Exhibit City News - Oct/Nov/Dec 2022

Representing buyers and sellers in the trade show and event markets

Contact Dan Greene at (708) 650-3343 | dgreene@nolanadvisory.com

Feature

On our cover: Jessica Sibila, executive director of The Exhibitor Advocate, stands in front of a busy showroom floor on load-in day at the Colorado Convention Center. Photo by Cara LeFebvre Photography

Photo by Gary Prochorchik / Exposures LTD

Preparing to Say Goodbye to 2022

Tired? Overworked? Glad to be busy, but things going by too fast? If tradeshows and other events start to blur together, it’s time for a tradeshow time out! Grab a refreshing beverage and your copy of ECN, and catch up to the world you are part of.

Quarter four is upon us, and we have some great, “Don’t Miss” content that you will only fnd here. Let’s GO!

GoFundMe? How about we all help fund our industry? As Ray Smith’s aptly titled piece, Facing Goliath, points out, The Exhibitor Advocate stands up for tradeshow exhibitors, and they have more than slings and stones in their arsenal. Read up on what Jessica Sibila, executive director of The Exhibitor Advocate, is up to (pg 29).

Don’t miss EDPA Foundation Helping Others: The story of its creation (pg 68). Learn about the efort, led by a large handful of industry juggernauts, that led to what I consider a super fund for doing good in our industry. Learn how long it took to raise over a million dollars and what they do with the proceeds.

This edition’s content also includes industry historian Bob McGlincy taking us back to yesteryear with The 1893 Chicago World’s Fair: Electrify ing the World (pg 48), and the Invis ible Industry Tour heads to the City of Brotherly Love (pg 70). See how the National Trade Show Alliance is pushing the mission of awareness and growth of our industry workforce. Brumark increased the size of their Las Vegas and Dalton facilities by thousands of square feet. Read about what the expansion means for their organization (pg. 40). And I was lucky enough to attention AluvisionLive! in August. The boat ride was defnitely the highlight of the experience for me, but the showroom foor tour and the top-notch educational experience came in a close second (pg 42).

Until next print edition, we will see you in our digital formats. Our Q1 2023 print edition will have our annual year in review, as well as our guest clairvoyants as they predict a new year full of trade shows and events. Until then … DVS

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

ART DIRECTOR

Thomas Speak

Tom@Speak-Design.com

COLUMNISTS / WRITERS

Calanit Atia Sven Bossu

Paco Collazo

Bob McGlincy

Mike Morrison

Jim Obermeyer

Liese Peterson

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Jeanne Brei

Thea Engst

Laura Palker

Kerstan Szczepanski

Ray Smith

PROOFREADERS

Kerstan Szczepanski

Milt Collins

NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Christy Giambattista

ChristyD@exhibitcitynews.com

CIRCULATION

Manny Chico

Mike Morrison

Vol. 28, issue 4, copyright 2022 by EXHIBIT CITY NEWS, published four times a year by Mr. Tradeshow Communications, LLC, 1675 E. Desert Inn Rd., Las Vegas, NV 89169. Editorial views presented within this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher and no liability is inherent. To subscribe, go to ExhibitCityNews.com or call (702) 272-0182. Reproduction/reuse of this material may only be permitted with expressed permission of Exhibit City News. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to location listed above.

Creative Ways to Amplify Corporate Branding

Making décor and accessories work for maximum impact.

Reflect the Company’s Mission

Allow a wellness or sustainability-focused client to reinforce their brand identity by incorporating biophilic touches throughout an event space. Lifelike greenery adds touches of nature without the waste. Wood textures provides a sense of grounding, even in a crowded venue, to facilitate relaxed, candid conversations.

On the other end of the spectrum, it would be remiss to plan a tech event without charging accessories. Go a step further and place QR codes on personalized products for easy informational access.

For luxury clients, incorporate rich textured rugs, deep jeweled-toned pillows, and mixed metallics to envelope attendees in opulence.

By CORT Events

Think Beyond the Logo

Personalization can be much more than just printing a client’s logo on a board. Consider going outside of the box and reinforcing the client’s products and services in different ways. Subtly carry brand colors throughout the event with custom, thematic graphics on light columns, pillows, and soft seating pods to marry brand amplification with creative design elements.

Use Accessories to Foster Connection

Highlight intelligent design with well thought out, functional lighting. Discern a gathering space with defining hedge walls for a calming effect. Frame a soft seating sanctuary with geometric wall partitions for a sense of privacy even in a crowded space.

For more design tips and the latest updates, visit us at

Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace CC

Location: 100 SW Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84101

Date Opened: 1995

Square Footage: The Salt Palace Convention Center has 515,000 square feet of exhibit space, 164,000 square feet of meeting space and 66 meeting rooms.

Parking: The Salt Palace Convention Center has two underground garages with a total of 1,000 parking spaces. The garages are accessible 24 hours a day.

Hotels: The Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City will open in October 2022. The facility boasts 700 rooms and is connected to the Salt Palace Convention Center.

Airport Info: Salt Lake City International Airport is located just seven miles from the Salt Palace Convention Center.

WiFi: The Salt Palace Convention Center ofers both wired and wireless internet service with complimentary guest access in lobby and meeting areas.

Transportation: The Trax Light Rail ofers transportation from the airport to two stations that are only half a block from the convention center. The center also is part of the national Green Bike program, a bike sharing program that ofers convenient and environmentally friendly transportation around the city.

Website: www.visitsaltlake.com/ salt-palace-convention-center

Photo courtesy of Visit Salt Lake

The Best Company to Work With

In the past I have written about the most infuential people in my career.

Some of them were managers and executives at companies where I worked, and some were peers. But one common thread throughout all of them was the way in which they approached their pro fession and the company that employed them. All of them enjoyed what they were doing and enjoyed working with the team of people that surrounded them.

When I look back on my decades in the exhibit industry and think about the numerous positions I’ve held at a variety of com panies, I could create my own “Best Company to Work For” list. But I’m not sure that’s the way I would approach the issue.

fve-person team that produced our largest tradeshows. Team members came from a variety of areas in the com pany, such as sales, marketing, technical support and product management. But everyone understood the mission: to create a memorable tradeshow mar keting experience that delivered our message to the attendees at our shows. This team worked so well together and became so successful that it garnered the company’s prestigious Spirit of Excellence award.

back to what it is that you are trying to achieve in your career.

What constitutes a best company for one person may not even make the bottom of the list for you. All the best compensation packages, benefts, perks and bonuses won’t mean a whole lot if you are absolutely miserable doing what you’re doing.

By Jim Obermeyer

The most challenging and most rewarding times in my career have been when I was part of a very creative, dynamic team focused on achieving our mission. We were driven and succeeded because of the energy within the group of people. I can think of specifc periods where this team dynamic was very strong and very successful.

When I was a tradeshow manager at a large corporation, I was part of a

At another company, I became involved in the expansion of a satellite ofce for an exhibit designer-producer. We were able to recruit some of the top people in our market to create a core team that understood its mission: to grow a new exhibit marketing company in a market that hadn’t seen new blood in many years. In three years, the division was able to challenge–and win against–even its biggest competitors.

I relate these stories for no other reason than to make this point: It’s not about who’s the best company to work FOR; it’s about who is the best team of people for you work WITH. And that gets

If you know what it is that motivates you to succeed and what it is that gives you the most satisfaction in your career, however, then those are the attributes of your best company and the characteristics you should be looking for in your work.

Employers who understand that those motivators are diferent with each of us and understand what it is to provide the environment for each of us to be a part of the successes will end up building a group of people that in total create the Best Company To Work WITH.

May you succeed in fnding your best company!

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

BETWEEN

Any carrier can say they “do tradeshows”, but not every carrier has the experience level to deliver superior results on a consistent basis.

We take a consultative approach and believe the logistical component of going to a show is as important as the booths the exhibit itself.

We take pride in being a true partner for our exhibitors and exhibit design and fabrication clients.

The Secret’s Out!

VMX

and

The world’s largest veterinary tradeshow returns to Orlando

January 14 through 18, 2023. Celebrating their 40th anniversary, VMX will look to the past, meet in the present and gaze into the future.

» Early bird pricing of $125 mirrors the exact cost of the first show 40 years ago!

Pricing

expo hall,” says Joe Sorrentino, North American Veterinary Community’s (NAVC) senior vice president of live events.

» With more than 15,000 participants, VMX 2022 was nearly on par with the pre-pandemic attendance of 16,904 at VMX 2019. (And the January 2022 numbers are particularly impressive, because the show occurred during another COVID surge.)

Learn and experience the latest advances in veterinary medicine.

Pricing

Pay like it’s 1983!

Learn like it’s 2023!

By Bob McGlincy

» While networking in the present, attendees will be immersed in 1980s nostalgia and themed events.

» Education and business eyes both the present and the future, with sessions, cutting-edge displays and products.

Engagement

“We are always looking for new ways to engage our VMX attendees and sponsors and drive more people to spend time at our award-winning

“With this year’s 40th an niversary celebration and 1980s theme, we will have many unique and exciting new ways to make the VMX Expo Hall a destination for learn ing, networking and fun. The registration response has been pretty incredible, and we are excited to present this milestone VMX in January.”

Total engagement is what makes a tradeshow work. Qualifying and then engaging both exhibitors and attendees creates a success. VMX has a 40-year history of successfully engaging audiences through displays, sessions, attractions and entertainment.

» Attendance at VMX 2021 and VMX 2022 was very strong and exceeded expectations.

Expectations are strong for a record-breaking 2023, and the opportunities for fun, engage ment and learning are many:

» Walk the show floor. Meet new people. See new products and new techniques.

» Break bread and share stories during “Meet the Professor Lunches.”

» Learn in the “Hands-on Workshops.”

» Participate in the “Behind the Scenes Tours” at SeaWorld Orlando and Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park.

» Engage and network during educational sessions.

Education

NAVC has a history of providing superior education and innovation.

With hundreds of scientifc sessions available, there is sure to be something for everyone. Earn CE credits.

“The last 40 years have ushered in some of the most exciting advances in vet erinary medicine, many of which were introduced and taught at VMX,” says NAVC CEO Gene O’Neill. “We are pleased to mark our 40th anniversary of hosting the veterinary industry’s lead ing annual conference by making it financially easier for veterinary professionals to attend VMX, meet their education requirements, network with colleagues and have a lot of fun in the pro cess. Our mission is to help the entire veterinary com munity thrive, and we are delighted to support them by offering all the value of VMX 2023 at the price of the inaugural VMX.”

Discount pricing is available for all those who pre-register by October 31.

To learn more about VMX 2023 and to register, visit: www.navc.com.

Jon Dorenbos: The Mindset of an NFL Pro Bowl Player

Have you ever wondered about the mindset it takes to play in the NFL? After spending a few hours with Jon Dorenbos, Super Bowl champion, I can see why everyone who meets him is captivated by his journey and inspired by his words. He is a true champion.

By Calanit Atia

Jon Dorenbos played 14 seasons in the NFL, notably making the Pro Bowl twice as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, as well as being the Ed Block Courage Award recip ient and the Walter Payton Man of the Year. He also holds the record for the most consecutive games played in Philadelphia Eagles franchise history. He retired from the NFL after he was diagnosed with a life-threatening heart condition requiring 15 hours of emergency open-heart surgery. Jon was the thirdplace fnalist on Season 11 of “America’s Got Talent,” where he showcased his skills as a sleight-of-hand magician and also competed on “America’s Got Talent: The Champions.” He is now one of the most sought-out keynote speakers.

ECN recently sat down with Jon Dorenbos to learn more about his life.

ECN: Tell me about your journey to the NFL.

Jon Dorenbos: At 12, I discovered that my father had murdered my mother. He turned himself in the following day. My sister and I went to temporary foster care and

went through the most intense therapy for a year; my aunt adopted me, and that is where I got into magic. I got into magic not to be a magician, but because the sound of shufing cards was the only time the world quieted down, the only time I was just a kid. Time went on; I played University of Texas El Paso, then I made the NFL, where I played for 12 years and NEVER missed a game.

ECN: that possible?

Jon Doren bos: You grant the pain, and you get it done. No excuses. I played 162 games with out missing a game. My goal was to be the oldest guy on the team, which meant I had the most opportunities to succeed. The team’s owner wants me around and no one else. That means being a true pro, showing up every day on time, being prepared and ready to work, and doing whatever it takes to get the job done for your teammates so the people who gave you the opportunity respect you.

ECN: people to learn from your speaking engagements?

Jon Dorenbos: speak, I am able to tell my life story and do the magic that I learned along the way to fnd

happiness. I want people to re alize the sooner we can come to terms with our reality the bet ter, whether we agree with it or not. Sometimes we don’t have control over what life gives us. We must make the best of it to come to terms with our reality, so we can fnd forgiveness and

accountability than anybody else has for you, you surround yourself with good people and you show up on time prepared and ready to work, I truly believe that life is simple. No matter how hard life gets, we decide at that moment:Do we rise and live in vision or stay down and live in circumstanc

I don’t care how much money you have, where you are from, what religion you are or what language you speak. What separates people is how fast they come out of that moment. Is that moment of pain, of struggle, going to defne you or refne you? So when you stand up, whatever happens, will you fnd motiva tion in defeat? Are you going to shut the voice out that says, “I am not good enough”? Are you going to stand up and say, “I GOT this. This is not going to be an excuse.

I realize that life happens, and I am going to come to terms with my reality. I will fnd the positive in my situation, motivation and ROCK ON. I am going to show up every day prepared and on time and ready to work and live the BEST life I possibly can.” I hope after people hear me speak, they can refect on their own life and have forgiveness.

ECN: You speak about forgiveness. Have you found it?

Jon Dorenbos: I have not seen my father in 27 years. When my wife got pregnant, I reached out to my dad, and we spoke for 5 ½ hours. It was the hardest thing I have ever done. I was not there for answers, I was not there for validation and I did not need excuses or stories. I wanted to say I forgive you for being lost and making a terrible mistake. For me, it was about redefn ing what forgiveness means.

While he was in prison, Nelson Mandela told the inmates that we are free men if they don’t hold our souls. When he got released from prison, he was bitter about all the time lost. He might have been free, but mentally he was still in prison. So for me, what forgiveness means, I had taken steps in life. I had a little bit of pain, anger and resentment toward my dad, but he was no longer in my life. Holding on to that was my decision, nobody else’s. For me, forgiving my dad is me symbolically taking one step toward letting it go. Somebody that is no longer in my life will not afect my life.

ECN: What is the mindset that motivated you?

Jon Dorenbos: It is all about the conversations you have with yourself. Don’t listen to yourself; talk to yourself.

Anytime something hard in my life happens, I pretend I am in a romantic comedy movie. I close my eyes and talk to myself about how this will end. I am going to write a movie where I am the lead character, and I imagine the best thing that could

happen, and I talk about the story. I write a story that I made up. I look in the mirror and talk to myself. I write the script as if I were in the movie now and know how this movie is going to end. Then you go out of the door, and if 90 percent of your decisions go toward that script, you might not end where you said, but you will be in a much bet ter place than where you were. There is a voice that will want to say excuses, bitterness, anger, resent ment, wants and avenges. You need to shut the voice out because that is the voice that is talking to you in your own head. So don’t listen to yourself, talk to yourself.

You may need to tell yourself a thousand times. I talk to myself all the time. If I speak it, I hear it, I see it. Now that you put this energy into the world, it will return to you.

ECN: What did you say to yourself when you were in the hospital for your heart?

Jon Dorenbos: When I was traded to New Orleans going into my 15th season, I received a contract for millions of dollars. I was doing a physical and they found out I have a heart condition. I was rushed to open-heart surgery. After 15 hours of surgery and 35 days for post-surgery, my whole life shifted.

When you come out of surgery with depression, you are really cold and on many meds, so you are very foggy, frustrated and angry. Every morning I would grab my IV pole and shufe my feet the best I could because I was so

weak. It would take me a few minutes to walk 10 feet to the bathroom. I would close the door and look at the mirror, I looked at myself as 40 pounds lighter, with the scar, stitches and staples. I had a few seconds where I cried, then I’d pick myself up as tall as I could, and say, “You got this. Hold your head up high. Walk proud. You got this.” I would say it three times.

ECN: Where did this strength come from?

Jon Dorenbos: From a young age, I wanted the world to see my name and not think of my dad. I wanted my name to mean more than where I came from. I wanted to be so much more than that. So when I say people give me an opportunity, there is a moti vation within me that when I was not fast or strong enough, my attitude, my sense of perseverance, my will not to give up, to keep standing up no matter what, and to keep walking forward, that is what got me through. I will not stay down. No matter what. If I can stand up, I will stand up. I do not care how bad I am hurting; I don’t care how many shots life has taken at me. I will stand up.

When I had the most consecutive games played, I had a moment in my career. It was early. I got an ankle injury, and the doctor said I would be out for eight weeks, and I was playing in six days, which I did. In the pregame, where you warm up, I knew as soon as I ran out of the tunnel that run ning was hard with an ankle injury. If I were limping,

the other team would see that I was injured. If I am weak, they will attack it, and I am the only one who can do what I do in the team. There is only one snapper per team, so if I go down, it is bad for the team. So I sprinted out of the tunnel full speed, with extreme pain, wanting to cry, but I did not and would not limp.

My favorite moment of my career, I snapped the ball, blocked it and ran 50 yards, made a solo tackle with an injury I was not supposed to be playing on, and at the end of the game, I snapped the ball that gave us the lead, and we won the game.

I had a choice; I could say, “This hurts; I cannot go on.” Or I can say, “I don’t matter; I am going to make a solo tackle, and I am going to snap the winner, and we will win the game.” I will tell you that it hurts, but sometimes life hurts. But you know what? It is going to hurt either way, whether you sit at home and complain about it or achieve greatness. We won that game. That’s all that mattered.

These are the words of a true champion! For booking info, visit JonDorenbos.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 and Entertainment Agency, 2021 MPI Advisory Board Member and Speaker. She can be contacted at 702-2122500, Info@AtoZevents.com, www. AtoZevents.com, www.twitter.com/ CalanitAtia www.facebook.com/calanit, www.linkedin.com/in/calanit, www.instagram.com/calanitatia

What I Learned About Growth in 2022

As we round up our last quarter of 2022 and begin to plan our goals for next year, I’m greatly surprised by everything that worked out for my company this year.

I was expecting my small business to have a slower recovery. Even if we had solid prospects for the frst few months, we had an uncertain outlook for the second quarter. The future of the industry remained unknown, thus making me unable to predict the amount of work I was in for. Our best bet was to have a full recovery by the end of 2023.

business thriving, my family of three was soon to become a family of four. I can’t recall a time when I experienced as much excitement and anxi ety as when I learned I was going to be a dad again.

By Paco Collazo

Summer arrived and I became a father to a lovely girl, and meanwhile, my company was turning three years old. Over the moon is an accurate description of how I felt.

Navigating this personal and professional growth brought many challenges. At the ofce, I was facing simul taneous changes: rearranging daily tasks and project management strategies, supervising the revamp of our social media channels and web page and going through the process of hiring more people.

With the sudden increase of responsibility, I was compelled to reevaluate my worklife balance.

The change in schedule led the team to feel more productive and in a better mood, and this translated into better service for our clients.

Reducing our working hours per week seemed like the right decision, and the quick rise of the company during the frst few months after the adjustment is indic ative of the incredible work that the team performs every single day.

I have dedicated most of my career to building a company I’m proud of. Now, I feel like I accomplished it. And my very loving and supportive family drives my motivation.

I’m not going to lie; being a parent for the second time around and having a grow ing business was unnerv ing at some points. Still, nothing makes me more fulfilled than knowing that I’m contributing to creating new industry standards from which future generations will benefit.

Although some business decisions have come intu itively, the learning curve continues to challenge me and help me become a better leader and father.

However, not only was the industry in full swing and my

Our team was making a great efort bringing in new clients and securing future projects. But as the days went by, a re alization struck: A much faster expansion was greeting me and I was in need of more help.

I made adjustments to the work schedule before going out of office for a self-or dered paternity leave. But then I decided it was time to permanently adjust the company’s work schedule to a four-day week.

You are probably wondering how it’s possible to give clients the best experience and deliver everything they need on time with the reduced schedule. I may have an answer.

Paco Collazo is the owner & CEO of Atlanta-based Happy Projects, where their passion is “to collaborate with the planet’s top standbuilders, event production companies, agencies and brands to solve all your face-to-face marketing needs from concept to seamless execution.” He worked 13 years in the family business, ending as a sales and project director at SISTEXPO (Sistemas de Exposicion), a full-exhibit/event house based in Mexico. Contact him at paco@ happyprojects.us.

We Need Talent

Coming out of the pandemic, the overall expectation was that business would come back gradually, allowing the convention center teams to get back up to speed in a controlled way. Well, that did not happen. With Tesla-like acceleration, agendas were flled up with events, leaving little breathing space and putting pressure on teams. In an environment where it is difcult to fnd staf, this comes with specifc challenges.

On July 22, GL Events Group presented its H1 results. With more than 50 venues worldwide, their results can be considered a good indicator of what is happening in the world of convention centers. The results were impressive: Q2 2022 revenue levels outperform comparable periods in 2018 and 2019 and increased by 150 percent compared to 2021. In terms of number of events organized, GL is at 87 percent compared to 2019. At the same time, not

by Sven Bossu, CEO AIPC

all types of events are recovering in the same way. While corporate events are booming, internation al congresses and exhibitions are lagging somewhat behind. Geo graphically, China does not show the same signs of recovery as the other regions. But this is clearly not a gradual recovery; it is a big jump. Other big jumps can be seen in the labor market. The August fgures of the US Bu reau of Labor Statistics confrm that the big resignation is still ongoing in the leisure and hospitality industry: 9 percent (1.3 mil lion people) of its workforce changed jobs. And looking at the profles most at risk for leaving: people with a 5- to 10-year tenure, with women quitting at a higher rate.

Finding staf has become extremely dif fcult. Sixty percent of AIPC members say recruiting and retaining suitable employ ees is extremely/very challenging, and it’s hardest fnding mid-level managers. Fif ty-six percent of members have launched

special HR initiatives to attract staf.

This contrast between high market de mand and loss/lack of staf is increasingly leading to opportunity costs, as some con vention centers simply need to refuse busi ness, either because of a lack of availability or because the lack of staf does not allow them to meet the service levels required.

Unfortunately, there is no magic solution for this challenge. On top, the event indus try is not the only one facing lack of staf and having difculties in retaining talent. However, the event industry does ofer a number of advantages, which are important for a new generation of professionals. When asked what would make them leave their job, Gen Z and Millennials will not give salary as top driver. Instead, the following aspects are in the top 5 (next to work/life balance and risk of burn-out): lack of pur pose, lack of challenge and lack of learning opportunities. These are typically things that the event industry is great at.

Personally, I believe that the same level of efort that has been put into sustain ability on an event industry level via the Zero Carbon Events Initiative should be put in making our industry attractive for upcoming talent. Especially because we will need those talents to achieve our ambitions when it comes to sustainability, the integration of new technology or delivering the next level of delegate experiences. Defnitely something to discuss during the upcoming industry events.

Sven Bossu, AIPC’s first CEO, was previously the managing director for innovation at ESTRO, the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology, and spent eight years at SWIFT, organizing the world-renowned SIBOS conference. Contact him at sven.bossu@aipc.org.

AIPC represents a global network of more than 190 leading centers in 64 countries with the active involvement of more than 1,000 management-level professionals worldwide. It is committed to encouraging and recognizing excellence in convention center management, based on the diverse experience and expertise of its international representation, and maintains a variety of educational, research, networking and standards programs to achieve this. For more info, visit aipc.org.

Sven Bossu

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.

10 Great Reasons Why You Should Take a Fresh Look at EU Tradeshows

I’ve always been tempted by those cheesy quiz zes usually found in the magazines at doctors’ offices where you’re asked, “So, you think you’re a ____________?” You can usually fill in the blank with some role you think you’re good at, and the quiz might give you a flattering answer. This might explain why, when I was contemplating this column, I was thinking “So, you think you know European tradeshows?”

The industry had a couple of tough years, so I want to start with an encouraging premise:

There has likely never been a better time to reconsider exhibiting in Europe.

Imagine in the graphic below that the outer blue circle represents the forces that bring about change in the world, the white circle represents the forces im pacting the continent you

live in, the dark blue circle represents the forces under which your specific market operates and the purple circle represents the shows you’ve been involved with.

By Liese Peterson

coping. Count these blessings:

» The number of people attempting to enter the US illegally is smaller than the number of people displaced in Europe by the war in Ukraine

Kind of mind-boggling to read the table, isn’t it? Yet if I ask most of my American friends who’s undergoing more change right now, Eu rope or North America, it’s rare that anyone says, “Wow, with the war in Ukraine so close, the impact of energy supplies threatening Europe, the recent moves of the euro against the dollar and the supply chain issues, I’ll say Europe.”

I would argue that the sheer number of changes afecting Europe right now are by far more (and some times, sadly, more dire) than the changes with which American consumers are

» We are nowhere near considering wholesale changes to either regionalize or nationalize vast numbers of tradeshows based on the impact gasoline prices are having on our driving habits

» Americans aren’t facing a winter where one may need to pick only two of the following three choices: to eat, to stay warm, to drive to work or school

The purpose of this article is not to entreat you to put on a stif upper lip and carry on. In stead, its purpose is to encour age you to think strategically and tactically about how all this change is afecting things in the tradeshow trenches.

Now’s the time to strike up acquaintances with folks

who welcome US exhibitors at the largest European tradeshows and ask them which of their shows are growing, which are not and which are changing in fun damental ways. We all know of major shows that once dominated the US market that have been completely discontinued because tech nology has changed the way retailing works. Big shifts of this magnitude are taking place in Europe, and it doesn’t mean “discontinued shows,” though it may mean some of the good old shows have lost their relevance for you.

When did you last check on new shows that are emerging? Do you know where the market for your products is? (In other words, what city would be the “Eu ropean Detroit?” What city is where the trendiest home furnishings make their de but, and so on?) How do you think the market for your products will change if gas tops $10/gallon? Will shows become regional or will they become more like a perma nent show room?

What should you do if you want to be efective?

AREA BEING INFLUENCED Forces that bring about change in this area

THE PLANET

YOUR CONTINENT

YOUR MARKET

Weather, climate change, political upheaval, war, availability of resources

Elections, currency valuation, border disputes, supply chains, export and import barriers, transportation, fuel costs

Supply chains, the nature of the market (oligopoly or monopoly), access to raw materials, number of competitors, impact of technology, change of consumer or buyer habits, economic forces, availability of labor

» Jump in on LinkedIn’s tradeshowrelated pages

» Make friends in Asia and Europe

» Join some networks of people who are global in your market, and ask them where they see their markets’ tradeshows going

YOUR TRADESHOWS

Access to the shows, the changing nature of hybrid presentations versus face-to-face, the impact or decline of key influencers/drivers, the cost of exhibiting, outside labor influences, etc.

Then take a fresh look at what’s happening in Europe. You might be pleasantly surprised, and if you are, jump in the water! The planet’s getting smaller by the day, but you can still enjoy a piece of it.

The Tradeshow Industry Finishes 2022 Strong

by Mike Morrison

The fnal months of 2022 will be an interesting time for the tradeshow and live event industry. This year has played out the way many people thought it would, and I’ve described it many times as “crawl, walk and run.” I don’t feel we’ve reached the “run” stage by any stretch of the imagination, but we are way past the crawl stage. I think the industry is operating at a brisk walking pace, for lack of better descriptive terms.

The forecast was right in line with what we have seen in the frst three quarters of the year: a comeback from the 2020 and 2021 years of inactivity; COVID, for the most part, being reeled in; and attempts to resume a business-as-usual state of mind. However, the international scene has not caught up with the US view of tradeshows and live events. A recent major show in China was shut down nine hours prior to opening due to what was identifed as an uptick in COVID cas es—24 in a population of more than 17 million—so some change has to happen before the world stage resembles 2019.

The past months on the podcast have

seen interviews center on the wrap-up from EXHIBITORLive 2022, the owner ship change with Mark Johnson taking over as leader of Exhibitor Media Group, and the wrap-up from the ESCA Summer Educational Conference highlighting inter views with UFI’s Kai Hattendorf, consul tant Mark Zimmerman, Dean Dennis from the Memphis Convention area and CEIR’s Nancy Drapeau. UFI also brought on Dan ica Tormohlen to prepare their organiza tion for a 2023 US-based conference in Las Vegas, and the podcast has shared data as that date comes closer on the calendar.

Another organization was spotlighted on the podcast when Jessica Sibila from The Exhibitor Advocate came on the show to share her organization’s advocacy eforts for show exhibitors moving forward (see page 28). Rob Wilson from Employco USA took time to speak about the heavy HR challenges that companies in our industry face at the end of 2022. Don and Mike have also been on the road speaking with industry colleagues from Philadelphia, Boston, Minneapolis-St Paul and other areas to wrap up the year.

IAVM’s Brad Mayne spent some time on the show sharing the challenges venues continue to see while trying to come back to a sense of normal in the event world.

At time of printing, Don and Mike will also be focused on the 2022 version of The Randy Smith Memorial Classic in Stone Mountain, Georgia, and also preparing for the EDPA Access Confer ence in San Antonio, Texas, and wind ing up activities at IAEE’s Expo Expo in Louisville, Kentucky.

Yep—it’s an interesting recap for 2022’s closing. What will 2023 hold for the industry? Tune in and fnd out!

Mike Morrison is the national sales director for WS Displays as well as co-host and producer of “The Don & Mike Show” podcast. Contact him at thedonandmikeshow@gmail.com or mike@wsdisplay. com. For more info, visit TheDonAndMikeShow.net.

The Don & Mike Show can be heard on Fridays at TheDonAndMikeShow.net; ExhibitCityNews.com; Facebook (www.facebook.com/DandMshow); LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/groups/12096643/); Twitter (twitter.com/DonAndMikeShow1) and most all podcast platforms, including iTunes, Google, Spotify.

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Salt Lake City International Airport

Airport Code: SLC

Date Opened: The frst terminal was built in 1933.

Size: Salt Lake City International Airport has one terminal with two concourses. The airport covers 7,700 acres and has three air carrier runways and one general aviation runway. The airport’s longest runway is 12,003 feet long and the short est is 4,900 feet long.

Transportation: The airport is easily accessible from highway I80, and the passenger terminal is served by taxis and ride-sharing companies. TRAX light rail service and UTA bus service connect the airport to the surrounding region. TRAX also connects commuters to the Front Runner commuter rail.

Fun Facts: The Salt Lake City Interna tional Airport is the 21st busiest airport in North America. Nearly 400 fights depart daily from the facility.

SLC currently is undergoing a $4 bil lion redevelopment project to replace ex isting, aging facilities. The project broke ground in 2014, and the frst part of the project, a new terminal, began serving customers in 2020.

Website: www.slcairport.com

Photo of The Canyon by artist Gordon Huether, courtesy Salt Lake City International Airport

Photo by Cara LeFebvre Photography

FACING GOLIATH

BY RAY SMITH

Jessica Sibila might have a better shot at tackling an NFL fullback or gaining control of a runaway train than reining in skyrock eting drayage rates, a decades-old thorn in the side of tradeshow exhibitors that has festered into a most debilitating infection.

That’s one of the myriad challenges for Sibila, principal of Jessica Sibila Consult ing in Denver and executive director of The Exhibitor Advocate, a nonproft orga nization founded earlier this year to make sure the exhibition and events industry remains viable.

The Exhibitor Advocate “is dedicated to amplifying the exhibitors’ voices,” she says, making sure they’re heard loud and clear by show management, labor unions, service providers and suppliers.

For too long, show attendees have been the focus of the convention industry, Sibila says in an interview with ECN. That must change.

“We need to recognize and appreciate the value of the exhibitor in this equation,” Sibila explains. “Without the exhibitors, we don’t have a tradeshow. We must work together to address exhibitor issues, implement best practices and ensure the success of all stakeholders to sustain this industry for the long term.”

One of the frst steps toward accomplish ing that goal is raising awareness of exhibi tors’ needs. Every show should establish an exhibitor advisory council—not a “ceremo

nial council, but a working council,” Sibila stresses. Show management must under stand the importance of open, transparent communication with the council.

“It’s important that every show manager has an exhibitor advisory council. Show management needs to understand where the pain points are for their exhibitors and work on addressing those issues with the GSC [general service contractors] and suppliers to the show.”

PRICING CONCERNS

The Exhibitor Advocate wants economical, more consistent exhibiting costs, as well as simpler rules and pricing models with fewer restrictions.

“Pricing is an incredibly complex issue,” Sibila admits. “I don’t know if we can say there’s one particular top issue within pricing. There’s a number of issues. First and foremost, for exhibitors, we need predictable costs and justifable pricing. We need to know whether freight will be considered special handling or not.”

Drayage, or the transport of freight over a short distance, such as from a warehouse to a tradeshow venue, has long been the top issue for exhibitors. Drayage rates vary depending on factors such as weight, dimensions of the freight, number of pieces being shipped and distance from pickup to delivery address. In

general, drayage comprises 10 percent of a tradeshow budget.

It can be difcult to calculate, and exhibitors are sometimes slapped with unexpected costs.

“We must talk about the issue,” Sibila insists. “We can’t ignore it. Exhibitors simply want to understand the pricing and predict our costs for an event. No hidden fees. No misunderstandings.”

Brad Falberg, president of Atlanta-based booth designer Exhibitus, Inc., has been talking about drayage for years. He recalls drayage being $40 to $60 per cwt (100-pound weight) when he started in the industry 25 years ago. It’s gone above $300 per cwt in the last year.

He says exhibitors must understand that drayage is the revenue collection meth od that the show organizer and general contractor use to pay for all of the general costs to run the show, such as providing aisle carpet and registration desks, so that the show organizer doesn’t have to pay the general contractor for these services.

For example, an average 20-foot-by20-foot display booth usually costs about $60,000. Falberg has learned that one crate is needed for every $10,000 spent on the exhibit, and the average crate weighs 1,000 pounds. If drayage is $120 per cwt, the bill would be $7,200.

That’s more than it cost to ship from Fresno, California, and the crates may

THE EXHIBITOR ADVOCATE STANDS UP FOR TRADESHOW EXHIBITORS—AND THEY HAVE MORE THAN SLINGS AND STONES IN THEIR ARSENAL

have moved only a few hundred yards.

“The problem is that using weight as the basis for generating revenue to run the show has had the unintended consequence of causing exhibitors to continue to suppress what they bring to a show, thereby reducing the efectiveness of the medium,” Falberg says. “Imagine being a retailer that is charged higher rent in the mall the nicer your store design is.”

SMALLER EXHIBITS

Sibila is not an economist, but she understands infation. It’s being felt across all sectors of the economy; however, she knows of exhibitors who went to shows in the same city, at the same venue, with the same amount of freight, and at one show they paid $6,000 to $7,000 in drayage, and $19,000 at the other show. She’s seeing increases in drayage pricing models that “honestly, are unjustifable.”

Rising drayage rates sparked a trend toward reducing exhibit booth size and weight, along with cutting back on the number of shows exhibitors attend, according to industry reports.

Exhibitors realized that if they reduced the weight of their exhibits, they could control a major expense in drayage.

“So, they told their exhibit house to make the exhibit lighter,” Falberg says. “In the meantime, the show contractor needed to maintain their revenue level, so, as you might expect, they increased the drayage at an accelerated rate.”

However, the weight of exhibits can only fall so low. Falberg compares it to “terminal velocity,” or in this case, terminal weight reduction. He predicts that as the weight of exhibits reaches a minimum, drayage rates will also stabilize as the show contractor receives the necessary revenue for the given weight.

Some shows are sympathetic to exhibitors’ plight. During her August 12 guest appearance on “The Don and Mike Show,” Sibila handed kudos to the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) for changing drayage rates from weightbased to $3.85 a square foot, regardless

of quantity, weight or volume.

“We understand infation and that some expenses are naturally rising. But the increases we’re seeing in drayage far out pace infation, the CPI [consumer price index] and labor rates,” she points out.

SHARING DATA

While rising costs are The Exhibitor Ad vocate’s frst priority, other issues need to be addressed. Sibila wants show manage ment to share specifc buyer data, metrics and leads with exhibitors. It would improve audience engagement and increase return on investment through multiple channels.

“Access to data and metrics is a big one. Inconsistent pricing and information on show service kits compared to the order system online. Complicated show rules and regulations. There’s plenty of work to do, and we want to help management address these issues with their exhibitors,” Sibila says.

Show management has always protected data on attendees as being proprietary

information owned by the show, often unwilling to share that data with exhibitors or charging extra for it.

“The reality is, by participating in shows, there is an expectation by exhibi tors that we have access to that data,” Sib ila says. “I understand privacy, but there is an understanding when you walk into a show as an attendee that you are going to be sold to, that people are going to email you with ofers and deals and, honestly, the more data an attendee is willing to give to an exhibitor about when their buying time is and what they’re looking for and how serious of a buyer they are, then the more responsible I can be as an exhibitor for how I market to you.”

Other issues that The Exhibitor Advocate wants to tackle include exorbitant hotel room rates when a show comes to town, wi-f fees that are through the roof and $13 bottles of water.

JOIN THE CAUSE

The Exhibitor Advocate is flling a void

Photo by Cara LeFebvre Photography

Jeff Pyka of Condit discusses strategy with Jessica Sibila

left when the Trade Show Exhibitor Association (TSEA) dissolved about a decade ago. No other association is specifcally dedicated to supporting exhibitors and addressing their needs, Sibila says.

“Many of us were part of TSEA and have seen the exhibitor voice get lost over the last 10 years without TSEA. As we began to see some red fags that were then exacerbated as we came back to face-to-face events after COVID, we determined that it was critical to incorporate the association now.”

Sibila, who grew up in Boulder, Colorado, and attended the University of

Colorado, makes it clear that The Exhibitor Advocate is not about her. It’s a committee of industry veterans who’ve talked about these issues for years.

Financial sponsors have an opportunity to help build The Exhibitor Advocate and shape how the organization shares information with the tradeshow community. Membership in The Exhibitor Advocate is free, and donations to the cause can be made via GoFundMe and the website: exhibitoradvocacy.com.

Donations make it possible to provide expert advice, research and tools to act

on behalf of all types of exhibitors to address challenges and prominent pain points, and to ensure that the exhibition and event industry remains a valuable and irreplaceable marketing channel.

“We have a very seasoned group of volunteers who work with our organiza tion,” the executive director adds. “We want to make sure exhibitors have a place to go when they have a challenge. Some of this may be seeing challenges come through and pairing exhibitors with one of our seasoned volunteers who’ve been in this industry a long time, maybe even in their part of the industry. It helps them understand opportunities and ways they have to address their challenge.”

The group’s founders are Exhibit Force, HP, HD Supply, Bradley, Verizon, Nuvista, Medtronic, United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, Jessica Sibila, Bruker, Tradeshow Logic and SAP.

BACKWARDS AND IN HEELS

CELEBRATING WOMEN'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE EVENTS INDUSTRY

We're told consistently that women can do anything men can do. But if there's one thing we learned by interviewing the women in the next several pages, it's that women's true value lies in their ability to do things

consistently have variety in what I do, and it is not the same every day. Every show, client and project is diferent and it really keeps the work that I do very exciting.

HKW: What was it that made you want to join CEP International?

environments, with total client satisfaction being our ultimate goal.

HKW: As a woman in the industry, how has CEP created opportunities for you to grow professionally?

ALLISON TROST : LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

BY H. K. WILSON

Allison Trost is vice president of CEP International, a division of Chicago Exhibit Productions Inc. that services international exhibitors in the US and domestic companies that wish to exhibit their brand outside of the US. Allison has been with CEP International for a decade, distinguishing herself by developing an extensive network of partners throughout the world. She is a leader not only within her company, but in the industry at large, serving as a member of the OSPI Executive Committee.

H. K. Wilson: What inspired you to enter the exhibits industry?

Allison Trost: The tradeshow industry is a very fast-paced, ever-changing envi ronment. As a person who enjoys challeng es, I love working in an industry where I

AT: During my time in college at Illinois State University, I had the opportunity to study abroad for a semester in Italy. During my time in Italy, I was able to see diferent parts of the world, which really piqued my interest in international business. When I joined CEP, one of the company goals was to grow the interna tional division, and this was something that I really was excited about and wanted to be a part of.

HKW: Tell me about your role with the company.

AT: As vice president of CEP Interna tional, one of my main roles is to establish and retain partnerships with other exhibit builders from abroad. These internation al partners are a big revenue stream for CEP, and it is my responsibility to execute projects here in the US on behalf of our diferent partners. At the same time, our international department assists a num ber of our fagship accounts with their international tradeshow program.

HKW: What are the qualities that make you and your team so successful?

AT: At CEP, we strive for a “no surprises” experience, and our well-developed standard operating procedures provide our team with a roadmap that helps guide our diferent account teams through every project, ofering high-qual ity services and high-quality exhibits and

AT: During the very early years in my career, CEP allowed me to play a very active and instrumental role in developing our international presence, and I have been very fortunate to be a member of the OSPI Executive Committee for a number of years. This has not only given our company a lot of international credibility, but also has allowed me to broaden my horizons by developing long-term partnerships with exhibit builders across the globe. Here at CEP, I am also a member of our management team and oversee a number of company initiatives.

HKW: Where is your favorite place that you have ever traveled, and why?

AT: Italy. It will always be a second home for me!

HKW: What advice do you have for other women who are seeking leadership opportunities in the industry?

AT: Know and trust in your knowledge and abilities. Look for opportunities to build your self-knowledge, skills and networks. Support and motivate your team to reach their potential. You don’t have to change the world single-handedly, but you can be part of the change. With passion, awareness and a drive to bring your team with you on the journey, there’s no limit to what you can achieve!

HK: What is special about bringing people together from around the world?

AT: I have always valued having the op

32 Oct/Nov/Dec 2022 Exhibit City News differently than men do. Their unique energy, philosophy and skillset is necessary in the workplace, and we're grateful to those who shared their wisdom in our annual feature on women in the industry.

portunity to network with people from oth er parts of the world, because it is such an efective way to exchange ideas, gain new perspectives and learn something new. Having all of my diferent connections around the world has allowed CEP to, in turn, pass this value onto our clients. We are able to use the knowledge that we have from our local partners and apply it to our clients’ international tradeshow programs, ofering one source and one point of con tact for turnkey solutions worldwide.

HKW: What is on the horizon at CEP that you are most excited about?

AT: CEP is placing a lot of emphasis on attracting youth to our industry so that we can advance well into the future. I look forward to our team and I having the opportunity to share our knowledge and experiences with the next generations.

forced me to do something with myself,” she says.

When Howell left the US Army in November 2012, she headed down to the GA Department of Labor in Atlanta to begin her transition back to the civilian world. Howell was sent to an interview at Brumark Total Flooring Solutions, and she landed a job as a customer service project manager. She quickly moved up the ranks—just a few months after being hired, she became a project management team lead. In that role, she began to assess Brumark’s training program and consider ways to make it better. “At that time, they gave you a phone and a desk and told you to get to it,” she explains. “But I found it grossly unfair to evaluate an employee’s performance in 90 days when they haven't been formally trained.” So Howell developed a training manual and training process for new hires. She was so devoted to giving new Brumark employees a warm welcome that just days after giving birth to her son, she went to the ofce. “I was only there for a half day,” she jokes. “But I was the only one who could meet them and help them fll out their paperwork because our HR department hadn’t been fully developed yet.” After that experience, Howell was promoted to client services manager, but in addition to her new title, she gained an important lesson.

the only one with an efective training process in place. As a result, he asked every new hire at Brumark to spend their frst two weeks with Howell. “I love that because I can meet everybody. It’s really good for me to spend time with every employee because I learn how they best

SHAMEKA HOWELL’S METEORIC RISE

BY EMILY OLSON

Shameka Howell has been on her own since she was just a teenager. But that rough start didn’t keep her down. Instead, it served as a springboard that launched her into an impressive career. “The hardships I had when I was young prepared me, gave me thick skin and

“For a large part of my life, I knew that if I didn't do it, it wasn't going to get done. But I’ve been working on changing that attitude in my professional life. To not do everything, to delegate and to hold people accountable. Women have this superwoman drive to take care of everything and everybody without taking care of themselves frst. But you cannot pour from an empty cup. Work is important, but it’s just one of the many roles that we, as women, play.”

For Howell, it’s a role she performs with expertise and creativity. By September 2015, she was promoted to director of account management. Around the same time, Matt Kelly came on as COO and noticed that Howell’s department was

work and how I need to approach them to help them meet their full potential.”

That knowledge became imperative when she soon after, in July 2017, was promoted to director of operations. “In that role, everything crossed my desk,” she says. She knew she wanted to put new processes and procedures in place, but frst wanted to learn how things were being done. So she spent the frst three weeks in her new role doing every job in that facility, from cutting carpet to driving lift trucks. “I can’t tell you how to change the process if I don’t know how the process currently operates,” she explains. "You have to know a process in and out to best determine what adjustments need to be made."

By putting new processes in place, she changed the entire culture of the orga nization. Most projects were high-stress rush jobs. Employees routinely spent their nights and weekends at work. But Howell created a written inventory, set pace times and developed a production schedule. Her eforts not only improved life for the people who worked for her, but earned

Work is important, but it’s just one of the many roles that we, as women, play

her the title of employee of the year for Exploring, Brumark’s parent company.

Howell believes that there’s a striking diference between being a boss and being a leader. “A leader says to her team, I know the way, so I’ll go the way to show the way. You can’t lead from the back. I like being part of a team and jumping in when they need me.”

That approach to leadership earned her yet another promotion. Howell recently took on the role of director of systems and operations for Exploring, Inc., where she’ll develop workfow, customer service and training processes for Brumark’s parent company.

“I never knew anything about fooring or tradeshows and totally fell in love with the industry and company,” says Howell. “I believe in structure and organization, so being given the opportunity to come into something and bring order that creates growth has been phenomenal.”

KELLY HELFMAN : MAKING MAGIC

BY RAY SMITH

Fashion runs in Kelly Helfman’s genes. Her grandmother was a seamstress, and her mother owned a vintage clothing store.

Growing up in Los Angeles, Helfman roamed the aisles of Goodwill, Salvation Army and local thrift stores, looking for a unique style that would distinguish her as the most fashionable girl in junior high school.

Helfman’s passion for fashion pro pelled her from selling clothes at Nordstrom and shoes at London Sole to being named president of Informa Markets Fashion, the company behind MAGIC Las Vegas and other tradeshows that connect buyers and sellers in the apparel industry.

“It’s defnitely in my blood,” Helfman says during an interview prior to the start of the high-energy MAGIC show at Las Vegas Convention Center last August.

After majoring in flm at the University of Arizona, Helfman returned to Los An geles, working as a talent agency manager, but decided the movie industry wasn’t her gig. She followed her heart into fashion.

“I started my own clothing line at 23. I had retail experience; my line was in showrooms. I did my own PR.”

Running her own business was a chal lenge. Most of her revenue was re-invested in the company, and day-to-day operations became a grind.

A year later, she jumped at the opportunity to join MAGIC as a customer service representative. She had attended the nation’s premier apparel tradeshow with her mother over the years.

“At 24, I’d call the big executives for Levi’s and Steve Madden. I’d be their point of contact and get them set up for the show,” she says.

With her retail experience and under standing of diferent aspects of fashion and tradeshows, Helfman became a “little bit of a chameleon,” merging the two industries.

By age 40, Helfman had soared to the top as a fashion business executive, overseeing the entire fashion portfolio for Informa Markets, which includes 13 co-lo cated tradeshows throughout the year.

A working wife and mother with two children, Helfman was patient about achieving success. She resorted to her flm industry mentality, where you work your way up from the mail room.

She set expectations for herself and exceeded them. “My boss told me to make 20 successful calls a day, to contact and actually engage with customers. I made 25 to 30.”

She also learned to accept feedback, to not become defensive, but grow from it.

“Last but not least, I do what I love,” Helfman adds. “It doesn’t feel like work if I love fashion. I love people and I love leading people.”

LYNN REVES AND THE METRICS OF MESSAGING

BY KERSTAN SZCZEPANSKI

Communication. That is a theme that comes up again and again when talking to Lynn Reves about her life in the tradeshow industry. She graduated mag na cum laude from Virginia Common

wealth University with a degree in mass communications, advertising. While interning in advertising, she worked in a variety of areas, including trafc placement and copywriting. “But by graduation,” she comments, “I realized the advertising world wasn’t what I was looking for.” A college alum gave her an opportunity on the west coast. “I had a short stint in the entertainment world (Warner Brothers Studio), but I was very young and wanted to be back on the East Coast with my family.”

After heading back east, she landed a job in call-center marketing with Nomadic Display, the inventor of the pop-up display. Over the course of 18 years, Lynn moved around within Nomadic, going from marketing to the Washington, DC, sales ofce, then back to the corporate ofce in Virginia as a corporate trainer and eventually into new business development. When she left Nomadic in 2014, she was VP of North American sales and distribution.

In 2014, she went to Atlanta to join Exhibitus, a customer of hers at Nomadic. “[Exhibitus] had no formal marketing area, and they were growing despite the fact that they had zero marketing,” Reves said. “So I was tasked to come in with a three-pronged role, which was: get a

marketing team of the ground, be an indelible part of the sales pitch team and install a results division that focuses on program measurements and metrics.” Reves is the current VP of marketing and results strategy at Exhibitus.

Return on Investment it is oftentimes an ephemeral, vague value to explain to a client what exactly they are getting in return for exhibiting at a live show. Not so for Lynn Reves and Exhibitus. “Ed Jones, who was retiring, his IP and my derivatives were rolled into a proprietary value for investment model, where we look at all the eforts a marketing team puts in attending a tradeshow: exhibit size, target audience, percentage of target audience at the show, where you’re located on the show foor, what marketing com munications you have wrapped around the exhibit, what are the sales initiatives, so on and so forth,” Reves explains. “All those factors provide an opportunity for a company to look at a payback ratio.” So, for every dollar they put into a show, how much value is the company going to get back in return? “Let's look at it beyond a cost-per-lead calculation, which is the lowest hanging fruit and what everybody usually uses as a measurement,” she says.

When asked what she enjoys about working in the tradeshow industry, Reves comments, “The chaos is exciting … the relationships you get to build with difer ent companies and people while trying to problem solve.” She stresses that by chaos she means: “There’s always something new and something exciting to be able to problem solve with [customers]; it’s not rote, it’s not the same thing day in and day out. It’s the vast variety of solutions that you can ofer to a customer just for them.”

Communication is central to what Reves brings to the table in the industry by helping clients create a message, getting the message to the client’s customer base and helping the client measure the value of what they’ve put into at a tradeshow. Message, metrics and measurement, working together for a fulflling face-to-face engagement, which is the core of the tradeshow industry.

DEBBIE PARROTT : A BORN ENTREPRENEUR

BY KERSTAN SZCZEPANSKI

Debbie Parrott started working sum mers at ICON Exhibits, the company her father, Mick Parrott, owned, and be came quite the master fler! She worked many weekends at the ofce with her dad and his production team, who were scrambling to complete massive rush projects for cool brands like Budweiser, Autodesk, and Toyota.

Parrott says, “I have never had apprehensions about working with or for my dad. Being the ‘boss’s daughter’ can be the opposite of what most think. I didn’t get breaks or special treatment. I had higher standards to uphold—at least, that was my experience. Fortunately for me, I respond well to that type of challenge. I have always had tremendous respect for my father as a business leader.”

Parrott did not immediately join the family business right out of school. She had a strong desire to work in other industries and live in other parts of the country. Also, she had worked weekends

and summers at her father’s company and witnessed the grueling schedule he and his team endured and the stresses her father had as a business owner. “While many tell me that I am very much like my father and share his strong work ethic, it was not the hard work that had me looking elsewhere. It was truly my desire to prove myself on my own and to gain other experiences. I am extremely pleased that I took that path, as I believe I bring a diverse and important perspective from other industries to my work in the exhibit and events industry. I think this is somewhat diferent from the many who have never worked outside this industry,” she says.

After high school, she spent 20 years away from Indiana to earn a Bachelor of Arts in English from Bates College in Maine and an M.B.A from Babson’s Olin School of Management in Massachusetts. Then she held several senior business development and marketing positions in the technology, publishing and manage ment consulting industries at companies such as Tofer Associates, Stockback and Harvard Business School Publishing in Boston and New York City. Her fnal stop before moving back to Indiana in 2010 was to San Francisco, where she joined her father’s exhibit business, ICON Exhib its, to open and run its West Coast ofce.

“In 2014, my father made me anoth er offer I could not refuse—to become president of Highmark TechSystems, which he spun off from ICON in 1998 to be an independent company offering innovative exhibit systems solutions to all exhibit designers and producers,” she explains. “I jumped at this won derful opportunity and have been so pleased I did and that he had the confi dence in me to take on this significant and fulfilling responsibility.”

Highmark was born out of ICON Ex hibits. Because Highmark’s roots are in exhibit design and production, they know the wants, needs, aches and pains those companies have in servicing their custom ers. “We are acutely aware that our cus tomers and their customers are subject

to the cost pressures of key drivers in our Industry, such as drayage and I+D costs,” Parrott says. “With this knowledge, we have designed, manufactured and mar keted our modular deck and wall prod ucts, which we ofer to exhibit designers and producers for purchase or rent. These products are known for their quick set-up, light weight and reconfgurability. Not only is this smart design, but it’s inno vative and environmentally responsible. This has been a part of Highmark’s roots from the company’s inception.”

Parrott grew up surrounded by en trepreneurship thanks to her parents. They had not only started a thriving exhibit company but had also co-found ed an independent private day school, Canterbury School, in Ft. Wayne, where Parrott became part of the frst gradu ating high school class, where her two boys now attend and she is currently a Trustee. “I believe I inherited my par ents’ work ethic and their commitment to excellence, which I also apply to my work outside of Highmark,” she says. Parrott has served on boards for Canter bury School, Ft. Wayne Trails and ICON International, as well as committees within the events industry. She cur rently serves on the Board of Directors and the Paralympic Board of advisors at Turnstone Center for Children and Adults with Disabilities.

Being the boss’s daughter can be the opposite of what most think

... I had higher standards to uphold

ENSURE

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Rolling out the Red Carpet

BRUMARK

BY RAY SMITH

Showing confdence in the tradeshow industry’s resil ience, Atlanta-based Brumark Flooring added 48,000 square feet to its manufacturing plant in Dalton, Georgia, “the carpet capital of the world,” and is tripling the size of its satellite Las Vegas facility.

Founded in 1983, Brumark last expanded in 2016, add ing 65,000 square feet to its original 30,000-square-foot Dalton plant.

The expansion allows Brumark to manufacture the

highest quality carpet in the industry, a product that’s used across millions of square feet of exhibit space and venues, says James Zacharias, vice president of sales.

Dalton is home to Bru mark’s state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment that produces carpet orders to customer specifcations, which are then shipped to trade shows and for permanent installation.

The Las Vegas facility will expand from 10,000 square

feet to 35,000 square feet and will house more than 1 million square feet of carpet for delivery to West Coast clients and beyond.

Brumark remains bullish on the future of tradeshows, despite concerns about infa tion, higher interest rates and a shrinking economy.

“I go back to the recession of 2008,” Zacharias tells ECN. “During this time, Brumark was aggressive at keeping our sales and account teams in the market and constantly com

municating with our clients and making contacts with future clients. We will ap proach the future much in the same way. We are extremely stable and want to be there for our clients to help see us all through these crazy times.”

Shameka Howell, who was the director of operations at the Dalton plant until her recent promotion to director of systems and operations for Exploring, Inc., Brumark's parent company, says Bru mark’s expansion provides clients with more available stock and faster turnaround on carpet orders. The compa ny will be tufting its propri etary XL Carpet, most popular for 10-foot exhibit and event carpets, at the new plant.

“We moved the smaller tufting department from

our production facility into this new building so that the manufacturing team has its own dedicated space to allow for higher efciency in the mass production of carpet,” Howell explains.

The carpet manufacturer beefed up its workforce with additional creelers, who set up and operate equip ment that produces yarn and similar materials, and tufting operators to run the machines, thereby increasing production to support client

needs, she adds.

The Dalton plant now has the capacity to produce more than 1 million square yards of carpet a year.

It’s not yet business as usual in the tradeshow indus try, but it’s gaining traction. Brumark tallied big numbers over the summer and is clos ing in on 2019 total revenue, Zacharias notes.

“People and communi ties understand COVID and appear to realize it’s here to stay, and shutting down

the country isn’t the answer under any circumstances,” he says.

Exploring Inc. is looking at substantial revenue increases in the coming years, and the expansion prepares Brumark for future sales growth and “continued trust to deliv er the highest service and product,” Zacharias adds. “Expansion alone won’t get us there.”

Brumark’s company culture brings individuals together as a team that provides the best

service in the industry, and they take pride in providing a personal experience to every client, the sales director says.

“Being a manufacturer allows us to ensure that we have the best quality products, which gives our clients peace of mind knowing their clients are walking on the best carpet in the industry,” he boasts. “We are investing in the fu ture of our industry, not only in people, but equipment to provide the best experience to our clients.”

Brumark added 25,000 square feet to its Las Vegas facility and 65,000 square feet to its Dalton plant. These expanded facilities allow Brumark to produce more than one million square yards of carpet annually.

Laugh, Love, Live!: Aluvision’s training days focused on community and connection

BY EMILY OLSON

Aluvision specializes in modular systems for indoor and outdoor events. The company focuses on creating systems with simplicity in mind so that the pieces can be endlessly mixed and matched into unique environments for tradeshows and other events. Another major focus for Aluvision is training the people who use their systems because the more familiar they are with the products, the

better they can explore all the possibilities inherent in them. To that end, the company regularly invites their customers to AluvisionLive!, a multi-day training and networking event that allows industry professionals to connect, learn and have a little fun in the process.

From August 24 to 26, more than 70 people, including designers, project managers, detailers, sales representives and members of the media,

headed to Duluth, Georgia, the headquarters of Aluvision USA, for the second AluvisionLive! since COVID put the training event on hold. For this edition of the event, the US home team, which included Joe Guerrero (sales manager) and Melisa Burrell (sales and marketing coordinator), Jan Dumont (COO) and owners Ann Vancoillie and Dirk Deleu, updated guests on the latest innovations.

Vancoillie says, “We don’t view AluvisionLive! as a sales opportunity. Instead, it is an opportunity to listen to our customers and other specialists in the business. Our research and development team partic ularly likes having this kind of access to our clients because by listening to how they use our products, they can come up with ways to improve upon them.”

Vancoillie continues, “Apart from ‘the products,’ we also

AluvisionLive! attendees tour Lake Lanier

fnd it important, together with our partners, to think about the future of our industry on a broader level. This could be about possible innovations, the increasing importance of co operation within the business, regionally but also on a global scale, but certainly also about sustainability.”

“And of course, an important part of this event is training to further educate our customers so that they become

more familiar with the system and its novelties, work more easily within the system and better understand the system in general,” Guerrero adds.

The whole event was kicked of by a welcome reception on Wednesday night that took place at Good Word Brewing and Public House in Duluth.

“We love working in the down town Duluth area,” Burrell says. “It’s only a 5 minutes east of our headquarters.”

Burrell says she likes mingling with attendees at the welcome reception because she gets to witness the evolution of relationships over the course of the event. “It’s so exciting to see how the attendees almost become a little club. They’re partnering, exchanging email addresses, discussing their challenges and getting to know each other on a social level.”

But before everyone got social, there was some seri-

ous learning to be done. After breakfast, everyone took part in a Meet the Team session.

“It’s so nice for people to be able to put a face to a phone call,” Burrell explains.

Then after a couple of general presentations on products and capabilities, attendees were treated to a focused presentation on Aluvision’s Hi-LED 55. “Our LED 55 tiles are the hottest thing,” Guerrero says. “Our

The showroom tour was a highlight of the event

Skyline Exhibit Craft poses with The Visitor sculpture, an Aluvision signature

Altium Exhibits

Ground Crew Events

Skyline E3

Aluvision framing system is the backbone, but LED is what everyone is talking about. You certainly can see that by walking a tradeshow foor, but we can tell because of the response we’re getting from our customers.”

After lunch, guests were treated to a showroom tour, which was the highlight of the day. “I think our showroom is very impressive,” Burrell says. “It’s one thing to see a product in a catalog or watch a presentation, but the showroom really highlights our system. I often start my appointments with a tour of the showroom,

which is much more enjoyable than beginning around the conference table.”

But can they really be sure that all this training is sinking in with their clients? Burrell has a story. “One gentleman who attended the tour was super nice, sat in the back of the room and was kind of quiet. He didn’t ask any questions. But a week after the tour, he came back to the showroom with his boss to do a little test ft with our LED tiles. And I sat back and watched him give the AluvisionLive! tour to his boss! He had really been listening and had taken our

training to heart.”

Tammy Fernos, VP of operations at Skyline Exhibits Craft says the training was extraordinarily useful. “Our days were full of information-packed sessions with ample time for Q&A. My focus was to leave with a better understanding of how the hardware connected and it was a success!”

After all that listening and learning, Burrell knew her guests would be ready for some fun, so she had a boat ride on Lake Lanier all lined up. “It was a huge hit,” she enthuses. “We had terrible

weather that morning, but the sun came out that afternoon, and we saw a beautiful sunset on the lake.”

The next day was devoted to tech tools Aluvision ofers its clients to make working with the company and its products simple. Genius for SketchUp is one such tool. It is a plugin that allows Aluvision clients to import the entire Aluvision product range from their 3D warehouse and use those products to design a virtual booth for their clients. This tool helps not only with planning, but with fast and accurate quoting. The Aluvision

Aluvision guests tour the warehouse

Product presentations took place on the first day

AluvisionLive! guests attended an opening reception the night they arrived

Star Exhibits & Environments representa tives pose at the opening reception

Each guest was greeted at the hotel with a goodie bag

app also is a favorite among clients. “The app has 20 videos that show how key parts of the system work together. They’re designed to make things easier, possibly for an I&D company setting up, a detailer determining how to make certain connections or for a designer to create a project,” Guerrero says.

In the name of making everything as easy as possi ble, some time on the last day also was devoted to teaching attendees about how Aluvi sion works as an organization. This was a new addition to the agenda. “We’ve found that it really helps our customers when they understand how we work and understand each per

son’s role within the company. Joe [Guerrero] and I work with the customers and present the product, but all quoting is handled by our account man agement team. The account managers work hand-in-hand with our technical designers to interpret our customers’ designs into our Aluvision system,” Burrell adds.

The Aluvision team is currently in the planning phase of the next iteration of AluvisionLive! “Things in the industry used to slow down in July, but you can’t really count on that anymore. We are currently considering hosting another event in June 2023.” Mark your calendars!

The Aluvision team created a successful event

Champion: An Industry Veteran’s Triumphant Return and Projected Future

BY THEA ENGST

There’s no doubt about it, tradeshows and live events are back—and in a big way. With tradeshows and live events booming, all the industries attached to them are experiencing more and more exciting and well-deserved work. One such company is Champion, an industry veteran that’s

survived multiple recessions and now, a global pandemic.

Champion was founded in 1980 as an airfreight transport in Chicago, where their headquarters are still located. The company evolved with time, adjusting to industry trends and needs. It’s a philosophy they still hold today, and it pays of. “That’s what

companies do,” says CJ Berg, executive director of sales and marketing. “They evolve or they don’t survive.” And survive is what Champion has done and continues to do. In the past 20 years, Champion transitioned from getting cargo on fights to working with tradeshows and live events. “We felt it wasn’t a saturat

ed market at the time and it was open to growth. We have grown substantially in the last 20 to 25 years by partnering with the exhibit houses. We’ve made a number of friends and really enjoy working in the industry,” Berg says.

It was challenging for this company that survived of tradeshows and live events to weather the past two years of shutdowns and dimin ished maximum capacities indoors. “It was difcult,” he says. “We had always tried to diversify our business prior to the pandemic, but that was really across the entire live event spectrum. We never anticipated the entire live event industry to be shut down.” Overall, Champion focused on their business in retail distribution. “It kept our dedicated employees busy during a very dif cult time. Like many other companies, Champion was trying to reinvent ourselves during the pandemic. We were partially successful, but thankful we can now return to our roots.” And in the process, Champion did every thing they could to keep their employees. “We did our very best to keep our staf intact during the pandemic. We had very few layofs, and when we did, we tried to bring them back once our business levels warranted it.”

Now, the light at the end of the tunnel is fnally the present-day light of a booming business. “Much like many companies in this industry, the return of the event industry was just in time,” Berg says. Champion is doing more than surviving nowadays.

“We’ve had a record year and I foresee that continuing on in the future,” Berg says.

Berg expanded on the company’s overall philosophy and why it works. “Our corporate philosophy is built on superior service and always has been. This industry is very competitive and if you’re not focused on the customer experience, you’re not going to survive.”

Champion ensures that they are providing the best level of transportation that they possibly can. “Our primary invest ment is in our employees. We try to build a family atmosphere that leads to employee longevity. That longevity leads to client friendships and exceptional service levels.”

And the proof is in the pudding; many of Champion’s employees have remained for 10 to 40 years. Some who were hired in the 1980s are now retiring after more than 30 years of employment with this dependable company. “We continue that philosophy now with rehires and new hires,” Berg says.

And what about new hires? In a time when most indus tries are complaining of their inability to hire, can Champi on relate? “It really depends on the department. We do operate two large fulfllment centers. On that level, we are seeing new challenges with dockworkers specifcally. We’d have employees on site for two to three days and then

they’d stop showing up. That was something we were never accustomed to prior to the pandemic. It’s getting better, but even up to six months ago we were having a ton of challenges fnding a consis tent workforce to show up every day.”

And now, Berg described a new problem: Champion employees are being recruited by outside companies due to their valuable years with Champion. “I can’t imagine moving anywhere else,” he says, and was clearly fattered by the competition trying to poach the staf. It really is a testament to their training and work environment.

So what does Champion have planned for the future?

“Champion continues to be more and more specialized. We’ve found a niche that really works for us and suits our staf as well. It’s an excit ing industry to work in, and I think our employees enjoy it and the contacts that they have forged,” Berg says.

“In terms of the next five years, Champion will contin ue focusing on the customer experience. That includes significant investment in our technology platform. We want to make it easier for our clients to use Cham pion,” Berg concludes. So whether you’re looking for work with a new company or looking for a company to help your next tradeshow, Champion fits the bill.

Electrifying the World

BY BOB MCGLINCY

For hundreds of years , tradeshows, fairs and expositions have showcased merchandise, products and inventions—all designed to attract crowds and sell goods. Many of the inno vations displayed at shows changed the world; examples include the elevator, the telegraph, the telephone, the phonograph, the television and the computer, as well as movies, munitions, medi cines and medical devices. But perhaps the biggest world-changing display was that of electrical lights at the World’s Columbian Exposi

tion, aka, the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.

Prior to 1893, the world relied on daylight, candles, oil lamps and gas lights. The transition to a possible illumi nated world happened in an instant. Shortly after noon on May 1, 1893, President Grover Cleveland turned a switch and illuminated 100,000 incan descent lamps. Later in the day, as nightfall descended, the sight was unlike anything anyone had ever witnessed before, anywhere in the world. By Fair’s end, more than 27 million people would witness the miracle of elec

tricity, and the world would never be the same.

It didn’t start in 1893, and it didn’t occur solely at expositions. The frst electric coil was patented in 1851. The electric-lit Souter lighthouse frst appeared on the English coast in 1871. The frst public demonstration of outdoor electrical lighting in America was in Cleveland, Ohio, in April 1879. And in March 1880, using Charles Bush’s dynamo electric light system, Wabash, Indiana, became “the frst town in the world gen erally lighted by electricity.” Thomas Edison opened the Pearl Street Power Station in New York City in 1882, lighting up parts of Manhattan.

Nevertheless, many of the advances and inventions were displayed at expositions, at diferent times and in difernt locales. Let’s take a tour:

1867. Paris. Telegraph technology was displayed and Cyrus Field and Samuel Morse were featured speakers. The “English Lighthouse” (a precursor to the Eifel Tower) was a prominent display; however, it was not electric.

1876. Philadelphia. The Wallace-Farmer dynamo powered three arc lights and inspired Thomas Edison. (Moses Farmer patented an early light bulb, and his inventions were used to light the Wannamaker department store in Philadelphia with the frst Christmas lights 1878.)

1878. Paris. Solar power was used to turn water into steam and to power a refrigeration unit. The display won Au-

gustin Muchot a gold medal. Electric arc lamps, or “Yablochkov Candles,” lit some of the streets of Paris as well as parts of the Fair.

1879. Berlin. The world’s frst electric train was built by Werner Von Siemens and displayed at the Berlin Industrial Exposition. More than 80,000 people rode the train around the short, circular track.

1881. International Exposition of Electricity in Paris. Several types of electric lighting with incandescent lamps were compared, with Edison’s coming in frst.

1882. Munich Expo. An electrical pump powered an artifcial waterfall and demon

strated the ability to transmit power over short distances.

1884. Philadelphia. The International Electrical Exhibition at the Franklin Institute attracted more than 300,000 visitors in 39 days. Edison had exhibits with a lit foor and brightly lit fowers; he dis played a pyramid with 2,600 fickering colored bulbs. There was also a fountain ablaze with electric lights.

1889. Paris. Diferent forms of electric lighting and displays dotted the fairgrounds, but the center piece—the newly constructed Eifel Tower— was lit with gas lamps. 1893. Chicago. The frst world’s fair ever to be pow-

Many of the innovations displayed at tradeshows changed the world

ered by electricity, it brought an end to the current wars, and showcased the frst com mercial movie theater, the frst moving walkway, the frst Ferris wheel, the frst practical electric automobile (William Morrison’s battery-powered vehicle had a top speed of 20 mph and a reputed range of 50 miles). The electricity building was the second largest of the 200 specially built buildings for the Fair, and included an electric kitchen with an automated dishwasher.

Having won the current wars, Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse built the frst commercially viable hydroelectric power plant in 1895. Located in Niagara Falls, the plant’s power was displayed at the Pan-American Exposition in Bufalo six years later. Afordable, long-distance transmission of electricity was becoming a reality—thanks, in part, to exhibitions.

Tradeshows today continue to captivate individuals and change the world. Tradeshows work; they work very well.

Thomas Edison

Photo by Gary Prochorchik / Exposures LTD

Regrowth: IUPAT District Council 36 and the California Comeback

by Kerstan Szczepanski

Rebuilding membership numbers and regaining work hours have been priorities for the postCOVID International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) in the lower 13 counties of California. Steve Bigelow, assistant business manager of District Council 36, says, “Local 831 [Los Angeles Tradeshow and Signcraft] and Local 510 [San Francisco Tradeshow and Signcraft] had 2,500 members lose their jobs [due to COVID].” Members coped in a number of ways, including retirement and seeking other work. “[There was] a huge increase in retirees,” Bigelow says. “Three to four times the normal number.”

Photo by Corey Johnson

But loss of experienced workers wasn’t the only result of COVID lockdowns. “Apprentices dropped out because they couldn’t make a living within the trade,” Bi gelow says. The loss is not insurmountable though. “Getting past fears of the pandemic returning” will change that, he explains. “The big fear coming back and starting up again was a COVID outbreak at a show, but that hasn’t happened.” As the conventions come back to California, work opportuni ties increase. “[For 2022] we estimated that hours were going to be 60 percent of 2019, and we are on track to beat that.”

Trained and experienced workers to fll those hours are needed. “We’re currently focusing on working members and fnding new apprentices to fll vacancies,” Bigelow says. “We just did an intake for appren tices [in tradeshow] and there were some really well qualifed candidates, but they have never worked a day in our industry.

“Tradeshow is an anomaly from most trades,” says Bigelow, and with 34 years in the business, the last nine with District Council 36, he should know. “The frst year is very difcult for a person and it would be a disservice to someone with a fulltime job to get them to quit that job and then fnd out this isn’t for them.” Finding the right people is important to Bigelow and District Council 36.

How to fnd the right people? Training is part of the answer. “We have a state certifed apprenticeship program, and it’s sponsored by the Los Angeles School District, run by California’s Department of Apprenticeship Standards; it’s a threeyear program with 40 hours of class every quarter and 3,600 hours of on-the-job training.” The program is so successful it’s being used elsewhere. “The Los Angeles program was adapted to work in San Francisco and it has changed the face of their union.” Out-of-state district councils are trying out the curriculum as well.

That’s important for California’s trade show scene. As post-pandemic confdence grows, the area’s bustling convention trade, one of the largest in the nation, returns.

“In Anaheim, NAMM [National Association of Music Merchants] is one of the

biggest shows, the LA Auto Show is one of the premier auto shows in the nation, E3 (which will return in 2023) has always been one of the marquee shows in Los Angeles as well.” And not just in LA. Bigelow explains, “Comic Con is one of our biggest conventions. It takes over the whole city of San Diego.”

When asked what attracts tradeshows to California, Bigelow was enthusiastic about the many destinations the state ofers.

“I think what attracts people to Califor nia is they want to fnd a way to take their family on a vacation and their company helps them do it by sending them to a tradeshow. Anaheim Convention Center being across the street from Disneyland doesn’t hurt. LA is 20 minutes away from some of the best beaches in the world, San Diego is right on the coast and San Fran cisco is an international tourist attraction.”

In addition to the multitude of attrac tions within Disneyland, Anaheim features Knott’s Berry Farm, CtrCity and the Center Street Promenade, the Anaheim Packing District and the Packing House Food Hall, the Gardenwalk, Angel Stadium and Hon da Center. Venturing out of Anaheim into LA, visitors can take in the famed Santa Monica Pier, Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Studios Citywalk, Grifth Park and the Grifth Park Observatory and the area’s many museums.

San Diego doesn’t settle for just a stunning coastline and the San Diego Convention Center right on the bay; SeaWorld San Diego, Balboa Park, the Gaslamp

District and Seaport Village are some of the many attractions in the city and surrounding area.

And San Francisco has more cultural touchstones to see than can be listed. The myriad San Francisco Bay cruises, its famous Chinatown, Fisherman’s Wharf, Golden Gate Park and even Alcatraz Island are popular destinations. Napa and Sono ma wine tours and Muir Woods will take one outside the city for rural and national park visits that have to be experienced.

And Bigelow has no fear about the industry’s return, and in fact, he’s sure it’s here to stay.

“It’s a wonderful industry that we’re in, and the funny thing is nobody knows about it,” Bigelow comments. As vibrant and energetic as it is, the tradeshow operates behind the scenes for the average consumer, yet is everywhere.

“Everything has a tradeshow ….” he continued, “If I’m interested in buying a guitar, I can fnd everything I need to know about that guitar online, but I still have to go to the store because I can fnd 10 guitars that are exactly the same but each a little bit diferent. And that’s what tradeshows are: you have to be able to put your hands on, and interact with, the product itself; people enjoy interacting with products and touching things. That is what makes this industry work.”

Manufacturers, producers, suppliers, distributors, retailers and consumers, private companies and multinational corporations all owe something to the paradoxically massive but invisible industry that powers business and commerce throughout the world.

For IUPAT District Council 36 and Locals 510 and 831, growth through in creased membership and working-hours beyond pre-pandemic levels is not only possible, but inevitable. Tradeshow installers, city businesses and exhibitors all coming together will continue, and grow, the industry. As Steve Bigelow says, “Our goal is to expand our partner ship with our employers and the build ings that we work in … and to make it be successful for everyone”

People enjoy interacting with products and touching things ... that is what makes this industry work

By Emily Olson

Photography by Gary Prochorchik / Exposures LTD

The International Port Management Enterprise (IPME) has three main branches. They resell ship ping containers, use shipping containers to build facilities and use shipping containers to build show-stopping trade show booths, all in the name of sustainability. It’s this third branch that IPME highlighted

at the Experiential Marketing Summit (EMS) that took place in Las Vegas last fall.

IPME stacked two shipping containers in a build that looked like it should have taken days, but actually took a couple of hours. Craig Rapoza, IPME COO says, “The fork lift truck puts one container down, then it takes 15 minutes

PROJECT CREDITS

Designer: Craig Rapoza and Geoff Marshall

Builder: IPME

Lead Designer: Craig Rapoza

Project Manager: Gina Madonna

Production Manager: Jeff Sorenson

Client Team: IPME

Production/Engineering: Craig Rapoza

Exhibit Construction: Jerry Griffin

Graphics Production: FNTech

Photography: Exposures

Exhibit I&D: Bill Hinchliff

to add the second foor. The most time-consuming part of the build is the staircase, which takes about 45 minutes to put together.” The huge LED screen at the top of the second foor was pre-installed to reduce build time and eliminate the need for riggers.

And the LED screen fexibility allowed not only for diferent messages to be displayed, but for diferent companies to present their oferings from the container booth.

IPME collaborated with EMS to put together a green zone, which is appropriate given the company’s environmentally minded philosophy. In an industry that often is unkind to the environment, IPME’s booth is the exact opposite. “We consider ourselves to be the most sustainable structure in all of events. We don’t leave any landfll. There’s no throwaway. We reuse and repackage that container over and over again,” Rapoza explains.

IPME’s aim with this booth was to get show attendees to think about the environment, and every element of the booth design attempted to be envi ronmentally friendly. “We gave away reusable water bottles and reusable bamboo cutlery for the ofce. We used QR codes instead of printed literature. When people came through, we were trying to let them know how sustainable a booth build can be,” Rapoza says.

And that message certainly was received by attendees, but an even stronger message that came through was the wow factor that the booth delivered. “Right next to us was a major production house agency,” Rapoza says. “The person in charge of that booth came up to me and said, ‘I’m fully amazed with what you’ve done here. You’ve checked of all the boxes.’ That was a huge compliment.”

Rapoza says his favorite part of the booth was the diferent view it allowed

attendees. “I enjoyed the upper deck because it gives people a diferent view of the show foor than they would ordinarily get,” he explains. And not only did that upper deck give attendees a diferent literal view, it also gave them a diferent view fguratively.

“One of our objectives was to show how modular these shipping containers are. You could have a 10-foot booth, a 20-foot booth or stack them. And these are rentals that can be confgured in multiple ways,” Rapoza continues.

If he could do it all again?

“We have an ROI measuring device that I wish we had used. It pings of of cell phones and lets us know the demographics of the people who walk by or enter our booth and tells us how long they spent with us.” But no measuring device was needed to register the delight of those who stopped by. “The reaction was pretty much universal,” Rapoza says. “Our booths just make these ‘Wow!’ impressions.”

When you walk onto the EXHIBITOR Live show floor, it almost feels like you’re entering a small city. The hubbub of excited voices and the eye-catching LED displays lend to that sense of urban excitement.

Also adding to that sense of excitement was the booth from

beMatrix, who created a mini city within their booth foot print. Kent Agramonte, direc tor of marketing at beMatrix says of the design, “Our brand ing is all about the fexibility of our system. So when we began designing our booth, we knew that we wanted to create a beMatrix city that pushed the boundaries of design.”

By the Numbers:

by Emily Olson

Photography by Gary Prochorchik / Exposures LTD

And they certainly succeeded in creating the feel of a city block. Their booth was covered in a brick and stone façade, and running through it was a street, complete with a white median stripe. LEDskin windows let passersby peer into apartment windows high above the tradeshow foor.

“We wanted to create an interactive experience for attendees. We wanted to show how our new products can be used in unique ways. The result was a city that had interactive elements like a swag vending machine, LEDskin based store fronts and apartments that came alive with

people inside of them. We also wanted to create a design that could showcase our system to end users. Many attendees are the customers of our customers. Our booth was designed to show our clients’ customers what they could do with their designs,” says Agramonte.

The eye-catching booth certainly drew a lot of foot traffic, and attendees were delighted with the booth. They particularly enjoyed the LEDskin apartment windows, but that wasn’t the biggest hit. “The biggest hit was ‘Sparkles the Cat,’” explains Agramonte. “Spar kles was a rendering of a cat

PROJECT CREDITS

Designer: beMatrix USA—Torian Dixon

Builder: Eagle Management Group, Elevation 3D and HT Connect

Lead Designer: beMatrix USA—Torian Dixon

Project Manager: beMatrix USA—Kent Agramonte. Elevation 3D—Tiffany O’Connell

Production Manager: beMatrix USA: Ronnie Trotter

Production/Engineering: beMatrix USA, Elevation 3D

Flooring: The Inside Track

Exhibit Construction: Eagle Management Group, Elevation 3D and HT Connect

Graphics Production: Olympus Group

Photography: Exposures LTD

Exhibit I&D: Eagle Management Group and HT Connect

lounging in the window of one of the apartments.”

Agramonte’s favorite element of the booth was a bit less fanciful than Sparkles, but no less striking. “I loved

the store fronts,” he says. “We did two types. The frst was an LEDskin-based ‘window’ that showed the interior of stores. The other was a more traditional glass store front that had our products inside. In each case the store was modeled after a product line.”

If given the chance, Agramonte said he would have sought additional ways to make the booth even more interactive than it already was. “I would have loved more elements that engage attendees and gamify the experience,” he says.

But overall, bringing the booth from concept to comple tion was a successful experi ence for the beMatrix team, and Agramonte largely credits their sponsors for the smooth ride. “We had great help from our sponsors Eagle Manage ment Group, Elevation 3D, HT Connect, The Inside Track and Olympus Group,” he says. “These companies really made this an enjoyable experience.”

Coral Anniversary: 2020

Exhibits celebrates 35 years of collaboration and creativity

by Emily Olson

This year, 2020 Exhibits is celebrating 35 years in business, and the compa ny’s leaders say they owe their success to their talented team, their ability to evolve and their consistent recognition of the human need to create. The com pany includes in its client roster organizations such as NASA, the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee, Lowe’s, Napa Auto Parts and Sunday Riley's QVC Studio—the companies that move the world—and they’ve certainly come a long way from their humble beginnings. Founder Bob Babine started the company in 1987 by selling ban ner stands and pop-up display boards from the trunk of his car. Jeannette Sanders, VP of marketing and strategy, says of the company’s founder, “We are incredibly grateful for his vision, tenacity and mentorship.”

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, with ofces in Las Vegas, Nevada, and St. Louis, Missouri, 2020 Exhibits ofers turnkey solutions to organizations seeking to create unique brand experiences for their

customers. Pete Babine, VP of global events says, “When people tour our facility [in Houston], they understand the full breadth of our abilities. We do it all, from AV to graphics to structures. And given that we manage all aspects of creating an environment for a brand, we fully control the success of it.”

Lealon Winstead, VP of exhibits and environments, says it’s that aspect of their company that gives them a competitive advantage. “Our breadth of services allows us to stay innovative and ahead of designs. And it’s exciting that our entire building is our showroom.”

“We really have no boundaries in how we can push our creativity,” Sanders adds.

With three decades in the business, the company’s leaders can take a long view at the industry's evolution, and they say that modern customers want something new and now that focuses more on brand than product. Babine says, “In the past, people would

purchase a custom booth and use it for years. But now, our clients build it and want to change it immediately.”

Winstead concurs. “Because of that desire for change, we positioned ourselves as a custom rental company.”

Of course, the exorbitant cost associated with weight has forced an evolution in tradeshow booth design. Winstead says, “With the cost of freight, a many clients have scaled back in size and come up with diferent elements to draw people into the booth. It’s more about the experience than the product, and I think that type of interaction is a trend that will continue.”

The pandemic also forced some change into the way 2020 Exhibits does business. Sanders says, “It made us think about the customer experience as a whole. We used to be focused on their show exhibit and making it great, but now we’re bridging the show to the client's brand. Everything has to work together, keeping our clients connected

to their customers in-person and online; we’re now focused on helping our clients not only execute their vision at the show, but continue to shine beyond the event.”

That’s a message 2020 Exhibits plans to elevate in the coming years. Sanders says, “Our name is 2020 Exhibits, but the work we do in events and environments is just as signifcant as the exhibits.”

Winstead has a broad view of the word “exhibits.” He says, “That word is all-encompass ing. It means many things to me. A tradeshow is an exhibit, of course, but everything we do is an exhibit. An environment, a sign, a wallpaper—it all helps solidify our clients’ brand in their customers’ eyes.”

And those clients are certain ly loyal, a fact Babine says he’s grateful for. “In this day and age, when things come and go very quickly, and people have so many options with the web at their fngertips, we’ve been very fortunate to have 20-year relationships with clients. I think the longevity of those relationships proves that our clients are not just clients, but partners in developing efective environments.”

left to right: Sasha Braverman, Lealon Winstead, Samantha Babine, Jeannette Sanders, Balta Garza, Pete Babine

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!

Alston, Governors

Safety Association

Floor Plan & Design Services Show Planning and Coordination

Exhibitor Furniture Rental

Material Handling Services

The Building of the EDPA Foundation Fund

The People and Events that Raised a Million Dollars for Charity

by Jeanne Brei, F. Andrew Taylor & Don Svehla

To anyone outside this expansive but smallin-scale, tight-knit industry, the EDPAF is just an acronym, one of many seemingly obscure associations representing the interests of its members.

But the Experiential Designers & Producers Association Foundation is so much more than just an acronym; the Foundation has been changing lives since it was founded in 2001. It is led by execu-

tives from all segments of the industry who have a common goal: reaching out to peers in their time of need.

EDPAF board member Mark Johnson remembers when the Foundation was formed: “Some 25 years ago, a group of us, including Gene Winther, Ray Montague, Bill Haney, myself, Norm Frierich, Robert Laarhoven, Rob Cohen, Gwen Parsons and Dave Walens— the elders of this industry— met in my ofce. It was mostly

a group of past EDPA presi dents asking themselves, ‘How can we help the industry on a much greater level, and how do we help educate people to come into this industry?’

“In the beginning, we gave out every dollar we brought in, and then we started The Grantors Program by saying, ‘Would you as a grantor commit to three years of pledging money in order to have a million dollars so we can have the endowment last forever?’ This is what really keeps charities going long-term. The majority of the money was raised by the Grantors, and the silent auction raises anywhere from $30,000 to $100,000 in a year. It’s heavily supported by the industry, and a record amount of money was given away to students this year.”

The Foundation is the char itable arm of the EDPA. It has

three primary ways of giving, and added contributing to the EDPA advocacy initiative during COVID. It supports the design programs at Bemidji State University in Minnesota and The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York by donating money used for schol arship programs. The Founda tion also is a major supporter of the Randy Smith Memorial Golf Classic, which helps fam ilies in the exhibition industry who have sufered tragedies or face insurmountable medi cal expenses. Each year, the EDPAF donates $50,000—the largest single donation—to the Randy. Finally, the Foundation has a scholarship program that it awards annually to members of the tradeshow industry or their children.

The Foundation was reorganized and revitalized just a

The EDPAF announced it hit its $1 million goal at the 2019 President's Gala

few years ago. In 2005, when Exploring, Inc.’s CEO/President Dave Walens came on as chairman of the board, there was no board and the Foundation needed a fresh start.

“We set a goal to get one million dollars in an endowment that would be invested in the market,” says Walens. “The Foundation would then be funded by the annual profts from the endowment, which would sustain the Foundation’s good works forever.” He adds, “I always knew we could reach this goal. And 2019—the year we knew we would reach our goal—was exciting because the fnish line was evident and lined up with our annual EDPA meeting.”

Walens credits the Foundation’s board with building credibility and establishing the Foundation as an organization that could do good works. It also developed the programs that raise all of the funds necessary to do those good works.

During Walen’s initial run as chairman from 2005-2013, he built the committees that make the operation run. He was followed by Bill Haney, who Walens says helped transform the organization. It was Haney who came up with the Foundation Grantors Program in 2013, which really kickstarted the March to One Million. Haney continues as the chair of the investment committee while the EDPAF Board has complete oversight and approval of all investments. Robert Laarhoven, EDPAF chair of the Randy and the lead on the RSMGC, is the liaison between the two boards of directors (the

EDPAF board is separate from the Randy Board). Walens says that he is immensely grateful to the EDPAF board, explaining that they never wavered in supporting and reaching the $1 million goal.

To participate in the Grantor Program, companies pledged a three-year commitment to donate funds based on their gross sales. In return, sup porters receive recognition on the Foundation’s website, in printed material and at Foun dation national events. Larger contributors receive special recognition as the industry’s largest supporters.

Dasher Lowe, executive di rector of EDPA, explains, “The EDPA Foundation Endowment was established as part of the EDPA Foundation Grantors program. With the ongoing sup port of these grantors, EDPA Chapter fundraising eforts and the generous contributions of EDPA members at the annual EDPA ACCESS Gala, these fundraising eforts were able to reach the $1 million endowment goal within six short years. The Foundation Grantor program as been by far the largest source for the Foundation’s Endow ment. The Grantors have donat ed over $900K in funds since the inception.”

Ray Montague kept the program running as chairman following Haney. In August 2018, Walens returned to the role, and the Foundation announced at ACCESS 2019 in Tucson that the March to a Million was successful.

The March to a Million was made possible by the passion and caring of many EDPA members, and it continues to this day. Walens says, “Many of

the regional chapters structure their charity events in support of the EDPA Foundation.”

When asked how COVID afected the EDPAF, Walens says, “It shone a bright light on the purpose and impor tance of the Foundation. Due to the endowment and thanks to the many Grantors and contributors over the years, the Foundation continues to support all the programs we had in place—the RSMGC, the Scholarship program and the Universities program. In addition, we contributed signifcantly to the EDPA advocacy initiative. COVID did temporarily afect the dollars being contributed to the Foundation, but even that picked back up by companies who were able to contribute.”

Rob Cohen, chairperson of the Grantor Program, adds, “As we wind down this year’s campaign, I am pleased to report that 38 companies have committed their continuing support for the Grantor Pro gram, raising over $100,000 in 2022. This is a great show of support as we emerge from the pandemic. The fnal results of this year’s campaign will con clude at EDPA ACCESS where additional companies and individuals typically choose to join in this efort. Anyone in terested in being a part of this program is encouraged to con tact me for further information (rcohen@dslgroup.com).”

He adds that “DS&L was a founding Grantor compa ny along with so many other companies who believed in the need to give back and fnd a way to keep our industry strong through our collective invest ment. Along with representa

tives of other companies and all members of EDPAF Board, we reached out to other companies in our industry to talk about leadership in this endeavor by committing to donate funds and demonstrating their commit ment to the wellness of this industry and its members for many years to come. The annu al Silent Auction at the EDPA ACCESS conference, originally spearheaded by MaryBeth Geiser (Hamilton Exhibits) and now for many years by Amanda Helgemoe and Matthew Little (Nuvista), has also been a signif icant contributor to the success behind raising these funds.”

Cohen continues, “The suc cess of this program would not be possible without the vision of Bill Haney and Dave Walens who were the original people to believe that raising these funds was possible. The members of Board have made great ef forts to help reach this goal. Many others have joined in accomplishing the goal of having an endowment of $1,000,000 (and growing) while making sure that the EDPAF was still delivering on its critical work on an an nual basis. Under the current leadership of Alex Hill (Tay lor), the EDPAF is in great hands to continue to deliver its good works in support of the industry and its members and continue to build on its great foundation.”

For more info or to make a contribution to the Foundation, visit edpa.com/edpafoundation.

This is an abridged version of this story. Read the full version at exhibitcitynews.com/EDPAF

The Invisible Industry Tour Heads to the City of Brotherly Love

By Laura Palker, NTSA Founder/CEO

The Invisible Industry Tour’s mission is to raise awareness for the industry and connect, support and develop the current and future tradeshow/live events industries workforce through apprenticeships and education. Assisting in this endeavor are several proud sponsors and partners, including the National Trade Show Alliance (NTSA), Captello, Triune Specialty Trail ers, Poretta & Orr, and Brewco, along with local supporters including convention and visi tors’ bureaus, unions, colleges, tradespeople/NTSA members, media, associations/show orga nizers, general contractors, ex periential designers/ producers, tradeshow suppliers, venues, politicians and labor boards.

The Invisible Industry Tour features a 49-foot Triune

Quad-X mobile trailer that is wrapped with industry statis tics graphics explaining the economic impact of the live events/tradeshow industries. The trailer is housed in Ken tucky, and thousands of driv ers see its graphics as it travels on the highways and streets en route to each activation. Exhib it visitors can play Captello’s educational gamifcations that utilize the economic statistics, and the tour’s social media presence, magazine and media coverage are raising the indus try’s visibility.

The Invisible Industry Tour kicked of on June 1, Global Exhibition Day, in Washington, DC, meeting with public of cials, economic development directors, labor unions and other groups to emphasize the importance of the tradeshow

industry. VIP visitors included Live Events Coalitions Presi dent Nancy Shafer and Elliott Ferguson, president and CEO of Destination DC, who created a video endorsement for the In visible Industry Tour: EF_Na tionalTradeShowAlliance.mp4.

The Invisible Industry Tour is grateful to Philadelphia Councilmember Derek Green, Esq., for recently inviting the tour to Philadelphia during the Democratic Municipal Ofcials (DMO) conference as well as for spending time at the exhibit and encouraging DMO attendees to check it out. The tour is also grateful to the DMO’s Barbara Moore and Nils Robbins and Neil Dee gan, managing principal with Rittenhouse Political Partners, as well as Robert Allen from Philadelphia’s Ofce of Special

Events for their help in coordi nating the event, the permits and prime location at City Hall for the mobile exhibit. NTSA also sends special thanks to Professor Ira Rosen, program director, Event Leadership Executive Certifcate Program at Temple University School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management; Jaime Martora na, communications manager, Philadelphia CVB; and the Eastern Atlantic States Region al Council of Carpenters for supporting the Invisible Indus try Tour and the NTSA work force development initiatives.

The mobile exhibit has been a magnet for heavy hitters in the industry–in Philadelphia, visitors included Poretta & Orr’s Barbara Orr and Jacque line Beaulieu, city councilmen Derek Green and Mark Squilla; the Eastern Atlantic States Re gional Council of Carpenters’ Bob Tarby (director of trade shows & special assignments), Rob Smith (workforce develop ment & training) and Anthony Squilla (council representa tive); members of Democratic Municipal Ofcials (DMO) National Advisory Board Retreat, and Jaime Martorana, communications manager, Philadelphia CVB. The Invis ible Industry Tour hopes that other CVBs, trade/technical schools, unions and universi ties will invite them to campus and city events to introduce the industry to its next genera tion workforce. Let us end the invisibility and raise aware ness, connection, community and support for the live events/ tradeshow industries.

For sponsorship opportunities please contact Laura Palker at Laura@nationaltradeshowalliance.org.

L-R: Brewco’s Corbin Jewell, Jeanne Brei, Philly City Councilman (and mayoral candidate) Derek Green, Ridiculous Nicholas Poli ni (mime), Darcey Barraclough (artist), Laura Palker and Terri Thomas with artwork created on site)

The Calvin L. Rampton

Salt Palace CC

The Calvin L. Rampton Salt Pal ace Convention Center, located at 100 S W Temple Street, does not have a name all its own. It shares a name with Calvin L. Rampton, Utah’s 11th governor, and it is the city’s third facility with the nam Salt Palace. The frst was built in 1899 and was the cen terpiece of an amusement park. It was named Salt Palace because the build ing’s frame was covered with giant slabs of rock salt. It was unfortunately destroyed by a 1910 fre. The second Salt Palace was a concert and sports arena that was in use from 1969 until 1994 when it was demolished.

The modern Salt Palace Convention Center was built on the demolished

by Emily Olson

arena’s footprint in 1995, and it boasts 515,000 square feet of exhibit space and 164,000 feet of meeting space. It underwent major expansions in 2000 and 2005. Calvin L. Ramp ton’s name was added to the center’s ofcial name in 2007 because he is widely considered to be the founding father of Salt Lake City’s convention and tourism business.

With a nod to sustainability, a solar array was installed on the roof of the convention center in 2012. It is estimat ed that the solar array provides 17 per cent of the electricity the facility uses.

The Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center is managed by ASM Global on behalf of Salt Lake County.

EAT

Within walking distance of the Salt Palace Convention Center is the hottest sushi spot in Salt Lake City. Takashi, named for its owner Takashi Gibo, flies fresh fish in daily for its not-to-be-missed sushi offerings. It isn’t an easy spot to secure a table, but if you have time to wait, it’s worth it.

SLEEP

Set to debut this month is the first Hyatt Regency Hotel in Utah. Not only will it be the state’s first Hyatt, it will be the first hotel directly adjoined to the Salt Palace Convention Center. The hotel also is conveniently located just seven miles from the Salt Lake City International Airport, making it a perfect resting place for those visiting Salt Lake from out of town.

PLAY

Sports fans visiting Salt Lake City can check out a Utah Jazz game at the Vivint Smart Home Area, which can be found just behind the Salt Palace Convention Center. There also are plenty of spots near the convention center where event professionals can take in any type of entertainment, from live music to Broadway theater.

Photo courtesy of Visit Salt Lake

EAT SLEEP PLAY NEAR SALT PALACE CONVENTION CENTER by Emily Olson

Takashi

DINING

A Mountain of Dining Options

ENTERTAINMENT

Living History

In the Center of Town

No visit to Salt Lake City is complete without a trip to Temple Square. Temple Square serves as the head quarters of the Church of Jesus Christ and the Lat ter-day Saints. Not only is it an important part of the state’s history, a visit will help newcomers orient them selves. The city is built on a grid that radiates from Tem ple Square. Every address indicates how many blocks

Restaurants have been springing up across Salt Lake City to serve the throngs of people who visit to enjoy the mountains and picturesque views that surround the city, and it’s quickly becoming a

top destination for foodies across the nation.

For a unique spin on classic dining, head to Bambara (202 S Main St), which is lo cated just a fve-minute walk from the convention center.

Bambara can be found in the lobby of the former Conti nental Bank building, and its historical architectural elements are rivaled only by the incredible dishes that come out of the kitchen. The New American menu was developed in a farm-to-table style, and vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options are available. If you’re bringing a large party, check out The Vault within Bambara. This 35-person private seating area is inside the bank’s former vault and ofers an elevated dining experience.

When you don’t have time for a sit-down experience, but don’t want to rely on standard fast food, check out Blue Lemon (Blue Lemon, 55 W S Temple). This lunchtime hot spot bills itself as an express gourmet restaurant. Serving up healthy food fast, Blue Lemon is a big draw for conventioneers.

that address is from Temple Square. Temple Square used to refer only to the block on which the temple stands, but now it refers to 35 acres of land that includes his toric residences and other buildings important to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 2001, a pedestrian plaza and reflect ing pool was built to connect the original Temple Square to the block directly east of it. Free tours of the area are available daily.

Also within walking distance of the Salt Palace Convention Center is the Clark Planetarium. Inside the planetarium and museum is an IMAX mov-

ie theater, 10,000 square feet of free exhibits and the planetarium dome. The dome is a 55-foot aluminum dome and the pitless theater seats 190

guests. Two high-resolution projectors blend a single video stream over the entire dome with a resolution beyond high defnition video.

THE D.E.A.L.

Dining, Entertainment, Attractions & LodgingTHE D.E.A.L. By Emily Olson Dining, Entertainment, Attractions & Lodging

Bambara

Temple Square

ATTRACTIONS

Fine Arts Among the Mountains

Salt Lake City ofers plenty of oferings in the fne arts space. The Utah Museum of Fine Arts, located at the University of Utah, boasts nearly 20,000 original works of art. Closer to the center of town is the Urban Arts Gallery, a non-proft art venue. The gallery showcases a broad spectrum of pieces from Utah artists, from street art to fne art.

Adjacent to Temple Square is Abravanel Hall, home to the Utah Symphony. This archi

tectural landmark actually is a concrete building within a brick building designed to create acoustic excellence for both the performers and the symphony’s patrons. Patrons

enter the theater through a set of sound locked corridors that keep sounds from the four-sto ry lobby outside the theater within. There are no 90-degree angles in the theater. The walls

are curved, as is the ceiling, which supports six 16 by 16foot brass chandeliers that each are adorned with 18,000 hand-cut beads and prisms of Bohemian crystals.

LODGING

Comfort and Convenience

In October, Salt Lake City will become the proud home of the new Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City, the frst Hyatt Regency hotel in Utah. Not only is it the frst Hyatt in the state, it’s the largest convention hotel to debut in nearly 20 years. Directly adjoining the convention center, the new hotel will add an impressive 60,000 square feet of meeting space to the city. The 25-story hotel has 700 rooms, an inviting lobby and three dining venues. Its beautiful glass facade is a striking addition to the city skyline surrounded by mountain peaks.

Within walking distance

of the convention center is Le Meridien, Salt Lake City’s newest lifestyle hotel. This sophisticated luxury hotel boasts gorgeous accommodations and fne dining experiences. Adelaide, a French-inspired brasserie, is the hotel’s signature restaurant. For those who would prefer to take in the sights over a cocktail, the Van Ryder rooftop bar can’t be missed. Le Meridien attracts tourists every year, but it’s also a perfect spot for business travelers. It has meeting space, a ftness center, WiFi access and a rooftop outdoor pool, which proves a huge draw in warmer weather.

Hyatt Regency Salt Lake Rendering

Abravanel Hall

Photos courtesy of Visit Salt Lake

People on the Move

There is an unending amount of talent in our industry. From convention centers and visitors bureaus to account managers and creatives, despite any hiring challenges those in our industry are facing, we all can be proud that there’s such a talented and diverse pool from which to draw.

As 2022 draws to a close, we highlight the successes of our colleagues and eagerly await the successes yet to come in 2023.

Informa Markets announced that Patrick Martell (above right) will become the CEO of Informa Markets in 2023. Martell, who joined Informa in 2014, has signifcant knowledge of the business and deep experience and success in embedding efective data discipline and investing in digital product development from his time leading Informa Intelligence. He is stepping into the role that will be left vacant by Charlie McCurdy, who joined Informa in 2015, and will move into a new role as strategic advisor to Informa Group in 2023.

McCurdy says, "My time leading the Informa Markets business has been second-to-none, but I am ready to try a new approach and really pleased that I am able to do that here at Informa, continuing to work with the amazing teams and talent that make up this community, and engaged in the projects and opportunities that will continue to make this a best-in-class business. I am also truly pleased that I am handing the CEO role over to Patrick Martell, another member of the Informa community, and one of its most experienced and efective leaders.”

Impact XM announced that Marty Park (above right) will become the company’s VP of international business development. Park joins the agency with a vast portfolio of international work and deep expertise in supporting some of

by Emily Olson

the world’s most iconic brands in developing custom-made events, exhibits and experiences. “Marty is a one-of-a-kind leader and individual whose background, tenacity for growth and ability to open doors and develop powerful relationships makes him the perfect addition to the Impact XM team,” says Jared Pollacco, CEO of Impact XM.

Cameron Geiger joined Freeman, taking on a the role of EVP of business operations and digital transformation. “I’m proud to be joining Freeman to help navigate an exceptional period in supply chain pressures and at an opportune time for ensuring the continued digital transformation of the systems and process that enable the Freeman team to continue to deliver in new ways for our customers,” says Geiger.

Exhibits has a new VP of operations: Benjamin Lewis. With more than 25 years’ experience in the experiential marketing industry, Lewis will lead all aspects of production planning and execution, as well as delivery and warehousing of Exhibitus’ award-winning designs and creative engagements for the company’s growing client portfolio. “We are excited to welcome Ben to the Exhibitus team. It’s not often you fnd an industry veteran with his breadth of experience in craftsmanship and production, as well as savvy business acumen,” says Brad Falberg, President of Exhibitus. “He has worked in all aspects of the experiential marketing business and knows what it takes to deliver a successful tradeshow environment.”

After spending some time away due to COVID, Brian Baker rejoined Highmark, this time as vice president. “During the last two years, as our indus-

try stalled, I was pleased to be able to work with Highmark on a project basis on their various pivot endeavors while also helping with my wife’s family business,” says Baker. “Especially exciting has been helping launch Highmark’s sister business, YOURSpace, modular rooms manufactured with Highmark’s proprietary systems.”

Momentum Management had a big quarter, with several new faces joining the family. Bill Kunberger joined the company as a midwest account executive. Sonia Martinez (left) is a show foor manager. Jules DiBella joined the Texas branch of the company. Tricia Zahnd joined the accounting team, and the company also welcomes Gabe Chandler, Jennifer Garnto and Kim Butler

Eagle Management also had an ex citing quarter with a lot of new talent joining the team. The organization welcomed two new account managers, Gary Barbara and Brandi Houle. Also new to the team is Karrick Meikle (below left), the company’s new Atlanta City manager.

Condit has a new design director in Matt Wolf. Matt believes Condit’s major strength lies in its versatile and well-rounded team, in design and beyond. “I think that our biggest strength and best recruitment angle is that, throughout the company, we’re a very well-rounded crew of creatives –no matter the position or the skill set,” says Wolf.

“I have had the pleasure of working with Matt at two difer ent exhibit companies over the last decade,” says Donnie Mc Donald, Condit’s VP of operations. “I have been a fan of his playful and deliberate style of design from the beginning."

PG Exhibits welcomed four new employees last quarter: Rod Pacheco, Tom Ferbrache, Chris Clark and

Ruth Dichard, while Lime I&D announced that Eric Miles is taking on the role of director of feld services. Miles’ experience in the industry has taken him all across the country to work on some of the biggest shows in the US. He has a background in booth production from shipping to building and supervising the entire process along the way.

Employco USA welcomed three new team members last quarter. Katie Clancy joined the company as an HR generalist, Kristen Kelly joined as a payroll specialist and Mary Gulczynski is a new receptionist at Employco.

Patrick FitzPatrick joins Corporate Events New England to assist with the rapid growth in the face-to-face marketing space, fortifying Corporate Events’ deep events expertise with his general services contractor (GSC) and show management experience. Patrick’s event industry experience began with Key3Media, the owner and producer of such shows at ComDex and NetWorld+Interop among others, as it spun out from a succession of owners including Zif-Davis and Softbank.

The Toy Association has a fun announcement: Jos Huxley is the organization’s new senior vice president of technical afairs. In his role, Jos will lead the continuing development of technical policies and strategies relating to toy safety, environmental sustainability, supply chain issues, factory processes and other related matters, acting as a guide for member companies navigating these and other issues under the umbrella of technical afairs. Jos states, “I am excited and grateful for the opportunity to be joining Ed and the external afairs team in this important role. I look forward to contributing to and maintaining the high standard of support that The Toy Association provides in its critical and evolving

mission to serve the toy and play community in delivering the safe and fun products which provide so much joy and entertainment to children and families around the world.”

Dana Esposito (left) joined BlueHive as their new executive vice president. “Having worked with so many talented designers, account services members and entrepreneurs in this industry, coming to BlueHive has felt like a natural next step in my career,” she says. “I am so proud of the work that BlueHive has done over the years. I am excited to be an addition to the team, to foster continuous education, provide efciencies and support our creative talent.”

Lancaster Management announced that Matt Holmes (left) has joined the Lancaster family as the Northern California operations manag er. Working in the tradeshow industry is in his blood, as he is the 3rd generation member to do so. And Michael Shure joined ColorCraft as director of procurement. Shure will direct ColorCraft’s procurement opera tions out of the organization’s Orlando headquarters, managing the acquisition of supplies and materials used in the construction of custom tradeshow ex hibits and permanent environments.

After an extensive, nationwide search, the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB) announced Sheila Alexander-Reid has been appointed executive director of PHL Diversity, a key business development division of the PHLCVB. With decades of leadership experience in diversity, equity and inclusion, and a champion for marginalized communities, Alexander-Reid will oversee PHL Diversity’s eforts to promote Philadel

phia as an inclusive, welcoming destination for meetings and conventions.

Explore St. Louis asked David Dun can to be their new chief sales offi cer, and Visit KC welcomed Kathryn “Kat” Taylor as their new DC-based sales manager.

After she spent nearly three years with the organization, the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB) promoted Lind sey Raimondi (left) to pub lic relations manager. She will focus eforts on implementing strategic communications pro grams to support ACVB’s business plan and manage day-to-day activities of the PR team.

Visit Pittsburgh added to their business events sales team with the addition of John Leinen and Razak Kediri, while Christina Combs became the newest senior sales manager at the Dayton Convention Center. Also on the sales side, Michelle Shockley became the new national convention sales manager at Explore St. Louis. “Getting the opportunity to work at Explore St. Louis and to amplify the city that I love is an extreme honor,” says Shockley.

And the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) announced the promo tion of Eric Blanc, Sr. , CMP to depu ty director. In his new role, Blanc will oversee the OCCC’s sales, market ing, event management and exhibitor services divisions.

A hearty congratulations to Melissa Légaux (left), who became the frst African Amer ican CMP president of the Georgia chapter of Meeting Pro fessionals International. Légaux’s recent eforts were in a leadership capacity serving on the MPI Georgia Chapter Board of Directors while also serving on the MPI Global Diversity and Inclusion Committee and the Women’s Advisory Board.

Scott Anderson

ing it into semi-trucks within two days of the closing.

Born in in Kowloon, Hong Kong, most of Scott’s career was in the tradeshow business in Minneapolis and Atlanta, with 30 years at Brede as freight manager, account executive and then general manager of their Minneapolis branch.

He loved the adrenaline rush of tradeshows, setting up dozens of truckloads of prod uct in a venue in two days, troubleshooting for exhibitors during the show, and reload

He loved people and working with them. Unfortunately, due to the lockdowns, he had to lay of people and dissolve the Minneapolis assets before losing his own job. Change was difcult for Scott and he never recovered, and then health issues took on a greater signifcance.

He attended Beacon Hill elementary and King George V school through Form 5 (U.S. grade 11). He graduated from Johnson High School, St. Paul, Minnesota. After one year at Bethel College, he transferred to Montana State University in Bozeman, earning a BA in communica-

tions. He became a follower of Jesus at an early age and was involved in Christian youth groups throughout his Hong Kong years.

He was quick to laugh, listened to people, and had plenty of political opinions. Besides tradeshows, he loved Montana, fshing, hunting, cribbage, poker and family; the other loves of his life were his 10 nieces and nephews.

On Facebook, more than 100 co-workers posted regarding his passing. Rick Nef wrote, “The tradeshow family lost an other good one this week. Rest in peace Scott Anderson. You were a great person to know and work alongside. Godspeed brother!”

Share Your Memories with Us!

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

Ronald Eugene Biggs of Mountain Home, Arkansas, passed away at the age of 75.

Born in Waynesville, Ohio, the son of Carl and Martha Biggs, Ron was a US Army veteran of the Vietnam War. He was known for his craftsmanship, humor and old fashioned way of living. He will be missed dearly by all who knew him.

His son Anthony posted on Facebook, “It’s with a heavy heart that I announce that my father, Ron Biggs, recently passed. I thought I’d take a second to post here seeing as how my dad was with Renaissance since day one and

so many of you knew and worked with him. He worked all over the country for 30+ years in I&D. If you have any good stories or memories I’d love to hear them.”

More than 100 co-workers responded, including ECN’s publisher, Don Svehla, who wrote, “What a great person he was. Many great memories.”

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

Rodney Henke

LOCAL 491 CARPENTERS UNION & DECORATORS

UNION LOCAL 756

DALLAS, TX

April 27, 1966

- July 25, 2022

Rodney, 56, worked in the tradeshow industry for many years with his parents, brother and many friends. As a member of Local 491 Carpenters Union and the Decorators Union Local 756, he was known across the country and the industry as a trusted and skilled rigger.

According to his friends, he was not known for being on time or answering his phone. But he was rich with friends from all over the country who he would see in his work travels. He took beautiful photographs of the scenery in his travels and bought A LOT of Harley Davidson t-shirts. He tried to get one from every city he visited.

Born in Hackensack, New Jersey, his family later relocated to Dallas. When he was frst introduced to sports in Texas, he was a stand-out in football and track and feld.

The friendships he made playing sports still last to this day. He was known to be the tough guy in Duncanville High School.

Paulette and her son Michael came into Rodney’s life

in 1988 and made him a father. Rodney’s pride in being Michael’s father could only be overshadowed by his love of being “Papa Rod” to his fve grandchildren. Whenever Rodney was not traveling, he could often be found watching the grandkids’ sporting events. His grandchildren were the light of his life.

Rodney loved his family. He was the big brother, proud uncle and great uncle. He “came with jokes” and a smile on his face. He had a positive attitude and a kind heart. He was an animal lover, and animals seemed to love his gentle spirit and gravitate to him. He

was most happy when he was trying to make someone else happy by giving or helping. He loved to decorate for Halloween and Christmas—the bigger, the better.

As Rodney would say, “Who would have thought?” Pau lette and he decided to be each other’s forever in 2019. He wanted Paulette to have whatever she wanted to make her happy. Their love story is long and winding, and they had big laughs together and big plans for their forever future together.

Rodney passed away peacefully with his forever Paulette by his side.

He was rich with friends from all over the country who he would see in his work travels

Photo by K. Green

By Emily Olson

Southwest SEMA Show

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA | NOVEMBER 1 - 4 Las Vegas CC

SEMA Show is the biggest show on the planet for any one who has anything to do with the automotive industry. Thousands of products are on view, vehicle trends rise to the forefront and more than 70 educational sessions led by industry professionals help attendees gain essential skills. This year, plenty of industry celebrities will be in atten dance, from artists in metal shaping and airbrushing to television stars and profes sional drivers. A particularly exciting event that will take place at this year’s show is free, hands-on welding lessons taught by I-CAR. If welding is a skill you’ve always wanted to learn, this is your chance!

For an up-to-the-minute calendar of upcoming tradeshows, visit EXHIBITCITYNEWS.COM/TSC

By

IAEE Expo! Expo!

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY | DECEMBER 13 - 15 Kentucky International Convention Center

Philadelphia was the proud host to Expo! Expo! in 2021, and what a show it was! This year, the event moves to Louisville, Kentucky, and all signs point to another great event. We’re of to the races! IAEE, the organization that hosts the annual show, is the leading trade association for the tradeshow industry. IAEE Expo! Expo! advisory council member Elizabeth George recently took part in an interview that was posted on the IAEE website. In it, she says that although she loves connecting with her cur rent partners while walking the show foor, she’s always excited to discover new vendors and ideas that she can bring back to her team at HIMSS, where she is the senior lead of content and programming. It’s true that there’s always something interesting to see an Expo! Expo!, and we can’t wait to see what’s new!

Green Industry Show & Conference (GISC)

RED DEER, ALBERTA | NOVEMBER 17 - 18 Westerner Park

For the frst time since the pandemic, GISC is back in person! Anyone in the green industry in Alberta—landscape designers, greenhouse growers, garden centers, arborists, plan ners—are welcome to attend this fantastic event focused on all things green. GISC staf and volunteers say they’ve been working hard to bring attend ees the most knowledgable speakers in the area who are

eager to share their expertise. Show attendees also can expect sessions packed with useful information, as well as exciting events and the largest green products tradeshow in the area. Attendees will come with ideas on thriving post-COVID and de veloping retail strategies. They’ll also leave armed with knowl edge of new plant varieties and sustainability. Something good is growing at GISC!

Southeast

Canada

By Emily Olson

Midwest RSNA

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS | NOVEMBER 27 - DECEMBER 1 McCormick Place

The Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) is a non-proft that represents subspecialties in radiology. At their annual meeting, which is the largest radiology conference in the country, attendees are provided a wide array of education, research and industry insights. At the

conference, there will be more than 400 educational courses and sessions and more than 100 presentations and demonstrations that will help attendees learn about the latest in digital imaging so that they can add their new knowledge to their practice.

For an up-to-the-minute calendar of upcoming tradeshows, visit EXHIBITCITYNEWS.COM/TSC

It’s difcult for snow sports enthusiasts to determine whether the best skiing is in Denver or Salt Lake City. But one thing is for sure: Salt Lake City is host to the Snow Show this year, an honor they took from Denver, the

city that has traditional ly hosted the event. Snow Show is the outdoor sports industry’s largest tradeshow and attracts attendees from across the globe. Not only is this a huge show for retailers to connect, it’s a stellar show

for education, and this year is no diferent. The Camp, the name of the show’s education center, will help attendees fgure out which trends are hot and which stores are getting people buying and heading outdoors. It’ll help

attendees pinpoint the issues facing specialty retail and help them fgure out how to solve them. The Camp is the place to be for anyone interested in learning more about the modern out door movement.

By Amadeus Finlay

Photos by Scott Martin/Outdoor

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

Las Vegas Power Professionals

Skilled craftsmen and women of the IBEW Local 357 and experienced electrical contractors of the Southern Nevada Chapter of NECA working together to provide quality products and services to customers. We are committed to serving the southern Nevada community. For more info, visit lvpowerpro.org

Creative

Audio/Visual

Audio/Visual

Audio/Visual

Print Solutions, started in 1992, exists to make print buying and distribution as easy as it can become.

more than 30 different product lines, from forms, tags and labels to promotional products and corporate apparel in a supply chain management level discipline is what makes Horizon stand out in a very competitive marketplace. Friendly, intelligent solutions to every client’s need, time after time, is what keeps them successful.

more info,

Exposures LTD.

Great exhibits demand great photography … trust Exposures to capture yours in their best light. We’ve been photographing architecture and interiors since 1903, 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)

Classic

Solutions are rock stars at tradeshows, drawing crowds and attracting fans. The charging stations from Classic Exhibits come in a variety of contemporary designs and shapes, including bistro, coffee and end tables in round or square. Or choose a dynamic Power Tower or a custom counter with locking storage.

customers will appreciate the opportunity to charge their phone while learning more about your products and services. For more info, visit

Champion Logistics Group

Founded in 1980, Champion has been a transportation partner to the exhibit and live-event industry for more than 40 years. Champion has a dedicated transportation division that specializes in the coordination of tradeshows and special events. By using the Champion fleet and a network of specialized tradeshow carriers, they provide the most reliable and flexible tradeshow transportation services in the country. For more info, champlog.com

& Digital

only

& Digital

Print & Digital

Digital only

Advertiser Index

2020 Exhibits 63

2020Exhibits.com

4 Productions 3 4Productions.com

Alliance Exposition 65 Alliance-Exposition.com

Aluvision 2 Aluvision.com

beMatrix 99 beMatrix.us

Brumark 7 Brumark.com

ChampionLogistics 47 ChampLog.com

Chicago Exhibit Productions 64 CEPExhibits.com

Circle Back Cover WeAreCircle.com

Clementine Creative Services 86 ClementineCS.com

Coastal International 19 CoastalIntl.com

Color Reflections 98

CRVegas.com

CorpCom 73 Corpcom-Events.com

CorpEvents - New England 76, 85 Corp-eventsid.com

CORT Events 9 CORTevents.com

Design to Print 4 DesigntoPrint.com

EDPA 77 EDPA.com

Employco USA 37 Employco.com

Exposures Ltd. Photography 19 ExposuresLtd.com

Full Circle Events Las Vegas 73 FCELV.com

Highmark Techsystems 45 HighmarkTech.com

Hill & Partners 5 HillPartners.com

Horizon Solutions 31,87 HorizonSolutions.com

Huntington Place 25 HuntingtonPlaceDetroit.com

Labor Inc. 60 LaborInc.ca

Lancaster Management 50 LancasterManagement.com

Las Vegas Mannequins/Las Vegas Store Supply 4 LVMannequins.com & LVStoreSupply.com

McNabb Exhibit Flooring 15 McNabbExhibitFlooring.com

National TradeShow Alliance 71 NationalTradeShowAlliance.org

NewGen 23 NewGenNow.com

Nolan Advisory Services (NAS) 4 NolanAdvisory.com

Orange County Convention Center 21 OCCC.net

Orbus 61 Orbus.com

Oscar and Associates 64 OscarandAssociates.com

Rosemont – RES 73 Rosemont.com

Sho-Link Inc. 38 Sho-link.com

SMT expo 38 SMTexpo.com

Sunset Transportation 39 Sunset-LV.com

Superior Logistics 13 ShipSuperior.com

Total Show Technology (TST) 66 TotalShowTech.com

Willwork 52 Willwork.com

UnderCovr

The Perfect Solution for Outdoor Events

Using the same toolless design as the rest of our system, UnderCovr is quick to install and dismantle. UnderCovr is entirely compatible with your existing beMatrix inventory allowing you to take your designs outdoors while still having near limitless design possibilities. UnderCovr is also incredibly weatherresistant, capable of withstanding up to 49.7 mph winds and includes a canvas roof to keep out the rain. Go beyond the tradeshow floor with UnderCovr.

You can read more about our UnderCovr solution at: connect.bematrix.us/undercovr, or by scanning the QR code.