Exhibit City News - Apr/May/June 2023

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BOOTH #423

On our cover: (Left to right): Brumark’s Antonio Vazquez Cruz, ECN Ace Jesus (JR) Rodriguez and Louis Wantraba setting up the outdoor Gencor booth at the LVCC for ConExpo in Las Vegas.

Hello to all Tradeshow and Event Professionals!

As we start the second quarter of 2023, it seems that work and event fow has hit a stride. Elements that were out of balance before, that were afecting the industry operationally, are running smoother now. But companies still face stafng issues.

Our Q2 print edition is packed with key industry content, so grab your cofee, tea or smoothie and dive in. Here are some of this edition’s highlights:

ECN’s Tribute to “Flooring People!”

Who are these people? These experts on all fours? You are not born with these skills, but they are acquired. Anyone can “kick out a rug,” but not all tradeshow/ event workers have what it takes to do these important tasks properly. Join ECN as we celebrate these outstanding members of the tradeshow and event workforce (see page 32)

Also in this edition:

ECN’s Ray Smith discusses special needs and requirements for designing and producing environments for medical tradeshows. Plus the Top 10 US Medical Shows (see page 57)

ECN’s Celestia Ward sat down for a Q&A with CEO of Exhibitor Group, Dan Raynak, to discuss what’s in store for this year’s iteration of EXHIBITOR-

LIVE. Raynak says, ”We are in the process of reimagining the Exhibitor brand

and what it means to our industry,” and we’re excited to see the results of that reimagining (see page 40).

ECN’s Kerstan Szczepanski looks into advice for exhibitors showing 10-by-10 and 10-by-20 booths. As Highway 85 Creatives’ founder Guy Zwick likes to say, “It’s not the size of the dog, but the fght in the dog (see page 48).”

We award a Lifetime Achievement Award to Tom Cassell! After four decades serving the industry in multiple capacities, he sets an example of a career well lived (see page 66)!

And fnally, a shout out to the workforce, whether those members are new workers or industry veterans. ECN wants to recognize and congratulate everyone for the collective efort put forth. for an unsung, nearly invisible industry. We help others achieve a lot and accept our place in the background. Smile and embrace this knowledge. It deserves mention.

Thank you to our hard-working staf, columnists and contributors from all over our expansive, but small industry community. You are what makes these pages come to life! See you in July with our Q3 print edition. Until then, visit exhibitcitynews.com for daily updates.

Questions? Suggestions? Comments about our content? We love feedback and hearing from you! Send me an email at dons@exhibitcitynews.com

PUBLISHER

Donald V. Svehla Jr. (702) 272-0182 ext. 102

DonS@exhibitcitynews.com

MANAGING EDITOR

Lisa Abrams (702) 272-0182

LisaA@exhibitcitynews.com

EDITOR Emily Olson

EmilyO@exhibitcitynews.com

DIGITAL EDITOR

Li Jackson DigitalEditor@exhibitcitynews.com

ART DIRECTOR

Thomas Speak Tom@Speak-Design.com

COLUMNISTS / WRITERS

Calanit Atia

Sven Bossu

Paco Collazo

Bob McGlincy

Chris Kappes

Jim Obermeyer

Liese Peterson

Jessica Sibila

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Jeanne Brei

Thea Engst

Pat Friedlander

Caitlin Howle

Leslie Mujica

Kerstan Szczepanski

Ray Smith

Celestia Ward

PROOFREADERS

Kerstan Szczepanski

NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Christy Giambattista

ChristyD@exhibitcitynews.com

CIRCULATION

Manny Chico

changes to location listed above.

Colorado Convention Center

Location: 700 14th Street, Denver, Colorado 80202

Date Opened: June 23, 1990

Square Footage: 2,200,000 square feet. The Exhibit Hall has 584,000 square feet. The space consists of six individual halls spanning 90,000 to 100,000 square feet. There are 100,000 square feet of meeting rooms, and just under 95,000 square feet for ballrooms, including the Mile High Ballroom with a 5,000-person capacity and Four Seasons Ballroom with capacity of 3,500. Adjoining the Colorado Convention Center is the Bellco Theater, which has 5,000 seats.

Parking: 1,000 spaces in a three-level parking structure

Hotels: There are 323 hotels within a mile of the convention center, including the Hyatt Regency Denver , Embassy Suites Denver Downtown and the boutique Hotel Teatro.

Airport Info: Denver International Airport (DEN), the third busiest airport in the world, is just over 25 miles from the convention center.

WiFi: Smart City Networks provides exclusive high-speed Internet. Free wif is provided in the lobby.

Transport: Denver’s RTD has the A lightrail line that runs from the airport to Union Station, which connects to the convention center. The Colorado Convention Center has its own Light Rail stop for the D, F and H lines.

Website: DenverConvention.com

The Future of the Industry

TThe EDPA is focused not just on the industry’s present, but on its future, and its Future Leaders group is designed to help young professionals develop their career paths. It also recognizes those already impacting the event industry and, through those appointed leaders, creates opportunity at the student level for exposure to this industry and the jobs it afords.

Alongside EDPA’s Future Workforce,

IMPACT XM CELEBRATES HALF A CENTURY

Impact XM celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. Founded in 1973 as Impact Exhibits, the then-exhibit house specialized in custom design, management and construction of exhibit structure.

“We were founded with one guiding purpose,” says Jared Pollacco, CEO of Impact XM. “To provide creative and compelling solutions for our clients and deliver results.”

As the company enters the second half of its frst century, it is dedicated to continued growth while remaining true to its core values and continuing to grow its international reach and sustainability practices.

the Future Leaders group is impacting the career trajectory of young people across all jobs in this industry, and alerts industry leaders to the wide talent pool from which they can mine.

Both Future Leaders and Future Workforce groups are actively seeking members of the industry to connect with people eager to grow their careers in the events industry. For more information or to get involved, go to edpa.com/future.

BOOK REVIEW CAREER LESSONS FROM MENTORS AND TORMENTORS

Joe Pestka’s book, Career Lessons from Mentor and Tormentors, is a memoir that is hard to put down. Pestka takes readers on a journey through time from his frst job to the numerous gigs that not only provided him with manual labor experience, but also life lessons that helped build his character. Most importantly, he shares how much his father infuenced his life in so many ways, providing him with the opportunity to enter the tradeshow world and instilling in him a great work ethic.

- Leslie Mujica

Read the full review at exhibitcitynews.com/book-reviewcareer-lessons-from-mentorand-tormentors.

A CAPTIVATING COMPANY

Captivate Exhibits is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and John Schlosser, vice president of sales and marketing, is proud to be part of a company with strong values that it builds into every display it creates. Schlosser has been with the company for nearly a decade and has experienced quite an evolution in the organization. “Nine years ago, we were building all our custom displays with wood,” he says. “Now, instead of using those big, heavy panels, we’re using lightweight materials that have revolutionized the way we do business and the industry as a whole. Because everything has lightened up, we can build and ship while saving our clients massive amounts of money. ”

The company’s roots are in selling portable displays and banner stands, but it slowly evolved away from portables

I SEE WHAT YOU MEAN!

If you happen to look out the window while you’re at the Colorado Convention Center, you might see someone looking back! We think this statue, formally titled “I See What You Mean,” but known to locals as the Big Blue Bear, is juuuuust right.

toward custom manufacturing. “Our focus fipped from 0 percent custom at the beginning to 80 percent custom in 2023,” Schlosser says.

What do the next 30 years hold for Captivate Exhibits and for the industry as a whole? Schlosser predicts a continued development of lighter materials. “I think we’ll continue to use aluminum, but maybe we’ll also use plastic because that’s even lighter,” he says. “I think you’re also going to see more visuals and light boxes as they become afordable.”

No matter what the future holds, Schlosser is certain it’s bright for Captivate Exhibits. “We do business with high integrity. That’s what drives our business, and it’s why we’ve made it 30 years and will make it another 30,” he says. “As times change, we’ll change along with it.”

PROVIDENCE IS SO FLY

We’re beginning to think big blue creatures are a secret trend. Nibbles Woodaway, known to Rhode Island locals as the Big Blue Bug, is a larger-thanlife termite that’s the mascot for a pest control company. Visible from the highway, this guy regularly dons costumes. He wears a Rudolph nose at Christmas, sported a mask at the height of the pandemic and dressed as The Incredible Hulk to welcome ComicCon to town.

One of the things I have always liked about this industry is the great opportunity we have to learn about other industries and other companies. Part of the process of helping our clients achieve positive results at their tradeshows and business events involves learning as much as we can about what they do and how they do it. Most of the time this learning takes place in a conference room or occasionally on a plant tour.

By Jim Obermeyer

After a full day immersed in how a dairy farm operates and how a dairy farmer improves the milk-producing performance of his herd, I had a new appreciation for their business and a better understanding of what it would take for us to help our client with their program for these guys. The bottom line is that I was grateful that our client allowed us to participate in this program. It really did help us help them.

we use whatever tools we have to learn as much as we can so that we can provide value to our clients.

In doing that we must apply all we know about our business to the issues and challenges our clients are facing. That’s where our expertise comes in. The more we know about what works and what doesn’t, the easier it is for us to apply those solutions to the challenges we fnd in our clients’ programs.

Or on a working dairy research farm.

I was once asked to ofer recommendations to an existing client on how they could improve their VIP client tours. We jumped at the opportunity. Then we learned that the VIPs were dairy farmers, and the tours took place on a 1,200-acre, fully functional dairy research farm.

We were invited to spend a day with this group as they heard presentations on everything from improving heifer performance to large animal metabolism to herd health to composting technology. And then we were given an in-depth tour of the farm and all of the research facilities, including the calving operation, metabolism labs, feed barns and compost processing areas. I saw—and held—parts of a cow that I never thought I would be near.

As much as we all try to learn everything we can about our clients through internet research, meetings with our clients and other industry-specifc contacts or industry shows and events, sometimes it takes an immersive experience to really understand the issues our clients are dealing with.

I have had other clients in the business aviation industry and have worked with them for many years. I really enjoy working with these clients and have spent a good bit of time reading and studying this industry. I have toured several related businesses and talked with numerous companies in the industry. But an opportunity to have an in-depth experience similar to the dairy farm has not presented itself and may never. So,

What this all comes down to is improving our own knowledge of our industry. It doesn’t help for us to spend a day on a dairy farm learning about a client’s business if we can’t bring a level of experience and expertise in our business to the table. We’ve got to stay sharp. And that means getting involved in this industry. Listening to the experts, talking to our peers, being a part of industry associations and attending industry events such as EXHIBITORLIVE and EDPA ACCESS. At least at these events, though, you don’t have to hold the insides of a cow in your hands. That was a very special moment.

See you on the show foor.

Jim Obermeyer has been in the exhibits and events industry 40 years, both as a corporate tradeshow manager and exhibit house owner. He can be reached at jobermeyer903@gmail.com

Cow Bellies and Jet Fuel

Cow Bellies and Jet Fuel

Tradeshows Work

Despite rising costs and recession concerns, tradeshows are steadily rebounding from the pandemic lockdown. Last year, shows achieved good numbers: several posted their best statistics in history, some exceeded 100,000 attendees, and many others showed significant gains over 2021. Even better, shows are of to a great start this year: CES, Concrete, SHOT and NRF were all impressive (CES had more than double the number of people who attended the 2022 show). Design & Construction Week in Vegas attracted 200,000 people and produced their best metrics in the past 10 years. EuroShop 2023 attracted great crowds and rave reviews. CONEXPO/CONAGG 2023 will likely establish a new record for total square feet of exhibit space.

By Bob McGlincy

Business is booming, and

the reason is simple: Tradeshows work. They generate sales, promote brand awareness, retain customers, foster prospects and satisfy curiosity seekers, and they allow for networking, friendship, fun, education and an exchange of ideas. Tradeshows create jobs and craft communities. Several recent studies have publicized positive post-pandemic trends. A recent Freeman report stated fourth quarter attendance in 2022 was 87 percent of the same period in 2019. (It is more important to remember that it isn’t the quantity of attendees that matters, it is the quality.) An Event Marketer survey proclaimed that event budgets are increasing, and that a majority in 2023 will surpass their budgets of 2019. CEIR has predicted a full recovery in all metrics in 2024. This is encouraging news.

Tradeshows are multi-faceted and multi-dimensional: business malls displaying and selling products, convention centers connecting people, mini-universities ofering relevant education, fnancial engines powering local economies. Nothing beats the power of face-to-face. In August 2001, I spoke at TS2 and was asked about virtual reality and the future of tradeshows. I answered with a question: “If you were married today, would you want a virtual honeymoon or a real one?” A lot of advances have been made in the virtual world in the past 20-plus years, but I think my question is still a valid one: What would you choose—virtual or real?

Tradeshows stimulate the senses in a live 3D environment. Think about what you experience as you walk onto a major show foor—it’s almost a sensory overload with the sounds, the crowds, the colors, the excitement, the products, the brands, the solutions, the designs, the architecture. You can feel the energy of the show foor. You

can see and talk with people, look them in the eye, shake their hands, look for micro expressions. You can touch and compare products. On some shows you can relish the smells, taste and texture of food and beverage samples. Tradeshows transform an empty building into a magical, marketing extravaganza.

Tradeshows make dollars and sense. They create value, and are arguably still the most cost-efective marketing medium that exists today. They provide the opportunity for business. But moving forward, the industry needs to also focus on creating memorable experiences. We need to know, understand and engage audiences. We need to give exhibitors and attendees reasons to travel and spend money.

Tradeshows make magic. We need to help deliver it.

Bob McGlincy is director, business management at Willwork Global Event Services. Willwork creates engaging, energized, and exceptional event experiences. Bob can be contacted at Bob.McGlincy@willwork.com.

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A View from the Show Floor

Exhibit City News sat down with Jef Quade, EVP Exhibitions for GES, a global full-service provider for the exhibitions industry. Quade leads the exhibition services and accommodations business units for GES and onPeak, a leading provider of event accommodations. A long-time veteran of the exhibition industry, Quade has held multiple business development and operational leadership roles during his 29 years with GES.

tage of educational opportunities, explore new products and services, and network.

Calanit Atia: What is GES focused on for 2023?

member to answer questions and provide assistance with ordering on GES shows.

Calanit Atia: What makes GES an industry leader?

By Calanit Atia

Calanit Atia: What are your thoughts on the success of tradeshows this year?

Jef Quade: Last year ended very strong with many shows at their pre-pandemic level. That strength has continued in 2023, and our team is excited to be back on the show foor, helping connect people to innovation, experiences and each other. Many people changed positions, started with a new company or switched industries in the previous year, so we need to help those folks be successful at the shows they participate in. Attendees are returning to travel and are ready to experience exhibitions with colleagues, take advan-

Jef Quade: We are focused on our mission, providing user-friendly services and best-in-class execution. We are continuing to refne our GES Plus Series, launched in 2022, and are rolling out new oferings such as ECO Exhibit Systems+, inline exhibit booths with customizable graphics printed on a sustainable fabric blend. The GES Plus Series is specifcally designed to make exhibiting simple and cost-efective, ofering a hassle-free experience for exhibitors. It also provides added value to exhibitors and organizers by packaging labor and materials, consolidating rate structures, ofering discounts and simplifying invoices.

Calanit Atia: And beyond 2023?

Jef Quade: We are focusing on an exciting new ofering for EACs [Exhibitor Appointed Contractors] in 2023. We will be rolling out the EAC Pro Desk, an opportunity for EACs that frequently work with GES to have a dedicated staf

Jef Quade: We listen to our organizer clients and the companies that exhibit at their shows. With the tremendous infux of new individuals in the industry, we need to make exhibiting easy, predictable and hassle-free. We are focused on maximizing show foor presence and providing budget-friendly options. Over the past two years we have simplifed our pricing and services, making them easier to order and focused on price transparency with GES Material Handling+, ofering per pound pricing and three rates.

For additional info, visit GES.com

Calanit Atia is an award winning event planner and entrepreneur. Air Force Veteran, Founder and President of A to Z Events, Las Vegas DMC, Entertainment and Booth Activity Agency, and Speaker. She can be contacted at 702-212-2500, Info@ AtoZevents.com, www.AtoZevents.com, www.twitter.com/CalanitAtia www.linkedin.com/in/calanit, www.instagram.com/calanitati

GES IPPE 2023

Jeff Quade

How Many Whoppers Are There?

Since neither the Denver Broncos nor the Green Bay Packers were playing in this year’s Super Bowl, I only had two reasons to be excited about watching the big game. As a Nevada resident, I was fascinated by the incredible variety of “prop” bets available and the bookmakers’ ability to inject humor and creativity into their oferings. And this year, I was particularly interested to see what the nation’s top consumer marketing professionals were doing creatively.

I had read online that Burger King was not going to advertise on the Super Bowl this year. Like many of my fellow Americans, I can sing their crazy jingle in my head for hours, and the other day I told my husband that I think there were more than two kinds of whoppers. “Right! Regular and junior, isn’t it?”

he replied. So I confess: I Googled “number of whopper variations available at Burger King.” You may be surprised that some say the actual number of Whopper types is nine, while other sights say 10. My sense is that only burger connoisseurs can name fve. From my search, I learned that there is an Angry Whopper, Ghost Whopper, a Whopperito and still more. Knowing corporate marketing people as I do, I think we can conclude that the coming years will ofer us such new variants as the passive-aggressive Whopper, Whopperetti and Dim Sum Whopper.

refected on how I became involved in international tradeshows. Being able to speak German helped.

square meters) of exhibit space was in many cases 10 or 15 times bigger than a typical American convention center.

By Liese Peterson

What do Whoppers have in common with tradeshows?

I’ve been in the exhibit industry for more than 20 years, and for this article, I

I very clearly remember the CEO of Exhibitgroup-Giltspurthe, frst exhibit building company I worked for, telling me about the German Whoppers. One was referred to primarily as “Hannover,” and another was “international hardware” or “Cologne.” Then there was “bauma” in Munich and so many more. I asked several people why they were known as being so large. The responses I got from most Americans was, “I don’t know, I haven’t been there,” but for those who had been, the answer became clear: not only were the shows themselves attracting far more attendees, but the square feet (well,

The first time I went to “Hannover” (correctly named Messe Hannover, which means Hannover Trade Fair), I had been to McCormick Place and the Las Vegas Convention Center many times. I wondered how much bigger than these two venues they could be. The answer was simple: They were really whoppers. The “Messe” or tradefair grounds in Germany (and in other key cities in Europe) are so large that they hold the equivalent of eight, 10 or more “convention centers” on each campus. The fairgrounds are so large that there often are shuttle buses or carts that also take people from place to place. They’re like small cities, and all of this is buyer-friendly because instead of making each building a catch-all for any

type of exhibitor, the show organizer sets things up to be conducive to people making purchases. I’ve often said that European tradeshows are more about purchasing than they are “shopping” or “browsing,” and even though new product introductions drive tradeshow exhibits in a huge way, just as in America, the Europeans use tradeshows to cement both deals and relationships to a much greater extent than is done in America, where walking the show floor can be done in a day.

One reason for this is that European sellers consider the sales process one that is more about matching the right product at the right price to the right application, than it is developing short-lived friendships with salespeople focused on promotion rather than a long-term commitment between supplier and client. Both approaches can lead to business success, but it’s

important for many American frst-time exhibitors to realize that the high pressure or glitzy approach may not help them in the same way as they would, in say, Chicago or Las Vegas. It also means that when some Europeans exhibit for the frst time in US cities, they are not sufciently aggressive in pre-show marketing or at-show sales development. Both approaches can lead to business success.

Let’s return now for a moment to the topic of “whopper” shows, because as I was reminiscing, I also thought about how diferent this year’s whopper shows are from the two dozen or so I was aware of when I began in international exhibiting. Hannover is still in the top fve with more than 5,000 coming to Hannover in April of this year. Not surprisingly, the Hardware show has slipped down and is more of a whopper Junior. In the year 2000, big-box retailers didn’t dominate the hardware

market, making the hardware tradeshow a must if the manufacturers of hardware items wanted to reach local buyers. This means that those of us in the exhibit industry must rethink the future of the shows that have traditionally served our bottom line.

Here’s a challenge: How well do you know today’s “whopper shows”? To answer that question for myself, I went to thetradeshowcalendar. com and picked a sponsor whose version I could see on the screen. I didn’t limit my search at all. First, I sorted the listing by numbers of exhibitors. I expected the Consumer Electronics Show to be in the top fve and it was. Next, I clicked on the number of attendees, and it was sorted from most to fewest attendees.

Another stunning result!

I was, as an alumna of the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh, surprised and delighted to see that the EAA fy-in put Oshkosh on the

map when the data are sorted by attendees. One does get a lot of confrmation that food and transportation are still monster drivers in the success of tradeshows, both by numbers of exhibitors and numbers of attendees. I have attended the giant SIAL tradeshow (food) in Paris, but not in Shanghai, and was surprised to see it appear in 10th place, which is only logical when viewed from a distribution standpoint.

How many whoppers are there? More than 10, and if you haven’t done so already, visit thetradeshowcalendar. com and see if there are some you don’t want to miss. For the record, there are Burger King restaurants in Europe, and you don’t need to speak German to get your favorite Whopper served with an order of fries. Be sure to visit one (even if just for the experience) when your next tradeshow takes you to Europe. Or China!

How I’m Sticking to My Personal Goals as a Business Owner

Iset some really big goals for myself this year in order to compensate for the past few. I had been laser-focused on building a company from the ground up—an allhands-on-deck experience to say the least.

I didn’t really have that much time to figure out my personal goals, so at the beginning of this year, my first goal was to have concise and achievable goals for different areas of my life—quality time with family, personal health and fun. The separation between these areas provided clarity and made it easier for me to put a plan into action.

Some people think that as a business owner you’re magically good at keeping your life together, but entrepreneurs, or most likely solopre-

neurs, will understand that at times it gets really hard to separate business from personal life.

And that’s one of the reasons why I had been reluctant to make a set of goals solely for my personal life. Several aspects of my day-to-day have changed thanks to my business, so it is only logical to make a clear distinction between the two, because even if they are closely related, they are not siblings.

By Paco Collazo

The frst step into growing my business was to accept that I needed help, and that meant hiring and leading other people. Even though I had previous experience in hiring and training when I worked for other people, my goal now as a business owner

was a bit diferent: build value into our company by keeping clients happy while having steady growth. One of my most important goals that has remained throughout the years is having a healthy work-life balance. In order to have a successful business, I need to take care of my personal relationships and growth. I think that having good relationships with other people has given me an acute sense of the way a business relationship should be built.

And for this reason, it is key to refect on the ways our personal goals drive us to be better leaders. This motivates me to pursue them and keep myself accountable, considering that further down the road all of this discipline and

these skills achieved through my personal intentions can translate into efectively leading other people and running a business.

It’s difficult to stay motivated when times are tough—a looming recession, limited resources, including sourcing personnel, and other social circumstances— but this is why we love this job. It is always challenging and never boring. That’s why practicing discipline in areas parallel to your career helps you stay on track.

So even if these areas are not siblings, it doesn’t mean that they are strangers to each other. It’s useful to recognize that these two can coexist successfully and furthermore, potentially give you great insight into the ways you can improve your work.

AI for Events?

by Sven Bossu, CEO AIPC

Artifcial Intelligence (AI) is transforming human society in fundamental and profound ways. It is no longer about playing chess. AI is now being used for developing new antibiotics, for education and for writing articles. It is touching on a rapidly growing number of aspects of society, including events.

Two years ago, AIPC held its annual conference in Lausanne at the Swiss Tech Convention Center, at the heart of a university campus. One of the speakers was Wictor Burie, who developed intelligent fooring for convention centers. For me, it was an eye-opener on the value AI can bring to events, both at the level of the attendee experience and at the level of the management of the event.

Looking at the level of attendee experience, there are the obvious ones, like the use of facial recognition for the event check-in process. Not only will this result in a shorter processing time, but it makes the check-in safer as there is no contact required. Another one are the chatbots, which are multichannel solutions that are easy to implement and to use.

However, the more interesting routes to explore are about the use of data. As the 231 million users of Netfix will know, the streaming service ofers recommendations based on your use of the platform (it is quite interesting to compare the suggestions made to you with those made to your children). The same can be done at the level of an event, especially those events that have a high level of recurrent delegates and last for several days. In a previous life, I managed SIBOS, the largest fnancial event bringing together 8,000 senior bankers for four days. The conference program is com-

posed of diferent streams, all ofering great content brought by excellent speakers. However, for the delegates it is a real challenge to navigate themselves through the diferent topics and create the agenda that is the best ft for them. AI comes into play precisely in that scenario. Provided that attendees give their authorization, AI can analyze their interests, geographical location, social media data, career experience, etc. Additionally, it can analyze past behavioral data. Subsequently, AI can give curated recommendations on sessions to attend and exhibitors to visit.

Another challenge for delegates is networking. The AIPC annual conference is relatively small (150-180 attendees), allowing delegates to (almost) meet/connect with all the participants. For large conference like SIBOS, this is far less the case, and we all know that meeting people is the most valuable element of a conference. Once again, if allowed by the attendees, matchmaking engines powered by AI can analyze attendees’ profles and behavior and suggest meetings with like-minded peers or suitable exhibitors (a bit like Tinder for business).

Next to better attendee experience, there are also clear wins for the organizer

and venue. Cost reduction is one of them, since AI can automate many of the tasks that otherwise would need to be required by an actual person. For example, the facial recognition mentioned earlier also means that far less staf is needed for the check-in process.

But the most interesting part sits with the data, and I believe this is the level where venue and organizer need to become partners. AI in events shouldn’t just be used to ofer a better service to the delegate during the event, but also to collect, organize, and analyze attendee data throughout the event. This will allow people to obtain a better insight into delegates’ behavior and improve future events. This is, of course, important for the organizer, but also for the venue. As an example, the use of “heatmaps” to analyze the movement-behavior of delegates in the building will provide venues a fact-based view on how delegates navigate through the facilities, allowing venue sales staf to provide unique value to their customers when it comes to designing the event.

In a period where customer experience is everything, AI is the way to go for all parties involved in organizing successful event. One more reason to create true partnerships between them.

Sven Bossu

Generative AI created

Reimagining Our Business

Omnichannel as a value creator

by Chris Kappes

What business are we in? In the ’80s, you were an exhibit house. In the ’90s, you were an exhibit agency. In the 2000s, you were an exhibit/event marketing frm. Today, you’re an “Experiential Marketing frm.” Change is inevitable. Evolution is necessary. Is omnichannel next?

Consider this. Today’s buyers have more channels to choose from than ever, which presents both a challenge and an opportunity for our industry. The challenge: diversifcation. The opportunity: ofering a more comprehensive integrated solution suite. Omnichannel marketing is a holistic approach that provides a seamless customer experience across all touchpoints, including the website, social media, events, physical stores and mobile apps. The traditional linear sales funnel is no longer applicable in today’s marketplace. The customer sales cycle has evolved, with consumers’ buying behavior and technological advancements playing a major role. The typical customer sales cycle has changed dramatically:

» Awareness: Prospects become aware of brands through social media, search engines, advertising and word-of-mouth.

» Research: Prospects research the brand, its products and services by visiting the website, reading reviews and seeking information from friends and family.

» Comparison: Prospects compare the brand to competitors and evaluate whether it meets their needs and expectations.

» Engagement: Prospects engage with the brand through channels such as email, social media, chatbots or customer service.

» Purchase: Prospects make a purchase through the brand’s website, mobile app or physical store.

» Post-purchase: The brand continues to engage with the customer through follow-up communications, service and support, building customer loyalty and encouraging repeat business.

» Advocacy: Satisfied customers become brand advocates and recommend the brand to others, expanding its reach and impact.

This new sales cycle is circular, not linear, suggesting the buyer-seller relationship is continuous and optimally operating like a pinwheel; omnichannel engagement powers the pinwheel from buyer awareness to purchase.

Access is Key

About 3,500 marketing decision-makers in 12 markets (and over 21,000 since 2016), surveyed by McKinsey & Company shared they want “more”—more channels, more convenience and a more personalized experience.” And if they don’t get what they’re looking for, they’ll take their business elsewhere.

At Circle, my employer, (and like many of you reading this) we excel at creating memorable brand experiences for our customers through our expertise in event and exhibit marketing. However,

this alone is not enough to grow our value proposition with buyers. Omnichannel marketing is a crucial strategy for our business to stay relevant and competitive. By providing a seamless customer experience across all touchpoints and adapting to changing customer needs, we establish Circle as “Value Creators” and develop a sustainable value proposition.

Omnichannel Marketing in Practice

Just as we create, by persona, a guest experience for a tradeshow/event, we do the same when creating an omnichannel marketing strategy with emphasis on:

» Customer Data: Gathering, storing and analyzing data from both online and offline interactions.

» Integrated Marketing Campaigns: Creating a consistent message and brand experience that engages audiences where they live, work and play.

» Personalization: Personalize marketing efforts and tailor experiences.

» Tracking and Measurement: Track and measure marketing efforts across multiple channels to improve campaigns.

» Alignment: Create close collaboration and alignment between different teams such as marketing, sales, customer service and e-commerce

» Adaptability: Evolve marketing efforts in response to changing customer needs.

In the next issue, we’ll share how prominent omnichannel marketers use it and challenges in deploying it.

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The World’s Largest Tradeshows

BY BOB MCGLINCY

What is, or was, the largest tradeshow in the world?

Any show with more than 500 exhibitors, 10,000 attendees or 100,000 net square feet of exhibit space is a large show (think of the logistics, time and money to produce such a show). Of course, some shows are much larger. Prior to the pandemic, SEMA attracted 161,879 people, Magic had 4,797 exhibitors and CES had 2,930,421 square feet of exhibit space (and 4,550 exhibitors). MWC Barcelona had 109,000 attendees and 2,400 exhibitors, the Frankfurt Book Show had 7,300 exhibitors and 286,000 attendees, the Chicago Auto Show attracted almost a million people and the Paris Air Show in 2019 had 2,453 exhibitors, 1,345,485 square feet of space, 316,420 attendees and a staggering $140 billion in sales orders.

The largest show in the United States in 2023 (in terms of size) will be ConExpo-Con/Agg, with more than 2.7 million square feet of exhibit space. Similar machinery shows in Europe and Asia have been two to three times this size. (In 2016, Bauma Munich had 6.5 million square feet with 580,000 attendees and 3,423

exhibitors; Bauma China was even bigger.) The largest show in the world this year will be the biannual Canton Fair in Guangzhou, China; this show covers 12.7 million square feet of indoor/outdoor space, and typically has 25,000 exhibitors. As huge as this event is, it still pales in comparison with some of the expositions of the late 19th century, with four shows recording more than 50,000 exhibitors.

Some claim that expositions and world’s fairs are not truly tradeshows—they are spectacles, a once-in-a-lifetime event. And to a degree it’s true; historians tend to focus on the architectural and cultural aspects of these events. But each exposition listed above had an active tradeshow foor. Consider, for example, Chicago.

Businesses came to the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair to show their inventions, display products and most importantly, to sell items. They sold to consumers and businesses on the show foor and made contact for sales after the show. Some familiar brands making a name for themselves at this show were Quaker Oats, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Aunt Jemima, Cream of Wheat, Shredded Wheat, Juicy Fruit and Cracker Jack.

But, that’s only part of the story. There were more than 65,000 exhibitors in Chicago, with a total show footprint of nearly 30 million square feet. Eleven main buildings totaled 3.8 million square feet of exhibit space (more than a million square feet larger than all of McCormick Place today); these buildings created a series of smaller, specifc shows within the Exposition.

The largest building, Manufacturing, housed 1,327,669 square feet of exhibit space on one level, with exhibit galleries above. The main aisle was 50 feet wide, and throughout the building, one could view achievements in science, art and industry. Exhibits from around the world included

shoes, clothing, textiles, glassware, jewelry, musical instruments, scientifc instruments, medical supplies, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, bicycles, ceramics, metal work (including a massive wroughtiron gate from Germany that sold for $25,000 after the show), furniture, literature, research instruments, breads, beer, pens, chocolate, Egyptian cigarettes, Cuban cigars and much, much more.

Machinery Hall, with almost a half million square feet of space, housed the giant Allis Corliss quadruple expansion steam engine. It weighed 135,900 pounds and powered the dynamos that electrifed the show. Displays in the noisy earsplitting hall includ-

ed motors, pumps, hand tools, power tools, sewing machines, boilers, printers and packaging machines. One machine boxed three tons of cofee into individual one-pound bags daily, and then these bags were sold onsite. (Chase & Sanborn’s “Seal Brand” cofee was the ofcial cofee of the Columbian Exposition.)

While not the largest building—only 314,550 square feet of exhibit space—the Electricity Building housed some of the most important, impressive and future-centered products and inventions of the Fair, such as alternating current, Edison’s “Tower of Light,” the frst seismograph, a primitive motion-picture machine, search lights, incubators, stage lights, arc lamps, elevators, fre alarms, switchboards, dynamos, incandescent lights, generators, wires, phonographs, heaters, drills, batteries, fans, phones and more motors. The Board of Judges awarded 213 “Best Exhibit in Class” awards in this building to 74 domestic companies and 37 foreign companies.

Tradeshows are business events bringing buyers and sellers together into one place, at one time. Visitors attended the Exposition because it was the place to be, and they were

“wowed” by what they saw. Below are a dozen exhibiting companies from the summer of 1893, a small sampling of success stories from the show.

General Electric. J. P. Morgan and Thomas Edison spent more than a half million dollars ($16.4 million in 2023 dollars) to display their new company at the show. GE won 32 best-in-class awards, including one for Edison’s Kinetoscope.

Westinghouse. Alternating current lit the Exposition, producing 10 times the power of the 1889 Paris Expo. Nikola Tesla enthralled visitors with the magic of lightning bolts, neon lights and a magnetically spinning “copper egg.” The company won 14 “Bests.”

American Bell Telephone ofered free long-distance calls to the east and hooked up phonographs to broadcast to distant concert halls.

Western Electric. One of two companies co-founded by Elisha Gray, it became a major manufacturer for American Bell. For their pavilion, they built an electrifed replica of an Egyptian temple from 1800 BC and won 8 “Bests.”

Graybar. At the fair, Elisha Gray’s “telautograph” transmitted handwriting over distances via a two-wire circuit;

Gray called his transmission a “fac-simile.”

H J Heinz. With multiple displays, Heinz was the largest commercial food exhibitor at the show. The company ofered free samples, gave away pickle-shaped watchchain charms to select customers, and ofered more than a million green pickle pins to booth visitors—possibly the biggest tradeshow give-away in history.

Remington displayed 40 typewriters, each one designed for diferent languages, including one that was all numbers and numerical symbols.

Venice Murano Glass, from Italy, provided glass blowing demonstrations to attract crowds, and then sold their product on the show foor. Tifany. Although already successful, Louis Tifany further separated himself from his father’s jewelry company when he started a new company in 1892. His Tifany Pavilion displayed large glass screens and panels, as well as a selection of lamps.

U.S. Wind Energy and Pump Company exhibited outdoors, displaying windmills that powered Midwest farms.

Adams Express Company. One of the oldest companies listed on the New York Stock

Exchange, it became Adams Funds decades after the show. Garris-Cochrane Company. At the fair, this company won the prize for “best mechanical construction, durability and adaption to its line of work.”

The invention? The frst automatic dishwasher. The inventor? Josephine Cochrane, a Chicago socialite. When her husband unexpectedly died, leaving her nothing but debt, she designed and produced a pressurized hot-water, compartmentalized dish-washing machine. She showcased it at the Fair, sold the appliance to nine restaurants, and took show-site orders for future business. In 1897, she opened a new factory and renamed the company; it was acquired by KitchenAid in 1926.

The 1893 Chicago World’s Fair had something for everyone: culture, architecture, education, excitement, entertainment, fun and jobs. At its core, it was a tradeshow. It had displays, inventions, promotions, giveaways, contests, conferences and networking. It had exhibitors. It had sales. And it made a proft for its investors—more than $33,000,000 in 2023 dollars!

Was the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair the largest show ever? Depends on one’s defnition of “largest.” Paris in 1900 was larger in terms of attendees and number of exhibitors, but not in terms of total square footage, revenue, proftability (Paris lost money) or historical impact.

After 1900, World’s Fairs had an increasingly smaller trade show presence and individual tradeshows slowly became larger and more numerous.

Denver Airport

Airport Code: DEN

Location: 8500 Peña Blvd, Denver, Colorado

Date Opened: February 28, 1995

Size: 52.4 square miles; it’s the largest airport in the western hemisphere and second only to King Fahd Airport in Saudi Arabia. DEN has one terminal, the Jeppesen Terminal, and three mid-feld concourses, totaling 179 gates. Five of the airport’s runways are 12,000 feet long and a sixth runs 16,000 feet.

Transportation: The A Line rail service operated by the Regional Transportation District (RTD) runs between DEN and Denver Union Station in downtown Denver. The RTD also runs the SkyRide express bus service to Boulder from DEN.

On-site facilities: The airport has bag check service, battery charging stations, bicycle parking, nursing rooms, more than 170 restaurants, shops and services, and free wi-f. The Final Approach cell phone waiting lot has restaurants and indoor restrooms.

Fun Facts: The Denver International Airport has the DEN CATs team, which is made up of volunteer pet owners and handlers who are registered with a recognized pet therapy association. These volunteers circulate throughout the airport for friendly pet visits with stressed and weary travelers.

DEN has almost 600 snow removal specialists trained in snow management. They can clear a runway in less than 15 minutes and they clear so much snow that the airport has 11 melters to melt snow at upward of 600 tons per hour.

Website: fydenver.com

Brumark's team prepares flooring for installation

Flooring Installers Share the Tricks and Tools of Their Trade

WRITING AND PHOTOS BY JEANNE BREI

When asked about their favorite tools, fooring installers tend to have similar answers. From cushion backs to power stretchers (also known as “the crab” because it pulls seams together) to the Bradley (also known as the “shark” or the “plow”), knives, Kline cutters, loop pile, staple guns and knee pads, to Keen steel-toed sneakers, forklifts and cell phones—fooring installers have a lot of tools and tricks in their toolbox.

Exhibit City News headed out to talk to some of the best fooring installers in the business who were all hard

at work at press time—in Austin, Texas, McNabb’s Paul Jensen, Benny Horne and Wes Gallegos were setting up SXSW 2023. In Las Vegas, ConExpo/ConAg had several companies busy, including Brumark’s ECN ACE Jesus Rodriguez and his team that included Louis Wantraba and Antonio Vazquez Cruz setting up the Gencor booth outside at the LVCC as well as a Brumark Chicago contingent that included Tim Mescall (currently based in Orlando), Joel Aderman and his son Joel R. and his brother Johnny Aderman, who had fown in

for ConExpo and were setting up the Volvo booth at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds. Las Vegan Kelly Lewin’s World Class Services, Inc. (which began as a woman-owned business owned by Lewin’s wife Peggy), installed fooring for 35 booths at this year’s ConExpo, and was also at the festival grounds setting up the Honda booth with his son, Kelly Lewin Jr., Michael Gum, Melvin Kyle, Ethan Webb and Michael Rogers. We also spoke with GES’ carpet foremen Eric Jepson and Gina Harmon, along with GES’ senior operations manager for

carpet, Daniel Lloyd, as they were preparing to lay the carpet for the AWCI (Association for Wall & Ceiling Industry) show at the Paris Hotel & Casino. Meanwhile, back in Chicago, Art Corona’s team had just fnished tear down of the International Home & Housewares Show and were getting ready to install fooring for the upcoming Promat Expo at McCormick Place.

The tools of the trade have come a long way from when the installers would need to sew up the seams by hand prior to the Bradley, which was invented by a Local 631

fooring installer in Las Vegas, and allows for the installation of two-sided tape to pull together two carpet sections into one seam. Other recent developments include adding six-inch Big Red tape to the usual array of one- and threeinch tapes so that the carpet doesn’t shift when people walk it. As GES’ Lloyd explains, “The six-inch. low-tack Big Red tape is needed when it’s carpet being laid on top of carpet—so that it doesn’t shift and it doesn’t leave a residue on the ballroom carpet when it’s being pulled up.”

GES’ Jepson, who’s been doing flooring for more than 20 years, recommends Keen steel-toed sneakers or work boots because, he explains, “A 10-by-91-footer of carpet is around 330 pounds and you go through a lot of shoes when you’re kicking it if you’re not wearing Keen steel-toed or thick rubber-tipped shoes.” Jepson had been in training for a decorator foreman position when they were short-handed in carpet and asked him to help out, and he just decided to stay on doing flooring. Fellow GES carpet foreman Gina Harmon had also done an apprenticeship for everything I&D, including a lot of carpet, and decided to specialize in doing carpet for the last 15 years because she says, “I like doing the inlays and special designs.”

Flooring isn’t only carpet, however; it can also include vinyl or turf, but that’s usually at the request of an exhibitor. According to Lloyd, “Most show organizers request carpet, it’s

L-R: McNabb’s Paul Jensen, Benny Horne and Wes Gallegos in Austin, Texas, setting up SXSW 2023.

L-R: Michael Gum, Melvin Kyle, Ethan Webb, Michael Rogers, Kelly Lewin Jr., and Kelly Lewin Sr. from World Class Services, Inc. setting up the Honda booth at the ConExpo Festival Grounds.

L-R: GES’ Senior Operations Manager for Carpet Daniel Lloyd with GES carpet foremen Gina Harmon and Eric Jepson at GES headquarters

the individual exhibitor who might ask for vinyl or turf for their booth.” Several installers said their least favorite fooring to install is a needle punch carpet that feels like felt. As for what would make their job easier, the answer was nearly unanimous: If exhibitors could get their orders in early for electrical and everything they need, it would mean never having to roll the carpet back up and having to lay it over again because the exhibitor had forgotten to order something. They also all said they agree that it is great to be back working and seeing the tradeshows back at pre-lockdown attendance numbers and growing.

Chicago's ExhibitTec flooring installers working on ProMat at McCormick Place, L-R, top row: Oscar Montoya, Jesus Vargas, Donald Ryan, Efrain Antunez, Juan Jose Sotelo, Geronimo Sotelo, Gabriel Rodriguez, Josiah Rodriguez; middle row: Ramon Ramo, Juan Rangel, Julien Sylva, Milton Gama; bottom row: John Matassa, Art Corona, Isaiah Corona and Brandon Vargas.

The Fifth Wall

by Emily Olson

Technically, Inside Track is in the business of tradeshow and event fooring, and has been for 25 years. But when you ask CEO Dave Sterne what The Inside Track does, his answer reveals his true ambition. “We specialize in making a client’s vision come to life and combine that with personal customer service,” he says. “That really drives us.”

His clients are exhibit houses helping their clients captivate people at a tradeshow. “The key to fooring seems to be making it experiential,” says Sterne, who makes it his mission to stay up-to-date on current trends in the industry.

“The largest area in any booth is the foor,” he says. “It’s this huge space where you can really experiment to create

an interesting environment.” The Inside Track introduced custom printed fooring in 2010—and won a buyer’s choice award at EXHIBITORLIVE—so their experience gives them a strong base from which to provide guidance. “We did a foor that looked like water. We made another one that looked like landscaping grass. We created a foor that looked like a blueprint for a builders show. We once made the foor lava!” he says.

Sustainability often comes up in conversations about fooring, and Sterne has a unique take on it. “We’re always pushing the envelope and doing R&D to fnd out what works for the industry. For example, we introduced easy-down planks made with recycled material. It’s efcient and reusable, and some of our clients have been using these planks for seven years,” he says.

Another thing always top-of-mind for The Inside Track is speed of install on the

show foor. Sterne is particularly proud of a project they did for Concept 360, whose client was Crayola’s agency, because of its complexity. Concept 360 wanted fooring sections in stripes of custom colors— which was no problem—but those stripes had to line up with coordinating colors on the wall panels. “It had to be dead on,” says Sterne. “It took a lot of coordination between my team and the client, and in the end, it was installed quickly and it looked great!”

Creativity, sustainability and bringing vision to life are the things that make The Inside Track stand out. But Sterne knows that the show foor is what matters most. “Anybody can install our tradeshow fooring,” he says. “We make it easy.”

For more than 25 years, industry professionals have counted on The Inside Track for carpet inlays, custom printed ooring, raised oors, rollable vinyl, and cut pile carpet.

For stress-free ooring, contact us today:

404.876.5900

office@theinsidetrackinc.com

Custom Printed Flooring Carpet Inlays

The flooring had to match the wall panels perfectly.

K&S International Flooring

STEPPING INTO THE NEXT GENERATION

BY DANELLE DODDS

When Lorin or Jen Glazer talk about their dad, Ken Glazer, you can hear the admiration in their voices. Known in his circles as an entrepreneur, Ken saw opportunity literally from the ground up. After attending countless tradeshows, Ken realized that the fooring was a problem for exhibitors. Exhibitors couldn't use fooring distinguish themselves on the show foor, and the options were hard on exhibitors’ feet.

Seeing a hole in the marketplace, Ken created K&S International Flooring in 1996, and the company became the go-to for anti-fatigue, customizable tradeshow fooring.

Soon after pioneering their interlocking comfort tiles, K&S introduced customizable options. Customers’ artwork turned into vibrant, tradeshow fooring. One of the highlights of their multi-decade legacy was turning their Sierra Raised Hardwood Floor into an acrylic fsh tank that people could walk on.

When the world shut down in 2020, Ken realized it was time for a pivot and tapped into resources on his family tree.

In 2020, Lorin and Jen were in cyber space, working in online marketing. Sharing their father’s entrepreneurial spirit, they owned their own agency and were helping companies gain visibility during the dark time of the pandemic. And while they had cut their teeth

at K&S in high school, they were not focused on fooring.

However, they realized their talents could beneft their father’s company, and the three of them started working on a rebrand. Soon, they were immersed in a website launch, marketing materials revamp and a brand refresh.

Business started booming. Customers were reintroduced to the company, and Lorin and Jen found themselves more and more entrenched into the day-to-day operation. So, when the opportunity came for Ken to pass the torch, it was a logical move for them to run with it.

Lorin and Jen are now president and vice president of K&S International Flooring, respectively. And if the last year is any indication, their new company direction for tradeshow fooring is up!

In 2022, K&S was awarded a coveted EXHIBITORLIVE Buyers Choice Award for their LVP Comfort Interlocking Tiles. It was a stunning achievement under the reign of the next generation. “It was a great motivator,” says Lorin, who was there to accept the award with surprise and delight. “It was an acknowledgement of all our hard work. It showed that we were going in the right direction.”

This trajectory shows no sign of stopping. Both Lorin and Jen are committed to continuing the evolution of

K&S, without losing touch of their company’s DNA. As customer-focused institution, they have always kept their clients as their top priority. Using their experience in the tech world, they are committed to making their products easier for their remote buyers to access and use. In addition, their passion for the planet is strengthening their desire for minimal environmental impact. “Our products are lightweight and easy to pack in and out. Less weight means less drayage and less carbon footprint. And they are reusable!” says Jen.

The women say they are excited about continuing to connect in-person with their customers. “The shows have been extremely helpful for us,” Lorin says. “People want to be in front of each other, and these shows allow us to show off our products in person.”

And what about their dad? When asked if he is still involved in the day-to-day, both women laugh when they fondly reply, “Oh, he’ll always be involved!”

It is obvious they’ve both inherited their big-picture thinking from him. “To watch an entrepreneur do what they do is an inspiration,” Lorin confesses. “You always want your dad to be proud of you. So, to be able to follow in his footsteps is a huge achievement for us.”

EXHIBITORLIVE Preview

Folks in the events industry look forward every year to EXHIBITORLIVE because it gives them the opportunity to be with their colleagues in the industry—people who get it. At last year's iteration of the event, which took place at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas in June, there was a lot of talk on the show floor. Would new ownership negatively impact the event? Was

it going to happen in 2023 at all? Were the rumors about Louisville true? Now we know the answers to those questions, and they're "No," "Yes" and "Yes!" On the following pages, we tell you all you need to know, straight from the mouth of Exhibitor Group CEO Dan Raynak, and give you the inside scoop on new educational opportunities available this year so you can stay on top of the latest industry trends.

A Conversation with Dan Raynak, CEO of Exhibitor Group

BY CELESTIA WARD

EXHIBITORLIVE, the much-anticipated gathering of tradeshow professionals and corporate event marketing managers, is set to take place in Louisville, Kentucky, April 23 - 26. We sat down with Dan Raynak, president and CEO of Exhibitor Group, to fnd out what EXHIBITORLIVE has in store for 2023.

Celestia Ward: How is this year’s show diferent from past events?

Dan Raynak: The frst big diference is that we have moved the show from Las Vegas to Louisville. The second big diference is that we have redrawn our show foor. The purpose of the new confguration is to provide more high-trafc foor space (ie, more valuable real estate for more exhibitors). You will also see that we turned EXHIBITORLIVE into an acronym. LIVE stands for Learn, Interact, View and Explore. We wanted to make sure it was easy for someone to explain to their management and friends what EXHIBITORLIVE was all about.

We are all in the business of delivering memorable experiences for our clients, and we are doing everything we can to create an amazing experience in this new

setting. We are having Steve Buttleman, the ofcial bugler for the Kentucky Derby, kick of the show for us. We have a blanket party planned during Thunder over Louisville, where we are inviting people to join us for the largest freworks display in the country. Lastly, we are hosting a CEO roundtable at Churchill Downs, with about 30 leaders coming together to enjoy a very exclusive experience as well as discuss the biggest issues facing our industry.

Celestia Ward: After years in Las Vegas, why is the show moving to Louisville?

Dan Raynak: Prior to our acquisition, a decision by the previous ownership was made to move the event to Louisville, so we moved forward with executing the event there. After interacting with the folks at Louisville Tourism and the Kentucky International Convention Center, I can tell you that they are all frstclass people who know how to hold an event.

Celestia Ward: Tell me about the redrawn show foor.

Dan Raynak: The foor is laid out in four quadrants: Learn, Interact, View and Explore. We will be conducting fash sessions in the Learn quadrant, where show

attendees will gain deeper knowledge on particular topics. In the Interact quadrant, we will have a fun game called Roll-A-Derby for guests to enjoy a Kentuckian experience. The View quadrant will be the place for exhibitors’ New Product Showcase. And the Explore quadrant is where our charitable organization, Second Stride, will be located. Second Stride is a nonprofit providing retraining and placement for retired race horses to enjoy the second part of their lives.

Celestia Ward: What other improvements have you made to the show?

Dan Raynak: We have an investment mindset. During the pandemic, a lot of businesses were pulling back (including Exhibitor). We purchased this business with the intent of growing it, and we are focused on three things: modernizing, digitizing and globalizing Exhibitor. And we are doing that across nearly all parts of our business. For instance, we have modernized our CTSM brand logo through a signifcant redesign. We have added four (incremental) digital issues for our content for 2023. We are expanding our education outside the United States by

creating what we are calling FastTrak Germany, a one-day workshop in Dusseldorf this fall where we will be conducting best-in-class principles for exhibiting in the US market. After Germany, we have plans to expand into many more markets.

Celestia Ward: What are your plans for the future of EXHIBITORLIVE?

Dan Raynak: We are in the process of reimagining the Exhibitor brand and what it means to our industry. This means looking at every aspect of our business and evaluating what we should stop doing, what we should continue doing, what we can do better and what we can do that is new. Education is our foundation, and that will remain a key focus for our brand. As to location, we are still fnalizing our plans for 2024 and beyond, but we are keeping all of our options open. Regardless of what we do or where we go, we will be focused on delivering a great experience for all who attend. We are all in the experiential marketing business, and our goal is to ensure that the people who design, produce and deliver experiences for others have a chance to enjoy new experiences themselves.

Education is our foundation, and that will remain a key focus for our brand

EXHIBITORLIVE New and Noteworthy Educational Sessions

BY CELESTIA WARD

Among the 100 sessions available on seven diferent tracks at EXHIBITORLIVE 2023, there will be a total of 33 new educational sessions and workshops making their debut, including some one-of-a-kind feld trips taking advantage of museums in Louisville, Kentucky.

On the Personal and Career track, you can start your week with author and wellness coach Katharine Chestnut’s Monday morning session on mindfulness and how to apply meditation and journaling. Later that evening, Arielle Langlais and Maddie Ogren of Access TCA will co-teach a 45-minute session called “Onboarding New Employees: No, It’s Not the Same as Orienta-

tion.” From ofer acceptance to ongoing training and evaluation, they will outline the basics and help you develop a successful onboarding program. Tuesday morning, J.D. Gershbein, CEO of Owlish Communications, will lead “LinkedIn: The Next Frontier,” a comprehensive lesson on optimizing your profle and tapping the hidden value in your LinkedIn network.

The Marketing and Sales track also has three new oferings, two of which examine aspects of sponsorship. In “You Want Me to Pay for What?” attendees will learn how to create and evaluate efective sponsorships from Kodi Morton, senior marketing and events specialist at Bruker

Scientifc. Robin Gathman of New Beginnings Tradeshow Advisors will lead a 90-minute session called “Sponsorships: Do We or Don’t We,” looking at types of sponsorships and how to build them into your budget. If you are curious about what the next big thing isn’t, check out “Why NFTs and the Metaverse Aren’t the Next Big Thing for Events … at Least Yet,” in which Christina Piedlow of TPG Trade Show and Event Marketing will lead a discussion on strategies and best practices for novel engagement approaches.

Planning and execution are at the heart of making any event happen, so it makes sense that the Planning and Execution track has 10 new

educational sessions looking at everything from basics to incorporating next-gen ideas. Scott Tokar, founder of Corporate-FX, Tradeshow Magic Group, will go over the basics of booth layout and engagement as well as common errors in “Booth Basics Book Camp 2.0,” and in “Stuf Nobody Tells You About Exhibiting,” he’ll share some of his personal money-saving secrets. “Where Do I Start: Trade Shows and Events for Novices” will ofer tips and tricks from Janet Lozinski of LBB Specialties.

Strategy and partnerships can make all the diference, and you can learn about both in several new sessions. In “Checkmake: The Winning Strategy You Need to Excel on the Show Floor and Beyond,” Dana Esposito and Jillian Fafard of BlueHive Exhibits will sharpen your approach to design and economics. Todd Dailey of Visual Communications and Steve Cuomo of JetFuel Studio team up to demonstrate what goes into forming a symbiotic relationship in “How to Nurture the Relationship Between Your Agency and Exhibit House.”

Jessica Sibila of The Exhibitor Advocate will lead a 90-min-

ute session, “The Exhibitors’ Infuence: Collaboration Is Key to Optimizing Results,” on how to address common concerns with the help of show management, contractors and suppliers. Partnership also means working with your own staf and providers, of course. To that end, Anders Boulanger of Engagify will offer a session on “How to Train Your Booth Staf,” explaining his three-step process on fring up your “booth hustle” culture, while Jaclyn Lebert of Markey’s answers your questions about staging, rigging, lighting, live streaming and more in “Successfully Partnering with Your AV Provider.”

Finally, the Planning and Execution track has two new sessions geared toward futuristic tech that’s available now. First, Anne Trompeter of Live Marketing and Joe Federbush of EVOLIO Marketing help you understand hybrid events with “Next-Gen Hybrid Events: A Playbook to Afordably and Successfully Plan, Execute and Measure.” Since these hybrid events are here to stay, this session will review fve ways to defne a hybrid event and how to determine a hybrid plan that fts your goals. Christina Piedlow of TPG Trade Show and Event Marketing will show attendees how to integrate digital kiosks and other interactive experiences in “The Foolproof Plan for Creating Engaging Digital Interactive Experiences.”

For event marketing pros who want to expand the borders of their knowledge, the Global Exhibit Marketing track will feature “Cultural Agility for Global Connectivity,” with Terri

Morrison, author of the “Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands” book series, discussing protocol, communication and negotiation styles all over the world. Later, Corbin Butcher of Beire Exhibitions s.r.o. in Prague will ofer “An Insider’s Guide to Showing in Europe,” explaining how EU-based marketing managers choose and plan exhibitions. Finally, founder and CEO of Aluvision Ann Vancoillie will go over how exhibitions have evolved in the United States and internationally, examining current trends and the future of the industry in “Exhibitions and Events: A Global Vision Today and Tomorrow.”

The Exhibits, Experiences and Events Track is brimming with new oferings; 12 of them to be exact. Jim Gilmore, co-founder of Strategic Horizons LLP and co-author of “The Experience Economy: Competing for Time, Attention and Money,” is bringing his teaching experience to EXHIBITORLIVE for two educational opportunities. In a Tuesday workshop, Gilmore will guide 25 lucky registrants on a tour of the Louisville Slugger Museum to pick up lessons on spotting talent, creating a design framework and managing performance. In a half-day workshop and feld trip on Wednesday, another 25 registrants will learn Gilmore’s “six looking glasses” and then put these observational techniques into practice at the KMAC Museum of Contemporary Art and the 21C Hotel.

New sessions focused on design continue with “Designing for Decision Makers though Analytical Design,” presented by Jay Menashe of

EDE, which will meld art and science to show you how to visualize data that can drive attendee engagement. Mitchell Mauk of Mauk Design will teach a 45-minute primer, “How to Get the Exhibit You Really Want: Insight into the Exhibit Design Process,” aimed at helping participants learn how to work with designers to distill their message and get the most out of the many design elements available. “Designing Meaningful Event Experiences” features DrFirst.com senior manager of Events Marketing Erin Lease Hall discussing how to elevate mundane meetings and business dinners into something unforgettable. Steve Deckel, CEO of Deckel & Moneypenny, will run a 45-minute session “Playbook for Designing Exhibits and Activations that Deliver,” summarizing key elements for designing and executing spaces that can stop trafc and start conversations.

Rounding out the sessions new this year on the Exhibits, Experiences and Events track are several unique looks at creating engagement. “Making Wow Relevant” with BlueHive’s Finn Yonkers will examine what makes memorability through case studies of successes and failures.

Blake McCurdy of Freeman will share ideas on storytelling-driven brand experiences versus educating customers with product marketing in “Balancing Brand Experience and Product Marketing in Exhibits.” Tuesday evening, attendees will have to choose between two new sessions running concurrently: Engagify’s

Anders Boulanger will run an interactive session on the neuroscience behind engagement tactics in “Neuro-Engagement: How to Grab Your Attendee’s Attention,” and Smyle’s strategy director Dax Callner will go over the necessity of making events and experiences that are diverse, equitable and inclusive in “The DEI Imperative.” Corbin Ball will discuss the potential benefts and limitations of the metaverse in “The Metaverse for Events and Exhibitions: Is It Hype or the Next Big Thing,” and John Nee of Act 1 Partners will discuss how to leverage the podcasting boom during his talk, “On the Air! Podcasting to Grow your Business and Your Event.”

The last, vital step of any event or experience is gauging what worked and how well. To that end, the Measurement and Analytics track has three new sessions debuting this year. In “Trade Show Measurement Made Easy,” Marc Crosier of Sirtex Medical will ofer a primer on the newer technology that can streamline measurement and ofer real-time data. Spiro’s Kevin Ruiz will ofer a 45-minute session on “Navigating F2F Data Collection and Analysis Techniques and Deciphering the Results,” aimed at helping you integrate digital measurement strategies and gain useful insights. If you’re curious about what artifcial intelligence can ofer event professionals, “Trade Show and Event Analytics Using AI” with Kalon Welch of FastSensor will go over machine learning as it applies to event measurement and how to use the resulting data during and after your event.

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Tech Critical to Transportation Displayed at CES

BY RAY SMITH

It’s not often that you catch the chief executive ofcer of a company working a tradeshow foor, ready and willing to talk to anyone about his latest product, and why it’s the best thing since sliced bread.

There was Paul Drysch, CEO of Portland, Oregon-based PreAct Technologies, up close and personal at CES 2023, demonstrating the capabilities of flash LiDAR in the newly constructed West Hall of Las Vegas Convention Center.

Developed for automotive use, LiDAR, an acronym for “light detection and ranging,” features sensor technology that’s critical to collision detection and automated parking. The application can also be expanded to commercial transportation, Drysch notes.

PreAct’s LiDAR monitors the position, volume and con-

dition of cargo in trucks, ships and other logistics vehicles to ensure the safety and integrity of the cargo. It can detect something as small as a FedEx envelope inadvertently left on the foor, Drysch says.

The unit, which sells for about $250 with a solar battery source, attaches to the side of a truck-trailer or shipping container and shows everything inside using LiDAR’s high-density “point cloud,” the CEO explains.

“Every pixel comes back with an X-Y-Z location, so we know exactly in space where each object is,” he says. “For logistics, these companies like to know how full their trailer is at any time, how much gets loaded and unloaded. It resolves any disputes.”

PreAct Technologies was among hundreds of exhibitors focused on transportation and vehicle technology

at CES 2023, now one of the largest auto shows in the world, which wrapped up a four-day run at Las Vegas Convention Center and Venetian Expo on January 8.

Occupying the entire LVCC West Hall, exhibitors showcased automotive technology, car audio systems, drones, renewable energy and autonomous driving technology. Several companies have partnered with leading automakers to bring their product to market.

Marianne McInerney,

chief marketing ofcer for Cenntro Automotive Corp., an EV technology company headquartered in Freehold, N.J., showed various models of autonomous, electric-powered cargo vehicles in a 10,000-square-foot display.

Cenntro’s Class 4 LS400 fatbed cargo trailer is built for “last-mile delivery” to tradeshow exhibits, McInerney says.

“In a convention center, imagine putting all your stuff, 3,300 pounds, on one trailer. That saves a lot of wear and tear on people who

Paul Drysch, CEO of PreAct Technologies, shows his flash LiDAR product that monitors cargo in trucks and shipping containers at CES 2023.

load and unload,” she says. “Think about safety operations. You’re not putting people in the way of injury and accident. It reads if anyone’s in front of it. And zero emissions.”

Cenntro’s exhibit displayed the Logistar line of electric commercial vehicles including the versatile LS100 compact cargo van, the multipurpose LS200 van or box truck, and the fourwheel e-cargo bike purposely built for delivery services and general cargo transport.

CES is a launch pad for innovators. Many companies realize a return on investment at CES by acquiring venture capital to market

their products and expand business. According to Consumer Technology Association, organizer of the show, the average executive holds

29 business meetings at CES, and keynote speakers experience a signifcant bump in stock price after making announcements at CES.

Drysch said PreAct has experienced healthy growth since exhibiting at CES 2019 as more industries discover the power of fash LiDAR sensors. The company announced $14 million in funding led by I Squared Capital on opening day of CES 2023. “We knew that our technology was a perfect ft for these applications,” he says.

It can detect something as small as a FedEx envelope

Players engage in a Gran Turismo video game at the PlayStation exhibit in the automotive technology area at CES 2023.

Good Things Come in Small Packages

IF DONE RIGHT, SMALL BOOTHS CAN BE MIGHTY

BY KERSTAN SZCZEPAŃSKI

For many companies, a 10 by 10 or 10 by 20 booth can be their entry into tradeshows. These small booths are budget friendly and a nice way to ease into the tradeshow scene. But how to start?

“Focus on your primary reason for exhibiting. Is it a product launch, lead generation or continuing brand awareness?” Matt Jeide, account executive at Captivate Exhibits, a Brookfeld, Wisconsin, company with 30 years of experience in tradeshow booth design and fabrication, advises his clients. “All of this can

still be accomplished in either an Inline (typically a 10 by 10 or 10 by 20) or even a portable display.”

Joe Anderson, ofce and IT manager at Highway 85 Creative, a Peoria, Arizona, company says, “The biggest challenge with a small booth is making sure you don’t have a small mindset.” Company policy is to give their clients every chance to push the boundaries of their thinking. “It’s easy to say, ‘We’re just a little 10 by 10, there’s no way we can compete with the big guys,’ and then not even try. Our

founder, Guy, likes to say, ‘It’s not the size of the dog, but the fght in the dog.’”

They make the challenges of having a 10 by 10 sound more like a combination of strengths, rather than trade-ofs and compromises. Smaller booths can be easier to set up and budget for. “They’re lighter in weight. Material handling considerations for a smaller display reduces your overall material handling and show service costs. For a frst-time exhibitor, this cost can be a bit of a shock, especially if your exhibit house has not properly educated you on the costs associated with the show itself,” Jeide says. “This allows [the exhibitor] the fexibility to set up their own display, if they want to. A larger display can lead to additional labor costs.” And a 10 by 10 or 10 by 20 does not hamper getting attention.

But how can an exhibitor go about getting that attention? “Anything,” Anderson says. “That can be the graphics, LED panels or other tech, games, guests, snacks/

When designing a small booth, there are no small mindsets allowed!

drinks, awesome giveaways, etc. Anything that will grab attention and then give people a reason to stand at your booth a few seconds longer than they would have otherwise gives your team a chance to start a convo and draw them in.”

But don’t just throw out swag, give a little thought to what you’re giving out, and what it can do for people. “Swag can defnitely draw people in,” Anderson says, “as long as you’re not giving out the same bottle openers, stress balls and little pieces of candy as everyone else, which is going to end up in the trash anyway. If you’re going to spend money on stuf to give away, make sure it’s something people will use again and again that also happens to have your name on it.” Highway 85 also says,“Snacks are great, who doesn’t want free food, right?”

Highway 85 isn’t afraid of fun and games either. “We’ve had clients with small booths do Dance Dance Revolution tournaments, have their entire

backwall be an LED screen, and serve all kinds of treats. A few years ago, we even turned our own 10 by 20 booth into a podcast studio and recorded live on the show foor.”

That much fun could lead to crowd issues, however. Jeide stresses, “Trafc fow in and around your smaller space is still a key consideration. Crowding your booth with too many employees or attempting to cram too much into a smaller space limits customer engagement and can cause your visitors to spend less or no time in your booth.” Location matters, too. “An exhibitor can generate trafc to their booth by locating themselves in proximity to key event areas, whether that be a larger exhibitor or a higher trafc area at the venue itself.” So be ready to control fow, and get an idea of what your fow will be like even before the show starts.

And 10 by 10 or 10 by 20 booths have a fexibility that allows growth. “With

advances in lighter weight designs, exhibitors have the ability to integrate technology into even a smaller exhibit space,” says Jeide. “Trends in lighter weight monitors and touch screen technology allow for clients to promote their display space without having a larger physical footprint.” Jeide adds, however, “A properly designed display can be incorporated into a larger space where additional components can be rented from the exhibit house to increase the size of the display for diferent shows once the exhibitor is ready to make that leap to a larger space.” A well-designed 10 by 10 isn’t the end of design space, it is just the beginning.

Finding exhibit houses that embrace 10 by 10 booths is defnitely a worthwhile quest. Both Captivate Exhibits and Highway 85 Creative embody that. Captivate refuses to be intimidated by the smaller footprint. “Bottom line, you don’t need a large display to make a lasting impact on your clients and your presence at your next tradeshow.”

And Highway 85 relishes working with a creative client. “We like working with clients that are on the more fun/creative side who want to do things diferently than everyone else … we get our hands dirty & create cool shit. Together.”

Get your hands dirty and make cool stuf, and you’ll make a lasting impact at your next tradeshow.

“The biggest challenge with a small booth is making sure you don’t have a small mindset.

Small booths, like the ones on this page, are a budget-friendly way to ease into the tradeshow scene.

Sustainability at Moss

PEOPLE, PROCESS AND PRODUCTS

BY PAT FRIEDLANDER

“Sustainability is in our DNA at Moss,” says Jason Popp, CEO of Moss. “Our founder, Bill Moss, was an innovator and environmentalist who invented the pop-up tent. In the 1980s, he brought his tents to a tradeshow, and he, along with others at the show, noticed the potential of using tension fabric on the tradeshow foor. The rest is history.”

Moss continues its legacy as the events industry becomes increasingly aware of climate change and the need to embrace sustainability across all operational facets, including people, processes and products.

People

When Moss moved to its current facility in 2020, the focus was on creating an environmentally friendly company that would provide optimal working conditions and mirror the values many people are passionate about. “We have reduced single-use plastics in the building by providing a Bevi machine,” says Popp, “and we provide lunch options from Farmer’s Fridge, a healthy food supplier."

The Moss culture promotes the company values of transparency and lessening its operation’s impact on the environment. For example, new team members get

a branded reusable bottle on their frst day, and they soon learn about the town hall meetings and other communications initiatives Popp has created. In addition, Moss has installed 10 electric vehicle charging stations at the Chicago facility, and the company provides a subsidy to any employee who buys an electric vehicle.

Processes

Processes, in this case, covers a multitude of innovation types. One of the frst changes at Moss was combining three facilities—Chicago, Elk Grove Village and Las Vegas—under one roof. To say this created efciencies is an understatement. There is no longer a need for inter-facility transport for projects.

More than 200 people work in a 185,000 square-foot temperature-controlled environment with sensor-controlled LED lights. Moss purchases renewable energy in the US from wind sources and other clean providers. At Moss’s facility in Lennestadt, Germany, a solar photovoltaic array provides some of the electricity, and renewable energy is purchased for the rest.

Moss is a signatory of Net Zero Carbon Events, an initiative created by the Joint Industry Meetings Council (JMIC). The group promotes the realization that the events industry needs to accelerate its actions in response to the threat of climate change, not only to secure the future of the industry, but also to address everything from waste management and energy conservation to local sourcing and hiring practices. The principles of sustainability need to be frmly embedded within industry practices and client expectations.

Net Zero Carbon Events suggests a road map for companies like Moss to use to evaluate their carbon footprint and start reaching carbon net zero. Companies need to:

» Measure their current carbon footprint (include items such as heating and transportation)

» Develop reduction targets (create objectives

that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound)

» Reduce carbon emissions (eg, evaluate your fleet, install smart thermostats, reduce paper, packaging, business travel, commuting)

» Offset emissions—often through environmentally friendly investing (Moss invests in a wind farm in South Dakota and planting trees in Germany)

» Communicate the success of program implementation; the industry needs to hear the success stories

Products

“During and after the pandemic, we’ve all been aware of the importance of the supply chain. Making sure our partners and suppliers share our values is important to the credibility we want to establish as being committed to sustainability,” says Popp.

When the event industry frst embraced fabric, the selling point was that it was lighter, which cut down the impact of transit. But there is more. “A product is sustainable only if it is produced in a sustainable facility,” says Popp, who cites, among other changes, the company’s sustainable fabrics created from recycled materials. “Our gaskets for our SEG fabrics are PVC-free, and the SEG fabrics are shipped in bags made of 100 percent recycled materials.”

At EuroShop, Moss won the coveted frst-place prize at the IFES Development + Innovation Awards (IDIA) for their rev-

olutionary product, SustainaTex Ocean. IDIA recognizes exceptional products and companies that showcase outstanding design, innovation and sustainability in the industry. SustainaTex Ocean is a breakthrough product that tackles the growing problem of plastic waste in our oceans. The product is made from 100 percent recycled materials, including plastic recovered from the ocean. It is a sustainable and eco-friendly textile that is perfect for event graphics, exhibition design and retail environments.

Progress Beats Perfection

Moss has set a goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. The company is strategically focused on ensuring that its

business practices and company culture represent core values of environmental, social and corporate governance; sustainable practices; and supplier diversifcation. However, there is still progress to be made.

“Doing business sustainably means we consider the environment when making supply chain and manufacturing decisions,” Popp adds. “We actively reduce, recycle, reuse and take action to improve the quality of the environment. We know we are not perfect, but we remain committed to leading on issues within our control. Moss is recognized as an innovative force in this industry, and we are eager to apply our creative thinking toward this global issue. More to come.”

The Real Juice Is in How We Drive Action from the Data

By Jessica Sibila

In January, The Exhibitor Advocate published its 2022 Material Handling and Labor Rate Survey. The survey is an important benchmarking tool that provides industry stakeholders with cost comparisons of average labor and material handling rates across 16 major US cities. The survey was previously conducted by Trade Show Week and then EDPA through 2017. The key fndings in the survey show that exhibitor costs continue to rise. Installation and dismantle labor, electrical labor and material handling costs are outpacing infation, some by more than 30 percent.

Exhibitors are not surprised by this data. We’ve been feeling these increases

for a while. Every year, exhibitors have seen prices go up, and we get more and more creative on how to manage our costs. We compromise on our booth size, the products we choose to bring and the way we promote or showcase our brand. We work with our exhibit partners to try to fgure out how to stretch every dollar. Now, after a brief hiatus, industry stakeholders can use the survey as an important and valuable benchmarking tool. Further, though, I hope that the next steps are collaboration and action.

It’s easy to just look at the data from the Survey and evaluate how your show compares to the average. But the real

juice is in the collaboration to drive action. Partnering with exhibitors to ensure their success at the show is a critical part of the success and sustainable future of our industry.

This recently struck me as I was preparing for my own tradeshow. I spent a couple days in my exhibit house warehouse, packing skids and fnalizing booth plans. Every employee I encountered asked me how they could help. This didn’t just come from the warehouse team, but literally everyone. I felt welcomed and supported. I knew that if I came across an issue, I would fnd a partner to help me. If I needed something, all I had to do was ask.

I’ve worked with an exhibit house partner I love and trust for more than 15 years. I’ve also worked with partners I love and trust for just one event. And as most people have probably experienced, I have worked with partners that weren’t the right ft for my needs. In every case

though, I’m always struck by the level of partnership exhibit houses provide to the Exhibitor. (A lot of other suppliers ft into this category, too!)

We can’t forget that an exhibit marketer spans the gamut from doing one tradeshow a year, as a “side project” to their regular job, to those who are seasoned and solely dedicated to live events as their full-time role. Regardless of which type of exhibitor they are, an exhibit house partner comes alongside the exhibitor as guide, guru, coach, navigator. They explore and brainstorm options that will be more cost efective for us. They bring solutions to long-standing issues as well as those that just popped up. They help us navigate difcult terms, rules and regulations.

As I think about the 2022 Material Handling and Labor Rate Survey and the number of diferent types of stakeholders that view this data, I hope that these

companies and individuals are thinking about partnership and collaboration with exhibitors. In the same way our exhibit houses are our partners, I hope exhibitors can fnd partners in their associations, venues, suppliers and others in this industry. I hope we start looking

at this data with an eye on how we can afect the success of all exhibitors while maintaining success for the attendees, suppliers and other stakeholders. It’s not about X percent or Y percent, but rather the value equation. Does the cost of my involvement in the show equal the value I receive from my participation? Do I have partners in show management, the suppliers, facilities, etc.? Do those partners help make the event easier, cost efective or generally more successful?

The data is one step. Now we need to fnd out where the pain points are for exhibitors at specifc events. We can collaborate to fnd solutions to those pain points. This is where The Exhibitor Advocate can help. We’ll keep providing the data and the context behind it. If we can help you drive action, let’s talk! We’re here to inform, support and collaborate.

Jessica Sibila is executive director of The Exhibitor Advocate.

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Installation and dismantle labor, electrical labor and material handling costs are outpacing inflation, some by over 30 percent

Designing Booths for Medical Tradeshows Is a Complex Operation

By Ray Smith, Photography by Exposures LTD

As long as people pray to live another day, the healthcare industry will expand and thrive, and medical tradeshows will continue to provide the best avenue for introducing the latest drugs and technology that can prolong the inevitable.

Medical equipment manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies realize that exhibiting at medical tradeshows presents opportunities for meeting face to face, sharing ideas and displaying products. They’re targeting a captive audience, one that’s engaged in learning about innovations in their feld of specialty.

It’s not brain surgery, by

any means, but designing display booths for medical tradeshows can be a little more complicated than designing for conventional consumer and industry tradeshows.

You need a magnifying glass to read the fne print on a bottle of Tylenol, but the FDA requires labeling to be easily read at eye level on the exhibit foor. If a medical device is on the market, it can only be displayed and marketed for approved uses. Medical devices must have 510(k) clearance and be approved by the FDA.

“Pharmaceutical exhibits are typically more complex than exhibits for other industries,” afrms Dana Esposito, execu-

tive vice president of strategy for Worcester, Massachusetts-based BlueHive Exhibits.

“Pharmaceutical company tradeshow managers are aware of their unique needs, and they seek tradeshow companies that are fuent in the challenges in their world.”

“Kit rules,” which lay out regulations and restrictions on designing and building exhibit booths, are a diferent animal for medical expos.

Exhibitor kit rules cover just about everything: booth heights, length and line-ofsight; foor coverings; liability insurance; on-premises consumption of alcohol and nicotine; install and disman-

tle policies; stafng; and display guidelines on signage and banners.

Every medical show has its own rules, and they tend to have strict setbacks and seethrough regulations, says Dawn Marie Raczka, EVP of business development for BlueHive.

“FDA walks the show foor in the exhibit hall to be sure product information sheets are being placed out, and all content, especially black box drugs, are being properly labeled with the ISI, or Important Safety Information,” she says.

Jon Ellms, EVP of client development for Access TCA, says he believes the rules are designed to level the playing feld among exhibitors. They include restrictions on exhibit height and blocking the view of adjacent exhibits, rules that are not specifc to medical shows.

“Most shows have a version of these rules, though they vary in specifcs from show to

Moss was involved in the creationg of this United Imagingbooth, shown at RSNA 2018

show, so when we design and build an exhibit that will be used at multiple meetings, we have to anticipate these things so we’re not doing costly retrofts over and over,” says Ellms, who’s also vice president of Healthcare Convention and Exhibitors Association. “There are many more rules, but those are the ones that relate most to exhibits.”

The challenge for medical exhibits comes from strict separation of commercial and medical areas, places where exhibitors can talk about approved products, but only in the context of their approved use, and where they can talk about research and development, and unapproved use of approved products. For example, an oncologist may suggest a drug approved for breast cancer for a patient with lung cancer.

Regulations often require a solid wall separating parts of the exhibit booth, and that wall puts them at odds with the association’s insistence on open, barrier-free exhibits, Ellms says.

“I look at this as managing opposing forces,” he says, “and while it can be vexing, it creates a great opportunity for companies like ours to show consultative value to our clients, and a way to diferentiate ourselves from traditional exhibit builders.”

Tight On Giveaways

Freebies are tight. Maybe a pen. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regulates anything given away by exhibitors with a value of more than $12.69 or a total exceeding $126.89 for each individual healthcare provider, Raczka notes. Otherwise,

exhibitors must report the transaction on the CMS website, in accordance with a law known as The Sunshine Act, shedding “light” on fnancial relationships between doctors, hospitals and drug companies.

“Most pharmaceutical companies opt out of any larger value due to the number of manhours it takes to provide all the necessary backups,” Raczka says. “Also, most doctors do not like to give out their NPI (National Provider Identifer), which is also required.”

Ellms contends that rules about gifts to physicians and mandatory reporting of those gifts have “torpedoed” lavish spending on parties and have efectively wiped out giveaway items such as pens, mugs and other tangible gifts or prizes, unless it can be used by the physicians’ patients. “Companies like ours have gotten much better about building educational activities that have some show appeal without involving any kind of giveaway or gift,” he says.

Design Regulations

Every pharmaceutical company has a corporate regulatory and compliance team that has a unique set of rules to interpret for exhibit design, Raczka states. Regulatory reviews require extensive documentation and preparation by the content agency, product team, exhibit manager and exhibit builder. The process can take up to nine months for show site approvals.

There’s a lot more to tackle when it comes to designing healthcare exhibits, Ellms declares. At CES, companies are there to sell to other companies, retailers and

Top 10 Healthcare Shows in North America

Source: The Trade Group

1. Florida International Medical Expo (FIME), June 21 - 23, Miami Beach, Florida. Attendance 54,000. The largest tradeshow for medical device and equipment manufacturers, suppliers and distributors in the Americas with 12,000 trade professionals from 110 countries across the world.

2. Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), April 17 - 20, McCormick Place, Chicago. The most influential health information technology event of the year, where 40,000 professionals meet for networking, attend education sessions and discover innovative health tech products.

3. Greater New York Dental Meeting, November 24 - 29, Jacob K. Javitz Convention Center, New York. Brings 30,000 healthcare professionals and 1,600 technical exhibits to demonstrate newest technology for the dental profession.

4. Yankee Dental Congress, January 30 - February 1, 2024, Boston. With 26,000 dental professionals in attendance, Yankee Dental Congress is New England’s largest meeting for those seeking the highest quality dental education, as well as dental products, services and resources.

5. Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), November 26 - 30, Chicago. Held at McCormick Place, the largest medical imaging forum in the world attracts nearly 25,000 professionals from 116 countries for a week of learning, connection and collaboration.

6. AACC Clinical Lab Expo, July 25-27, Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, California. Some 20,000 professionals from a diverse range of specialties gather to discover the latest production innovations, emerging technologies and research.

7. MD&M West, February 7 - 9, Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, California. The show hosts 1,400 exhibitors and 13,000 attendees from the medical device industry, including engineers, business leaders, innovative thinkers and disruptive companies.

8. American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Scientific Congress and Expo, October 14 - 18, New Orleans, Louisiana. ASRM is a multidisciplinary organization dedicated to the advancement of the science and practice of reproductive medicine.

9. American Dental Association, October 5 - 7, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida. SmileCon is the ADA’s reimagined annual meeting, offering continuing education, networking opportunities, hundreds of exhibitors and fun social events.

10. International Vision Expo & Conference West, September 27 - 30, Venetian Resort and Hotel, Las Vegas. The international eye care community meets twice a year, in New York City and Las Vegas, for two unique events concentrating on fashion, technology and education.

consumers. At pharmaceutical shows, exhibitors are generally there to get facetime with physicians, educate them and move them along a relationship continuum.

“Exhibitors use these shows to build advocacy and relationships with infuential physicians who can, in turn, help infuence other physicians,” Ellms says. “The physicians aren’t actually paying for the product—insurance companies or the government does that—but they are infuencers, so the whole purpose of pharma shows is to infuence and educate.”

Exhibits emphasize educational opportunities, case studies and testimonials, and areas for presentations. Medical devices follow this same approach, but they also tend to sell on the show foor, meaning lots of demonstration counters and more exhibit staf, Ellms notes.

Advertising Scrutiny

Healthcare companies are heavily regulated, and their advertising messages are closely scrutinized. Ad campaigns go through multiple rounds of formal review, lengthening timelines for developing exhibits.

Even the simplest, most obvious advertising slogan could go through three rounds of compliance review, adding a week to the timeline for simple graphics, Ellms estimates, and more realistically, up to four weeks for complex graphics.

“Add to that the extra time it takes to produce graphics once they are approved because of all the supply chain difculties, and it’s not un-

common to have to lock down graphic content six to eight weeks before a show,” he says. “That fact has pushed a lot of exhibitors to move to digital screens versus printed graphics. While it doesn’t shorten the design or review time, it’s much faster to copy a digital fle to a computer than it is to print a large format graphic.”

Balancing legality with creativity is what makes designing healthcare exhibits diferent, Ellms explains. “Creatively compliant … for some designers, it’s a drag, too confning. I look at it as a challenge and a way to stand out.”

Content agencies and exhibit builders work in tandem to provide all of the graphics, content and structure assets. Raczka says turn-around-time for annotations can be just a few hours, which means the exhibit house has to work within a small window of time for edits. “It truly takes a skilled pharmaceutical team to see an exhibit ready for show site from beginning to end with only the greatest of success,” she says.

Design Variables

A tradeshow environment has a wider range of variables to consider such as two-dimensional elements of print and media that exist within a three-dimensional space, and at larger scale than traditional

print and media, adds Patrick Haggerty, senior exhibit designer for BlueHive.

“These variables are most familiar to the exhibit designer and exhibit house,” he says. “A skilled exhibit house takes a qualifed PharmD into the client meetings from their regulatory team. In turn they can make recommendations that will be accepted when presented.”

A proactive approach by the exhibit designer and the compliance and regulatory team often prevents breaking foundational guidelines in exhibit design, Haggerty continues. Length of copy, column width, point size and viewable location must be “fair balance text,” stretched beyond what an exhibit designer would normally produce, he says, but it’s all required by regulations.

The client has brand guidelines and tells BlueHive exactly how to use them, and how not to use them, Esposito adds. “This is the font we use for our logo. This is the font for our tagline. We have three exact colors. This is how we use it for our brochure. This is how we use it for our business card.”

For companies that provide I&D labor, audio-visual rentals, catering and other exhibit services, there’s no real diference in how they’re engaged at healthcare shows

compared with other shows, Ellms clarifes. They must all show proof of insurance, acquire necessary permits and agree to abide by the rules.

Most healthcare companies won’t consider hiring an exhibit designer that doesn’t bring depth and experience to the job. They’re left out in the cold, Ellms says. Access TCA selects suppliers with past relationships, who have “proven their mettle at healthcare shows,” and they end up with a disproportionate amount of the work, he says.

“The other force at play— the people who hire us—marketing, usually, tend to stay in healthcare. Consequently, much of our business comes from referrals,” Ellms continues. “It can be tough to get into healthcare clients, but if you deliver, specializing has its advantages because your work becomes so visible in a relatively small feld of suppliers. Of course, if you fail, it can be devastating for exactly the same reason.”

HCEA is a nonproft organization that advocates for the value of the convention medium in healthcare, serving corporate exhibitors, medical associations, and industry suppliers. Educational programs focused on the latest medical technology and methods comprise an attractive component of these shows.

Photos by Gary Prochorchik / Exposures LTD

Group Delphi created this Intuitive Surgical Booth for AUA 2014

This Merck booth was created by GES for ASCO

Aluvision Celebrated its 20th Anniversary During EuroShop

Aluvision’s booth at EuroShop impressed the international audience with its 351 square meters of elegant and modular designs in vibrant colors. An impressive range of 16 brand new innovative solutions were introduced to the event and exhibition market.

The frst highlight is Aluvision’s next-level frame. The award-winning and patented Omni-55 Pro wall system has an integrated Velcro solution and holds fabric and panel inflls on both sides.

The next is The Flexdeck. This double-deck system adds an extra dimension to every exhibition booth and creates an unprecedented free span of up to 6 meters without cross braces, making its sleek design extremely appealing to the eye. The elegant and sophisticated Flexdeck is structurally sound and compatible

with all of Aluvision’s products.

Aluvision also introduced The Flexbox, a high-end modular event box that allows exhibitors to create extra space indoors or outdoors. Its simple combination of a foor and a ceiling element with four posts makes The Flexbox easy to assemble and ship. It has a free span of up to 6 meters and is stackable, allowing exhibitors to create their ideal layout.

Finally, Aluvision introduced Hi-LED 55 seamless modular LED video walls with a small pitch of 1.9. This four-inone technology ensures better color consistency as well as a higher level of durability. A 3.9 outdoor version also was presented.

For more information, contact Agnes De Raeve at agnes@aluvision.com or visitaluvision.com

D.E.McNabb Flooring

Customers benefit from McNabb’s decades of learning and evolving

by Thea Engst

D.E. McNabb Flooring has been in business since 1951, and with more than 70 years of business comes decades of learning, evolving and building relationships. Today, this fooring company supplies events and tradeshows as well as residences and commercial spaces, making them a unique powerhouse in the industry. Director of trade show division, Aaron Smith, sat down to talk with us about what makes D.E. McNabb Flooring unique among its competitors and remain a consistent industry-leading company.

One big diference between McNabb and other fooring companies, Smith says, is their

business in retail paired with their business in tradeshows.

“We bring products to customers that are in the fooring industry, not just the fooring tradeshow industry,” Smith explains. “We have access to more options than just event fooring. We research and test a wide variety of fooring products, and if they are suited for shows and events as well as residential or commercial spaces, we feel confdent bringing them to our event clients.” Such an expansive, well-tested portfolio makes McNabb one-of-a-kind.

But that’s not all; Smith’s confdence in McNabb’s products is backed up with customer-service excellence. Smith de-

scribed his personal dedication to the company, saying he believes in what he sells, and that faith in the product helps him maintain strong relationships with customers. “Working for a company that whole-heartedly believes in the product and the service they ofer, that’s fulflling. If something doesn’t meet our standards, we look to rectify at any cost, for the good of the relationship and to show that we are not going to walk away from problems.”

Smith isn’t the only proud and loyal employee. “The majority of our employees who are a part of what we do on the event side are all tenured,” Smith says proudly. “People stick around because of the fulfllment of working together on projects that are high pressure. We all have an important job to do as a part of the larger unit for us to succeed. At McNabb, people don’t feel like they’re menial in the grand scheme of things, but rather that everyone has value. Furthermore, we take good care of our people; we promote from within.”

Smith went on to talk about how he started on the foor, selling residential fooring 15 years ago. He intended to rise through the ranks and to learn everything he could on his way up. And that’s exactly what he did. “I’m very well-rounded and consider myself an expert in all types of fooring, applications and the proper uses of a variety of fooring from that experience,” Smith says. He went on about loving the entire creation process saying, “You’re seeing something start to fnish time and time again, which I fnd fulflling. I love to see things that start from a

dream to standing in the space and saying, ‘This was cool, let’s do it again!’”

And although, like most other companies across industries, McNabb’s business slowed during the pandemic, events and tradeshows are back. “Events have come back ferociously; people have been excited to delve into that arena again, so that’s been thrilling to see the industry come back with such a fervor,” Smith says. In response, McNabb is currently hiring, expanding (with projects like a new warehouse in Vegas!), and sharing their enthusiasm and passion with the industry. With all this promise and excitement inside the company and its philosophy, what is Smith most excited about in McNabb’s near future? “Our new Vegas warehouse is something we are really leaning into in terms of continued growth and reach for us. It’s going to allow us to operate more cost efectively on projects out west. Aside from that, we continue to stay innovative, and deliver our customers the newest product options in the fooring industry.”

Finally, we asked Smith what one thing he wants readers to know about McNabb. He says, “We are experts in our feld because we’re passionate about what we do. We do fooring and fooring exclusively and we do it better than anybody else.”

Smith describes the company’s philosophy (and his own) best: “When you are working with our experts, who are the best in their feld, you can rest assured that your fooring will be done right.”

75 Years Young

by Caitlin Howle

The Hamilton of today looks much diferent than when it was founded 75 years ago in 1947. The company was always known for events, but in the beginning, most people were introduced to Hamilton through its parade foats, many of which appeared at the Indy 500 in Hamilton’s hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana. The company has evolved since those early days, as has the events industry, and its evolution largely has been customer-driven.

Lynne Damer, Hamilton’s vice president, strategy, says the company prides itself on building deep partnerships with their clients. “All of our clients are unique, every brand is diferent and we strive to always meet the occasion,” she says. “We never stop imagining or thinking about how to bring our clients’ brands to life.”

Damer says Hamilton enjoys working with clients who believe in face-to-face marketing and are passionate about their products. “When we have a client with a strong vision who genuinely wants to make a diference in their market, we provide the best solutions,” says Damer. Notable clients they’ve worked with include Cummins, ADT, Mailchimp, Baxter, Cornerstone Building Brands and Johnson Controls.

By approaching each client as an individual with unique needs and goals, Hamilton’s clients instill in them a strong sense of trust. Damer says, “Hamilton strives to become an extension of our

clients’ marketing team. We take great pride in learning about our clients, digging deep to understand their goals in order to design successful, interactive and impactful events.”

Hamilton used the pandemic’s forced hiatus from in-person events to embrace virtual events. They developed new technologies to enhance their clients’ virtual experiences, including creating an online platform that their clients could use to guide virtual facility tours. Hamilton’s dedication to remaining innovative and cutting-edge keeps it a consistent frontrunner in new industry technologies. Their innovative spirit only serves to help bring their clients’ ideas into reality. Damer says, “Our digital engagement team continues to develop solutions to help our clients measure their success, which is extremely important. Hamilton’s digital solutions combine our clients’ message and story with our strategy and design, creating solutions that engage, inform and inspire audiences.”

After 75 years of innovating and growing, Hamilton has no plans to stop. As Damer says, “Change is inevitable, and Hamilton intends to evolve right along with the industry.” On the horizon, the company is launching what they consider to be the future of event marketing: an in-house creative studio that they say

goes beyond just designing an exhibit and develops a completely integrated experience. “We have one of the most innovative and creative teams in event marketing,” Damer says. “They are visionaries who surpass traditional industry standards to create experiences that elevate brands and drive emotion.”

The reason behind Hamilton’s success is clear. Their team consistently focuses on its clients and is dedicated to not only bringing their clients’ vision to life, but creating unforgettable experiences for their customers. “We are passionate and believe in what we do, which sets us apart from our competition,” says Damer.

Hamilton also cares deeply about their employees, as every member of the Hamilton team has come together to celebrate its 75th anniversary all year. The organization is inviting remote employees to their celebrations, creating events and retreats for staf and coming together to give back to their community, thanking them for their support over the past 75 years. Damer says, “We think the future is bright for event marketing, and we’ve got the depth and talent to lead the industry for years to come.”

Learn about Hamilton’s history here: hamilton-ex. com/hamilton-history. View a Hamilton timeline here: hamilton-ex.com/about/hamilton-timeline

With the century mark on the horizon, Hamilton continues to innovate and shows no sign of stopping

Hamilton prides itself on bringing ideas to life.

ACES in the Industry

EXHIBIT CITY NEWS CELEBRATES THE BEST OF THE BEST WITH OUR I&D ACE AWARDS

BY JEANNE BREI

Exhibit City News is thrilled to return to presenting our I&D ACE Awards honoring the men and women of I&D. We will be accepting submissions for I&D ACE awards all year and will be traveling regionally to present them locally throughout the year. Please continue to send us your submissions at www.ECNACEawards.com.

viced those events.

Jim Wurm, executive director of the Exhibitor Appointed Contractor Association (EACA), explains, “Tom routinely delivered insights, as well as actionable solutions, to meet the everyday challenges facing unionized labor, general contractors, show organizers and venue management in the complex face-to-face environment. He also was sought out to disarm needless misunderstandings and potential conficts among the parties, resulting in greater efciencies, proftability and an enhanced exhibitor and attendee experience.”

Tom agreed to serve, but was not happy about how it was decided.” Kulchawik continues, “Tom’s role at McCormick was an innovative first for our industry; he helped sort out misunderstandings between labor unions, exhibitors and show managers. He conducted himself very well in this capacity, even if many did not agree with his rulings. Tom won the EDPA Hazel Hays Award for his leadership.”

Cassell wore many hats during his career, including being Chicago city manager for Exhibits, Inc. I&D, president/founder of Convention All Services, consultant for the Chicago Auto Show, president/owner of Tom Cassell & Associates LLC, and facility foor manager and ombudsman for McCormick Place. Even in retirement, he is still actively consulting for labor management companies.

industry. Tom has been a true friend to both myself and the Momentum family.”

ECN’s Lifetime Achievement ACE Award: Tom Cassell

In a career that has spanned more than 40 years, Tom Cassell has been recognized and respected as an industry leader. He brought innovative thinking to the business challenges of the tradeshow and exhibition venues, the event organizers and the contractors who ser-

Former EDPA president Larry Kulchawik remembers, “Tom played a tremendous role in getting I&D companies recognized as key suppliers. He was also very active with EDPA in the early days. When I was president of EDPA in 1996, we attempted to start the EDPA Chicago back up.[EDPA members] were in favor of restarting, so we voted on who should serve as president. Tom did not attend the meeting, but he was nominated as president and won.

The Exhibition Services & Contractors Association (ESCA) executive director Larry Arnaudet remembers that he “worked with Tom for quite a few years when I was an official service contractor, and we had an excellent relationship. True, we didn’t always agree on things, but were always able to work through it with a smile on our faces at the end. I have nothing but respect for Tom.”

Momentum Management bought Cassell’s Convention All Services business in 2007 and CEO Randy Bott says,“I’ve known Tom for 35-plus years outside of his immense knowledge of our

ECN’s Floor Installer ACE of the Year: Jesus Rodriguez

Brumark’s social media manager honored this ECN ACE with an employee spotlight saying, “We’re excited to recognize one of the best flooring installers in the industry, Jesus Rodriguez. One of his favorite parts of the job is working on inlays because it highlights his skills and precision. Thanks for all that you do, and we’re happy to have you as a part of this team!”

Rodriguez has been in the flooring industry for more than 40 years—31 years with Exhibitor Carpet Service and seven years with Expert Tradeshow Carpet before joining Brumark two years ago. He loves that he’s been able to work with some of the best flooring installers in the industry.

Brumark Division President James Zacharias adds, “Over the last few years I’ve gotten to know JR. He is a driven, genuine person, and I admire him and am extremely excited that he’s part of our Brumark family!”

Tom Cassell

Jesus Rodriguez

KEEP CALM AND TWEET ON

25 Years of Bridging the Gap

EACA CELEBRATES ITS SILVER ANNIVERSARY

BY DANELLE DODDS

In 1998, the exhibit world was overfowing. Companies were bringing their products and services to the people through tradeshows, and convention centers were swamped. Thousands of exhibit service providers were saturating the market, some more reputable than others. Customers were on the shoreline, desperate for assistance with their exhibits. But something was blocking the fow of progress.

Aside from leaning on the general contractors, how could exhibitors access suppliers

they wanted to work with? And on the fip side, how could general contractors or show managers ensure that outside exhibit companies on their show foor were up to snuf?

In response, the Exhibitor Appointed Contract Association (EACA) was formed. With their presence, the industry had an ally, a voice, and—fnally—an extension to the table. And for 25 years, the EACA has been a uniting force, bridging the gap between exhibitors and EACs.

As they prepare to celebrate their silver anniversa -

ry, we caught up with Jim Wurm, executive director of the EACA, to reflect on some of the highlights from the last quarter of a century. As a 30-year veteran of tradeshows in all capacities, Wurm has a big picture view of the industry. It is clear that advocacy for all players is at the top of his mind.

“I’ve been very fortunate in my career to work at both ends of the tradeshow hierarchy,” says Wurm. “I started in the industry working for an EAC, and some years later was a show organizer with an overall responsibility for more than 30 annual events. What I learned in the process is that there is a signifcant gulf in understanding between the show organizer world and that of the EACs. Much of my work is an ongoing efort to bridge that gap and, hopefully, create better understanding for both so that tradeshows and events can be produced more efciently and successfully.”

To that end, for last few decades, the EACA has tackled multiple pain points for everyone involved in the life cycle of a tradeshow. One of the signifcant hurdles they faced was the issue of fees.

“A compelling issue that confronted EACs at its inception was EAC fees. Some show organizers, who were confounded with administering access to the large number of EACs, indicated they were charging a fee to ‘recover costs’ of that administration,” Wurm shares. “The EACA has established an online system to register EACs that eliminates the need for this concern.” This huge undertaking

helped clear the channels of objections in the tides of I&D.

But the association isn’t just about giving clients access to their delegates. The EACA is also about ensuring that their members are worthy of endorsement. They maintain high marks when it comes to service and professionalism.

All members are required to adhere to a strict Code of Conduct and Ethics. In addition, the EACA has become a resource for their membership’s continued refnement. As part of their ongoing mission, the board publishes guidelines for best practices, as well as ofers business development and education programs. And they leverage their strength of membership to negotiate signifcant discounts for member-needed products and services, like insurance and payroll. This allows their delegates to sharpen their edge, while meeting the qualifcation demands required for most shows.

The EACA’s 25 years of commitment to excellence ensures that the exhibitors, show organizers and general contractors receive the best products, service and cooperation in the market. With more than a combined 60,000 full- and part-time tradeshow workers, that’s a lot of peace of mind. And ultimately, their work is for the beneft of the end user.

“Membership in the EACA is much like the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval for exhibitors looking for companies to service their exhibit,” Wurm says. “Exhibitors know that EACA members are the cream of the crop.”

EACA members are the cream of the crop.

SHOP TO SHOWFLOOR

All eyes were on Smart Eye’s CES display

Photo by Gary Prochorchik / Exposures LTD

Whether your show requires 20 booths or 200, partnering with Alliance means you instantly have every resource needed to plan and put on your hotel event anywhere in the United States. As The Hotel Show Pros™, we guide you through the entire process, ensuring every aspect — from the design and technology to the show oor experience for your exhibitors — gets done on time, e ciently and on budget. So there’s never any guesswork or hassle, and you put on a awless event.

We exhibited at the AANAC conference in St. Louis this week and your crew was GREAT. All were very courteous and accommodating. And at the end of the show our shipping containers were delivered promptly. I would especially like to call out who I am assuming was the team lead on this crew - John. So nice, so helpful, proactively making the rounds early to ensure you had all of the appropriate shipping paperwork so that at the end of the show we could focus on getting packed up. Thank you for a job well done!

Denise Alston, Governors Highway Safety Association

As a consistently top-tier rated venue, the Orange County Convention Center is dedicated to creating Transformational Experiences. With its customizable spaces, 40 years of leadership in the business, world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships, The Center of Hospitality is committed to bringing your imagination to life.

By the Numbers:

Booth Footprint: 30’ x 50’

Labor: 4 people, 6.5 days

Booth Height : 3m walls with 5m ID tower

Graphics size: Approx. 4,000 sq. ft. of fabric graphics

Entrance Height: 3m x 5m ID tower at entry

All Eyes on Smart Eye’s CES Display

EEI GLOBAL DEVELOPED A CLEAN AND ENTICING DESIGN FOR THE TECH INNOVATOR

by Emily Olson

Photography by Gary Prochorchik / Exposures LTD

The walls of the Smart Eye booth at CES rose from the show foor, creating an enticing display that kept many of its secrets behind panels printed with minimalist graphics.

Tim Jones, vice president of EEI Global, the organization that designed the booth for Smart Eye says, “Our client

is an innovative technology company headquartered in Sweden. They wanted a very clean and crisp Scandinavian aesthetic in which their technology could shine. They also wanted to control attendees’ entrance, which was why the booth was enclosed. They had a lot of appointments set up with customers and potential

customers who had to check in at a reception counter at the top of an ADA-compliant ramp, beyond which were Plexiglass swinging doors that served as an entrance.”

Smart Eye does many things, and at CES, they were displaying multiple technologies, including Driver Monitoring Systems, Automotive Interior Sensing and Emotion AI. “Smart Eye has exhibited in the past, but this year’s booth took things a step further,” says Jones.

On display at CES, making a debut in the US, was a Polestar 3, an all-electric luxury SUV that includes Smart Eye’s driver monitoring technology. “The Polestar demo vehicle on a glass foor at the entrance to

the booth allowed attendees a peek at the product,” says Jones. Also on display was Smart Eye’s Interior Sensing, powered by subsidiary Afectiva’s pioneering Emotion AI.

Even though the magic was happening behind closed doors that protected proprietary technology, the booth exterior gave plenty for casual passersby to experience.

The graphics on the outside panels of the booth were designed to give CES attendees a sense of what Smart Eye does. Amanda Heyse, senior 3D designer at EEI Global said that the graphics were designed to appeal to their client’s aesthetic. “Smart Eye really likes that minimalist look,” she says.

Also on the exterior of the booth was an Emotion AI experience. “There was a camera mounted on a monitor that would show an attendee’s face on the screen and identify their facial expressions and emotion. It elicited a lot of engagement from the attendees,” Jones says.

“They were really intentional of using that as a public facing demo so passersby could get a better understanding of the brand,” says Heyse.

Heyse says that designing the booth was a fuid and ever-evolving process based on Smart Eye’s needs. “It was truly collaborative. We knew we needed the brand messaging on the outside of the booth, but also knew that the experience of walking through the inside was the main focus. And we had to guide the fow of trafc there, too,” Heyse says. “We needed to give different people diferent types of experiences.”

And those experiences were good ones for both Smart Eye and their guests. “Smart Eye accomplished all of their goals and they said that

the results of their display exceeded their expectations,” says Jones.

The creative team behind the Smart Eye booth, of course, had favorite elements of the design. “My favorite part of the booth was the area at the entrance with the Polestar 3 and the overhead light. I thought it was stunning with the white foor and the fabric graphics,” says Jones. “It really popped.”

Heyse concurs. “The vehicle looked gorgeous,” she says, though her favorite part of the booth was the experience outside the booth. “I loved the implementation of the Smart Eye branding on the surrounding walls of the booth. Because it’s enclosed, it sparks a sense of curiosity,” she says. “It was very enticing.”

PROJECT CREDITS

Designer: Collaborative effort between Smart Eye and EEI

Builder: EEI Global

Lead Designer: 3DAmanda Heyse (EEI Global), 2-D Jim Hartson (EEI Global)

Project Manager: Tim Jones (EEI Global)

Production Manager: Jeff Cook (EEI Global)

Client Team: Michele Muir (NextTech Marketing and Sales), Lisa Strandvik (Smart Eye AB)

Production/Engineering: Mick Hurley (EEI Global) Graphics Production: Color Reflections

Photography: Gary

Prochorchik, Exposures

Exhibit I&D: EEI Global/ Sho-Link

What Lies Beneath

LIGHTHOUSE EXHIBITS DESIGNED A BOOTH FOR PHILLIP JEFFRIES THAT WAS ANYTHING BUT SURFACE LEVEL

By Emily Olson

When Phillip Jefries engaged Lighthouse Exhibits to create a booth for them at Boutique Design New York (BDNY), Lighthouse immediately understood their role. “Phillip Jefries makes incredible wall coverings that they wanted to show of at BDNY,” says Jackie Hake, president and creative director at Lighthouse. “Our job is to give them a blank canvas so they can choose which

wall coverings would best showcase their talent.”

And Lighthouse expertly fulflled their role. They created a beautiful environment with both an interior and exterior space that allowed their client to prove their ability not only to cover large surfaces, which is their specialty, but small spaces as well. “They are experts on permanent installation, but we’re the experts on designing an environment

that can be put up and taken down quickly and economically,” says Hake describing the organizations’ partnership.

The nature scene that covers the outside of the booth is very on trend, explains Hake. “Muted tones in a natural palette are really in right now,” she says, as is the luxurious and beautiful space within. To maintain that minimalist space, Lighthouse had to design a lot of hidden storage so the environment wouldn’t appear cluttered.

“What you can’t see in the picture is that Phillip Jeffries had tons and tons of sell sheets, sample catalogs and fan decks in their booth,” says Hake. “To keep that material out of sight, we had hidden storage everywhere, and some of the cabinets had no hard-

PROJECT CREDITS

Designer: Phillip Jeffries

Builder: Lighthouse Exhibits

Lead Designer: Regina

Macaraeg, Phillip Jeffries

Project Manager: Maddy Clary, Lighthouse Exhibits

Production Manager: Jackie Hake, Lighthouse Exhibits

Client Team: Lighthouse

Exhibits & Phillip Jeffries

Production/Engineering: Deano Pappas, YOR Design Group

Flooring: Brumark Exhibit

Construction: Lighthouse Exhibits

Graphics Production: Lighthouse Exhibits

Wallcovering: Phillip Jeffries

Photography: Exposures Ltd.

Exhibit I&D: CSI Worldwide

ware to interfere with the clean lines of the environment.”

One of Hake’s favorite elements of the booth was also the one most important to her client. “We designed spinner

Photography by Gary Prochorchik / Exposures LTD

By the Numbers:

Booth Footprint: 20’ x 20’

Labor: Four carpenters 18 hrs.

Booth Height: 12’

Graphics size: 14.5‘ x 13’ logo

Entrance Height: 10’

displays so that booth visitors could compare the look of materials such as hemp, sculpted wood and polished plaster to the look of printed vinyl,” explains Hake. “Our client is an expert at making printed vinyl or canvas look like the real material.” Hake loved the spinner displays not only for their look, but for their interactive quality. “I like a good interactive and had a

lot of fun testing them out,” she says with a laugh.

Her other favorite part of the booth was the way it was lit. “We had show lighting on trusses around the exhibit,” Hake says. “During installation, I looked at the booth and wondered if we needed the extra lighting. But when we turned on the lights it was like night and day. The way the wall covering interacted with the

lights really gave it a polished appearance. And the booth was so bright! You defnitely could see it from a distance.”

The end result of all this work was a very happy client. “They were absolutely thrilled,” says Hake. “We’ve been working with Phillip Jefries since 2015, and when you’ve been working together for so long, you develop a lot of trust.” The two organiza-

tions are already beginning their plans for HDExpo in Las Vegas, their frst show together outside of New York.

“This booth was smaller than others on the BDNY show foor, but it was packed with interesting elements,” says Hake. “It may have been a small booth, but it made a huge splash.”

And that huge splash came with a huge reward.

DINING

A Higher State of Food

Guard and Grace (1801 California Street) is a multiple first place finisher at Den -

Getting LoDo

If you like theater and have time for a show, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (14th and Curtis streets in downtown Denver) is going to give you more choices than you could ask for. Nine venues with Broadway-caliber Pulitzer prize winning dramas, comedies and musicals, ranging from newer shows to Broadway revivals, all in a beautiful physical complex to give any theater lover heart futters. The parking garage at 13th and Arapahoe streets is

ver’s Rare Steak Fest. In Tripadvisor’s Top 10 fine dining experiences in Denver, the restaurant is known for the power lunch as well as dinner. For a meaty meal, try the Colorado Bison Tartare. And while it is a steakhouse, the restaurant’s Alaskan

cod is one of its most highly recommended dishes on the menu. Whatever your entree, the au gratin potatoes are a must.

Biker Jim’s Gourmet Dogs (2148 Larimer St and various stands and carts throughout the city) is one of the

plethora of quicker eats in Denver. Quick, affordable, and unusual—from the beefwrapped-in-bacon hot dog to a little spicy vegan, ostrich, wild boar, elk, rattlesnake and rabbit. Get your exotic eats on at any one of its many locations. ENTERTAINMENT

adjacent to the Colorado Convention Center, so you can go from show to show with ease.

LoDo, short for Lower Downtown, is at the heart of Denver. The historic district, bordered by Cherry Creek/Speer Boulevard, Wewatta Street, 20th Street, and an alley between Market and Larimer streets is chock full of restaurants, shops, bars, clubs and galleries. Dating back to 1858 where the South Platte River and Cherry Creek meet, the area is Denver’s past and present, with Western 19th and early 20th-century architecture. Eat, drink, shop or party; it’s all part of LoDo!

Dining, Entertainment, Attractions & Lodging

D.E.A.L. by Kerstan Szczepanski Dining, Entertainment, Attractions & Lodging in Denver

Denver Center for the Performing Arts

Guard and Grace

ATTRACTIONS

Ready to Rock

The 16th Street Mall (16th Street from Wewatta Street to Broadway and 16th Avenue) is a 1.25-mile pedestrian promenade with restaurants, cafes, retail and more. Check out Herb’s Hideout or Live at Jack’s for music, Kealoha BBQ and other eateries for food, and more bars and clubs than you can shake a bbq stick at. The 16th Street Mall RTD runs from 5am or 5:30am until 1:19am daily for free transportation up and down the mall.

Meow Wolf has become

Sleep Closer to the Stars

Embassy Suites by Hilton Denver (1420 Stout Street) is literally across the street from the CCC Big Blue Bear. The 403-room hotel is a fve-minute walk to the 16th Street Mall and just a mile away from Pepsi Center and Coors Field. A centralized location that is within walking distance to more than a hundred restaurants and dozens of attractions; there’s plenty to do while staying at the Embassy Suites.

The Hotel Teatro (1100 14th Street) has 110 rooms. Although the hotel opened in 1998 with 110 rooms, the original building dates back to

known for the surreal and psychedelic art of its immersive activations throughout the country, and Meow Wolf Denver’s Convergence Station (1338 1st Street) lives up

to that fame. Described as a multiversal transit station, the art installation has HELLOFOOD, a cafe and bar that has served “the Quantum Department of Transportation for

2,500 years!” You can patronize the shops of the C Street metropolis, visit the Ice Cities of Eemia and much more in the dazzlingly inventive complex in Denver.

1911. Proud of its pet-friendly policy, guests’ pets receive treats, beds and bowls at check-in. Naturally there is a pet relief area on the property.

The Hotel Teatro

its many theaters. Just two blocks from the convention center, this boutique hotel is a must for the theater-going conventioneer.

Meow Wolf's Convergence Station

The Phoenix Civic Plaza

by Kerstan Szczepanski

The Phoenix Civic Plaza opened on September 28, 1972, in the heart of downtown Phoenix, the fifth largest city in the United States. The first show hosted at 100 N Third Street was the Greenband Enterprise Boat Show. In the 1990s, the facility’s name was changed to the Phoenix Convention Center as it underwent extensive multiple renovations and expansions to give it 1,000,000 square feet of exhibit and meeting space. The main exhibit hall is 312,000 square feet, and the largest ballroom (largest in Arizona

too!) is more than 45,000 square feet. With the 2,312-seat Phoenix Symphony Hall also part of the site, the facility is one of the top 10 convention centers in the country.

While the largest convention hosted was the National Rife Association with 63,000 in 2009, the convention center has a high profle tradition of hosting Super Bowl media headquarters and fan experiences going back to the big game’s frst Phoenix appearance (Super Bowl XXX) at Sun Devil stadium in 1996, and three subsequent appearances for

Super Bowls XLII, XLIX and LVII at the Arizona Cardinals’ home State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Other prior sporting events include the NBA All-Star Jam Session in 2009, Major League Baseball’s All-Star Fan Fest in 2011 and even the WWE Royal Rumble Fan Axxess in 2019.

Four miles from Sky Harbor Airport and within walking distance of 3,000 hotel rooms, ease of access does not get much better for conventioneers. The Phoenix Convention Center is a department of the city of Phoenix.

EAT

Within minutes of the Phoenix Convention Center, CityScape’s many attractions include the Arrogant Butcher (2 E. Jefferson #150). Just a 5-minute walk will take you to a bar and restaurant for lunch or dinner and happy hour from 2 to 5pm. CityScape also offers Mexican cuisine for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch at Chico Malo (50 W Jefferson St Suite 100). Start with traditional chips and guacamole, or maybe try the Chicharrón de Ribeye. For dinner, there’s the 10-ounce Birria Smoked Prime Rib with chorizo mashed potatoes, fried Brussels sprout leaves, birria consommé and habanero horseradish. Or you can try their award-winning Pork Verde. Happy hour is 3pm to 6pm every day (3pm-4pm on event days).

SLEEP

For close proximity to the convention center, the Hyatt Regency Phoenix (122 N 2nd St, Phoenix) can’t be beat at only 350 feet away. It has just under 700 rooms with two restaurants, the revolving Compass Lounge and Restaurant and the all day grab and go breakfast, lunch and snacks B&B Market.

CityScape comes through again, this time for hotel accommodations. The 242room Kimpton Hotel Palomar Phoenix (2 E Jefferson Street) is 5 minutes from the convention center. Essential oils diffusers, public bikes and 28 suites with deep soak tubs only begins to describe the boutique experience with this hotel.

PLAY

CityScape offers plenty of entertainment with the Stand Up Live comedy club (50 W Jefferson Street), and the Copper Blues Rock Pub and Kitchen (also 50 W Jefferson Street), where local rock bands perform behind the beer taps.

North of the convention center on Roosevelt St between 7th Avenue and 16th Street is the Roosevelt Row arts district, with art galleries, restaurants and boutique shops. Make sure to catch those monthly First Friday art events if your visit’s timing is right.

Ease of access does not get much better for conventioneers.

Divine Providence

by Caitlin Howle

Between Boston and New York is a hidden gem that may be the perfect place to host your next event. If you haven’t considered Providence, Rhode Island, as a destination, you’re missing out on a vibrant, passionate city that cares about its tourism as much as its food, art and the citizens who bring in diverse and up-and-coming markets to share in this little city’s vibrance.

The Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau (PWCVB) helps promote Providence as not just a stop along the way for business, but a destination. Thomas Riel, senior vice president in sales at the PWCVB, stresses that the new market for events must be inclusive of Millennials and Gen Z, who want something to do outside of a conference in their free time. Many are using a new name for this type of tour-

The nation’s smallest state has the biggest heart

ism: bleisure, the combination of business and leisure. Providence has it—big time. Within walking distance of the Amica Mutual Pavillion and Rhode Island Convention Center are hundreds of local restaurants and shops, and a thriving arts scene. According to Riel, the city has just returned to its 2019 tourism levels and continues to trend ahead. One of Providence’s biggest meeting spaces, the Amica Mutual Pavillion, has

undergone updates and refurbishments since the COVID-19 pandemic, and sus tainability is one of its goals. Events in Providence are 14 percent over what they were projected to be at this point after the pandemic.

Providence sits on the Providence River, which wends its way through the downtown area. And while Providence may have “big city” written all over it, most are surprised to fnd out the city is the size of a single neighborhood in New York City. And it has a rich history that dates back to the 1600s.

Providence takes its designation as a food destination seriously. The city’s only chain restaurants are in the Providence Place Mall (also a fve-minute walk from the convention center); everything else is locally owned, often locally sourced and always fantastic dining. When exhibitors book events and shows, there’s one main goal that many have on their mind: networking. In Providence, there are plenty of places for exhibitors to bring their customers, all within walking distance of the convention center. It’s the perfect place to fnd a new adventure or to

meet with a new client, all with a breathtaking city as your backdrop. Another unique thing about Providence is its residents are a focal point for bringing in business. The Visitor’s Bureau partners with Rhode Islanders in an initiative called Recommend Rhode Island. RI Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos is the face of the initiative and is actively involved. The PWCVB encourages Rhode Islanders to go to their website and recommend why their industry should host an event there, and then the bureau goes to their national association. These Rhode Islanders are then recognized in a ceremony once a year. In the past

year and a half, there have been 37 Rhode Island residents who have made suggestions, bringing $9.7 million into the market and booking 17,000 hotel rooms.

Rhode Island, small as it is, is mighty. And it listens to its residents. Rhode Islanders may possess the stereotype of the cutting New England edge, but they are passionate and caring people who want to see their city thrive.

It appears the time to book an event in Providence is now, or, as Thomas Riel said:

“We feel like we’re standing on the precipice of something great. There’s nothing but positive ahead of us. The city is coming into its own, and we’re setting ourselves up for success. We’re on the edge of great things.”

Tom Riel

Willwork Announces Executive Promotions

by Bob McGlincy

Willwork Global Event Services recently announced two executive promotions that solidify post-pandemic business, and, at the same time, will help guide the company in achieving growth and transformation.

Ron Graham has been promoted to executive vice president of sales management, marketing and corporate development. Ron is a 26-year veteran of the tradeshow industry, having previously worked in senior sales leadership and corporate development roles at live event companies focusing on general contracting and audio-visual services. “Ron brings to our executive sales team extensive industry contacts and an entrepreneurial, big-picture perspective of our growth opportunities,” explains Bill Nixon, Willwork’s CEO. Ron joined Willwork last year, and will identify business opportunities and help develop the company’s strategic goals.

Sarah Fantauzzi joined Willwork in 2019 and led the company’s sales efforts through the pandemic; she was promoted to executive vice president of sales operations. “During her time with Willwork, Sarah has led many of our eforts to establish best operating practices and build out a more scalable business infrastructure,” Nixon states. Willwork’s President, David King, adds, “We’ve beneftted tremendously from Sarah’s eforts over the past four years to develop

Willwork’s business.” King continues, “Working together, Ron and Sarah will enable us to identify and pursue the best opportunities for our future growth while also making sure we have the processes and infrastructure in place to proftably beneft from them.”

ECN asked Graham to elaborate on some of the changes and opportunities afecting the industry. He says, “The experiential marketing business has gone through a lot of transformation over the past 25 years. There are a series of business trends, technological innovations and cultural infuences that will drive further transformation in the years ahead. A1, ChatGPT and the moves toward sustainability and diversity will impact the events industry. Visitor tracking, engagement and data management will remain critical in personalization and in the creation of memorable experiences.” During our conversation, he stressed three points:

A single company cannot do it all

“It’s not just the risk of being caught with a high overhead base during an economic contraction,” Ron explains, “but it’s very difcult the larger you get to be best-in-class at everything. Any weaknesses in the capabilities you take to market can make you competitively vulnerable.” Consequently, he sees more companies looking to partner.

Partnering can reduce fxed costs

Ron says, “As the airlines have learned, the sharing of common equipment allows you to design and efciently fulfll solutions anywhere in the world without having to build out a proprietary worldwide fulfllment network.” He adds, “This is great for Willwork, as we can provide a lot of the well-maintained new equipment and well-trained human resources that companies would like to incorporate in their oferings as variable costs during their peak periods that can be avoided during slower business periods.”

There is an increased need for show-foor engagement

Digital content creates a more memorable experiences. “As a result of technological innovations, the AV and digital content roles in experiential brand storytelling will only continue to grow. This greatly expands the possibilities for creating highly immersive brand activations. Willwork’s inventory helps our clients fully realize the benefts of these technologies in the pursuit of their experiential marketing goals.”

For more on Willwork and its AV company, 4Productions, please visit www.willwork.com and www.4productions.com. To contact, email service@willwork.com

Willwork creates labor and technology solutions for experiential marketing applications, including tradeshow exhibits, corporate events, brand activations, and themed retail environments.

Sarah Fantauzzi

Ron Graham

People on the Move

There were so many hiring announcements coming into the ECN newsroom in the frst quarter that we had difculty keeping up with them! That’s great news for people seeking employment, for employers who had been looking to fll spots that were open for too long and for the industry as a whole. We can’t wait to see what the second quarter of the year brings!

Trifecta Collective is expanding its executive team to include Donna Bellantone (above right) and Bill Doll. As Chief Operating Ofcer, Bellantone will provide strategic leadership and dayto-day operational and organizational management. Bellantone is a tradeshow industry veteran with more than 25 years of experience. Prior to joining Trifecta, Bellantone launched a new business division at Freeman that provides operational support to organizers and associations. Prior to Freeman, Bellantone was an EVP at Informa Markets, overseeing a portfolio of events in the infrastructure and construction industry.

Bellantone says, “I am so excited to be part of the Trifecta Collec tive team. Rick and I have a long track record of acquiring and growing shows. Trifecta Collective has aggressive growth plans, and I look forward to playing an instrumental role in leading and growing the business.”

Bill Doll will take on the role at Trifecta of Chief Financial Ofcer. Prior to joining Trifecta, Doll worked as the director of fnancial planning and analysis for the Center for Vein Restoration and prior to that director of FP&A for Zonda, formerly Hanley Wood.

“It’s a very exciting time here at Trifecta. We have assembled a team of tradeshow industry leaders who excel at developing and executing on high growth strategies. I am thrilled to be able to join

by Kerstan Szczepanski

the Trifecta team and help accelerate that growth trajectory,” says Doll.

The Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB) and Philadelphia’s tourism and hospitality community honored longtime PHLCVB board chair Nick DeBenedictis as he stepped down from the leadership position after 18 years.

DeBenedictis was presented resolutions from Philadelphia City Council and PHLCVB board of directors in addition to a tribute, the highest honor for an individual, from Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney for his commitment to the city’s tourism and hospitality industry. The PHLCVB board room was also renamed in DeBenedictis’s honor to recognize his unwavering service to the organization.

Outgoing chief executive of Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Center (MCEC) Peter King (left) has been recognized for his contribution to the business events sector and his work growing the MCEC over the past decade. In his fnal month as CEO, King was celebrated with a permanent tribute installed in MCEC’s Plenary, he’s been inducted as a Club Melbourne Ambassador, and he has received lifetime membership of the Exhibition and Events Association of Australasia (EEAA).

King says, “I’m so proud about what we have done to reinforce our position as one of the best convention and exhibition centers in the world.”

Fontainebleau Development, a premier real estate development group specializing in large-scale lifestyle developments within the hospitality, retail, residential and commercial sectors, has announced Brett Mufson (above right) as President and Chief Executive

Ofcer of Fontainebleau Las Vegas. A new hotel for a new era, Fontainebleau Las Vegas is currently under construction and will debut in the fourth quarter of 2023. Mufson remains President of Fontainebleau Development.

“I’m honored to lead the future of the Fontainebleau brand and take our iconic masterpiece that is Fontainebleau Miami Beach, with its remarkable history, culture, and design and evolve it into the Las Vegas market, one of the most phenomenal cities in the world,” says Mufson.

The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center has named Rocsean Spencer (left) to the position of Chief Diversity Ofcer (CDO). The Center recently created the position to refect their commitment to implementing diverse, equitable and inclusive practices, providing equal opportunities that drive innovative solutions for its internal and external communities. According to the International Association of Venue Managers, this is the frst convention center in the nation to establish the position of CDO.

Ms. Spencer will be tasked with supporting the organization’s policies and directives that mitigate bias, increase equitable outcomes and foster respect and inclusion, and ensure that the communications and People Services programs refect the organization’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) goals.

Skyline Exhibits, a tradeshow exhibiting company, announced that Peter Goepfrich has joined the company as Chief Financial Ofcer (CFO).

“This is an exciting time to join the Skyline team,” says Goepfrich. “The company has a strong and proven history of success. I look forward to developing a fnancial strategy and culture that drives continued growth and prepares us for the opportunities ahead.”

The Event Service Professionals Association (ESPA) welcomed Denise Reid (right) as its new president at its 2023 annual conference in Pittsburgh.

Reid, who is an award-winning event planning manager at Hyatt Centric French Quarter (HCFQ) in New Orleans, will focus on rebuilding the association’s membership to pre-pandemic levels, while ensuring ESPA is an inclusive advocate for all stakeholders in hospitality.

“In 2023, I will continue to introduce ESPA as a valued asset to professionals in the event service industry, specifcally my hotel colleagues nationwide,” Reid says. Reid’s pledge is that ESPA be an advocate that recognizes the genuine sense of inclusiveness as part of a larger DEI conversation that will lead to an environment specifcally accessible to all stakeholders.

During her career, Reid has received numerous awards, including the 2022 Smart Women in Meetings (Visionary Award), 2018 HCFQ Manager of the Year, 2018 HRI Properties National Manager of the Year and 2018 ESPA Member of the Year.

In addition to ESPA, she is a member of Women@Hyatt, Hyatt B.L.A.C.K. Diversity Business and Resource Group and Loyola University New Orleans Alumni Association.

Also, ESPA will welcome the following new board members and a new ofcer:

Carol A. Gagnon, CMP, CEM, Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, ascends to the ofce of Treasurer; Tammy Jefries, CGSP, Greater Raleigh CVB; Michelle D. Moon, CMP, CTE, CPCE, CTA, Visit San Antonio; Brynn Showalter, Tampa Convention Center; Debra Zabloudil (far right), FACHE, has been named ASAE’s Chief Product Ofcer as of Jan. 9.

Zabloudil, previously ASAE’s Vice President of Learning, will retain re-

sponsibility for the organization’s learning programs and signature events, but will now also be responsible for ASAE’s full portfolio of products and services, ensuring their strategic alignment with ASAE’s objectives and overall revenue growth priorities. In addition to Learning and Meetings & Events, Zabloudil will oversee ASAE’s Content Strategy, Credentialing and International Afairs.

“I’m excited to take on this new position and help align ASAE’s many products and services across the organization against our strategic goals,” Zabloudil says. “The goal of this team will be to create the most relevant and engaging portfolio of products and services for ASAE members to date.”

Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau’s (ACVB) board of directors elected Bob Somers (left) as its chair in 2023. Somers is senior vice president of global sales for Delta Air Lines.

“Bob’s extensive experience in the travel industry, combined with his leadership skills, makes him the ideal choice to chair our board of directors,” says William Pate, president and CEO, ACVB.

“It’s an honor to be chair of the board as we kick of another exciting and busy year for our booming city,” says Somers. “As an Atlanta native, it’s been remarkable to see the change and growth within the hospitality industry over the years. I’m confdent that the momentum will continue throughout 2023 and beyond, and I look forward to supporting the future success.”

Momentum Management had a busy hiring quarter. They promoted Emma Myers to account manager, hired Zac Stewart as an account manager and welcomed Dipali Kumbhar. In addition, they brought on Kimberly McKeen as a

labor coordinator tasked with supporting the Las Vegas operations team.

Lancaster Management had an equally busy month. Rick Bufkin (left) became their director of sales, Mike Kuhnlein joined the team as their Denver city manager, and Jess Barlow is their Las Vegas city manager.

Eagle Management Group also hired a city manager. Justin Pena is city manager for the Baltimore/ Washington, DC region.

Fern, a provider of tradeshow, exhibition, and event services, has announced a key addition to its senior leadership team with the addition of Sheila LeMaster in the role of senior vice president in its account management organization, along with the promotion of Katie Fitzgerald to director of operations for the Pacifc Northwest Region.

Hamilton brought a big name on their team when they hired Josh Frisbie as vice president of creative.

Mike Moyer joined Access TCA as senior director of client services while Alyson Lyden joined Premier Displays as an account manager.

beMatrix and Circle had a been quarter in the HR department. Dave Brown joined the beMatrix global team as the sales manager of North America, and Chris Kappas became vice president of Omnichannel Integration at Circle.

The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) named Taylor Fry and Diego Vervloet to join the organization’s convention sales and services department, respectively.

Access TCA welcomed Joseph Delaunay to their design team, and industry veteran Gina Porcaro joined Classic Exhibits.

Finally, our heartfelt congratulations go out to Robert Tarolla, who was named Sho-Link employee of the year for 2022.

February 4, 1927

January 9, 2023

Ted Zeigler passed away on January 9, one month shy of his 96th birthday. Graphic designer, inventor and innovator, Zeigler revolutionized the tradeshow industry with the invention of Instand in the 1970s.

A football star at Boulder

High in Colorado, Zeigler served in World War II before attending the University of Colorado. He moved to Northern Virginia for a career in graphic design, and his fascination with Buckminster Fuller’s studies in geodesic design led to Zeigler building geodesic models from toothpicks and frozen peas. He forgot about the models and left them sitting overnight. The next morning he saw the

collapsed structures (from the thawed peas) and wondered if he could reverse the process. He took his idea to Fuller who told him if he could do that, Fuller would put him in contact with his patent lawyer.

So Zeilger did.

The pop-up display was affordable, easy-to-install and suddenly gave small companies a chance to participate in tradeshows, hitherto a financial impossibility. He created Nomadic Display to sell his remarkable invention, and went on to be an important part of the industry, with various other patents in the 1970s.

In the mid ’80s, he worked with the nonproft World Shelters to create temporary housing, clinics and ofces

for disaster relief. Today, the US military uses rapid install/ collapsible structures around the world.

The EDPA recognized Zeigler’s outstanding contribution to the experiential/exhibit industry with the prestigious Hazel Hays Award. Exhibitor magazine’s Zeigler Award, a top honor in portable and modular displays, is named after him.

Nomadic Display’s Teddy, named in his honor, recognizes the most creative use of the company’s products.

He is survived by his daughters Judy (who bought Nomadic from her father and took it international) and Connie, as well as numerous grandchildren, and a legacy the tradeshow industry will never forget.

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We're family. It's a refrain that echoes from all corners of the tradeshow industry. And ECN believe in celebrating the lives of those in the tradeshow industry and mourning losses alongside friends and family.

If you've lost a loved one who worked in the industry, please send your memories and a few treasured photos to newsdesk@exhibitcitynews.com. We'll gladly publish those memories on our website free of charge.

To read the above obituaries in their entirety and find more, visit exhibitcitynews.com

Ted Zeigler INSTAND INVENTOR

Linda Winningham

SR. ACCOUNT MANAGER, DERSE

March 26, 1966

– August 3, 2022

Peter Nathan

March 31, 1933 – January 28, 2023

Peter W Nathan, a pioneer of the international tradeshow industry, passed away on January 28 at age 89. Born in Kassel, Germany, Nathan’s Jewish German family fed Nazi Germany for America in 1937. He graduated from the University of Connecticut with a degree in life sciences, and he was an ofce boy at Clapp & Poliak before serving in the Marine Corps during the Korean War as an ofcer.

Nathan served two years before leaving the Marines and returned to Clapp & Poliak where he would work 30 years and would rise to partner. It was at Clapp in 1971 that Nathan opened the frst American industrial machinery show in the Soviet Union. He then managed the World’s Fair in Spokane, Washington, in 1974 and the US Bicentennial Exposition at Cape Canaveral in 1976. Six years later, Nathan would open the frst two American consumer electronic shows in China.

He became a vice president at Reed Exhibitions when Clapp & Poliak was acquired by the company. He then worked as executive vice president at Expocon and senior manager at the Javitz Convention Center in New York before forming his own company, PWN Exhibitcon International, in 1996. It was then that he opened the frst US government sanctioned tradeshows in Cuba: the US Healthcare Exhibi-

tion and the Food and Agribusiness Exposition in the years 2000 and 2002 respectively. Icon. Trailblazer. Giant. There are many words used to describe Peter W Nathan and his contribution to the tradeshow industry and international tradeshows in particular. A founding member of both the Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO) and the Major American Trade Show Organizers (MATSO), Nathan served on the Board of Directors of those organizations as well as the International Association for Exhibition Management, now the International Association for Exhibitions and Events (IAEE).

He has been awarded the King’s Glove Award by the New York Area Chapter of the IAEE, the Convention Industry Council’s (CIC) Hall of Leaders award, and the IAEE’s Pinnacle Award, some of the highest honors in the tradeshow industry. He is also remembered for an incredible legacy of mentorship and fostering of talent in an industry where connections really matter. His kindness and generosity is referred to over his great work accomplishments again and again in the various outpourings of respect and afection that have been made since his death. The industry will miss him, yet beneft from his service, for decades to come.

Linda Marie Winningham died of complications from cancer on August 3, 2022, at the age of 56.

Linda Marie Moran was born in Fullerton, California. A lifelong native of the southern California area, Linda attended California State University at Fullerton where she earned a BA in business administration and marketing in 1989. In 2009, Linda was brought in as account manager at Derse’s new Los Angeles ofce after working at EWI for eight years. Linda was with Derse for 12 years and was a senior account manager when she passed away.

She met her husband Tim Winningham, a tradeshow transportation operator, in the industry. She was known and loved for her energetic and engaging personality both within work and without, and will be missed by many.

Linda is survived by her husband, Tim, and their son, Troy, her mother, Lucille Moran, her three brothers and her sister, and many nieces and nephews.

By Emily Olson

Southwest NAB Show

LAS VEGAS, NV

APRIL 15 - 19

Las Vegas CC

This Year, the NAB Show is celebrating 100 years of innovation. Planners say this event will be the pinnacle for all in the global broadcast, media and entertainment industry. It will be a portal for next-generation technology, a catalyst for best-in-breed products and a place to experience the power of possibility. Over the last 100 years NAB has infuenced the evolution of the audio and visual industry, and there’s no sign that they’ll stop now.

Midwest Automate

DETROIT, MI

MAY 22 - 25

Huntington Place

Automate is the leading automation showcase in North America. The show has something for everyone, whether

you need entry level training for a basic automation understanding, including robotics, machine vision and motion control, or need more advanced courses. There will be 600 exhibitors on the show foor demonstrating the kind of scientifc breakthroughs that were only a dream a few short years ago. Attendees can discover the latest in cutting-edge robotics, vision, artifcial intelligence, motion control and more.

Southeast InfoComm

ORLANDO, FLORIDA

JUNE 10 - 16

Orange County CC

By Emily Olson

InfoComm is a technology exhibition and conference focused on the audio and visual industry. This year, the show will host more than 600 exhibitors showcasing the latest in technology and solutions, and the focus will be on conferencing and collaborating with others with an emphasis on sustainability and eco-friendly products. Attendees interested in a particular aspect of the industry will beneft from a show foor tour. InfoComm is going to host show foor tours grouped by solution, including digital signage, learning and enterprise IT. Each tour will last 90 minutes.

By Emily Olson

HIMSS

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

APRIL 17 - 21

McCormick Place

HIMSS 2023 will unite thought leaders, disruptors and change makers who represent every sector across the global health information and technology spectrum. The event attracts hundreds of diverse exhibitors, from established tech giants to nimble startup companies. The exhibit foor is a place for attendees to get their hands on new products, learn about new services and attend education sessions in specialty areas that are hot in the industry.

South Central

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

MAY 19 - 21

Morial Convention Center

Heart Rhythm Society is bringing the electrophysiology community together again—this time in New Orleans. At this important annual event, heart rhythm professionals worldwide will get together to discuss ground-breaking science, cutting-edge technologies and life-saving therapies that will help patients with arrhythmia.

By Emily Olson

Based on reader feedback and industry trends, we’ve made the strategic decision to move the most comprehensive tradeshow calendar in the industry from our print edition to the web. This change will allow us to better serve our readers by:

» Remaining nimble in the current climate when show dates change

» Freeing up space in our print edition to give you the content you want: corporate profiles, trends and news you can use Find

Las Vegas Power Professionals

Las Vegas Power Professionals creates and inspires a collaborative and impartial environment in which labor and management identify challenges and resolve conflicts in a fair manner. The skilled craftsmen and women of the IBEW Local 357 and experienced electrical contractors of the Southern Nevada Chapter of NECA work together to provide quality products and services to customers. The organization is committed to serving the southern Nevada community.

I&D Labor

Creative Design Services

Audio/Visual

4 Productions

4 Productions is a full-service production company providing ideal technical solutions for tradeshows and events. If you have a message to deliver, a vision to share or a product to launch, 4 Productions is the partner to choose.

For Tradeshow Rentals and Production / Corporate Meetings / Special Events / Content Production / Live Streaming / Virtual Solutions:

» A/V Rentals

» LED Video Walls

» Lighting

» 3D Mapping

» Live Entertainment

» Animated Graphics

» Storyboarding

» Video Formatting & Edits

Event WiFi

Exhibit Design and Builders

I&D Lighting

Exposures LTD.

Great exhibits demand great photography … trust Exposures to capture yours in their best light. We’ve been photographing architecture and interiors since 1983, and draw upon this experience to create award-winning photographs for your visual marketing. Finally, there’s no need to settle for mediocre photography. We’ve got you covered for great imagery in every major convention city and in some smaller ones too, and we offer two service levels to fit your budgeting needs: Standard or Architectural. Choose Exposures, and let’s work together! For more info, please visit exposuresltd.com, send us an email to info@exposuresltd.com or simply call us – Gary (781.715.1216 ) or Lisa (702.908.0642)

AVEX

AVEX is a full-service event design and production company that delivers exceptional technical results with award-winning customer service. For more than 15 years, our clients have trusted us to bring their visions to life in strategic, innovative and budget-sensitive ways. From local non-profits to the most recognized brands in the world, our clients choose us—and stay with us, because they experience a higher level of service that translates into extraordinary event experiences. We provide live event design and production services for corporate events, meetings, galas, private celebrations, non-profit events and more. For more info, visit www.goavex.com

2023 EDITORIAL CALENDAR*

*Content is subject to change

QUARTER 1 (JANUARY-MARCH)

Print & Digital

• Material handling (shipping and logistics)

• Expert predictions on the year ahead

• Keynote Speakers

Digital only

• Technology/New Products

• AV/Lighting/Graphics/Photography

• Lead Retrieval v. Data Matching/CRM

• Advocacy Updates

Focus City: Austin, TX

QUARTER 3 (JULY - SEPTEMBER)

Print & Digital

• Tension Fabric

• Graphics and Lighting

• Security/Safety

• Outdoor and Mobile Exhibits

Digital only

• General Contractors

• Insurance/Legal/Contracts

• General Contractor Profiles

• Event Tech Live Update

Focus City: Tampa, FL and Seattle, WA

QUARTER 2 (APRIL - JUNE)

Print & Digital

• 10-by-10 and 20-by-20 booths

• EXHIBITORLive Preview

• Furniture and Flooring

• Tech Corridor

Digital only

• Sustainability

• Warehousing/Material Handling

• Show Management/Kits

Focus City: Denver, CO

QUARTER 4 (OCTOBER - DECEMBER)

Print & Digital

• Best Places to Work

• ACE Awards

• Swag and Staffing

• Extrusions

Digital only

• Healthcare

• Tradeshow Marketing/Traffic

• Advocacy Updates

• Tradeshow Marketing/Traffic Builder

• International Showcase

Focus Cities: Baltimore, MD and Detroit, MI

Deadline / Space reservation: 8th day, or closest business day, of month prior to print issue.

We would love to hear from you! Share the coverage you would like to see in future issues at newsdesk@exhibitcitynews.com

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TALK ABOUT SERVICE!!!

I am so so incredibly grateful for their service and how extremely helpful they were during a very stressful time. What an amazing company. I highly recommend. – Jennifer B. ★★★★★

We were in a huge bind when we arrived in las vegas for our Trade Show. within 12 hours they had printed our display! We couldn't be more appreciative of their time and effort! – Doug ★★★★★ YES - 12 hours!

I've been a 20 year long customer of Color Reflections. For me it’s a very simple decision when looking for the highest level of expertise in large format. – Kerry M. ★★★★★

We've been using Color Reflections for all specialty products for almost 10 years.

I don't know what we would do without them!!! – Eric S. ★★★★★ Dependable and give us a quality product.

total partner in

our success.

We have worked with Color Reflections for many years now on every size project imaginable.

A+++ Work & Results, 24/7/365. Stay Awesome! – Port of Subs 53 ★★★★★ A

I have high end clients and their brands are everything to them. Everything has to be consistent no matter the substrate. With Color Reflections I never have to worry – Marianne L. ★★★★★ they make it happen!

NEW Rental Program

beMatrix is launching our brand new Rental Network!

You can now rent our most popular products and frames as well as specialty items such as beTruss & Double Deck. Supplement your beMatrix inventory during peak event times or rent on a per project basis. No upfront costs, no initial deposits, and no maximum rental time frame. Our Rental Service Centers are located in Atlanta and Las Vegas, reducing your transportation time and cost! The beMatrix rental network provides wholesale (dry) rental of the beMatrix items that you build with the most.

Take advantage of our new rental program today by contacting our team at CustomerService@beMatrix.com or by scanning the QR code.