staff Hours
By Hil Anderson, senior editor
New York, NY – Penton Media,
Inc. will institute a four-day work
week this Summer along with a
corresponding reduction in pay for
all employees as the company rides
out the recession.
A memo distributed to Penton
staff April 30 said the move was
necessary due to a dismal First
Quarter in which advertising revenues
Rowlands
evaporated. “We squeaked through
the First Quarter thanks to all of
your efforts - but the next couple of quarters aren’t looking easy,”
Penton CEO Sharon Rowlands wrote.
As a result, she said, Penton would shift to a four-day week
from Memorial Day through the week before Labor Day. Most
offices will be closed on Friday, although some might take the
reduction in blocks of days.
Rowlands’ frank memo explained the reasoning behind the
cutbacks. The primary reason was that 2009 was expected to be
a rough year not only for Penton but for its customers as well.
“There will be pressure on these businesses as customers are
forced to cut back all of their marketing spends,” the memo said.
“Even some of our strongest shows will show negative growth.”
Rowlands said Penton’s print brands had been “dramatically”
reduced in size due to the collapse of advertising, which she
called the company’s “Achilles’ heel.” At the same time, online
advertising was described as not showing the growth that was
hoped for.
Events were still considered the basis of Penton’s strength.
“We have some tremendous exhibition franchises that on the
whole pulled us through 2008 and contributed to a lot of our
growth last year,” Rowlands said.
Reach Sharon Rowlands at (212) 204-4200 or
sharon.rowlands@penton.com
Dallas Vote Defeats
Challenge to Convention
Center Hotel
By Hil Anderson, senor editor
Dallas, TX – Dallas voters in May narrowly turned down
a challenge to the construction of a new 1,000-room
Omni hotel that will serve the Dallas Convention Center.
The results mean the city can proceed with the
sale of construction bonds for the hotel, which will be
connected to the convention center and is scheduled to
open in 2011.
“Our 30-year wait for an attached convention
center hotel is finally over,” said Dallas Convention
and Visitors Bureau President/CEO Phillip Jones.
The ballot measure would have prohibited the city
from owning hotels and was turned down by a two
percentage-point margin of 51% to 49%, or 2,100
votes. The organization backing the initiative indicated
Saturday night it was not anticipating a legal challenge
to the $500 million project.
The Dallas CVB said it had booked 400,000
room nights contingent on the approval of the hotel
from groups including the Helicopter Association
International, Safari Club International and the Custom
Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA).
The $500 million project will be developed by
Matthews Southwest and operated by Omni Hotels.
The four-acre site will also include new restaurants and
retail space.
The Dallas Convention Center offers 1,018,942
square feet of prime exhibit space and ranks 10th in
size in Trade Show Executive’s directory of The World’s
Top Convention Centers.
Reach Phillip Jones at (214) 571-1010 or
pjones@dallascvb.com
Continued on page 8
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
TSE_News_june09.indd 7
Trade Show Executive
June 2009
7
5/21/09 4:04:44 PM
news
Continued from page 7
ABM Survey: B-to-B Trade Show Revenues
Grew 4.3% in 2008, But Began Decline in Q4
By Hil Anderson, senior editor
New York, NY – Revenues from U.S.
B-to-B media company trade shows
grew 4.3% last year, although the Fourth
Quarter was less encouraging with an
18.5% decline over Q4 2007, according
to American Business Media’s 2009 Media
Financial Survey.
Overall, the B-to-B industry saw a
2.2% decline in revenues as growth in
revenues from live events, online and
data products offset declines in magazine
revenues. The findings largely reflected
the industry’s view that events and online
have become vital components of media
companies that have traditionally been
led by their print brands.
Trade show revenues, however,
showed a significant decline in the final
quarter of the year as the recession picked
up steam, slipping 18.5% from $29 million
in the Fourth Quarter of 2007 to $24
million. Although sponsorship income
grew 25.2%, exhibit sales revenues were
down 25.9%.
Despite the Fourth Quarter downturn,
2008 was a banner year for the trade show
divisions of the 20 B-to-B companies
that took part in the survey. Together,
the companies took in $177 million from
trade shows compared with $170 million
in 2007 and $113 million in 2006. The
Hughes
Mead
ABM 2009 Media Financial Survey
compound annual growth rate (CAGR)
from 2006 to 2008 was a hefty 25.4%.
Trade shows ranked third as the
most-lucrative revenue streams for B-to-B
companies behind magazines and online.
Print revenues from 208 titles fell 8.4%
in 2008 with a negative CAGR of 3.9%.
They remained, however, well above trade
show revenues at $1.14 billion.
At the same time, online media,
including display and search advertising,
gained 12.4% in 2008 compared to 2007
and had a hefty CAGR of 30.7%.
The 2009 Media Financial Survey
was created by The Jordan, Edmiston
Group, Inc. (JEGI), and compiled by
Peter Craig, partner, Bay Sherman
& Craig, LLP/Media Consulting
Group. The data came from 20 B-to-B
companies of varying sizes.
Reach Gordon Hughes, ABM president
& CEO, at (212) 661-6360 or
g.hughes@abmmail.com; Richard Mead,
JEGI managing director, at (212) 754-0710
or richardm@jegi.com
% YES
% NO
Business Strategy
5.6%
94.4%
Do you plan to launch new events in 2009?
Do you plan to launch new print publications in 2009?
38.9%
61.1%
Do you plan to launch new web sites in 2009?
61.1%
38.9%
Do you plan on folding any print publications in 2009?
44.4%
55.6%
Do you plan to discontinue any events in 2009?
38.9%
61.1%
Do you plan to close any web sites in 2009?
11.1%
88.9%
Are you planning to add databases and information services in 2009?
16.7%
83.3%
Are you currently in international markets?
61.1%
38.9%
0.0%
100.0%
Is your online operation a separate department?
61.1%
38.9%
Is your event operation a separate department?
99.5%
0.5%
Do your tradeshows have conference programs?
63.6%
36.4%
12.5%
87.5%
5.6%
94.4%
If not, do you plan to expand into international markets in 2009?
Digital Path. The
ABM 2009 Media
Financial Survey
showed companies
forging ahead with
website launches;
holding the line on
print publications;
and using caution
in launching new
events.
8
June 2009
TSE_News_june09.indd 8
Operations
M&A
Do you plan to make acquisitions in 2009?
Do you plan to make any divestitures in 2009?
Trade Show Executive
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
5/21/09 4:04:45 PM
Trade Show Executive’s 2nd Annual Gold 100
Awards & Summit to Honor the Best and
Brightest in the Trade Show Industry
Carlsbad, CA - Trade Show Executive will salute the people, the
shows and the organizations that have set the Gold Standard
for the $85 billion exposition industry at its second annual
Gold 100 Awards & Summit this Fall. The event will be held
September 23-25, 2009 at the dramatic new Terranea Resort &
Conference Center in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA, conveniently
located 15 miles from Los Angeles International Airport. Ten
organizers will also receive TSE’s Grand Award in categories
ranging from “Against All Odds” to “The Show with the
Highest Economic Impact” to “The Top Brand.”
The elite by-invitation-only event is expected to draw more
than 200 accomplished leaders in the exposition industry.
The Gold 100 trade shows will be selected from the
4,000-plus trade shows held in the U.S. each year as tracked
by Trade Show Executive in its ZOOM® calendar and subscriber
database. The top 100 shows are the market leaders in their
industry sectors, ranging from aviation to woodworking. Show
organizers must certify that their show statistics are accurate
and complete in order to pass the first round. The rankings are
then determined by net square feet of paid exhibit space.
In addition to the Gold 100 Awards, ten TSE Grand
Awards will be presented at the event:
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
Against All Odds – shows which overcame seemingly insurmountable challenges
Best Use of Green Initiatives
Best Use of Technology
The Fastest-Growing Show
The Highest Economic Impact on the Local Economy
The Largest Show (in net square feet of paid exhibit space)
The Leading Show Producer (in number of Gold 100 shows)
The Most Innovative Practices
The Strongest Global Participation
Top Brand (the show with the most brand extensions worldwide)
For the first time, four of the Grand Awards will be open
to submissions from shows of all sizes, not just the largest
shows. These four categories include: Against All Odds; Best
Use of Green Initiatives; Best Use of Technology; and The
Most Innovative Practices. “Some of the most far-reaching
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
TSE_News_june09.indd 9
TSE’s 2009 Gold 100 Advisory Board
Danny Phillips, Executive Vice President, Advanstar Communications, Inc.
Darrell Denny, President & CEO, Darrell Denny & Associates
David Loechner, Senior Vice President, Retail, Nielsen Business Media
Dennis Slater, President, Association of Equipment Manufacturers
Gary Shapiro, CEO, Consumer Electronics Association
Margaret Pederson, President, Amirexx, LLC
Marian Bossard, Vice President, Meetings & Events, Toy Industry Association
Nancy Walsh, Executive Vice President, Reed Exhibitions
Philip McKay, Senior Vice President, World Market Center Las Vegas
Skip Farber, Principal, Carlin Capital Partners
ideas on audience behavior, social networking, ROI tracking
and community-based technology were beta-tested at smaller
shows before going mainstream in the industry,” said Darlene
Gudea, vice president/publisher and editor of Trade Show
Executive. “By opening up four of the ten Grand Awards to all
expositions, delegates will have a broader perspective on the
ideas that will shape the exposition industry in the years ahead.”
“On June 15, Trade Show Executive will release the 100 shows
that placed in the Gold 100 rankings in an announcement to
the winners, the media, industry associations, and in Trade Show
Executive’s electronic and print media,” said Diane Bjorklund,
TSE’s director of events. Registration for the Gold Awards &
Summit will then officially open. However, the ranking of each
show and the winners of the ten Grand Awards will be kept
confidential until 9:00 p.m. on September 24 at a black-tie
ceremony at Terranea. At that time, various industry leaders
including key sponsors and TSE editors will “open the envelope”
and announce the winners, similar to the Academy Awards™.
In addition to the awards banquet, the event will feature
a summit spotlighting TSE’s Exposition Forecasting Board;
TSE’s Power Lunch interview of one of the most fascinating
leaders in the exposition industry; a panel on burning issues;
a complimentary golf outing; and goody bags sponsored by
some of the nation’s leading luxury retailers.
For a copy of the entry form, contact Carol Andrews,
TSE’s editor-at-large, at (562) 505-7903 or carolandrews@
tradeshowexecutive.com.
Reach Darlene Gudea, vp/publisher & editor, at (760) 929-9666
or dgudea@tradeshowexecutive.com; Diane Bjorklund, director of
events, at (630) 312-8915 or dbjorklund@tradeshowexecutive.com
Trade Show Executive
June 2009
9
5/21/09 4:04:45 PM
fl ashes from t he f ield
. . . . . . The Travel Promotion Act was re-introduced in
Congress in May by Senators John Ensign, R-Nevada, and
Byron Dorgan, D-North Dakota. The measure will establish
a self-funded program that will promote travel to the U.S. and
help educate travelers on the U.S. visa application process.
The U.S. Travel Association (USTA) portrayed the program
as a “jobs and growth package” for the nation. Reach Roger
Dow, president and CEO of the USTA, at (202) 408-8422 or
rdow@ustravel.org. . . . . .
. . . . . . METALFORM Mexico held a news conference in
May to announce that the show would go on despite the flu
outbreak sweeping through the country. Show Manager Chuck
Cross said the Mexican government had pledged their support
to ensure the event was a success. METALFORM Mexico,
scheduled June 2-4 in Monterrey, was expected to draw 7,000
attendees plus exhibitors from around the world. Reach Chuck
Cross at (410) 252-1322 or chuck@tradeshowconsult.com. . . . . .
. . . . . . The Niagara Convention & Civic Centre booked
its first customers even before ground was broken on the
project. The facility will open on the Canadian side of the falls
in the Spring of 2011. The Canadian Tire Dealers Association
and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities will be among
the first groups to occupy the facility. Reach Kerry Painter,
president and general manager, at (905) 357-6222 or kpainter@
fallsconventions.com. . . . . .
. . . . . . The George R. Brown Convention Center in
Houston will soon have another 262 hotel rooms to offer trade
show organizers. The city has approved an agreement with the
developer of a new Embassy Suites hotel that will be built two
blocks from the center. The hotel is scheduled to open in 2011
and has agreed to provide the city with a block of 70% of its
rooms for trade shows, conventions and corporate meetings.
Reach Art Zehnder, director of sales for the George R.
Brown Convention Center, at (715) 853-8141 or art.zehnder@
cityofhouston.net. . . . . .
. . . . . . The Sheraton Tucson Convention Center Hotel
was given the green light in May by the Tucson City Council.
The 525-room hotel is part of a project that includes expanding
the convention center’s exhibit hall by 35,000 square feet. The
got news?
10
June 2009
TSE_News_june09.indd 10
hotel will be built on the site of the current west entrance to
the convention center. Reach Richard Singer, director, at (520)
791-4101 or richard.singer@tucsonaz.com. . . . . .
. . . . . . The Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention
Center may be getting a new hotel. Salt Lake County formed
a committee to look into the feasibility of a hotel offering up
to 1,000 rooms and 100,000 square feet of meeting space. No
funding has yet been allocated for the project. Reach Scott
Beck, president of the Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau,
at (801) 534-4911 or sbeck@saltlake.org. . . . . .
. . . . . . Freeman closed its Philadelphia branch office effective
May 15. The closure finalized a phasing out that began roughly
one year ago and shifted Philadelphia event production to the
New York office. Only a few Freeman employees were affected
and former general manager Bill Smith will remain in the city as
a national sales manager. Reach Bill Smith at (215) 418-2340 or
bill.smith@freemanco.com . . . . . .
. . . . . . Fiera Milano Congressi hosted 40 international trade
show organizers in May to acquaint them with the pending
changes in Milan that will be brought on by the expansion
of the Milan Convention Centre (MIC). The two-year MIC
Plus project will provide organizers with 54,000 square
metres (about 581,251 square feet) of exhibit space. It will
also provide an anchor for the redevelopment of the entire
Fiera Milano complex. Reach Maurizio Lupi, CEO of Fiera
Milano Congressi, at +39 02 4997 6276 or maurizio.lupi@
fieramilanocongressi.it. . . . . .
. . . . . . The Convention Industry Council (CIC) has
endorsed the online study program for its Certified Meeting
Professional (CMP) certification offered by the Professional
Convention Management Association (PCMA). The PCMA
says 98% of the people who take their Certified Meeting
Professional Online Prep Course pass the CMP exam on
their first try. The course is offered through 23 interactive
modules and provides users with instant feedback on their
strengths and weaknesses. Reach CIC Chief Operating
Officer Karen Kotowski at (571) 527-3116 or kkotowski@
conventionindustry,org; Jenna Bishop, PCMA education
specialist, at (312) 423-7262 or jenna.bishop@pcma.org . . . . . .
Let us know when news is heating
up! As you near the final stages of an
acquisition, change in management,
expansion, launch or other important
news, let us know in advance that news
is about to break.
Trade Show Executive
Contact:
Darlene Gudea, VP/publisher & editor, at dgudea@tradeshowexecutive.com
or
Hil Anderson, senior editor, at handerson@tradshowexecutive.com
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
5/21/09 4:04:45 PM
Sponsored by
tr e n ding & s p end ing
PrivilegedAccess.tv
Economic Recovery: Seven Signs
Darlene Gudea,
VP/publisher & editor
Frank Chow,
chief economist
Trade Show Executive’s
Trending & Spending Forecast
Fig.I:TSEForecastof
NetSquareFeetofExhibitSpace
15.0% July
14.0%
3rdQuarter
12.0%
2009
Fig.II:TSEForecastofNumber
ofExhibitingOrganizations
12.0% July
14.0%
3rdQuarter
14.0%
2009
Fig.IlI:TSEForecastof
ProfessionalAttendance
20.0% July
18.0%
3rdQuarter
15.0%
2009
Fig.lV:TSEAnnualForecast
ofRevenue
19.0%
YearEndingDecember2009
How Trade Show Executive Magazine’s
Trending & Spending Was Compiled
Trade Show Executive Magazine’s Trending & Spending Forecast
aggregates information from numerous sources: government
and business reports; interviews with industry experts and
economists; and the TSE monthly poll of its 20-member Economic
Forecasting Board. Unbiased, reliable data—whether positive or
negative—is the foundation of solid business planning.
By Darlene Gudea, VP/publisher & editor
Carlsbad, CA – In last month’s column, we
characterized comments such as “green
shoots” and “the recession is bottoming”
as no more than wishful thinking by some
politicians, economists and media reports.
However, this doesn’t mean we believe the
economy will not start turning around later
this year. Frank Chow, chief economist for
Trade Show Executive, had an issue with the basis
of such optimism, i.e. a slowing in the decline
of economic conditions. “While a halt in the
rapid economic deterioration is a sigh of relief,
a slow decline may still last for a very long time
and may not necessarily indicate the bottom of
this recession,” Chow pointed out. This month
we will try to explain what signs to look for
before you gear up for a real recovery.
Six Months of Sustained
Consumer Spending is the Key
There are only four sources of demand:
consumers, businesses, exports and
government. Since consumer spending is
almost two-thirds of the U.S. economy, one of
the first signs of a recovery will be a resumption
of consumer spending gains for at least two
consecutive quarters, said Chow. “But there can
be false starts. For example, after rising strongly
in the first two months of the year, retail sales
fell in April for a second straight month. This
dashed hopes that consumer spending was
starting to revive,” Chow said.
Consumers have lost about $12 trillion in
wealth from the real estate and stock market
devaluation. Now, they are facing rising
unemployment and foreclosures. To cope,
American consumers are dramatically changing
their spending habits and starting to save more.
The savings rate, which was hovering around
zero a year ago, has climbed to just above 4%.
Many economists think it will hit 6% or more
this year as workers anxious about layoffs and
depleted investments put away their credit
cards. Furthermore, consumers are traveling
less, eating out less, going to discount stores
more, living in smaller homes and postponing
expensive purchases. Once consumers have
saved enough to make up for the trillions in
lost wealth, then they may start buying again.
Housing Challenges Not Out of the Woods Yet
The revival of the housing market is
strongly related to the resumption of consumer
spending. “Since this crisis started with the
housing industry, another sign of recovery will
most likely begin here,” said Chow. “While
conditions are still dire, housing data in recent
weeks has shown signs of stabilization. The
biggest contraction in residential construction
on record has helped builders trim the glut of
properties on the market even as sales faltered,”
he pointed out. The Commerce Department
reported the number of unsold new homes
fell in March to the lowest level since 2002.
Existing home sales, while reaching a decadelow in January, have held within a narrow range
over the last five months. New home sales,
while still depressed, have bounced back from
the record low in January.
On the flip side, foreclosures are
still escalating. According to RealtyTrac,
more than 342,000 households received a
foreclosure-related notice in April, up 32%
from the same month last year. April was
the second straight month with more than
300,000 households receiving a foreclosure
filing. However, foreclosure-driven declines
in prices have contributed to stabilizing the
resale market. Distressed sales have made
up as much as 50% of existing home sales
in recent months, according to the National
Association of Realtors.
Now, a group of economists surveyed
by Bloomberg News believes the Commerce
Department will report housing starts
increased in April by 2% to an annual rate
of 520,000 units. “Significant improvement
in the housing slump, now in its fourth year,
is an essential element for an economic
recovery. Increased home sales will ease the
bleeding of defaulting mortgages which still
threatens the financial future of banks. In
addition, it will calm consumer fears of more
loss in wealth,” Chow said.
Restocking of Inventories Will Signal an Upturn
Business spending has sometimes led the
nation out of a recession, as it did in 2001.
So far, it has been a tremendous drag as
business fixed investment fell almost 38% in
Continued on page 12
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
TSE_TrendSpend_june09.indd 11
Trade Show Executive
June200911
5/20/09 4:50:59 PM
Sponsored by
PrivilegedAccess.tv
Trade
Show Executive’s
Trending & Spending Forecast
Fig.V:SectorPerformance
Best Performing sectors
•Hospitality
•Transportation
•Medical
mixed Performance
•BusinessServices
•Government
•Communications
•SportingGoods
•Entertainment
•Technology
sectors under Pressure
•Apparel
•Food
•Automotive
•Manufacturing
•Construction
•Retail
Fig.VI:EconomicIndicators
Consumer Confidence in April remained low
at 39.2, well below the 62.8 mark a year ago, but
nevertheless, a dramatic 13-point gain from March.
GDP Growth plunged 6.1% during Q1. It was the
first time since 1975 that the economy contracted three
quarters in a row.
Housing Starts in April rose 2.0% to an annualized
basis of 520,000 units.
Industrial Production fell 0.5% in April, showing
improvement from the 1.7% decline in March.
Inflation rwas tame at 0.3% for April, excluding
volatile food and energy prices.
Interest Rates (short term) rremain at a low 1.0%.
The Fed maintained its 0% to 0.25% range for the
Federal Funds rate.
Job Losses reached 611,000 in April, and were
spread across all major private-sector industries, but not
quite as severe as the 741,000 jobs lost in January.
Leading Economic Indicators declined 0.3% in
March, the ninth month in a row to drop into negative
territory.
Manufacturing failed to increase in April for the 15th
consecutive month. However, five of the 18 industries
tracked by the ISM Index expect to benefit from the
Economic Stimulus Package.
Retail Sales in April decreased 0.4% from March and
9.2% from a year ago.
Unemployment climbed to a 25-year high of 8.9% in
April, which is double that of April 2008.
Sources: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor
Statistics; The Conference Board; The Institute for
Supply Management (ISM); U.S. Commerce Department
Continued from page 11
the First Quarter. The first sign of a comeback
for business spending will be a restocking of
inventories in response to higher sales, Chow
noted. The Commerce Department reported
that business inventories fell 1% in March, a
seventh straight decrease. “That’s the longest
stretch since businesses cut inventories for 15
straight months in 2001 and 2002, during the
last recession,” said Chow. There were enough
goods on hand to last 1.44 months at the current
sales rate, indicating companies may keep
cutting stockpiles. The 1,900 dealership closures
announced by GM and Chrysler will probably
guarantee this inventory trend for the near
future, as GM dealers have until the end of next
year to clear out their inventory.
The Importance of Exports to our Economy
Exports were a bright spot for the U.S.
economy last year, mainly due to rising
consumption from developing nations and a
falling U.S. dollar. This year, most countries are
in recession, causing U.S. exports to fall as well,
said Chow. Europe, Japan, Brazil, Russia and
Africa are all expecting a drop in their GDP this
year. The International Monetary Fund recently
forecast the world economy will shrink 1.3% in
2009. China did not suffer a recession, but its
double-digit growth of the past decade declined
dramatically to around 6% this year. Most
economists believe many countries like China
and India will bounce back faster and stronger
than the U.S. “Thus, growth overseas, along with
stronger U.S. exports, would be another sign of
recovery in the U.S. economy,” Chow said.
Unprecedented Government Spending
With the TARP bailout funds of about $700
billion, another $787 billion in the economic
stimulus plan, and the President’s proposed $3.5
trillion 2010 budget, it is obvious government
spending will play a dominant role in achieving a
recovery from the economic crisis. The Obama
administration and Congress have assumed
recovery will not happen without unprecedented
government stimulus. “Historically, such
government spending and intervention have
not been successful,” Chow pointed out. “Even
President Roosevelt’s ambitious New Deal was
not able to bring the nation out of the Great
Depression, but it did improve the economy,”
Chow said. In contrast, the amount of stimulus
money used in prior recessions is almost paltry
compared to now. Chow noted that in earlier
recessions, the cumulative monetary stimuli
averaged about 6% of GDP. In this recession,
the stimuli have totaled about 30% of GDP thus
far. “This amount of stimuli is bound to have
some stabilizing impact, but some economists are
predicting it may fall short in creating enough jobs
to achieve a recovery,” he said. “An important
signal of any recovery is job creation or at least a
significant drop in job destruction.”
Resolving the Credit Crunch is Critical
Finally, none of these sources of demand
will grow, unless the credit crunch is resolved
successfully, Chow said. The SEC has loosened
mark-to-market accounting rules which helped
to abate fears about further demise of more
financial institutions, which will lead to more
lending, he said. However, a survey of banks by
the Federal Reserve in May showed a larger share
of lenders has tightened terms on residential
mortgages. Lenders are demanding a 20% deposit
for home purchases, and want impeccable credit
ratings. At the same time, about 35% of those
who responded saw increased demand for prime
mortgages, the first gain in at least two years.
Fortunately, the Fed has kept interest rates low
and credit conditions appear to be improving. A
good sign for a recovery would be a big uptick in
lending to businesses and consumers.
True Signs of an Economic Recovery
In summary, here is a list of seven
developments in the economy that will signal a
recovery:
1. Growth in consumer spending for two
straight quarters
2. Increased housing sales, permits, starts
3. Big decline in foreclosures
4. Business fixed investment and changes in
inventories
5. Export demand
6. Job growth
7. Improvement in credit conditions
In the meantime, it would be wise to
continue defensive management: reduce your
cost structure; increase cash flow; be prepared
for mounting losses from bad debt as additional
clients hit the skids; and put new policies in place
to forestall slow pay and no pay. Finally, keep
your sights on mid- to long-range opportunities.
This recession will not last forever and you need
to seize opportunities as they surface. TSE
Continued on page 14
12June2009
TSE_TrendSpend_june09.indd 12
Trade Show Executive
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
5/20/09 4:51:01 PM
TSE_C
Your
Future
is Here
expand Your Global Appeal
PrivilegedAccess.tv is the only online video platform that increases the international
exposure of your show while keeping exhibitors and attendees engaged throughout
the year. All at no charge to you!
Dorian Dickinson - VP of Development and Strategy
PrivilegedAccess.tv
(312) 341-9629
info@PrivilegedAccess.tv
TSE_TrendSpend_june09.indd 13
TSE_Cover_may09.indd 2
5/20/09 4:51:02 PM
4/28/09 10:14:48 AM
Sponsored by
tr e n ding & s p end ing
PrivilegedAccess.tv
An Insider’s Perspective. How is the economy impacting the exposition
industry? This month, five industry leaders give
you insights from their perspective as a general
service contractor, registration/housing firm,
exhibit designer/event producer and facility
manager. Together with the rest of Trade Show
Executive’s Exposition Forecasting Board, they have
insider knowledge about the true performance of
the majority of U.S. trade shows.
“Industries where innovative
technology is driving their
product offerings continue to
experience growth and see
spending increases. These
industries include alternative
energy (wind, sun, agriculture)
Dan Greene,
and health care (pharmaceuticals
COO,
and bioengineering). The
Matrex Exhibits
struggling economy will increase
the importance of trade shows
because of the personal nature of event marketing
and the subsequent purchasing process. Given the
high dollar spend of trade show and event marketers,
clients will want to develop personal business
relationships with the recipients of these funds.
“Product and service marketers who fail to
participate in trade shows will continue to see
revenues remain flat or decrease. These businesses,
which focus only on cost, will not remain competitive
to those businesses that are in front of their clients
and prospects in the event marketing space. They
are letting a good recession go to waste.”
Dan Greene
dgreene@matrexexhibits.com
Doug Ducate,
President & CEO,
Center for Exhibition
Industry Research (CEIR)
14 June 2009
TSE_TrendSpend_june09.indd 14
Skip Cox,
President & CEO,
Exhibit Surveys
Darlene Gudea,
VP/Publisher & Editor,
Trade Show Executive
Frank Chow,
Chief Economist,
Trade Show Executive
Nancy Walsh,
Executive Vice President,
Reed Exhibitions
Tom Caridi,
CFO,
Questex Media Group
Colette O’Donnell,
Group Controller,
Advanstar Communications, Inc.
Margaret
Pederson,
President, Amirexx
& 2009 IAEE Chair
“To date, there are no signs of recovery that have
taken hold. Although there has been talk of signs
indicating future stability, it does not appear as if they
have come to fruition. With recent weak reports in retail,
ongoing concern in automotive including the Chrysler
bankruptcy and the high potential of GM following suit,
as well as continuing growth of unemployment, it does
not appear that there will be near-term growth. There is
Aaron Bludworth, continued risk of further instability.
“We are already in a prolonged downturn and the
Chief Operating Officer,
bottom is not yet on the horizon. It is essential that we
George Fern Company
all work to ensure strong participation in exhibitions
even if the economic value is not derived the same way it has been historically.
As potential exhibitor and attendee organizations are formulating budgets for
future years, it is essential that we address current cost and value challenges.
Participants likely cannot justify participation today unless they are getting a
more utilitarian value from the experience than they have in the past. Identifying
the value of participating in exhibitions is more important than ever.”
Aaron Bludworth
abludworth@georgefern.com
Trade Show Executive
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
5/20/09 4:51:07 PM
Sponsored by
PrivilegedAccess.tv
“Events in the pharmaceutical, medical, scientific,
educational and select retail sectors will be the first
to show signs of a turnaround. In the meantime, show
organizers need to communicate early and often with
hotels, convention centers and other vendors regarding
expected attendance and potential declines, so they
can partner with them to help mitigate damages, and
also to support any attendance-building efforts. It is
critical that the value proposition for show attendance
is well-articulated and relevant to the end-user.
Steven Hacker,
President & CEO,
International Association of
Exhibitions & Events (IAEE)
Jack Chalden,
VP, Business Development
& Industry Relations,
BDMetrics, Inc.
Chris Meyer,
VP, Convention Sales,
Las Vegas Convention
and Visitors Authority
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
TSE_TrendSpend_june09.indd 15
“When the recession is over, I believe there will be
significant and long-term changes to the trade show
floor, with less frills and stronger business messaging.
I also believe there will be a continued desire for more
peer-to-peer networking. Technology will continue to
play a larger role: virtual participation, mobile and social
media. Corporate social responsibility will influence
venue selection.”
Gary Sain
Gary.Sain@orlandocvb.com
“Yes, shows are flat (the new ‘up’), however, the
feedback we’re getting from show management
is that quality remains high. Show managers
continue to seek tools to measure buyer quality.
Exhibitors are becoming more educated on lead
retrieval and are seeking enhanced solutions to
filter buyers and follow up more effectively. We are
hopeful that the bottom has been hit and that we
see the skies beginning to clear.”
Terence R. Donnelly, CMP
terence.donnelly@experient-inc.com
Tim McGill,
CEO,
Hargrove Inc.
James Rooney,
Executive Director,
Massachusetts Convention
Center Authority
Clark Williams,
President,
CompuSystems
Steve Moore,
President & CEO,
Greater Phoenix Convention
& Visitors Bureau
Trade Show Executive
Gregg Caren,
Senior Vice President
of Strategic Business
Development, SMG
Gary sain,
President & CEO,
Orlando/Orange County
Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc.
Terence Donnelly,
VP, Trade Show Markets,
Experient
“It’s not often that we
find philosophy in our finance
departments, but a friend and
colleague nicknamed GMAC said
it best recently: ‘Hope is not a
strategy.’ Simple as it sounds, think
about the implications. Certainly
we all hope the economy will get
better. In fact, recent reports
indicate that we are starting to
see the turn that many of us didn’t
expect (or hope) to see until the
end of this year or early 2010. As
the expression goes: ‘Hope for the
best but plan for the worst.’ If we
have all done our jobs – difficult
as some of the expense-cutting
may have been – the turn in the
recession will have us surviving
2009 and well-poised for 2010.”
Gregg Caren
gcaren@smgworld.com
June 2009 15
5/20/09 4:51:15 PM
Which ShoWS are Setting the
Gold Standard
for the
trade ShoW induStry?
find out…at
Trade Show Executive’s
2 nd a nnual
Gold 100 Awards & Summit
September 23 - 25, 2009
The Terranea Resort & Conference Center
Rancho Palos Verdes, California
Trade Show Executive will honor the 100 largest trade shows and explore
the burning issues facing the entire industry this September at The
Terranea Resort & Conference Center in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.
fast-paced session on innovation will be held, with the top five winners
of TSE’s Innovation Awards presenting breakthroughs that have created
new value for exhibitors and attendees.
The executive-level summit will provide industry leaders with the
insights and updates that will help them thrive as the economy recovers.
The agenda includes the acclaimed Trending & Spending session which
features five leading executives from Trade Show Executive’s Forecasting
Board who will analyze the economy and other factors impacting the
exhibition industry, as well as offer their forecasts for the near and long
term. One of the nation’s most fascinating leaders will be interviewed
by TSE columnist Bob Dallmeyer live on stage in Power Lunch. A
Located just 15 miles from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX),
Terranea offers a conference center conducive to professional
networking and education. The location, on the bluffs overlooking
the Pacific Ocean, is symbolic with the summit reached by the
Gold 100 shows.
Please join us in September to celebrate the people, the shows and the
organizations that set the Gold Standard for the trade show industry.
Save the Dates! Registration Opens June 30th.
brought to you by
and theSe
T IT LE SPONSOR
SponSorS
P L AT I N U M S P O N S O R
GOLD SPONSORS
S I LV E R S P O N S O R S
BRONZE SPONSORS
PrivilegedAccess.tv
SUPPORTING ASSOcIATION SPONSORS
ESCA
Exhibition Services &
Contractors Association
WWW.TradeShoWexecuTive.coM
i n c u bator
PRINT Show Takes Unprecedented Step
Subsidizes Drayage Costs for Heavy Equipment Exhibitors
By Hil Anderson, senior editor
Reston, VA – Graphic Arts Show
Company (GASC) stepped up to the
plate by offering to help their machinery
exhibitors by paying a sizable share of
the cost of setting up a booth at Print 09.
The Print 09 Subsidy Plan picks up
the tab of moving heavy machinery
on the trade show floor at McCormick
Place in Chicago. The goal is to convince
companies to contract exhibit space for
the September 11-16 international event
during a slow economic period when they
might think twice about paying a material
handling fee of $40.50 per square foot to
exhibit large pieces of equipment.
“We can’t settle for business as
usual in these troubled times,” said
GASC President Ralph Nappi. “GASC
stepped up with this plan to support
the companies that provide equipment,
products and services to the graphic
communications industry.”
Nappi said he expected the subsidy
plan to offer up to $3 million through the
program, with individual exhibitors saving
anywhere from $550 to $165,000 on their
drayage bill, depending on the size of
their booth. As an example, GASC said
an exhibitor with a 1,000 square-foot
booth could realize savings of $1,500 on
a $7,000 bill due to the subsidy.
The plan offered Print 09 exhibitors
two options:
Option 1: Unlimited machinery material
handling at the show site. Movement
of the machine to a predetermined
spot in the booth and removal to the
truck after the show. Exhibitors pay
for non-machinery material handling.
Option 2: Limited material handling.
GASC subsidizes the material
handling charge by general service
contractor Freeman up to the
equivalent of $5.50 per square foot.
This covers machinery and other
materials.
18
June 2009
TSE_Incubator_june09.indd 18
PriNt ’09
The subsidy plan has the support
of GASC’s association partners, which
also own the show: Printing Industries
of America, the National Association
for Printing Leadership (NAPL) and
NPES, The Association for Suppliers
of Printing, Publishing and Converting
Technologies.
Nappi told Trade Show Executive
that there had been plenty of positive
anecdotal response to the offer, although
the concrete impact on the show would
not be known until closer to September.
The show is expected to draw around
650 exhibitors and span approximately
550,000 net square feet, which would be
20% less than Print 05.
“We never viewed this as a step that
would increase sales as much as limit
the downsizing and save the
exhibitor some money in
order for them to use the
unlimited machinery handling
package to its fullest extent,”
Nappi said.
Nappi said the plan would
help ensure that Print 09 is
a “robust, comprehensive
Nappi
industry exhibition” that
Trade Show Executive
ExEcuTivE Summary
09 organizers offer to pay
• Print
drayage costs
is to prevent loss of
• Goal
exhibitors
is applied to
• Subsidy
Freeman bill
has backing of association
• Plan
partners
Seen as an investment in
• Print
13 attendance
would make attendees and exhibitors
more likely to come back in 2013 and
also attend the company’s annual Graph
Expo events. “My concern has always
been focused on the future years of
the show,” Nappi said. “I feared that
if exhibitors didn’t bring
equipment to the show as a
cost-saving measure, those
customers that attend Print this
year would be disappointed
and not attend in future years.”
Reach Ralph Nappi at (703) 2647200 or rnappi@gasc.org
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
5/21/09 2:51:59 PM
Facility Spotlight
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque Convention Center
401 2nd St. NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102
www.albuquerquecc.com
Prime Exhibit Space:
167,000 sf
No. of Halls/Floors:
No. of Breakout Rooms/Total Sq. Ft.:
Contact: Carisa Malanum, CMP, Director of Sales & Event Services
Phone: (505) 768-3870 Fax: (505) 768-3239
4 halls /2 floors
33/75,211 sf
Email: carisam@albuquerquecc.com
®
303 Monroe Ave. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
www.devosplace.org
Prime Exhibit Space:
202,000 sf
No. of Halls/Floors:
No. of Breakout Rooms/Total Sq. Ft.:
Contact: Sales Department
Phone: (616) 742-6500 Fax: (616) 742-6590
2 halls/1 floor
26/33,171 sf
Email: sales@smggr.com
David L. Lawrence Convention Center
Prime Exhibit Space:
No. of Halls/Floors:
No. of Breakout Rooms/Total Sq. Ft.:
Contact: Debbie Smucker, Director of Sales & Marketing
Phone: (412) 325-6174 Fax: (412) 325-6104
www.brrivercenter.com
275 South River Rd., Baton Rouge, LA 70802
Prime Exhibit Space:
70,000 sf
No. of Halls/Floors:
No. of Breakout Rooms/Total Sq. Ft.:
2 halls/1 floor
8/12,000 sf
Contact: Rhonda Ruffino, Director of Sales
Phone: (225) 389-3030 Fax: (225) 389-4954
Email: rruffino@brrivercenter.com
Knoxville Convention Center
701 Henley St., Knoxville, TN 37902
www.knoxvilleconventioncenter.com
Prime Exhibit Space:
119,922 sf
No. of Halls/Floors:
No. of Breakout Rooms/Total Sq. Ft.:
Contact: Susan Eaton, AGM & DOS
Phone: (865) 522-5669 Fax: (865) 329-0422
2 Halls/3 floors
24/54,000 sf
Email: seaton@kccsmg.com
Long Beach, California
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
1000 Ft. Duquesne Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Baton Rouge River Center
Knoxville, Tennessee
Grand Rapids, Michigan
DeVos Place
Advertisement
www.pittsburghcc.com
313,400 sf
5 halls/2 floors
53/109,562 sf
Email: dsmucker@pittsburghcc.com
Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center
300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90802
Prime Exhibit Space:
No. of Halls/Floors:
No. of Breakout Rooms/Total Sq. Ft.:
Contact: Ellen Schwartz, Director of Sales
Phone: (562) 499-7574 Fax: (562) 499-7589
www.longbeachcc.com
224,000 sf
3 halls/1 floor
34/79,000 sf
Email: eschwartz@longbeachcc.com
One Click, One Call 1-866-BOOk-SMG (866-266-5764) • www.smgworld.com
SMG Spotlight.indd 1
5/20/09 4:39:46 PM
power lunch
Reed Exhibition’s
Ken McAvoy
Photo Credit: Sherry Tesler
Man on a
Mission
20
by Bob Dallmeyer, columnist
June 2009
TSE_PowerLunch_june09.indd 20
Trade Show Executive
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
5/20/09 4:51:56 PM
W
hen controversial decisions are made in the trade show industry
that could have widespread detrimental repercussions for show
organizers and exhibitors, it is often Ken McAvoy who is the first
to speak up. Outspoken but soft-spoken, McAvoy also serves on the
advisory boards of convention bureaus in Las Vegas, Orlando and New
York, and as the point man for the Friends of Javits, the industry committee
providing input on the expansion of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
in Manhattan.
As senior vice president of Reed Exhibitions, Ken oversees the operational
details of 45 trade shows, and is on a mission to increase exhibitor ROI and
customer satisfaction. We let him do the talking in a recent telephone interview
from his new home in Atlanta.
>>From your perspective, what
are the key issues impacting your
exhibitors and attendees today?
Ken: The biggest issues are ROI and
costs for both exhibitors and attendees.
We believe that every show manager
should be focused on these questions:
How do we reduce the cost of exhibiting?
How do we lower the cost to attend? How
do we stem the tide of sign-on delays and
decreases in exhibitor participation on
shows? How do we help exhibitors and
attendees achieve better results? These
are the big ones that we work on every
day. We continue to develop package
plans, VIP programs, bellwether account
programs and other enhanced services
based on the needs of each show. No
two shows are the same, but no shows are
untouched when it comes to focusing on
lower costs, increasing ROI and increasing
exhibitor and attendee retention.
>>Are you focusing on any other
hot buttons?
We are working with several groups
to educate and train vendors, hotels, etc.
in the art of superior customer service.
Our surveys found that people feel trade
shows are not only expensive, they are
also complicated. We characterize this
as “the hassle factor.” We ask everyone’s
cooperation in partnering with us to
create a better atmosphere for the
exhibitors and the attendees. Organizers
must start thinking about how to reduce
costs every year by 4% to 6% and find
ways to do more with less, rather than
increase costs to our customers.
>>What are you currently doing to
make your customers the center of
your business, particularly in relation
to the service side of the business?
Reed has a customer satisfaction
index as well as a customer retention
matrix that was instituted by Chet
Burchett when he arrived five years
ago. Management’s compensation
package is tied to increases in these two
key indicators. What is amazing is that
even in these difficult times, the scores
continue to stabilize and confirm that
we are delivering what we promise. Not
all shows are up; some are flat or down
slightly. But none are in the disaster
range. Aligning employee remuneration
to these matrixes keeps the focus where
it should be – on the customer – in good
times and bad. Chet saw this early on
and the dividends continue to add up as
the economy turns down.
In addition, we instituted an eSPOC
Program (electronic Single Point Of
Contact) that we developed with Freeman,
one of our service contractors. This
system was originated by Reed Exhibitions
U.K. and it monitors all exhibitor orders
and service issues by equipping all vendors
and our operations team with hand-held
PDAs on the show floor. From my office,
I can instantly monitor any show in the
country on how the show is proceeding.
I can tell you not only the issues being
encountered, but the time it takes to settle
them. Our motto is, “Zero Tolerance
for Exhibitor Complaints – We Are
Watching.” Serious praise goes to Katy
Wild of Freeman, and Michael Grant and
Michael Kisken of Reed for developing
and administering this program. This
program has been quite successful in
resolving issues to customers’ satisfaction.
>>What have you done
for exhibitors lately?
We spend a lot of time looking for
ways to increase both exhibitor and
attendee ROI as well as lower costs.
Also, we are working more closely with
our exhibitors to provide guidance
and counsel on how to economically
prepare for our shows. Reed Exhibitor
University is a full-service program that
uses a professional trainer to assess goals
and objectives, needs and costs, and
teach them the latest sales and marketing
techniques so that companies can exhibit
more effectively. We also spend a lot of
time creating packages and other special
cost-effective offerings to bring more
value to the exhibitor. We have a new
program that offers semi-custom rental
booths and a DIY (Do It Yourself) booth
purchase program to eliminate the need
for exhibitors to own booths. We have the
advantage of scale when developing these
programs due to the number of our shows
and our ability to partner with the best of
the best suppliers.
>>Forecasting show growth has
become more challenging. What
kind of decisions are you making
when signing hall contracts? Are
you contracting dates ten years into
the future? Five years? Three?
The biggest adjustment we’ve made
in the last 12 months is to right-size our
venue space commitments. Our research
department constantly surveys all of our
events to give us strong data points to
make these adjustments. Depending on
the show, we now wait as long as possible
to sign binding license agreements. We
still hold dates five to ten years out, but
signing is delayed until we have a good
assessment of the anticipated show
size. Venues understand that we aren’t
going to sign enforceable contracts
with extensive liability unless we are left
without any other alternatives. And in
Continued on page 22
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
TSE_PowerLunch_june09.indd 21
Trade Show Executive
June 2009
21
5/20/09 4:51:58 PM
Continued from page 21
this market, we have alternatives. This
isn’t to say they like this process.
>>Are you concerned about going
well above or way below projections?
And what guides your decisions?
I was accustomed to focusing on
financial performance from my days at
GES Exposition Services. But Gregg
Vautrin, Reed’s senior vice president of
finance, has programs, forecasts and
budget processes that are unlike any
others. Through Gregg and his team,
we constantly make adjustments up,
down and sideways to reflect the “Picture
of the Day.” We have put in place the
systems and processes to make quick
adjustments as things turn one way or
another and to be as nimble as possible.
>>What do you consider when
choosing service providers?
We are diversifying our selection of
general service contractors and are in the
final stages of our selection and contract
process. An important consideration is
the customer satisfaction programs of
these companies. We are also developing
standards for all goods and services at
Reed events. Example: We do it right
the first time or it’s free. We are all
about satisfaction and retention. In this
economy, the number of new companies
interested in exhibiting is shrinking, so we
better keep the ones we have happy – and
returning. Attrition has caused concerns,
but for the most part, the hotels have
worked well with us.
>>Have attrition clauses changed as
a result of the soft economy?
Attrition and cancellation clauses in
hotel contracts have taken on a new life.
Attendees are booking late or booking
outside the block and hotels are undercutting
room rates prior to the cut-off date – these
are at an all-time high, as everyone attempts
to control or reduce costs.
long memory. We have added a variable
percentage reduction clause to most of
our hotel contracts. This allows us to
adjust the room blocks 120 days prior
to the event right up to 30-days from
opening of the event. And the clause
allows the hotel enough notice to avoid
excess inventory and adjust as well. Most
hotels treat us as a partner, not just a
customer, since an empty hotel does no
one any good.
asked, even though it is time consuming.
The problem with some of these boards
is that they use their customers (us) to
validate various issues and policies. When
some venues ask for input, they already
have their minds made up and just want
to say they asked their advisory board.
We are proactive when we serve on an
advisory board. . . we just don’t rubber
stamp items that are presented to us.
>>As convention centers face even
greater revenue challenges these
days, the idea of in-house exclusive
contractors has come up again. What
is your position on this?
Venues and CVBs are well aware that
their funding formula is at risk. States, cities
and counties that have pledged bonds to
build or expand convention centers have to
cut expenses and find new revenue sources.
However, they also must focus on helping
the show manager attract attendees. Their
staff should focus on delivering services
that ensure no customer leaves the show or
the city unhappy. We can no longer say, “If
we build it, they will come.”
Trade shows are not served best by
any venue that has exclusive contractors.
Exclusives are simply a form of additional
rent to the customer. There is no incentive
to hold down market rates, respond to
exhibitor issues or create special package
rates for exhibitor convenience or develop
new programs and procedures to service
the customer better.
>>Can you give me an example?
Sure. Reed Exhibitions made
a corporate decision to absorb the
cost of vacuuming the booths before
opening day for every Reed show if
the exhibitor orders carpet from the
general contractor. We were willing to
pay for this service to eliminate exhibitor
complaints about dirty carpets on the
first day of the show. We requested a
discount based on volume of cleaning
but every venue that had in-house
cleaning fought this change in our
policy. They wanted full retail rates to
perform the work. While we ultimately
worked this out, it’s a good example of
why exclusives don’t work relative to the
satisfaction levels of our exhibitors and
holding the cost to exhibitors reasonable.
>>What is the solution?
>>You have served on the advisory
boards for several convention and
visitors bureaus.
Hotels that use attrition as a revenuegenerator will find show managers have a
At Reed, we take our role seriously
and fully participate whenever we are
22
June 2009
TSE_PowerLunch_june09.indd 22
Trade Show Executive
>>How is their business changing?
>>Tell me about The Friends of
Javits and your role in it.
The Friends of Javits started when the
Javits Convention Center of New York
held a focus group of show organizers,
asking for our input about an expansion.
Ten months later, they came back with
a plan that would have increased our
operational costs by 40% and could
have led to the demise of some of our
events. When the plan was leaked to us,
we immediately saw the problem, but
had no answers. Even worse, no one
wanted to listen to our recommendations.
Reed Exhibitions generates a significant
amount of its gross revenue from New
York trade shows and we had a no-win
scenario if we didn’t challenge this plan.
That’s when we convened a meeting at
Reed’s Manhattan office for all show
managers with events in Javits. Out of
that grew the Friends of Javits, based on
the Friends of McCormick Place concept,
borne about ten years prior. This was the
first time in New York’s history that show
producers banded together financially to
hire lobbyists, as well as visit politicians
in Albany and New York City. The
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
5/20/09 4:51:58 PM
Las Vegas News Bureau
>>Were you in McCormick Place
during the big 1967 fire?
Showing Support. Rossi Ralenkotter, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors
Authority (right), with Ken McAvoy and Laura D’Amore (center), sales and marketing manager for Opportunity Village, a Las Vegas-based charity serving the needs of people with intellectual disabilities by
providing them with vocational training, employment and social recreation services that make their lives
more productive and interesting.
group effort made a difference and we
succeeded. After winning this round, our
group bonded further to solve some other
key non-expansion issues. The result
is that the new expansion/renovation
project is not perfect, but it is workable
and will not put us and New York out of
the trade show business. Finally, a word
of caution to other cities: if you hear
there is a “Friends of your city” being
formed, it means show managers are
banding together to effect change. We are
very proactive when it comes to venues
and their decisions/plans on expansion.
>>Do you foresee the day when the
European exhibiting model will take
hold in the U.S.?
We are actively looking to devise
a new model for our North American
shows. We aren’t alone in this pursuit;
we discuss it constantly with our fellow
show managers. The European model
would be difficult to duplicate here with
our venues, since their labor restrictions
and complicated revenue streams of the
venues make this a greater challenge here.
>>This would also impact the
general service contractors.
Show managers’ dependence on
the general service contractor would
have to diminish under a new model.
In a perfect world, we want to see the
exhibitor costs reduced by allowing
them to choose those vendors necessary
to complete their booths without the
obligation to use third party exclusive
suppliers. We have to lower exhibitor
costs, so any new model – or adjustment
to the present model – must focus on
this end-result.
>>On the flip side, would our
method ever work overseas?
Our model would work, but has little
chance of acceptance since it would
increase exhibitor costs. Also, rental
costs at overseas venues are higher than
they are stateside. Thus, if the cost to
the exhibitor changed, the venue costs
would need to be adjusted, as well.
>>How did you begin in this
business?
I started working as a trade show
decorator in Chicago during summers
to pay for my tuition at Marquette
University. My father was the business
representative for the Decorators Local
17 at the time. After graduation, I
continued working part-time while I
attended law school and got married.
When my son was born, I worked
full-time for the union for the next 15
years. I joined United Exposition Service
Company, the forerunner of GES, in
1988 and Reed Exhibitions in 1999.
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
TSE_PowerLunch_june09.indd 23
Trade Show Executive
Yes, I was working on the International
Housewares Show in January 1967 when
that fire destroyed the convention center.
I had just purchased our first home the
week before and had nowhere to work for
some time. However, Chicago was back
in the trade show business within months
with the use of other facilities in the city.
>>Who were your mentors?
My main mentor was my Dad -- people
will tell you they never met a more fair
and honest person. The others are Jack
O’Connell, the former owner of United
Exposition Service Company, and the
late Manny Caplin, also of United. These
gentlemen gave me the opportunity to
raise my family through this industry.
People who know of these men know
what I’m talking about. Another mentor is
Bob Lozier of Freeman. No one is more
dedicated to this industry or has worked
harder for his customers than Bob. And if
you give an award for hard work and a real
success story, Charlie Premone of Brede/
Allied is your man. He is so special to the
many people whom he has mentored along
the way. Some show managers call Charlie
the “rock star” of general contractors.
>>What advice would you give a
middle management trade show
executive today?
To middle managers, I’d say: Balance
your work life and family life. This isn’t an
easy business with the long hours, the pace
and intensity of the job, and the demands
on your time. Balance it out. Don’t miss
too many of your children’s soccer games
or family anniversaries. What you put in,
you’ll get back. And the friends you make
along the way will always be there with you.
>>What keeps you awake at night?
The bad beds in far too many hotel
rooms, but on a serious note, trying to
lower exhibitor costs and searching for
that new trade show business model.
Contact Ken McAvoy at (203) 840-5681 or
kmcavoy@reedexpo.com
June 2009
23
5/20/09 4:52:01 PM
Trade Show Executive’s
TM
2009
INNOVATION AWARDS
The Innovators of 2009: Shaking Up Tradition
By Darlene Gudea, vice president/publisher & editor
Hil Anderson, senior editor
Sandi Cain, news editor
n today’s unforgiving business environment where markets,
technology and customer expectations are changing rapidly,
necessity is indeed the mother of invention. Who are the
innovators of 2009 and where did they get their inspiration?
For Trade Show Executive’s 7th Annual Innovation Awards,
we present the eight organizations whose creative energy has
yielded new value for exhibitors, attendees and the exposition
industry as a whole.
Winners of Trade Show Executive’s 2009 Innovation Awards:
n a2z for ChirpE……………………………………page 25
n Association of Equipment Manufacturers
for the Construction Challenge……………………page 26
I
24
June 2009
TSE_InnovationAwards_june09.indd 24
n
n
n
n
n
n
Champion Exposition Services for the Champion
Digital Signage with Attendee Tracking System……page 27
Exhibit Surveys, Inc. & Constellation
Communication Corp. for the Trade Show
Planning and Measurement Tool…………….…..…page 28
Exhibition Services & Contractors Association
(ESCA), for the Worker Identification System ……page 29
The Global Executive for etouches®
Integrated Event Technologies.……………………page 30
ITN International, Inc.
for the BCARD Debit Card..………………………page 31
Mingle360 for MingleStick...………………………page 32
Trade Show Executive
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
5/21/09 4:05:34 PM
TSE’s 2009
INNOVATION AWARDS
ChirpE Brings Website,
Social Media to Show Floor
By Hil Anderson, senior editor
he introduction of ChirpE by a2z, Inc. ties show
organizers closer to the social media services used
by attendees and clears away any lingering obstacles
to the use of mobile phones to access show information.
The new application earned a2z a Trade Show Executive 2009
Innovation Award.
The mobile application was designed specifically for use
in a trade show environment and, equally important, is userfriendly. It also operates on all major smartphone brands.
By utilizing ChirpE, organizers can use their show websites
as a primary means of disseminating announcements and
T
information to their attendees during the show. Additionally,
ChirpE can drive the social networking that is increasingly
carried out on handheld wireless devices.
“Social networking is increasingly taking place via mobile
devices, and the events industry is no exception,” said Rajiv
Jain, CEO of a2z. “Nearly 10% of all show website traffic
comes from mobile devices and their utilization is expected to
grow significantly over the next several years.”
ChirpE integrates Twitter, Buzz and other popular socialnetworking sites, giving show managers the ability to not only
make pertinent announcement about schedule changes and
special events but also contribute to the coveted advance and
post-show “buzz” about their event.
“Show organizers will be better positioned to
increase their traffic as well as their loyalty and
engagement,” Jain said.
The system also functions as a basic tool that
attendees can use to access conference program
schedules and floor plans, and search for specific
exhibitors and specific products. ChirpE can be used
as a portal for exhibitor press releases and offers
organizers sponsorship opportunities.
If that all sounds familiar it is because ChirpE
basically allows attendees to access the show website
from their smartphones the same way they would if
they were sitting in front of their desktop computer.
Users log on to ChirpE and are provided with a
link to the particular show website. The link delivers
the show website in a format that fits their mobile
device screen. There are no downloads required and no
need to change the settings on the device.
The ability to access the show website gives the
user the ability to monitor the website from anywhere
and stay abreast of changes and announcements as
they are posted to the site.
Reach Rajiv Jain at (410) 740-9200 or rajiv@a2zinc.net
Constant Companion. ChirpE brings trade show websites to
the screens of attendees’ smartphones. The Web 2.0-based
technology allows portable access to show websites and social
media from the exhibit hall.
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
TSE_InnovationAwards_june09.indd 25
Trade Show Executive
June 2009
25
5/21/09 4:05:35 PM
TSE’s 2009
INNOVATION AWARDS
Construction Challenge Invites
Students to Build Career Opportunities
By Sandi Cain, news editor
hen the Association of Equipment Manufacturers
(AEM) leaders saw a need to recruit young people into
the construction industry, they didn’t turn to abstract
talks at high schools or booth space at job fairs. Instead, they teamed
with not-for-profit volunteer group Destination ImagiNation of
Glassboro, NJ, a specialist in creative problem solving.
The goal was to create a way for high school students
to learn more about construction careers, infrastructure,
construction equipment, creative problem solving and
teamwork. The result was the team-based Construction Challenge,
targeted to high school students in grades 9-12.
This isn’t just another teambuilding contest. Innovation
Awards judges said it was “head and shoulders above other
recruitment efforts” in the way it leveraged an innovative
partnership and measured results.
W
publications. It also raised awareness of the opportunities
in the construction industry, which will help fill the industry
pipeline with an educated workforce.
How They Did It
The challenge consisted of two stages: regional qualifiers
and national finals. The event was promoted to 100,000
teachers, parents and students and drew 1,000 students from 18
states. Five regional rallies were held around the country.
It was no walk in the park for the students. They had to
discuss the relationship between infrastructure, construction and
quality of life; research, design and develop a new product; and
solve an infrastructure issue with equipment they developed. A
total of 350 students in 51 teams advanced to the finals, staged
on the show floor at the 2008 CONEXPO-CON/AGG in Las
Vegas, a triennial “must do” event for the construction industry
produced by AEM. Sponsored by 38 construction industry
companies, they took center stage amid 144,600 industry
attendees and surrounded by exhibitors. They built. They
mingled. And 12 teams took home prizes or scholarships,
including an all-female team.
Everyone learned from the experience.
AEM learned how to better promote the
construction industry to youth.
Schools learned about construction careers available
to students with varied interests.
Students learned real-world lessons about the
relationship between infrastructure, construction and
quality of life issues likely to affect them for a lifetime.
“It was one of the best things we’ve ever done,”
said Megan Tanel, show director for CONEXPOCON/AGG and the vice president of exhibitions for
AEM. The students saw the construction industry
from the inside, demonstrated their own prowess in
Meeting Challenges. The Construction Challenge, staged on the show floor at the
problem solving and got to meet other attendees and
2008 CONEXPO-CON/AGG, created an opportunity for high school students from
manufacturers. “It’s not every day you see a kid from
across the country to learn about the construction industry.
Ohio talking to the CEO of Caterpillar,” she said.
AEM and Destination ImagiNation went the extra mile
A total of 95% of the participants said they’d do it again and
to measure and report the results to see if they reached their
encourage other teams to enter; 97% said the competition gave
objectives. When they did, they found they’d hit a home run.
them an above-average understanding of the program goals.
Prior to the Construction Challenge, between 20% and 25%
This year, the Challenge was held at 15 rally sites and drew
of the 1,000 participants said their knowledge of equipment,
375 teams, up from 152 in 2008. The number of participants
construction jobs and infrastructure was low. After the
more than doubled to 2,625 students. Finals were set for late
challenge, between 45% and 60% said their knowledge was
May at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
high. The Construction Challenge generated 35 television hits, 44
Reach Megan Tanel at (414) 298-4117 or mtanel@aem.org
print stories in mainstream media and 150 mentions in trade
26
June 2009
TSE_InnovationAwards_june09.indd 26
Trade Show Executive
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
5/21/09 4:05:37 PM
TSE’s 2009
INNOVATION AWARDS
Bringing the Message Board
into the 21st Century
By Hil Anderson, senior editor
he trusty digital message board remains one of the
basic forms of communication at trade shows, and
Champion Exposition Services now can determine
whether or not attendees are reading them.
Champion Digital Signage won Trade Show Executive’s 2009
Innovation Award because it comes with an attendee tracking
system that tallies how many people are reading the messages,
how long they are reading and even a demographic profile of
the readers.
The goal is, of course, to provide ROI for exhibitors,
sponsors and show managers who rely on message boards
for easy and constant communications with the attendees in
the hectic exhibit hall. But like a tree falling in the forest, a
message that comes and goes unread may as well have never
been posted.
T
To determine which messages are being read and by
whom, Champion launched a digital signage system that
fittingly debuted in February at the Digital Signage Expo.
Champion set up 15 networked digital displays around the
show floor. The sensors in each display measured impressions,
demographic information and the time each person spent
reading the messages.
The technology was also able to target messages in real
time, monitor traffic flows and alert staff to problem areas.
By tracking the performance of the signage, Champion sees
opportunities for show managers to develop new promotional
opportunities for their exhibitors, and have the data at hand to
prove the value of such an investment.
Reach Mark Palm, executive vice president, at (508) 946-8500 or
markp@championexpo.com
Looking Back. Champion’s digital signage system adapted
attendance-tracking technology to measure the effectiveness
of message boards in the exhibit hall. The display screens tell
exhibitors and show managers how many people are reading
the messages and can even compile demographic profiles.
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
TSE_InnovationAwards_june09.indd 27
Trade Show Executive
June 2009 27
5/22/09 12:22:24 PM
TSE’s 2009
INNOVATION AWARDS
Exhibit Surveys, Constellation
Communication Team to Provide ROI Tools
By Sandi Cain, news editor
aced with increased scrutiny of every dollar spent, event
organizers have found that when they can prove the
economic benefit of a trade show or exhibit, they’re
more likely to get the green light for that show.
The Trade Show Planning and Measurement Tool (TSPM),
launched in March by Exhibit Surveys, Inc. and Constellation
Communication Corp. of Dunwoody, GA, strives to give
planners exactly that.
The program aims to take Return on Investment (ROI)
measurements to a new level. Rather than simply measuring
performance after the fact, the new tool takes a step back to
basics by helping users define the business objectives that will
lead to a better ROI. “Our goal is to bring every event marketer
an intuitive, inexpensive tool that provides the entire business
justification for trade shows and events,” said Ed Jones, president
of Constellation Communication Corp. Jones points out that
ROI does more than justify the cost of the meeting. It also
provides information that may support additional expenditures
on other events and encourages improvement in event content.
The TSPM tool is intended to reach companies both large
and small at varying cost levels. Those who participate in just
a few trade shows can subscribe at a lower price point, while
companies with large event teams involved in numerous events
might choose the more sophisticated version. The tool asks
Prove It. The new Trade Show Planning and Measurement Tool by Exhibit Surveys and companies to develop objectives in areas such as:
Constellation Communication Corp. takes ROI measurements to a higher level.
n How the event will reinforce customer relationships;
n By what means it will generate press coverage and bring
the targeted audience to the exhibit;
n The type and quantity of leads expected from the event;
n The type and quantity of face-to-face meetings to be
conducted at the event.
Users are asked to enter event information into a
database as it is available; once the user clicks on “plan
complete,” it freezes the planning fields and is ready to
receive input from actual results. But the user also can
make adjustments to the plan without losing any data.
That allows team members to make needed tweaks as
plans progress.
The tool also provides a quick way to produce planning
documents, calendars and reports. By using a combination
of the tool’s results tracking and forecasting functions, it
can be used to produce an event budget.
After actual results are input, users can analyze each
aspect of their participation in the show. Users with
multiple shows can rank them to establish which events
best accomplish company objectives.
Exhibit Surveys CEO and president Skip Cox said he
hopes the tool will become an industry standard that will
provide “accurate planning and justification, saving users
far beyond the price of the subscription.”
Results-based systems such as the TSPM tool are
a starting point for businesses as they discuss their
accomplishments – both achieved and desired – and work
toward improvements for the future, Jones said.
F
Reach Skip Cox at (732) 741-3170 or skip@exhibitsurveys.com;
Ed Jones at (770) 391-0015 or edjones@constellationcc.com
28
June 2009
TSE_InnovationAwards_june09.indd 28
Trade Show Executive
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
5/21/09 4:06:18 PM
TSE’s 2009
INNOVATION AWARDS
ESCA’s Standardized ID Makes it Easier on All
By Hil Anderson, senior editor
he idea of a national identification badge for trade
show labor is one that makes sense for venue managers,
service contractors and the workers themselves.
After years of individual badges for every convention
center in the U.S., the Exhibition Services & Contractors
Association (ESCA) has pulled together the technology and
cooperation required to launch a nationwide badging program
that many in the industry say has been long overdue; and
in the process, was selected for a Trade Show Executive 2009
Innovation Award.
“The Worker Identification System (WIS) is something
we should have done years ago,” said Mark Zimmerman, an
T
ESCA board member and general manager of the Georgia
World Congress Center. “This badge will enable us to closely
monitor all access to the facility, and it will help ensure that
proper review of all staffing is established and monitored
each day.”
Under the WIS program, ESCA issues a photo
identification card that includes a passive RFID chip, a
magnetic strip and a bar code that contain the bearer’s name,
home city and union affiliation as well as an expiration date.
The data is also stored by ESCA in a database that contractors
can edit via the Internet, adding or deleting names as necessary
and also listing temporary and part-time workers.
The contractors pay the cost of the program and retain
ownership of the badges. The program will be launched this
Summer in Atlanta.
The bottom line is a tighter ship for contractors and
building managers, although ESCA says the badge is not a
security badge in that it does not grant instant access to the
show floor. Workers must still check in with security upon
arrival and obtain a wrist band before they get to work. The
WIS badge, however, can verify the workers are who they say
they are by matching the information to the database.
“All of us in the hospitality business need to be aware
of who has access to our facility and space at all times,”
Zimmerman said.
Along with the greater sense of security, the badge
streamlines the logistics of move-ins. Contractors who send
workers from city to city can hand them one badge that will
work at many different venues instead of requesting IDs from
each building. The workers can also hit the road with one badge
instead of having to keep track of a full deck.
There is also an optional timekeeping function that will
allow workers to be scanned in when they arrive, which could
shave a little time off the process.
Reach Larry Arnaudet at (469) 574-0690 or larry@esca.org;
Mark Zimmerman at (404) 223-4500 or mzimmerman@gwcc.org
One for All. A national identification card developed by ESCA for trade
show workers will alleviate the need for separate badges for individual
convention centers. The badges are tied to an ESCA database that
confirms the identity of the worker when they arrive at the jobsite.
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
TSE_InnovationAwards_june09.indd 29
Trade Show Executive
June 2009
29
5/21/09 4:06:19 PM
TSE’s 2009
INNOVATION AWARDS
etouches® Integrated Event Technologies
Improves Event Planning Efficiency
By Sandi Cain, news editor
sign up, the registrant that referred them gets a reduction in
s budgets tighten, generating a high return on
his/her own fee.
investment takes on an increasingly important role for
The system allows clients to pick and choose the modules
organizations. The Global Executive, an event organizer, they need on the web-based system. Clients pay as they go,
has tackled ROI head-on with a web-based event management
eliminating the need for a big upfront investment. Show
system called etouches®, Integrated Event Technologies,
organizers with multiple events can use the software across their
designed to generate profit and improve planning efficiency.
portfolios, enabling them to use the same marketing database for
The company’s Founder and CEO Leonora Valvo told
all events and improve the transparency of event performance.
Trade Show Executive that the growing use of cloud technology
Etouches helps clients improve efficiency by reducing
clearly illustrates that new systems are needed. (Cloud
the amount of time required to perform event management
technology typically refers to computing services and business
tasks. Valvo said the system doesn’t replace staff, but rather
applications offered over the Internet and accessed from any
frees them to focus on other tasks that drive revenue while
web browser.) “The world of applications residing on one
improving the flow of information at the same time.
computer isn’t working anymore,” she said.
Valvo said that as companies increasingly use contractors
Called “software as a service,” the etouches system offers
based in locations outside the main office, web-based
14 modules that streamline event management through an
technologies become more relevant and necessary.
online tool that helps organizers manage every step of the
Several companies have reported improved efficiencies with
planning process. One of the unique offerings is that modules
the system.
are available in 18 languages and include:
By using etouches web-based tools in place of the traditional
n RFPs
registration format, Diversified Business Communications
n Sponsorship proposals
reduced the time required to update
n Event budgets
various components of registration
n Task scheduling
information from an average of six days
n Space needs
to one day.
n Seating assignments for banquets
“We have been able to convert
n Event communication before,
registration operating costs into
during and after the event,
revenue, while at the same time
including automatic e-mails
improving customer service to both
to confirmed and incomplete
attendees and exhibitors,” said Mike
registrants
Morton, CIO & director of e-media for
n Event promotion
Diversified.
n Attendee tracking of booth visits
Herndon, VA-based Audi
on the show floor or at general
reported a dramatic increase in lead
and breakout sessions
management using etouches. The
n Sales follow-up
system enabled the company to quickly
A variety of registration tools such
contact interested attendees. “Audi
as the ability to accept registration in
estimates that when they drop a lead,
various currencies, track registration
they lose $40,000,” Valvo said.
for educational sessions, manage hotel
Other clients include the
blocks and track registration revenue.
Association of Corporate Travel
One feature that can help show
Executives, Institute for Supply
organizers is the viral ticketing module
Management and JD Events.
Meant for Managing. etouches, the new web-based
designed to help build attendance. With event management system from The Global Executive,
this module, registrants get a discount provides 14 modules with which to increase ROI and im- Reach Leonora Valvo at (203) 403-9001 or
code they can use to promote the event prove efficiency by reducing the amount of time required lvalvo@etouches.com; Mike Morton at (207)
to perform event management tasks.
842-5500 or mmorton@divcom.com
to their colleagues. As the colleagues
A
30
June 2009
TSE_InnovationAwards_june09.indd 30
Trade Show Executive
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
5/21/09 4:06:20 PM
TSE’s 2009
INNOVATION AWARDS
BCARD’s Latest Badge Twist: Built-in Debit Card
By Hil Anderson, senior editor
ame badges are always fertile ground for innovation,
and ITN International’s BCARD breaks new ground
with a tag that also functions as a debit card.
The same short-range RFID technology that morphed the
humble badge from a simple introductory tool into a walking
database of personal information can now be used by attendees
to purchase meals, merchandise or anything else on the show
floor without having to paw through their wallets.
The BCARD Debit Card rated a third Trade Show Executive
Innovation Award for ITN – they also won in 2006 and 2007 –
not only because it makes life easier on the attendee, but it also
feeds a stream of useful data to the show manager so they can
better manage their food and beverage needs.
One of the beauties of RFID technology is its flexibility in
capturing and correlating information. The BCARD provides
tracking of consumption by day, registration number and
whatever other criteria the show manager desires.
The system works similar to that of a gift card from a
department store. A set amount of dollars or some other type
of credit is loaded into the badge. For example, an attendee
N
who pre-pays for four $15-meals has $60 stored when he or she
picks up their badge. Over the course of the show, the meals
are picked up at any concession stand or other food dispensing
point. The $15 is deducted with no cash changing hands,
although a receipt can be printed on the spot.
Attendees have the option of buying what they want, when
they want without having to necessarily settle for a pre-paid box
lunch. It also eliminates leftover meals that are never picked up
and that wind up in the trash.
BCARD is designed so that it gloms on to the cellular
telephone network in the building, which avoids the need
for the setup of a dedicated network. Transactions upload
automatically – and when there is no signal, the badge sends
the information into the wearer’s mobile phone for storage.
BCARD won’t be the last adaptation for the once-humble
name badge but it could become standard equipment for show
attendees who won’t have to reach into their wallets until they
check out of their hotels at the end of the event.
Reach Ivan Lazarev, CEO, at (801) 676-7910 or
ilazarev@itn-international.com
Fading Memory? Making change may become a thing of the past at busy trade shows as
cash transactions are replaced by digital. The BCARD Debit Card turns name badges into
debit cards that automatically pay for purchases. (Right) The system also works on venues’
cellular telephone networks, which circumvents the necessity for an elaborate infrastructure
and keeps organizer costs down.
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
TSE_InnovationAwards_june09.indd 31
Trade Show Executive
June 2009
31
5/21/09 4:06:22 PM
TSE’s 2009
INNOVATION AWARDS
Mingle360 Makes Business
Cards A Thing of the Past
By Sandi Cain, news editor
f The MingleStick by Alexandria, VA-based Mingle360
catches on at trade shows, it could make shaking hands
obsolete. Instead, attendees might be found greeting each
other by pointing their MingleSticks at each other and pressing
the “go” button to exchange contact information.
One of the newest entries in the electronic business card
sector, Mingle360 won a Trade Show Executive 2009 Innovation
Award for improving the way attendees connect with others
in an easy, fast and secure manner without lugging around a
briefcase full of business cards. You might call it one-minute
networking taken to the extreme.
I
Mix and Mingle. The handheld MingleStick allows attendees to
transmit their contact information to another attendee – and vice
versa – at the push of a button.
The MingleStick also presents show organizers with
sponsorship opportunities and provides exhibitors an easier
method for lead retrieval.
The handheld device enables attendees and exhibitors to
both transmit and receive data at the push of a button. The
keychain-sized device, similar to a flash drive, is as easy to
operate as a flashlight. Two users aim their MingleSticks at
each other and push the button simultaneously. When they see
a green light, they know they’ve swapped information. Later,
that information is downloaded to the MingleManager website,
32
June 2009
TSE_InnovationAwards_june09.indd 32
where they can retrieve and export their contacts.
Show organizers can hand them out at registration and take
attendee photos to be used with the device. Attendees then can
click their way through the event, storing images and contact
information for every person they meet along the way. At the end
of the show, they turn in the MingleStick and the contacts are
uploaded to the MingleManager website. When they get to their
own computers, they can download and save the information,
which includes contact details, products and services offered, and
photos that help them remember who’s who.
Exhibitors benefit, too. With MingleStick, they simply
place a MingleStation atop a booth counter. When visitors
point and click, it stores the leads.
Exhibitors who want to add notes to
the information can do so by plugging
the MingleStation into an Internetenabled laptop.
There’s no worry about security,
because each attendee must activate
the MingleStick in order for any
information to change hands. And
they’re not stuck with contacts they
don’t really want.
Attendees of the eGlam Smart &
Beautiful Conference & Expo called it a
good ice-breaker, easy to use and fun.
Several attendees pointed to the photo
feature as an invaluable improvement
over faceless business cards.
At a Virginia gathering of Women in
Technology, attendees liked the download
feature of MingleManager that
eliminates the need to enter business
card data in their own systems.
One attendee at Women in Technology
suggested that the MingleStick is
particularly appropriate in today’s economic downturn when
people may be between jobs without business cards.
Exhibitors and attendees also can extend the show
experience. Through MingleManager, users have access to a
personal address book, calendar sharing features, a message
center, privacy management and connectivity to other social
networking sites.
Reach Doug Elliott at (703) 425-0402 or delliott@mingle360.com
Trade Show Executive
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
5/21/09 4:06:23 PM
The key to
business success
is no secret...
it’s service
At United, we feel so strongly about that
very concept, we included it in our name
United can provide cleaning, security and temp services anywhere,
anytime and for any size event.
Call us today and find out why over 1,500 hundred shows and events,
dozens of hotels as well as public facilities each year use United
Service Companies. With over 40 years of experience in the trade
show and event industries, we are recognized by show managers
across America for providing great service and for being cost effective.
We understand your event has to be perfect. With United’s dedicated
staff available 24/7, we are committed to the success of your event.
Contact Richard Simon at United Service Companies
(312) 922-8558 • rsimon@unitedhq.com
United National Maintenance, Inc. • United Maintenance Company, Inc. • United Temps • United Security Service
TSE_Cover_jun09c.indd 2
5/21/09 12:11:46 PM
th e s up p ly s ide
Metro Expo Carves Out Sizable Niche
in Tough NYC Contractor Market
By Hil Anderson, senior editor
Moonachie, NJ – It isn’t often that Calvin
Coolidge is considered an inspirational
speaker. However, his tribute to the
virtues of persistence rated “Silent Cal” a
warm spot in the hearts of the founders
of Metropolitan Exposition Services, Inc.
(Metro Expo) as they built their upstart
company into one of the leading general
service contractors in the important New
York City exhibition market.
The 30th U.S. president – who
presided over the Roaring 20s – had
high praise for hard work and the
refusal to quit as the secret to success.
He valued it over education, talent
and even genius. And given the odds
that Metro Expo has overcome in the
years since its first show on September
11, 2001, it is no wonder CEO Martin
Glynn keeps a poster of Coolidge on
the wall of his New Jersey office.
“At the end of the day, the only
commonality is perseverance,”
Glynn told Trade Show Executive.
“We have survived on that notion,
although we don’t like to use it as
a marketing gimmick.”
Expanding a Niche
Glynn, along with COOs
Gerard Schreck and Robert
E. Lee, kept their noses to the
grindstone and parlayed their
personalized service for individual
clients into a roster of satisfied
repeat customers.
The new entrepreneurs
saw an opening in the New
York show market for a smaller
contractor and jumped in to fill
it. The company is now firmly
established at the Jacob K. Javits
Convention Center in Manhattan
and has branched out into the Las
Vegas market.
34
June 2009
TSE_SupplyFeature_june09.indd 34
No Longer the New Kids
Metro Expo has since matured into a
multi-faceted general service contractor
that offers installation and dismantling,
exhibit rentals, and materials handling
and has also branched out into graphics,
audio-visual and digital catalogues.
After being in business for seven
years, customer expectations have grown
as well. “They see we have passed the
survival test,” Glynn said. “As much as
they like you and think you are all nice
guys, they are also concerned about your
longevity, especially in New York.”
“But we are solid at this point,”
Glynn said. “The questions about
who we are and what we do have been
answered.”
ExEcuTivE Summary
Expo has become an
• Metro
established services contractor
•
•
•
•
in NYC
Parlayed niche presence at
Javits Center
Customer expectations are
growing
Nearly undone by 9/11
New challenges from economy,
technology
big event, a PGI-RICOH product
launch, opened at Javits Center on
9/11. Not only did the world come to
a screeching halt that morning, but the
Forging Ahead
trade show industry immediately went
Metro Expo’s company history will
into lockdown. “It was unbelievable,”
always be highlighted by the ultimate
Glynn said. “You don’t like to be selfish
example of Murphy’s Law: Its first
at a time like that, but we were looking at
each other and saying, ‘We’re not
even out of the box yet and we’re
already doomed.’”
Glynn and his partners decided
that rather than throw in the towel,
they would regroup and keep their
fledgling firm on course as the
industry got back on its feet. The
experience will help Metro Expo
weather the current economic
downturn, which happens to be
Martin Glynn, Robert Lee, Jerry Schreck
at the same time general service
contractors are branching out into
Javits Center
new media services that customers
are demanding. “There is no getting
around integrating new media with
your operations even though no
one has mastered it yet,” Glynn
said. “We have to find a way to
make sure we go forward with it.”
Reach Martin Glynn at (201) 9941300 or martyg@metro-expo.com
Trade Show Executive
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
5/20/09 4:45:29 PM
sh ow rep ort
Part VIII of a ten-part report on building attendance at trade shows
Work Truck Show Sets Positive
Tone in Difficult Times
By Sandi Cain, news editor
The consumer auto industry may
be struggling, but members of the
commercial truck industry turned
out in droves for the National Truck
Equipment Association’s Work Truck
Show held in conjunction with the group’s
annual convention.
The March show in Chicago
drew 8,450 verified attendees, up
from 7,127 in 2008, surprising
organizers and exhibitors. “Due to the
economy, exhibitors came in with low
expectations,” said Steve Carey, senior
director of operations for NTEA, which
owns and manages the show. Carey said
the group was “pleasantly surprised” at
the turnout, which was 19% higher than
in 2008.
In all, there were 492 exhibitors
using 200,500 net square feet of space
at the show. “Exhibitors generally were
enthusiastic about their results and some
were surprised at the booth traffic,”
Carey said.
The Work Truck Show is the largest such
event in North America and is known as
the premier trade show for the industry.
It features new products for Classes 1-8
vocational trucks and equipment, including
truck chassis, truck bodies, snow and
ice control equipment, cranes and other
material handling equipment.
Continued on page 36
Now, Where Did I Park? The show floor at The Work Truck Show covered 200,500 square feet and was jammed with new-model vocational trucks and
equipment offered by 490 exhibitors.
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
TSE_AttendenceFeature_june09.indd 35
Trade Show Executive
June 2009 35
5/20/09 4:35:00 PM
Continued from page 35
Attendees and exhibitors typically
include manufacturers, distributors,
fleet managers, leasing companies, truck
dealers, and those who buy and use work
trucks in various industries. Buyers come
to see what’s new in chassis, bodies, aerial
devices, snow and ice control, accessories
and components.
Carey said that holding the
association’s convention in conjunction
with the show helps drive attendance.
Equally important, he said, is the
association’s long-term efforts to make
sure the show is a valuable tool for the
industry through intensive programming,
education and the Green Truck Summit.
“It’s the Detroit Auto Show of
commercial trucks,” said Joe Castelli, vice
president, light commercial vehicle and
fleet division for Nissan North America,
in an interview.
Like the Detroit show, some
manufacturers time their product
launches for release at the show and
media events are plentiful. Unlike
Detroit, there’s no other national Work
Truck Show to steal their thunder.
Carey said other shows primarily deal
with the vocational market in industries
that buy the trucks, while The Work Truck
Show focuses on the design, engineering
TM
Dishing Dirt. Mike Rowe, host of the Discovery Channel television series Dirty Jobs, regaled attendees at the President’s Breakfast and 45th Annual NTEA Meeting with stories about the dirtiest and
most-demanding jobs he has tackled on his show.
and specifications for the vehicles.
“This is where real truck buyers
come,” said Bryan Hansel, CEO of
Smith Electric Vehicles, Kansas City,
MO, at the show.
Carey pointed to the three-year-old
Green Truck Summit as one example of
NTEA’s efforts to stay on top of trends
Snapshot: The Work Truck Show
Name of show: The Work Truck Show Website: www.ntea.com
Show owner: National Truck Equipment Association
Show management: National Truck Equipment Association
Show dates: March 4-6, 2009
2009
2008
2007
Net Square Feet of Exhibit Space: 200,500
Exhibiting Companies:
492
Total Attendance (verified):
8,450
Professional Attendance:
4,981
Total Room Nights:
6,204
Peak Room Nights:
2,072
Site:
Chicago, IL
General Service Contractor:
Freeman
Registration Firm:
Experient
Next Show: March 9-12, 2010, St. Louis, MO
203,050
538
7,127
3,801
7,671
2,446
Atlanta, GA
Freeman
Experient
193,975
500
9,034
5,346
7,955
2,551
Indianapolis, IN
Freeman
Experient
36 June 2009
TSE_AttendenceFeature_june09.indd 36
Trade Show Executive
and to offer specific insights into the
engineering behind the products. The
Summit includes a full-day program
about green technology for trucks with 20
breakout sessions and the popular Ride
& Drive program that enables attendees
to get out on the road and test the new
technology. The Green Truck Summit drew
330 attendees this year.
In all, there were 40 educational
sessions on technical topics like 2010
emission compliance requirements,
vehicle lifecycle costing, truck
specifications and fleet management.
Carey said those sessions engage industry
leaders and provide a forum for the
attendees to voice their questions and
concerns. “Educational programming is a
critical piece of what happens when the
industry comes together,” Carey said.
The NTEA has a good track record
of keeping people on the show floor,
Carey said. A plethora of new products
and interest in the way they’re engineered
and marketed keeps attendees interested.
Exhibitors appreciate that kind of
thinking. At the Chicago show, one
exhibitor said he’d had more exposure in
three days than he’d get in six months of
phone calls.
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
5/20/09 4:35:01 PM
Accolades for Aluminum. The inaugural Work Truck Green Award was presented to Reading Truck Body, LLC for its aluminum service body, which was
unveiled at the show. Steve Carey, senior director of operations for the NTEA, shakes hands with Reading Group Vice President of Sales and Marketing
Jim Kraschinsky. Also on hand were (L-R) Jim Quaglia, product/marketing manager for Reading; Brenda Foley, Reading marketing coordinator, and Reading
Zone Manager Hanna Rhamy.
This year, some high-profile speakers
may have generated additional registrants,
but Carey said NTEA brings in people
like T. Boone Pickens and Mike Rowe of
Discovery Channel’s Dirty Jobs series to
enhance the show experience. “It’s not
every day attendees can hear T. Boone
Pickens or Mike Rowe in a fairly intimate
setting,” he said.
The location also helped draw a big
crowd because Chicago is an easy drive
or flight for a large number of NTEA
members, Carey said.
Though the 2009 Work Truck Show
didn’t set any records, attendance
numbers were encouraging in the face
of worrisome economic news. The
recession began to affect the work truck
industry in late 2008, Carey said. In the
last quarter of 2008, the sales forecast
was revised downward by 40,000 units,
and industry sales aren’t expected to
reach the 2006 level of 694,425 units
again until 2013 or later. The trailer
segment isn’t expected to post positive
sales growth until 2010, according to a
Global Insight forecast of work truck
retail sales as reported by NTEA.
But that might also be good news
for The Work Truck Show and other trade
shows. According to a CEIR report
released early this year, 40 years of data
show that key buyers attend trade shows
during recessions – even if overall
attendance and exhibitor numbers
shrink – and buyers are likely to attend,
regardless.
NTEA is encouraging its members
to look ahead to a time when conditions
will be better, particularly in the areas
of hybrid technology, and to sectors like
government and utilities for work until
the construction and housing markets
turn the corner.
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
Industry Insights
TSE_AttendenceFeature_june09.indd 37
Trade Show Executive
The association also hosts an
Autumn Model Truck Product Conference
that draws about 500 members and an
Autumn Business and Market Planning
Summit. It also stages six state-of-theindustry meetings annually that focus on
current economic trends. Last year, those
meetings took place in Detroit, Chicago,
Milwaukee, Goshen, IN, Indianapolis
and St. Louis.
On the Horizon
Looking ahead to the 2010 show in
St. Louis, Carey said current plans are to
focus heavily on the upcoming regulatory
changes for emissions and how that will
impact truck design. “That’s a compelling
reason to be there,” he said.
Reach Steve Carey at (800) 4416832 or e-mail, c/o Kristen Simpson, at
SimpsonComm@aol.com
June 2009 37
5/20/09 4:35:02 PM
TSE’s Trade Show Locator
ZOOM™ Presents the Leading Shows
Coming Up in August in North America
By Nicole Burnes, Zoom editor
Whether you need a quick reminder of shows
on the horizon or are studying the market
for potential partnerships, co-locations or
acquisitions, here is a list of 102 of the most
important trade shows scheduled for August.
Each show is listed by industry category and
contains both a wide-angle and close-up view of
Show Name/Management/Web Address
the event, the organizer, the site and projected
size. For a list of shows coming up in the next
12 months – searchable by each field – go
to www.TradeShowExecutive.com. To be
considered for future editions of Zoom in print
and online, email information on your show to
nburnes@tradeshowexecutive.com.
Nicole Burnes
Show Manager
Dates
Venue/City/State
Projected Size
Affiliate Summit East
Affiliate Summit Inc.
www.affiliatesummit.com
Amy Rodriguez
Conference Director
866-483-0167
8/9/09
8/11/09
Hilton New York
New York, NY
NSF Not Supplied
100 Exhibitors
2,500 Attendees
The SAACS Show 2009
Specialty Advertising
Association of California
www.thesaacshow.org
Nancy Phillips
Executive Director, SAAC
805-484-7393
8/5/09
8/6/09
Long Beach Convention Center
Long Beach, CA
95,000 nsf
650 Exhibitors
8,000 Attendees
8/2/09
8/5/09
Colorado Convention Center
Denver, CO
NSF Not Supplied
30+ Exhibitors
Attendees Not Supplied
Advertising & MArketing
AerospAce & AviAtion
45th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE
Megan Scheidt
Joint Propulsion Conference & Exhibit Event Co-Director
American Institute of Aeronautics
703-264-3842
& Astronautics
www.aiaa.org/events/jpc
Agriculture & FArMing
Ag Progress Days
Pennsylvania State University,
College of Ag Sciences
http://apd.psu.edu
Bob Oberheim
Show Manager
814-865-2081
8/18/09
8/20/09
Russell E. Larson Agricultural
Research Center
Rock Springs, PA
NSF Not Supplied
400 Exhibitors
50,000 Attendees
Dakotafest 2009
Cygnus Expositions
www.farmshows.com
Marshall Brown
Show Manager/
Operations Director
800-827-8007 x 3303
8/18/09
8/20/09
Schlaffman Farm
Mitchell, SD
NSF Not Supplied
Exhibitors Not Supplied
Attendees Not Supplied
Farmfest 2009
Cygnus Expositions
www.farmshows.com
Marshall Brown
Show Manager/
Operations Director
800-827-8007 x 3303
8/4/09
8/6/09
Gilfillan Estate
Redwood County, MN
NSF Not Supplied
Exhibitors Not Supplied
Attendees Not Supplied
Farwest Show
Oregon Association of Nurseries
www.farwestshow.com
Aimee McAuliffe
Event & Education Manager
503-682-5089
8/20/09
8/22/09
Oregon Convention Center
Portland, OR
255,000 nsf
850 Exhibitors
12,000 Attendees
8/31/09
9/2/09
The Venetian Las Vegas
Resort-Hotel-Casino
Las Vegas, NV
NSF Not Supplied
Exhibitors Not Supplied
Attendees Not Supplied
8/30/09
9/2/09
The Venetian Las Vegas
Resort-Hotel-Casino
Las Vegas, NV
5,000 nsf
25 Exhibitors
350 Attendees
8/9/09
8/12/09
Las Vegas Convention Center/
Sands Expo & Convention Center
Las Vegas, NV
NSF Not Supplied
Exhibitors Not Supplied
Attendees Not Supplied
AppArel, BeAuty, shoes & textiles
AccessoriesTheShow - Las Vegas
Business Journals, Inc.
www.accessoriestheshow.com
Sharon Enright
VP, Trade Show Division
203-663-7812
ASAP Global Sourcing Show - Las Vegas Jerome Yuan
ASAP Show, Inc.
Director of Operations
www.asapshow.com
626-279-1800
ASD Las Vegas
Nielsen Business Media
www.asdamd.com
David Loechner
Senior Vice President, Retail
310-481-7300
© 2009, Trade Show Executive magazine, Carlsbad, CA (760) 929-9604.
38
June 2009
TSE_Zoom_june09_new.indd 38
Trade Show Executive
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
5/20/09 4:53:03 PM
TSE’s Trade Show Locator
Show Name/Management/Web Address
Show Manager
Dates
Venue/City/State
Projected Size
Atlanta Apparel
AMC, Inc.
www.americasmart.com
Kaye Davis
Exec. Dir. of Fashion
& Apparel, Trade Shows
404-220-2835
8/21/09
8/24/09
AmericasMart Atlanta
Atlanta, GA
NSF Not Supplied
Exhibitors Not Supplied
Attendees Not Supplied
CURVENY
CURVExpo
www.curvexpo.com
Jean Luc Teinturier
President
203-698-7470
8/2/09
8/4/09
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
New York, NY
40,000 nsf
Exhibitors Not Supplied
2,500 Attendees
DIRECTION by indigo Fall 2010/2011 Collections
DIRECTION by indigo
www.directionshow.com
Lisa Mainardi
Producer
973-761-5598
8/4/09
8/6/09
Penn Plaza Pavilion
New York, NY
NSF Not Supplied
110 Exhibitors
3,000 Attendees
The E.C.O. Trade Show
ASAP Show, Inc.
www.globalecoshow.com
Jerome Yuan
Director of Operations
626-279-1800
8/24/09
8/27/09
The Venetian Las Vegas
Resort-Hotel-Casino
Las Vegas, NV
NSF Not Supplied
Exhibitors Not Supplied
Attendees Not Supplied
ENK Vegas
ENK International
www.enkshows.com
Show Manager
212-759-8055
8/31/09
9/2/09
Wynn Las Vegas
Las Vegas, NV
NSF Not Supplied
Exhibitors Not Supplied
Attendees Not Supplied
Imprinted Sportswear Schaumburg
Nielsen Business Media, Inc.
www.issshows.com
Nikki Houston
Show Director
770-291-5416
8/13/09
8/15/09
Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel
& Convention Center
Schaumburg, IL
25,100 nsf
209 Exhibitors
2,125 Attendees
KID Show Las Vegas
Specialty Trade Shows, Inc.
www.kidshow.cc
Denise Raeside
Show Director
702-270-4651
8/31/09
9/2/09
Bally’s Las Vegas
Las Vegas, NV
14,500 nsf
60 Exhibitors
1,500 Attendees
MAGIC Marketplace - August
Advanstar Communications, Inc.
www.magiconline.com
Chris DeMoulin
President, MAGIC
818-593-5000
8/31/09
9/2/09
Las Vegas Convention Center/
Las Vegas Hilton
Las Vegas, NV
1,100,000 nsf
4,000 Exhibitors
120,000 Attendees
Moda Las Vegas
Business Journals, Inc.
www.modamanhattan.com
Sharon Enright
Vice President,
Trade Show Division
203-663-7812
8/31/09
9/2/09
The Venetian Las Vegas
Resort-Hotel-Casino
Las Vegas, NV
NSF Not Supplied
Exhibitors Not Supplied
Attendees Not Supplied
Mode Accessories International
Exposition - Fall
Two Plus One Group Inc.
www.mode-accessories.com
Alice Chee
Show Manager
416-510-0114
8/9/09
8/11/09
Doubletree by Hilton,
Toronto Airport Hotel
Toronto, ON
38,000 nsf
212 Exhibitors
3,500 Attendees
MRket LV
Business Journals, Inc.
www.mrketshow.com
Lizette Chin
Show Director
212-710-7414
8/31/09
9/2/09
The Venetian Las Vegas
Resort-Hotel-Casino
Las Vegas, NV
NSF Not Supplied
Exhibitors Not Supplied
Attendees Not Supplied
Off-Price Specialist Show Fall
Tarsus Expositions
www.offpriceshow.com
Carol Fitzmaurice
Show Director
262-754-6915
8/28/09
9/1/09
Sands Expo & Convention Center
Las Vegas, NV
100,000 nsf
450 Exhibitors
10,000 Attendees
Pacific Northwest Apparel
Association Northwest Trend Show
PNAA
www.nwtrendshow.com
Jon Tedford
President
206-767-9200
8/15/09
8/17/09
Tacoma Convention & Trade Center NSF Not Supplied
Tacoma, WA
Exhibitors Not Supplied
Attendees Not Supplied
POOLTRADESHOW
Advanstar Communications, Inc.
www.pooltradeshow.com
Stephanie Seeley
Show Manager
323-666-5587
8/31/09
9/2/09
C5 Entrance, Central Hall,
Las Vegas Convention Center
Las Vegas, NV
NSF Not Supplied
Exhibitors Not Supplied
Attendees Not Supplied
WomensWear in Nevada
Specialty Trade Shows, Inc.
www.wwinshow.com
Roland Timney
Show Director
702-270-4651
8/31/09
9/2/09
Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino
Las Vegas, NV
80,000 nsf
Exhibitors Not Supplied
4,000 Attendees
Continued on page 40
© 2009, Trade Show Executive magazine, Carlsbad, CA (760) 929-9604.
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
TSE_Zoom_june09_new.indd 39
Trade Show Executive
June 2009
39
5/20/09 4:53:04 PM
TSE’s Trade Show Locator
Continued from page 39
Show Name/Management/Web Address
Show Manager
Dates
Venue/City/State
Projected Size
Alan Sims
Vice President/
Executive Director
888-349-4287
8/20/09
8/22/09
Dallas Convention Center
Dallas, TX
NSF Not Supplied
500+ Exhibitors
44,000 Attendees
APRO Convention & Buying Show
Association of Progressive
Rental Organizations
www.rtohq.org
Cindy Ferguson
Show Contact
512-794-0095
8/30/09
9/2/09
Bally’s Las Vegas/Paris Las Vegas
Las Vegas, NV
14,000 nsf
80 Exhibitors
500 Attendees
Gulf Atlantic Building Products Expo
Florida Building Material Associaiton
www.fbma.org
Betty Askew
Director of Operations
352-383-0366
8/19/09
8/21/09
Gaylord Palms Resort
& Convention Center
Kissimmee, FL
55,000 nsf
100 Exhibitors
2,000 Attendees
Institute of Transportation Engineers
Annual Meeting & Exhibit
ITE
www.ite.org
Christina Garneski
Marketing & Sales Manager
202-289-0222
8/9/09
8/12/09
Henry B. Gonzalez
Convention Center
San Antonio, TX
16,500 nsf
120 Exhibitors
2,000 Attendees
Orgill Fall Dealer Market
Orgill, Inc.
www.orgill.com
Brett Hammers
Vice President Marketing
800-347-2860 x416
8/20/09
8/22/09
Boston Convention
& Exhibition Center
Boston, MA
500,000 nsf
1,000 Exhibitors
20,000 Attendees
8/24/09
8/26/09
Marriott Marquis
New York, NY
NSF Not Supplied
Exhibitors Not Supplied
Attendees Not Supplied
AutoMotive, trucking & trAnsportAtion
The Great American Trucking Show
Randall-Reilly Publishing
www.gatsonline.com
Building
& construction
educAtion,
trAining, science & reseArch
coMMunicAtions & BroAdcAsting
SpeechTEK 2009
Speech Technology Media,
a division of Information Today, Inc.
www.speechtek.com
Sheila Willison
Marketing Mgr.,
Events & Circulation
859-278-2223
coMputers & soFtwAre ApplicAtions
OpenSource World/
NGDC/CloudWorld
IDG World Expo
http://opensourceworld.com
Kristen Margulis
Operations Coordinator
508-988-6750
8/12/09
8/13/09
Moscone Center
San Francisco, CA
NSF Not Supplied
Exhibitors Not Supplied
Attendees Not Supplied
Search Engine Strategies
Conference & Expo - San Jose
Incisive Interactive Marketing LLC
www.searchenginestrategies.com
Show Manager
212-457-4993
8/10/09
8/14/09
San Jose McEnery
Convention Center
San Jose, CA
NSF Not Supplied
200 Exhibitors
7,000 Attendees
SHARE in Denver
SHARE Inc.
www.share.org
Danielle Garvey
Show Manager
312-321-5160
8/23/09
8/28/09
Colorado Convention Center
Denver, CO
10,700 nsf
68 Exhibitors
2,000 Attendees
TDWI World Conference
TDWI
www.tdwi.org
Brenda Woodbridge
General Manager
425-277-9132
8/2/09
8/7/09
Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego
San Diego, CA
NSF Not Supplied
Exhibitors Not Supplied
Attendees Not Supplied
educAtion, trAining, science & reseArch
American Chemical Society
Fall National Meeting & Exposition
ACS
www.acs.org
Laurie Bentz-Cable
Mgr., Expositions & Marketing
202-872-4600
8/16/09
8/19/09
Walter E. Washington
Convention Center
Washington, DC
50,000 nsf
500 Exhibitors
16,000 Attendees
American Sociological Association
Annual Meeting
ASA
www.asanet.org
Kendra Eastman
Program & Exhibits Manager
202-383-9005
8/8/09
8/11/09
Hilton San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
8,000 nsf
65 Exhibitors
6,700 Attendees
SPIE Optics + Photonics
SPIE
www.spie.org
Michele Hurst
Exhibition Manager
360-676-3290
8/2/09
8/6/09
San Diego Convention Center
San Diego, CA
NSF Not Supplied
Exhibitors Not Supplied
Attendees Not Supplied
© 2009, Trade Show Executive magazine, Carlsbad, CA (760) 929-9604.
40
June 2009
TSE_Zoom_june09_new.indd 40
Trade Show Executive
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
5/20/09 4:53:05 PM
TSE’s Trade Show Locator
| 1 . 800 . 247 . 8464 | www.irvingtexas.com |
Show Name/Management/Web Address
Show Manager
Dates
Venue/City/State
Projected Size
Yakima Convention Center
Yakima, WA
NSF Not Supplied
40 Exhibitors
800 Attendees
educAtion, trAining, science & reseArch (continued)
WA-ACTE Summer Conference
Washington Association for Career
& Technical Education
www.wa-acte.org
electricAl & electronics
Tim Knue
Executive Director
360-786-9286
8/9/09
8/12/09
NIWeek 2009
National Instruments Corporation
www.ni.com/niweek
Rod Siebels
8/4/09
NIWeek Conference Manager 8/6/09
512-683-6432
Austin Convention Center
Austin, TX
130,000 nsf
96 Exhibitors
2,700 Attendees
National Training Institute
National Joint Apprenticeship
& Training Committee
www.njatc.org
Michael Callanan
Executive Director
301-715-2300
8/1/09
8/7/09
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI
NSF Not Supplied
Exhibitors Not Supplied
Attendees Not Supplied
exhiBition & Meeting industry
ASAE & The Center Annual
Meeting & Exposition
ASAE & The Center for
Association Leadership
www.asaecenter.org/AnnualMeeting
Ann McLeod
Director of Exhibitions
& Registration
202-626-2754
8/15/09
8/18/09
Metro Toronto Convention Centre
Toronto, ON
73,000 nsf
450 Exhibitors
5,400 Attendees
Society of Independent Show
Organizers Executive Conference
SISO
www.siso.org
Lew Shomer
Executive Director
310-450-8831 x106
8/5/09
8/6/09
Marriott Times Square
New York, NY
NSF: No Exhibits
Exhibitors: None
300 Attendees
FinAnciAl, insurAnce & legAl services
Midwest Accounting
& Finance Showcase
Illinois CPA Society
www.icpas.org
Wendy Sech
Director, Education
312-993-0407 x244
8/25/09
8/26/09
Donald E. Stephens
Convention Center
Rosemont, IL
NSF Not Supplied
Exhibitors Not Supplied
Attendees Not Supplied
TAWPI Forum & Expo
Association for Work Process
Improvement (TAWPI)
www.tawpi.org
Jane Souza
Project & Event
Planning Director
617-426-1167
8/2/09
8/5/09
Walter E. Washington
Convention Center
Washington, DC
20,000 nsf
100+ Exhibitors
1,500 Attendees
Association of Correctional Food
Service Affiliates Annual Convention
Executive Management Associates
www.acfsa.org
Amber Brown
Account Executive
818-843-5660
8/16/09
8/20/09
Amway Grand Plaza
Grand Rapids, MI
NSF Not Supplied
Exhibitors Not Supplied
Attendees Not Supplied
Dietary Managers Association
Annual Meeting & Expo
DMA
www.dmaonline.org
Marla Isaacs
VP of Professional Programs
800-323-1908
8/9/09
8/13/09
Hyatt Regency Atlanta
Atlanta, GA
25,000 nsf
110 Exhibitors
825 Attendees
Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo
Reed Exhibitions
www.westernfoodexpo.com
Ron Mathews
Vice President
203-840-5556
8/30/09
9/1/09
San Diego Convention Center
San Diego, CA
60,000 nsf
400 Exhibitors
8,000 Attendees
American Legion National Convention
The American Legion
www.legion.org
Dick Holmes
Director
317-630-1292
8/21/09
8/27/09
Kentucky International
Convention Center
Louisville, KY
NSF Not Supplied
114 Exhibitors
10,000 Attendees
IMSA International Annual
Conference & School
International Municipal Signal Association
www.imsasafety.org
Marilyn Lawrence
Executive Director
315-331-2182
8/18/09
8/26/09
Omni Resort at Champion’s Gate
Orlando, FL
11,520 nsf
91 Exhibitors
1,000 Attendees
Food & BeverAge
governMent & MilitAry
Continued on page 42
© 2009, Trade Show Executive magazine, Carlsbad, CA (760) 929-9604.
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
TSE_Zoom_june09_new.indd 41
Trade Show Executive
June 2009
41
5/20/09 4:53:05 PM
Providing Fail-Safe Registration and Lead Retrieval with Passionate Customer Service for over 24 Years
Flexibility to Handle Your
Unique Requirements
TSE’s Trade Show Locator
Visit www.SMART-reg.com or call (888) 999-9169
Continued from page 41
Show Name/Management/Web Address
Show Manager
Dates
Venue/City/State
Projected Size
8/17/09
8/19/09
Hyatt Regency Columbus
Columbus, OH
13,000 nsf
Exhibitors Not Supplied
Attendees Not Supplied
8/18/09
8/20/09
Greater Fort Lauderdale/
NSF Not Supplied
Broward County Convention Center 365 Exhibitors
Fort Lauderdale, FL
3,500 Attendees
8/22/09
8/26/09
America’s Center
Convention Complex
St. Louis, MO
32,000 nsf
130 Exhibitors
700 Attendees
governMent & MilitAry (continued)
Land & Maritime Supply Chains
Business Conference & Exhibition
National Defense Industrial Association
www.ndia.org
Kelly Seymour
Meeting Planner
703-247-2583
LandWarNet 2009
AFCEA International
www.afcea.org/events/landwarnet
Terry Rogers
Show Manager
703-631-6200
educAtion, trAining, science & reseArch
NIGP Forum & Exposition
Carrie Rawn
National Institute of Governmental Purchasing Director, Conferences
www.nigp.org
& Meetings
703-736-8900
hoMe Furnishings, interior design & lAndscAping
Edison Furniture & Accessory Market
Karel Exposition Management
www.kemexpo.com
Beverly Stone
Account Executive
305-792-9990
8/2/09
8/4/09
New Jersey Convention
& Exposition Center
Edison, NJ
10,000 nsf
160 Exhibitors
Attendees Not Supplied
Denver Home Decorating
& Remodeling Show
Show Pros International, LLC
www.denverhomeshow.com
Show Manager
800-343-8344
8/28/09
8/30/09
Colorado Convention Center
Denver, CO
NSF Not Supplied
800 Exhibitors
Attendees Not Supplied
Nursery/Landscape Expo 2009
Texas Nursery & Landscape Association
www.nurserylandscapeexpo.org
Amy Prenger
Exhibit Sales Manager
512-280-5182
8/14/09
8/16/09
Dallas Convention Center
Dallas, TX
130,000 nsf
600 Exhibitors
7,500 Attendees
8/21/09
8/23/09
Orange County Convention Center 6,000 nsf
Orlando, FL
120 Exhibitors
Attendees Not Supplied
8/22/09
8/24/09
Memphis-Cook Convention Center 35,000 nsf
Memphis, TN
130 Exhibitors
10,000 Attendees
8/9/09
8/13/09
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino
Las Vegas, NV
40,000 nsf
220 Exhibitors
1,400 Attendees
Orlando Furniture & Accessory Market Beverly Stone
Karel Exposition Management
Account Executive
www.kemexpo.com
305-792-9990
Jewelry
Memphis Gift & Jewelry Show - Summer Dave Harrington
Helen Brett Enterprises, Inc.
Show Manager
www.gift2jewelry.com
630-241-9865
MedicAl & heAlthcAre products
AHRA Annual Conference & Exposition Susan Hamilton
AHRA
Marketing Director
www.ahraonline.org
978-443-7591
American Association of Diabetes
Educators Meeting & Exhibition
AADE
www.diabeteseducator.org
Show Manager
800-338-3633
8/5/09
8/8/09
Georgia World Congress Center
Atlanta, GA
100,000 nsf
275 Exhibitors
7,500 Attendees
American Association of Nurse
Anesthetists Annual Meeting
AANA
www.aana.com
Lisa Trofe
Exhibit Manager
856-848-1000
8/8/09
8/12/09
San Diego Convention Center
San Diego, CA
NSF Not Supplied
Exhibitors Not Supplied
Attendees Not Supplied
American Psychological
Association Convention 2009
APA
www.apa.org
Candy Won
Director, Convention
& Meeting Services
202-336-6020
8/6/09
8/9/09
Metro Toronto Convention Centre
Toronto, ON
26,500 nsf
200 Exhibitors
14,000 Attendees
American Society for Healthcare
Engineering Annual Conference
& Exhibition
SmithBucklin
www.ashe.org
Benjamin Rabe
Exhibit Manager
312-673-4903
8/2/09
8/5/09
Anaheim Convention Center
Anaheim, CA
36,000 nsf
275 Exhibitors
3,000 Attendees
© 2009, Trade Show Executive magazine, Carlsbad, CA (760) 929-9604.
42
June 2009
TSE_Zoom_june09_new.indd 42
Trade Show Executive
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
5/20/09 4:53:06 PM
Providing Fail-Safe Registration and Lead Retrieval with Passionate Customer Service for over 24 Years
Always Ten Steps Ahead
TSE’s Trade Show Locator
Visit www.SMART-reg.com or call (888) 999-9169
Show Name/Management/Web Address
Show Manager
Dates
Venue/City/State
Projected Size
MedicAl & heAlthcAre products (continued)
Colorado Vision Summit
Colorado Optometric Association
www.visioncare.org
Barbara Zablotny
Associate Executive Director
303-863-9778
8/1/09
8/2/09
Colorado Convention Center
Denver, CO
4,800 nsf
55 Exhibitors
500 Attendees
Florida Chiropractic Association
National Convention & Expo
FCA
www.fcachiro.org
Joe Leonard
Convention & Seminar
Coordinator
407-290-5883
8/27/09
8/30/09
Gaylord Palms Resort
& Convention Center
Kissimmee, FL
60,000 nsf
500 Exhibitors
2,600 Attendees
Florida Health Care Association
Annual Conference & Trade Show
FHCA
www.fhca.org/fhcaconference
Kendall Myers
Asst. Event Planner
850-224-3907
8/11/09
8/14/09
Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa
Hollywood, FL
49,833 nsf
275 Exhibitors
1,000 Attendees
Florida International Medical Expo
FIME
www.fimeshow.com
Show Manager
941-366-2554
8/12/09
8/14/09
Miami Beach Convention Center
Miami Beach, FL
150,000 nsf
900 Exhibitors
20,000 Attendees
8/3/09
8/6/09
World Trade Center Boston
Boston, MA
NSF Not Supplied
75+ Exhibitors
Attendees Not Supplied
8/8/09
8/11/09
Boston Convention
& Exhibition Center
Boston, MA
NSF Not Supplied
Exhibitors Not Supplied
Attendees Not Supplied
phArMAceuticAls
Drug Discovery & Development Week Ashley Starr
IBC Life Sciences, an informa business
Operations Coordinator
www.drugdisc.com
800-390-4078
NACDS Pharmacy &
Technology Conference
National Association of Chain Drug Stores
www.nacds.org
Chrissy Kopple
VP, Media Relations
703-837-4266
police, Fire & eMergency services
American Correctional Association
Congress of Correction
ACA
www.aca.org
Litsa Deck
Dir. of Conventions
& Corporate Relations
800-222-5646
8/7/09
8/12/09
Gaylord Opryland Resort
& Convention Center
Nashville, TN
NSF Not Supplied
Exhibitors Not Supplied
Attendees Not Supplied
APCO International 75th Annual
Conference & Exposition
Association of Public-Safety
Communications Officials
www.apco2009.org
Brigid Blaschak
Trade Show Manager
386-944-2454
8/16/09
8/20/09
Las Vegas Convention Center
Las Vegas, NV
85,000 nsf
350 Exhibitors
2,800 Attendees
Enforcement Expo Southwest
Cygnus Expositions
www.enforcementexpo.com
Bob Luikens
Show Manager
800-827-8009 x3362
8/4/09
8/5/09
Phoenix Convention Center
Phoenix, AZ
22,500 nsf
135 Exhibitors
1,200 Attendees
Fire-Rescue International
International Association of Fire Chiefs
www.iafc.org
Pamela Magnani
Director, Conferences
703-537-4812
8/25/09
8/29/09
Dallas Convention Center
Dallas, TX
230,000 nsf
750 Exhibitors
15,000 Attendees
Midwest Security & Police
Conference/Expo
ROC Exhibitions, Inc.
www.mspce.com
Paul Niemiec
Project Manager
630-271-8210
8/11/09
8/12/09
Donald E. Stephens
Convention Center
Rosemont, IL
20,000 nsf
175 Exhibitors
2,000 Attendees
TREXPO East 2009
Bobit Business Media
http://east.trexpo.com
Courtney Silbiger
Event Manager
310-533-2445
8/18/09
8/20/09
Dulles Expo & Conference Center
Chantilly, VA
20,200 nsf
165 Exhibitors
1,518 Attendees
8/28/09
8/29/09
Baltimore Convention Center
Baltimore, MD
30,000 nsf
125 Exhibitors
3,500 Attendees
printing, grAphics, photogrAphy & puBlishing
The A&E, Printwear and Sign Business
& Digital Graphics Shows
National Business Media, Inc.
www.nbmshows.com
Susan Hueg
Director Exhibitions & Events
303-469-0424 x204
Continued on page 44
© 2009, Trade Show Executive magazine, Carlsbad, CA (760) 929-9604.
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
TSE_Zoom_june09_new.indd 43
Trade Show Executive
June 2009
43
5/20/09 4:53:10 PM
We never
miss a shot
TSE’s Trade Show Locator
Continued from page 43
Providing Fail-Safe Registration and Lead Retrieval with
Passionate Customer Service for over 24 Years
Visit www.SMART-reg.com or call
(888) 999-9169
Show Name/Management/Web Address
Show Manager
Dates
Venue/City/State
Projected Size
printing, grAphics, photogrAphy & puBlishing (continued)
Recharger Magazine’s World Expo
1105 Media, Inc.
www.rechargermag.com
Nancy Calabrese
Trade Show & Events
Sales Manager
702-505-9546
8/19/09
8/21/09
Mandalay Bay Convention Center
Las Vegas, NV
NSF Not Supplied
Exhibitors Not Supplied
Attendees Not Supplied
Joe Rowe
Executive Director
706-494-1143
8/8/09
8/12/09
Ernest N. Morial
Convention Center
New Orleans, LA
NSF Not Supplied
Exhibitors Not Supplied
Attendees Not Supplied
educAtion, trAining, science & reseArch
retAil distriBution
IPCPR Annual Convention
& International Trade Show
International Premium Cigar & Pipe
Retailers Association
www.rtda.org
sporting goods & recreAtion
Florida Recreation & Park Association
Annual Conference
FRPA
www.frpa.org
Lori Womack
Director of Professional
Development
850-878-3221
8/24/09
8/28/09
Walt Disney World Coronado
Springs Resort
Lake Buena Vista, FL
NSF Not Supplied
200 Exhibitors
1,000 Attendees
Health+Fitness Business Expo
Nielsen Business Media
www.healthandfitnessbiz.com
Lance Camisasca
Group Show Director
949-226-5712
8/6/09
8/7/09
Colorado Convention Center
Denver, CO
NSF Not Supplied
Exhibitors Not Supplied
Attendees Not Supplied
PGA Fall Expo
Reed Exhibitions
www.pgaexpo.com
Ed Several
Group Vice President
203-840-5932
8/31/09
9/2/09
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino
Las Vegas, NV
45,000 nsf
400 Exhibitors
4,000 Attendees
Surf Expo
dmg world media
www.surfexpo.com
Roy Turner
Show Director
678-781-7979
8/20/2009
8/22/2009
Orange County
Convention Center
Orlando, FL
230,000 nsf
950 Exhibitors
15,000 Attendees
Alberta Gift Show - Summer
dmg world media
www.albertagiftshow.com
Brenda Harrison
Group Manager
416-385-1871
8/16/09
8/19/09
Northlands
Edmonton, AB
190,000 nsf
740 Exhibitors
16,000 Attendees
Canadian Gift & Tableware
Association - Fall
CGTA
www.cgta.org
Karen Bassels
Show Manager
416-679-0170
8/9/09
8/12/09
International Centre
Toronto, ON
1,300,000 nsf
1,000 Exhibitors
22,000 Attendees
Fort Lauderdale Gift Show
Urban Expositions
www.urban-expo.com
Erica Guess
Show Manager
678-370-0347
8/29/09
9/1/09
Greater Fort Lauderdale/
NSF Not Supplied
Broward County Convention Center Exhibitors Not Supplied
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Attendees Not Supplied
The Gourmet Housewares Show
GLM, a dmg world media business
www.thegourmetshow.com
Aubin Wilson
Group Show Manager/
Show Director
213-430-2300
8/8/09
8/10/09
Moscone Center
San Francisco, CA
NSF Not Supplied
300 Exhibitors
4,000 Attendees
Louisville Gift Show
Rosehill Enterprises Inc.
www.louisvillegiftshow.com
Larry Harris
President
513-861-1139
8/30/09
8/31/09
Paroquet Conference Centre
Shepherdsville, KY
13,000 nsf
72 Exhibitors
900 Attendees
Montreal Gift Show
GLM, a dmg world media business
www.montrealgiftshow.com
Bianca Kennedy
Show Manager
416-385-1870
8/23/09
8/26/09
Place Bonaventure
Montreal, QC
130,000 nsf
400 Exhibitors
15,000 Attendees
New York International Gift Fair
GLM, a dmg world media business
www.nyigf.com
Dorothy Belshaw
Show Director
914-421-3345
8/15/09
8/20/09
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
New York, NY
NSF Not Supplied
2,900 Exhibitors
30,000 Attendees
toys, hoBBies & giFts
© 2009, Trade Show Executive magazine, Carlsbad, CA (760) 929-9604.
44
June 2009
TSE_Zoom_june09_new.indd 44
Trade Show Executive
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
5/20/09 4:53:15 PM
Providing Fail-Safe Registration and Lead Retrieval with Passionate Customer Service for over 24 Years
Always Ten Steps Ahead
TSE’s Trade Show Locator
Visit www.SMART-reg.com or call (888) 999-9169
Show Name/Management/Web Address
Show Manager
Dates
Venue/City/State
Projected Size
8/1/09
8/3/09
Pennsylvania Convention Center
Philadelphia, PA
72,450 nsf
607 Exhibitors
4,000 Attendees
toys, hoBBies & giFts (continued)
Philadelphia Buyers Market
of American Craft - Summer
The Rosen Group
www.americancraft.com
Christine Kloostra
Show Director
410-889-3093 x216
St. Louis Gift Show
Rosehill Enterprises Inc.
www.stlouisgiftshow.com
Larry Harris
President
513-861-1139
8/9/09
8/11/09
Gateway Convention Center
Collinsville, IL
30,000 nsf
85 Exhibitors
1,000 Attendees
Salt Lake Wholesale Gift Show
Progressive Exhibitors, Inc
www.saltlakegiftshow.com
Show Manager
801-782-7771
8/6/09
8/8/09
South Towne Exposition Center
Sandy, UT
NSF Not Supplied
Exhibitors Not Supplied
Attendees Not Supplied
San Francisco International Gift Fair
GLM, a dmg world media business
www.sfigf.com
Aubin Wilson
Group Show Manager/
Show Director
213-430-2300
8/8/09
8/11/09
Moscone Center
San Francisco, CA
96,000 nsf
650 Exhibitors
11,000 Attendees
The Seattle Gift Show
GLM, a dmg world media business
www.seattlegift.com
Jenay Root
Show Manager
213-430-2311
8/22/09
8/25/09
Washington State Convention
& Trade Center
Seattle, WA
76,300 nsf
511 Exhibitors
7,982 Attendees
educAtion, trAining, science & reseArch
trAvel, hotels & restAurAnts
IncentiveWorks
Rogers Publishing Limited
www.meetingscanada.com
Stephen Dempsey
General Manager
416-764-1635
8/25/09
8/26/09
Metro Toronto Convention Centre
Toronto, ON
52,000 nsf
700 Exhibitors
2,400 Attendees
NBTA International Convention
& Exposition
National Business Travel Association
www.nbtaconvention.org
Colette Skeen
Senior Manager,
Exhibits & Advertising
703-684-0836
8/23/09
8/26/09
San Diego Convention Center
San Diego, CA
115,000+ nsf
380+ Exhibitors
5,000+ Attendees
Tom Brown
Operations Manager
913-871-3800
8/29/09
9/1/09
Kansas City Convention
& Entertainment Facilities
Kansas City, MO
NSF Not Supplied
Exhibitors Not Supplied
Attendees Not Supplied
8/30/09
8/31/09
Hôtel des Seigneurs
St. Hyacinthe, QC
17,900 nsf
98 Exhibitors
977 Attendees
veterinAry
CVC in Kansas City
Advanstar Communications, Inc.
www.cvccentral.com
ExpoZoo
Roselyne Lévêque
Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council of Canada Events Coordinator
www.pijaccanada.com
800-667-7452
wAter, energy & power
ADS International
Convention & Tradeshow
Association of Diesel Specialists
www.diesel.org
Rosemary Hall
Director of Meetings
816-595-4826
8/5/09
8/9/09
Gaylord National Resort
& Convention Center
National Harbor, MD
39,000 nsf
Exhibitors Not Supplied
800 Attendees
Coal-Gen Conference & Exhibition
PennWell Corporation
www.coal-gen.com
Jennifer Lindsey
Senior Event
Operations Manager
918-832-9313
8/19/09
8/21/09
Charlotte Convention Center
Charlotte, NC
50,800 nsf
276 Exhibitors
3,450 Attendees
FPMA Convention & Tradeshow
Florida Petroleum Marketers
& Convenience Store Association
www.fpma.org
Linda Thomas
VP Finance & Convention
Coordinator
850-877-5178
8/8/09
8/12/09
Rosen Shingle Creek
Resort & Spa
Orlando, FL
31,200 nsf
183 Exhibitors
Attendees Not Supplied
Summer NAPE Expo
NAPE Expo LP
www.napeexpo.com
Christy Payne
Director of NAPE Expos
817-306-7171
8/27/09
8/28/09
George R. Brown
Convention Center
Houston, TX
67,000 nsf
450 Exhibitors
6,500 Attendees
© 2009, Trade Show Executive magazine, Carlsbad, CA (760) 929-9604.
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
TSE_Zoom_june09_new.indd 45
Trade Show Executive
June 2009
45
5/20/09 4:53:19 PM
i n dus try events
S u n d ay
M o n d ay
T u e s d ay
6
5
July 2009
By Nicole Burnes, assistant editor
W e d n e s d ay
7
Salt Lake City
T h u r s d ay
f r i d ay
s a t u r d ay
1
2
3
4
8
9
10
11
Meeting Professionals
International (MPI) World
Education Congress
July 11-14
Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace
Convention Center,
Salt Lake City, UT
McCormick Place
9
12
14
15
16
17
18
20
21
22
23
24
25
Exhibitor Appointed
Contractor Association
(EACA) 11th Annual
Conference
July 20-21, 2009
McCormick Place, Chicago, IL
TS 2009, Total
Solutions Marketing
for the Exhibit & Event
Professional
July 20-23, 2009
McCormick Place, Chicago, IL
13
Lendrum
19
Corporate Event
Marketing Association
(CEMA) Summit
July 19-21, 2009
Hard Rock Hotel San Diego,
San Diego, CA
2
Council of Engineering
& Scientific Society
Executives (CESSE)
2009 Annual Meeting
July 21-24, 2009
Loews Royal Pacific Resort
at Universal Orlando®,
Orlando, FL
International
Association of
Assembly Managers
(IAAM) 84th Annual
Conference
& Trade Show
July 24-28, 2009
Boston Convention &
Exhibition Center, Boston, MA
Sain
28
27
29
30
31
Destination Marketing
Association
International (DMAI)
95th Annual Convention
July 28-30, 2009
Hyatt Regency Atlanta,
Atlanta, GA
Dow
More Details
Meeting Professionals
International (MPI) World
Education Congress
July 11-14
Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace
Convention Center, Salt Lake City, UT
www.mpiweb.org
Event Management: MPI, (972) 702-3000
Corporate Event Marketing
Association (CEMA) Summit
July 19-21, 2009
Hard Rock Hotel San Diego, San Diego, CA
www.cemaonline.com
Event Management: Opus Solutions,
(971) 223-0777
46
June 2009
TSE_IndustryEvents_june09.indd 46
Simons
Exhibitor Appointed Contractor
Association (EACA) 11th Annual
Conference
July 20-21, 2009
McCormick Place, Chicago, IL
www.eaca.com
Event Management: EACA,
(541) 317-8768
* Co-located with TS2 2009
Council of Engineering &
Scientific Society Executives
(CESSE) 2009 Annual Meeting
July 21-24, 2009
Loews Royal Pacific Resort
at Universal Orlando®, Orlando, FL
www.cesse.org
Event Management: CESSE,
(952) 838-3268
TS2 2009, Total Solutions
Marketing for the Exhibit
& Event Professional
July 20-23, 2009
McCormick Place, Chicago, IL
www.ts2show.com
Event Management: National Trade
Productions, (703) 683-8500
International Association of
Assembly Managers (IAAM) 84th
Annual Conference & Trade Show
July 24-28, 2009
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center,
Boston, MA
www.iaam.org
Event Management: IAAM,
(972) 906-7441
Trade Show Executive
Destination Marketing
Association International (DMAI)
95th Annual Convention
July 28-30, 2009
Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
www.destinationmarketing.org
Event Management: DMAI,
(202) 296-7888
Who’s Where
Francesca Lendrum, Director, Marketing
Services for NAVTEQ, speaks as part of a “Power
Panel” at TS2 July 22.
n
Gary Sain, President and CEO of the Orlando/
Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau,
presents “Industry Update: Challenges and
Opportunities” July 23 at the CESSE Annual Meeting.
n
Russ Simons, of POPULOUS (formerly HOK
Sport Venue Event), will speak at IAAM’s Annual
Conference July 27.
n
U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger
Dow presents a “Power of Travel” session July 29 at
the DMAI Annual Convention.
n
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
5/20/09 4:42:44 PM
GetRealAd:Layout 1 5/20/09 6:49 AM Page 1
TSE_Cover_jun09c.indd 2
5/21/09 10:57:06 AM
Pe ople
Advanstar
Communications,
Inc. named Liz
Crawford show
director for the
Licensing International
Expo. Crawford
had been with
Questex Media
Group for the past
four years. She had been show director
of HotelWorld Expo & Conference and
other events in the home entertainment
and hospitality sectors, and also handled
international business development.
She reports to Executive Vice President
Georgiann DeCenzo. Reach Liz at
(818) 593-5000 or lcrawford@advanstar.
com; Georgiann at (440) 891-2778 or
gdecenzo@advanstar.com
Crawford
Damion Wan
was named deputy
general manager
of the Zhengzhou
International
Convention and
Exhibition Centre.
Wan will oversee
business strategies,
Wan
marketing and
operational improvement for center. Wan
has 15 years of experience in the Chinese
exhibition market with E.J. Krause and
Associates in Hong Kong and, most
recently, as general manager of Swiftland
Ltd. in Beijing. Reach Damion at 86 371
6808 9835 or damionwan@zziec.com
Michael Franks
retired as chief
operating officer
of dmg world
media effective
April 1, although
he will remain with
the company on
a part-time basis
Franks
working on various
special projects. Franks joined dmg in
1991 when his company, The Publishing
Company, was acquired by DMG
Exhibitions. He spent 12 years as COO
48
June 2009
TSE_People_june09.indd 48
Gary Sain, president and CEO of Orlando/Orange
County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc., has joined
the Trade Show Executive Exposition Forecasting Board.
Sain has been in the tourism industry for the past 25 years,
holding senior marketing positions with GES Exposition
Services and other companies before joining the bureau
in 2007. He was previously executive vice president, chief
marketing officer and partner of Yesawich, Pepperdine,
Sain
Brown & Russell, and has also held the position of assistant
vice president of sales for Hyatt Hotels Corporation. Sain
is currently a member of the board of directors for the U.S. Travel Association
(USTA) and American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). Reach Gary at
(407) 363-5849 or gary.sain@orlandocvb.com
of dmg. Reach Michael at (415) 464-8500
or michaelfranks@dmgworldmedia.com
Nancy
Hammervik was
promoted to senior
vice president/
managing director,
Everything Channel.
She had been
vice president/
managing director
Hammervik
of the Everything
Channel Events division. She will remain
in charge of event management, content
recruiting, sales and other aspects
of the company’s events. Everything
Channel is part of United Business
Media (UBM) and produces conferences
in the retail and IT sectors. Everything
Channel controller Robert Wiseltier
was named chief financial officer. He
Index to Advertisers
Exhibition Services &
Contractors Association (ESCA)
www.esca.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover 3
GES Exposition Services
www.ges.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.3
International Association
of Exhibitions & Events (IAEE)
www.iaee.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.49
Irving Convention & Visitors Bureau
www.irvingtexas.com . . . . . . . . . . . . .p.39-41
PrivilegedAccess.tv
www.PrivilegedAccess.tv . . . . . . . . .p.11-15
Trade Show Executive
will handle the company’s financial
planning and day-to-day financial
operations. Reach Nancy at (516) 5627679 or nhammerv@everythingchannel.
com; Reach Bob at (516) 562-5000 or
rwiselti@everythingchannel.com
Freeman announced
the appointment
of Bob Moore as
chief sales officer.
Moore joined the
company in 2004
as executive vice
president, corporate
Moore
accounts after a
distinguished career
in the hotel industry with Hilton and
Starwood. He will oversee the exposition
sales and corporate accounts staffs.
Reach Bob at (214) 445-1000 or
bob.moore@freemanco.com
SMART-reg International, Inc.
www.smart-reg.com . . . Cover 2 & p.42-45
SMG
www.smgworld.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.19
Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO)
www.siso.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.47
Donald E. Stephens Convention Center
(Rosemont, IL)
www.rosemont.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover 4
Trade Show Executive
www.tradeshowexecutive.com p.10, 16-17
United Service Companies
www.unitedhq.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.33
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
5/21/09 3:50:22 PM
TSE_Cover_jun09c.indd 2
5/21/09 10:58:00 AM
Parti ng s hots
A Man of Distinction. Kevin Rabbitt, president
& CEO of GES Exposition Services, Inc., was named “Industry
Executive of the Year” by the Tourism & Convention Administration Department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
(UNLV). Rabbitt accepted the award on behalf of the dedicated
GES Las Vegas team and employees throughout the GES worldwide network for their commitment to innovation and exceptional customer service.
Pictured L to R: Dr. Tony Henthorne, chair of UNLV
Harrah Hotel College Tourism & Convention Administration
department; Kevin Rabbitt; and Dr. Stuart Mann, dean of the
UNLV Harrah Hotel College.
Get the message. Pittsburgh’s hospitality industry
was out in force for a “Travel Matters” rally urging the state to
restore funding for tourism. Similar events took place around
the U.S. in conjunction with National Travel and Tourism Week,
May 9-17. Statewide, the travel and tourism industry generated
$28 billion in new revenue for Pennsylvania in 2007. In the
greater Pittsburgh area, the travel and tourism industry generated $530 million in state and local tax revenue in 2007.
White-glove treatment. Dinner at the SISO
CEO Summit was a team effort with attendees pitching in with the
prep work. Manning the salad station were (L-R) Bob MacGregor,
managing director of Diversified Business Communications
Canada; TSE’s Diane Bjorklund and Margaret Pedersen, president
of Amirexx.
50
June 2009
TSE_PartingShots_june09.indd 50
Trade Show Executive
www.TradeShowExecutive.com
5/20/09 4:43:20 PM
Exhibition Services &
Contractors Association
T
he Exhibition Services & Contractors Association is dedicated to the advancement of
the exhibition, meetings and special events industry. Through the education,
information exchange and level of professionalism shared by our members and their
clients, ESCA promotes cooperation among all segments of the industry.
Since 1970, ESCA has provided a unified voice for service contractors and their partners in
the exhibition industry. ESCA now has more than 175 members throughout the United
States, Canada and Mexico, and maintains alliances with IAEE, SISO, TSEA, CIC, EITF and
CEIR to promote the exhibition industry and our member benefits.
ESCA is:
· The association for firms engaged in providing services and materials for
the trade show, exhibition, convention and meetings industry.
· The contractors’ voice in the exhibition service industry.
· A clearinghouse for the exchange of information between members and all
other entities of the vast exhibition and convention industry.
· Your source for leading general service contractors, specialty contractors,
facilities, independent contractors, labor organizations and their suppliers.
· Your source for information and assistance in the current business climate.
Exhibition Services & Contractors Association
2340 E Trinity Mills Road #100
Carrollton, TX 75006
469.574.0698
www.esca.org
TSE_Cover_jun09c.indd 2
5/21/09 10:59:53 AM
Rosemont - New Entrance AD - Trade Show Executive June 09 - Full Page - 8.5”w x 11”h trim; 8.625”w x 11.25”h bleed; 7.5 x 10” live
Stephens Center
Rosemont, IL
840,000 Sq. Ft. of Exhibit Hal
92,000 Sq. Ft. of Flexible Mee
l Space
ting Area
5 Minutes from O‛Hare Airpo
rt
Easy People to Work With
Low Exhibitor Service Rates
Short Walk to Over 4,000 Hotel Rooms
y
e
n
o
M
t
r
a
m
S
TSE_Cover_jun09c.indd 2
( 847 ) 692-2220
5/21/09 10:55:26 AM