Exhibit City News - May/June 2018

TEAMSTERS 631 Opens New Training Facility in Las Vegas

May/June 2018 • VOL. 24 • ISSUE 3

FATHER KNOWS BEST ADVICE FOR THOSE FOLLOWING IN HIS FOOTSTEPS

EXHIBITORLIVE WRAP UP: SPECIES CONNECTED SUCCESSFULLY

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GIST SPECIALTIES MAKES STATEMENTS AT BELLAGIO CONSERVATORY & BEYOND

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TABLE OF CONTENTS TEAMSTERS 631 Opens New Training Facility in Las Vegas

May/June 2018 • VOL. 24 • ISSUE 3

50

FATHER KNOWS BEST

30

30-33

Tradeshow and Museum Exhibits Have a Lot in Common Many Designers and Builders Work in Both Industries

30-33

Gist Specialties Motto is “We Build STATEMENTS”

ADVICE FOR THOSE FOLLOWING IN HIS FOOTSTEPS

EXHIBITORLIVE WRAP UP: SPECIES CONNECTED SUCCESSFULLY

34-39

GIST SPECIALTIES MAKES STATEMENTS AT BELLAGIO CONSERVATORY & BEYOND

US $12 CAN $18

EXHIBITORLIVE Wrap Up Awards, Parties, Tradeshow & Networking

EXHIBITCITYNEWS.COM

41

On our cover: Corporate Communications owner Bob Dobinski and daughter Rachel

Shop to Showfloor Section

Feature Story

I&D and Event Labor

42

26-29

Exhibit Design Pros Predict Future Trends

Father Knows Best…Especially When Passing the Torch

Staying Ahead of the Design Curve with AR, VR, AI and More

Can You Match The Father with His Advice?

44

Columns

The Design Tour at ExhibitorLIVE!

12

As the Saw Turns

EDPA Takes Students Behind The Scenes

14

Building Better Builders

Technology & Protocol

The Green Piece

Dietary Diversity and Meal Planning

16

Andy’s Apps

Apps For When Work Takes You Abroad

18

The Digital Experience Virtual and Augmented Realities

46

68

A New Teamsters Training Facility Trains the Next Generation of Industry Pros

54

Experiential Content is at the Heart of Visitor Experiences

A High Tech Marvel Cinematic Universe

58

20

IFES to Host World Summit in Chicago in June

Expo Industry Associations and their Approach to Globalization

Tradeshow Tech. & Strategies

The International Man

22

Ask The Expert

UNLV Hospitality Hall Opens

Departments 8 Publisher’s Words 10 The Convention Center Snapshot 24 The Airport Snapshot 52 International Focus 56 AIPC 60 The Convention Center Spotlight 76 People on the Move 82 The D.E.A.L. 87 Regional Show Calendar 95 Service Guide 102 Classified Ads 105 Advertiser Index 6 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

62-66

Make Tradeshows the “Show and Tell” Arena for Your Company; Modus Engagement Q&A; CadmiumCD’s event Scribe

68

Castango Is One Click Casting The New Paradigm for Hiring Talent

72

Trailblazers of Yesteryear ECN is Seeking Your Stories from the Showfloor

74

In Memoriam

Philip H. Kemper, Jr., Thomas J. Calamia Jr., Alfonso Morales, Ron McEntee, and Dr. Ron Wagner

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PUBLISHER’S WORDS

Greetings to readers everywhere!

I

am proud that ECN is drawing attention, not just to family businesses in our industry, but by those with a father and one or more of his children working day-to-day in the business!

This topic is special to my heart as I had worked with my father for the better part of three decades, mostly in the tradeshow industry. Even though my father has been gone for more than a decade now, those special memories are interwoven into the daily existence of running a company and in taking care of our customers. Kudos to not just the handful of fathers and their offspring relationships that we highlight in this issue, but to the many hundreds and hundreds of family enterprises that have been a core foundation to our industry, kudos to you!

Besides our special focus on fathers in respect to Father’s Day…be sure to catch some of the other great content.

ECN’s Andy Taylor talks about how tradeshow and museum exhibits have a lot in common as many designers and builders work in both industries (page 30)--he talks to Gist Specialties and their work at the Bellagio Conservatory in Las Vegas, David Beaudry at Five22 Drafting and his work at The Muham-

CSAL

CONVENTION SERVICES ASSOCIATION

AS VEGAS

8 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

PUBLISHER Donald V. Svehla Jr. 702-309-8023 ext.102 DonS@exhibitcitynews.com

mad Ali Center in Louisville, Ky., and the Wright Brothers Visitor Center in Kitty Hawk, N.C., as well as Debra Roth and Marc Posnock, principals of Originators in New York City, regarding two of their projects at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in NYC and the Museum of the City of New York. And Cynthya Porter talks about staying ahead of the design curve with AR, VR, AI and more in “Exhibit Design Pros Predict Future Trends” (page 42).

This issue’s Shop to Showfloor section highlights “Building Better Builders: A New Teamsters Training Facility Trains the Next Generation of Industry Professionals in Las Vegas” (Page 46). ECN toured the new facility at their opening party on March 28 and came away impressed not only by the beautiful building and training resources but also by the dedication of the staff and the skill and determination of the trainees.

Until next issue…I’ll see you digitally and on the showfloor…

Don Svehla | Publisher

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jeanne Brei 702-309-8023 ext.103 JeanneB@exhibitcitynews.com ART DIRECTOR Thomas Speak Tom@Speak-Design.com STAFF WRITER/EDITOR F. Andrew Taylor 702-309-8023 ext. 105 FAndrewT@exhibitcitynews.com COLUMNISTS Calanit Atia Haley Freeman Larry Kulchawik Lesley Martin Jim Obermeyer F. Andrew Taylor CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Sarah Chew Annie Nguyen Greg O’Dell Cynthya Porter Karin Roberts Doug Stevenson Aleta Walthers SALES REP Christy DiGiambattista 702-309-8023 ext. 106 ChristyD@exhibitcitynews.com CIRCULATION Manny Chico

Vol. 24, issue 3, copyright 2018 by EXHIBIT CITY NEWS, published six 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) 309-8023. 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.

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CONVENTION CENTER SNAPSHOT

The George R. Moscone Convention Center Location: 747 Howard St, San Francisco. Two underground halls underneath Yerba Buena Gardens, known as Moscone North and South, and a three-level West exhibit hall.

Year Opened: South opened in 1981; North in 1992; West in 2003. South (which hosted the ‘84 Democratic National Convention) was demolished in 2016--except its underground exhibit hall.

Ranking: 16th largest convention center in the U.S. (1,139,775 total sq.ft. with 601,574 sq.ft. of that being dedicated expo space) after expansion is completed.

Renovations & Expansions: Currently undergoing a $500 million expansion (May 2015-Dec. 2018) that will add more than 305,000 sq.ft. of new space, including a new 50,000-sq.ft column-free ballroom and more than 80 meeting rooms. The project is creating more than 500,000 sq.ft. of contiguous space for exhibitions and meetings.

PLUS! There will also be more than Where to eat, 20,000 sq.ft. of secure outdoor sleep and play near Moscone terraces for receptions and more on p. 60 than 100,000 sq.ft. of pre-function lobbies with views of the city and the Yerba Buena Gardens.

Square Footage: Currently, it has more than two million sq.ft. of building area, including more than 700,000 sq.ft. of exhibit space, 106 meeting rooms, and nearly 123,000 sq.ft. of pre-function lobbies. It covers more than 20 acres on three blocks and anchors the 87-acre Yerba Buena Center redevelopment district.

Website: www.moscone.com ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2018 11

COLUMN As the Saw Turns

Technology and Protocol

T

echnology. It’s everywhere. And I been in airport waiting lounges where literally mean everywhere. It conthat one lone individual is wandering tinues to interrupt otherwise quiet the aisles talking loudly to himself. Or or semi-quiet spaces. And it continues so it would appear, until you realize he to cause its users to violate otherwise is on the phone with someone. I often standard protocol. wonder if the person on the other I’m sitting in one of my go-to end of the conversation is aware breakfast places, which under that the details of their talk are normal conditions is relatively being shared with an airport full quiet, other than the somewhat of people. The things we learn muted background music and about total strangers.

By Jim Obermeyer relatively soft voices of other And when I say “everywhere,” diners talking to each other.

I mean everywhere. The conAnd then there is the one man sitting versation going on in the stall next to in a booth, laptop open, having a video me in the restroom always catches me conference with several people on the off guard. Really, you have to have your screen, I know this because I can hear speaker on? him very clearly–and so can the rest of Let’s be clear, this is not a rant on the patrons–and I can also hear the man technology itself. This is all about the use and woman on the screen, their voices of technology. What is it about possessing turned up louder than normal conversathis ability to communicate in this fashtion would dictate. ion that causes people to completely forThere are occasional glances–and get–or ignore–the standards of protocol? scowls–aimed his way from a number of If the man in the breakfast restaurant the people in the room, but he is totally had been sitting across the table from his oblivious to the fact that he is disrupting two senior managers (a fact that I, along breakfast for all of these people. with the rest of the patrons, learned that This is certainly not the first time I morning) would they have been speaking have seen this sort of thing. We’ve all so loudly? Most likely not.

12 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

If the person wandering up and down the aisles of the airport waiting lounge sharing his side of the conversation with everyone in earshot had been physically sitting next to that person, would we have all gotten to learn about his failed attempt to close a sale that day? I’m going to say “no.”

And really, you’re going to have a serious conversation with your girlfriend while “seated” in the restroom?

Have we become so enamored with the technology–stopping mid-stride on a busy sidewalk to take a selfie, sending everyone else glancing off one another in an attempt to avoid a direct collision– that we have lost all connection with the standards of behavior in public places?

Or maybe I am approaching this from the wrong perspective; perhaps behavioral standards and protocol, perhaps what was once referred to as “manners,” are no longer applicable to today’s culture. Have no fear, this is not going to denigrate into another diatribe on generational differences. From what I see, this behavior spans all generations and all cultures.

It seems to be more about what the technology “allows” us to do. And perhaps the shift has been more of a move to “me” than to “us.” In all of these examples, it would appear that the person is more concerned about their own situation and becomes less aware of the environment around them–the quiet breakfast place, an airport lounge full of people, a crowded sidewalk.

As more and more people adopt and implement technology in this fashion, I can only imagine where this could go.

Imagine a dozen or so “live” conversations in a once-quiet restaurant, dozens of loud talkers in airports and total disruption on the sidewalk. I’ll be running for the cover of a quiet place, if such a place will even exist…

See you on the show floor.

Jim Obermeyer has been in the tradeshow industry 35 years, both as a corporate tradeshow manager and exhibit house owner. He is currently a vice president at Hamilton Exhibits and can be reached at jobermeyer@hamilton-exhibits.com.

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COLUMN The Green Piece

Dietary Diversity and Sustainable Meal Planning

T

wenty years ago, I attended a conference in Dallas, Texas. At the including beef, pork, gala dinner, 2,000 poultry, fish, shellfish selfie-worthy filet and insects (ew). In

By Haley Wilson-Freeman mignon steaks were general, vegetarians plated and served to attendees. still eat eggs and dairy prodAnd as is customary, they were ucts, and they do not exclude all prepared medium rare. Seat- items like caffeine and proed in the back of the room, I cessed foods. However, convenwatched as frantic waiters piled tional vegetarianism has given serving carts with untouched way to many sub-groups. plates destined for return to the Lacto-ovo-vegetarian. kitchen. The meat was simply These are people who do not too rare for many people’s taste. eat animal flesh of any kind, but In that moment, I remember do eat eggs and dairy products. feeling most sorry for the cows Pescatarian. Pescatarians who gave their lives for a meal abstain from eating all meat no one was going to eat. But and animal flesh with the I also envisioned a distraught exception of fish. event planner pacing someVegan. This is not only a where behind the scenes, way of eating, it is a philosowondering how the choice to phy that rejects the commodity serve Texas’s most acclaimed status of animals. Vegans abagricultural export had gone so stain from the use of all animal terribly wrong. products and the consumption If this same scenario played of meat of any kind, as well out today where I live in Calas eggs, dairy products and ifornia, I can imagine that an processed foods containing angry mob of vegans, vegeanimal-derived ingredients. tarians and animal rights acRaw Food. Raw foodtivists would surely rise up in ists eat only unprocessed outrage. It begs the question: vegan foods that have not in an age of increasing dietary been heated above 115 dediversity, what’s a meeting grees Fahrenheit (46 degrees planner to do?

Celsius), in keeping with a To begin, we’ll briefly exam- belief that foods cooked above ine some of today’s prevailing this temperature have lost a dietary trends. significant amount of their Vegetarian. It may be easier nutritional value and are to explain a vegetarian diet by harmful to the body. listing what vegetarians don’t Flexitarian. This term eat: animal flesh of any kind, refers to people who eat a 14 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

Wolfgang Puck Catering

mostly vegetarian diet, but occasionally eat meat.

Paleolithic (Paleo). This dietary philosophy asserts that we are healthier if we eat like our prehistoric ancestors, who were hunter-gatherers.

This is a high-protein, high-fiber eating plan that includes lean meats, fish, fruits and vegetables, and prohibits processed foods, wheat and other grains, and dairy.

Gluten-free (GFD). This diet excludes the protein gluten, which is found in grains such as wheat, barley, rye, and a cross between wheat and rye called triticale. For the most part, a person who eats GFD may consume fruits and vegetables, legumes seeds and nuts, eggs, diary and meats.

Since gluten lurks in many processed foods, most gluten-free eaters avoid them.

Macrobiotic. This eating plan includes unprocessed vegan foods, such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, with an emphasis on Asian vegetables and sea vegetables.

It also allows the occasional consumption of fish and avoids refined sugars and oils.

Overwhelmed? Here’s a universally winning solution championed by Wolfgang Puck Catering that is also a triumph for the environment: vegetable-forward meals. It’s a new

way of designing healthful and balanced catering options that feature vegetables rather than proteins, while also minimizing or removing processed starches. It’s also good for the environment, since a recent study by Bard College in upstate New York found that red meat requires 28 times more land to produce than pork or chicken, 11 times more water and results in five times more carbon emissions. (Sorry, Texas.)

Andrew Swanson, a Dallas-based regional chef for Wolfgang Puck, told Meetings-Conventions.com that sustainable sourcing is an essential part of his organization’s practice. For instance, he is utilizing produce from a veteran-owned urban farming business called “Eat the Yard.”

Owners Stephen Smith and James Jeffers returned from duty in the Middle East and took solace in gardening. They eventually tore up their own front yards to plant produce, and as demand for their vegetables increased, they expanded their cultivation efforts to commercial spaces, community gardens and rooftops.

Haley Freeman is a writer and passionate advocate for the environment and sustainable business practices; www.linkedin.com/in/haley-freeman-378b8413/.

COLUMN Andy’s Apps

Apps For When Work Takes You Abroad Google Translate, Whatsapp, Skype and XE Currency Can Help

I

f you’re travelYou can download the ing and doing currency rates for business internathe countries you’ll tionally, chances are be visiting for

By F. Andrew Taylor that you’ve wished offline conversion. for help exchanging currency, To read that menu you translating menus, getting could try one of the many directions and calling home. translation apps available, Here are a few apps, available but tried and true Google in all major platforms, that will Translate is one of the most help you when traveling and popular for several reasons. working internationally. There It can translate text in 103 aren’t a lot of surprises in this languages if you’re online list as it’s likely you’ve probaand 59 languages offline. For bly got enough challenges just offline translation you need trying to order breakfast. to download the particular Your first problem may languages beforehand. simply be figuring how much You can also take a photo local cash you’ll need to pay for of a sign and get a translation that breakfast. You might go of the sign or talk into your to an ATM in South Korea and mobile device. There’s even take out 1,000 won (the South a mode that should translate Korean monetary unit) only to on the fly with two speakers discover that isn’t enough to talking into the same device pay for even some simple gaerin their own language in 32 an tost-u (a breakfast sandwich languages. I say “should” with cabbage and brown sugar). because a recent update There are scores of currency seems to have created bugs exchange rate programs, but for some of the more complex by far the favored one is XE features of the app and users Currency. Online it tracks the of some languages complain live rates of currency exchange. that the translations are off.

16 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

The change is so recent that chances are most of those bugs will be fixed by the time you need them.

Language is a complex subject and any translation program should only be used for basic translation to help individuals communicate.

The internet is full of signs and instruction manuals that were poorly translated and are hilarious to native speakers but fail to impart anything close to the proper information. Google translate should get you through most greetings, menus and help you sort out the signage on the tradeshow floor.

For communicating with the home office, or just the home, two popular apps cover most situations: Whatsapp and Skype. For secure communications, Whatsapp allows user to send messages, photos, videos, voice messages and documents with end-to-end encryption.

The security is so effective that some less open countries, such as China, have blocked it.

Skype is such a popular app that it’s become a verb. Initially the program was created as a videochat provider, but it has since expanded to also become one of the least expensive ways to make international calls.

You’ll need to buy Skype credit or a subscription and then download the app. The rest is pretty simple, if not terribly secure. There has been hacking and other security breaches and the company has been known to share data with the authorities, so it’s best to keep Skype communications to conversations you wouldn’t mind anyone hearing. “How’s the expo?” and “Can you send over another 5,000 flyers?” is fine. Bank account numbers and compromising photos? Not so much.

F. Andrew Taylor is an award-winning journalist, artist, photographer, cartoonist and illustrator. He also works in film production, does local historical research and has been an amateur stunt driver and rodeo participant. He can be contacted at fandrewt@exhibitcitynews.com.

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COLUMN The Digital Experience

Virtual and Augmented Realities for Face-to-Face Marketing Exhibitors Can Draw Bigger Crowds with the Wow Factor

V

R and AR have proven useful On & Off the Tradeshow Floor for the healthcare, aviation and Besides the wow factor, VR and AR military industries. Simulation is are useful communication tools on the a safe and cost effective tool for training tradeshow floor. They can be used to high-risk professions. take the attendee off the show floor On the tradeshow floor, digital to another place, show the inner realities are relatively novel– workings of a product or techgiving first movers the edge. nology, or visually represent a “It’s a win-win when used in science or process. the marketing space. Compa“Virtual and augmented nies can show off products and

By Lesley Martin reality are rapidly replacing services while drawing a bigger traditional product animations crowd to their booth with the wow facat tradeshows, on websites and within tor,” says Greg Glass, director of busiapps,” says Tracy Evans, president ness development at Vaylian Studios in of Exhibitry in Houston, Texas. “The Los Angeles. ability to examine 3D objects, see Here’s the rundown of virtual and augX-ray views, and even operate virtual mented reality in the tradeshow space. equipment has changed how customers learn about products and make Virtual Reality buying decisions.”

VR is an immersive computer-generVR and AR medias are especially ated scenario that simulates a realistic utilized by companies in the automoexperience. While the technology is tive and construction industries. Heavy older and accessible, the immersion equipment is costly to transport experience requires expensive hardware from shop to show floor. With digital and high time and effort commitment replicas, the users can experience, by the user. Being immersed in a simutake apart, and even operate the lated world is also not yet intuitive for simulated products. the average user.

For a strategic experience that touches multiple touch points, digital assets can Augmented Reality scale to other marketing channels. “After AR is a form of VR that merges real attendees experience the digital media world objects with the digital world. on the show floor, [exhibitors can] get Rather than replacing the user’s enpeople excited about what they did by vironment with a virtual reality, augscaling the media to the web, mobile, and mented reality alters the user’s real social channels,” says Glass. world environment. Popular apps like Snapchat and Yelp have AR capabiliGrowing Pains ties activated with smartphones. Less For face-to-face marketing, converimmersive and easily accessible through sations that make connections are what smartphone and tablet devices, AR matters. Virtual and augmented realities requires less user commitment and is can either support the conversation or increasingly prevalent. distract from the marketing message.

18 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

Here are some of the challenges encountered with digital realities: »» Attendee commitment: VR has been successful with medical students learning about the heart, or gamers playing on their PlayStations at home.

On the tradeshow floor, attendees are pulled in all directions and have short attention spans.

Unless the attendee was previously invested in the brand, booth staff may have to earn attendee commitment. »» Learning curve: Technology can be intimidating to new users. Immersive media literally takes the user to another world and coming out of the experience might make the user dizzy. “For some, there is also an intimidation factor to VR gear. Some will look at the complex tangle of wires, sensors and speakers and think, ‘How cool is that!’ while others would not dream of strapping that thing on their head,” says Evans. »» Hardware & equipment: While AR can be accessed on the phone, creating VR and AR experiences on the tradeshow floor requires special hardware and equipment. “Most standard virtual reality gear is not designed to be up to the task of public use. It can be clumsy to put on and remove. Exposed cables and floppy straps are unsightly in your booth and have a way of catching on people’s clothing, hair and ears. The last thing you want is a potential customer fumbling about trying to disentangle themselves from your product presentation,” says Evans. »» Traffic flow: When the booth is busy, managing traffic flow can be a challenge. Once attendees try out the media, booth staff must monitor attendees using the equipment. With a set number of headsets–which take time to put on, become accustomed to, and take off–other attendees may need to wait their turn.

Despite the challenges, AR and VR are increasing prevalence on the tradeshow floor. The gap between our physical and digital worlds is closing. As the medias become increasingly prevalent, that will change the ways that consumers absorb, and even expect to receive, information.

Lesley Martin is a writer and digital producer working in San Francisco, Calif. Connect with her at linkedin.com/in/lesleymartin/.

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COLUMN The International Man

Expo Industry Associations and their Approach to Globalization

I

t has been said has been “how to efthat the meeting fectively expand your and exposition business internationindustry in North ally.” For 30 years, a America contributes group called GLOBy Larry Kulchawik nearly $100 billion to BALSTRAT has been the GNP of the economy. Of collecting independent data this $100 billion, exhibit orga- on how international associanizers, show contractors, and tions are approaching global exhibit suppliers contribute membership, programs and nearly $21 billion. To support engagement. The informathis segment, there are more tion and insights are used to than 30 U.S. associations ded- help associations make better icated (in one form or anothinformed decisions when er) to the success of meetings, developing their international conferences, tradeshows and strategies and business plans. events. The 30+ associations They recently published the represent specialty segments findings of a survey called ranging from show organizAssociation Global Growth ers, venues, show contracTrends: 2013-2018. tors, exhibit suppliers, and According to Terrance Barexhibitors. Each association kan, CAE at GLOBALSTRAT, has been formed to support “Associations are entering their members who represent a period of great opportua piece of the expo pie we nity to grow globally as the call the Meeting, Events and world continues to become Exposition industry. more closely connected and Why all the expo associaas information technologies tions? Networking with peers give even the smallest orgaand sharing knowledge helps nizations the ability to reach nearly everyone do what they members almost anywhere do better. The benefits of asso- in the world. This is especialciation membership can range ly true considering that the from staying abreast of new global population is projected technology, design trends, and to expand by approximately international opportunities 2 billion people between now to finding new customers and and 2050. The association partners to grow your busisurveys we have taken over ness. The value in association the years help us to better membership is gained by understand how associations getting involved. The secondare approaching international ary value demonstrates your development and allows other support of the expo industry associations to learn and comand its continued success. pare their own approaches.”

A recent trend, that all Here’s just three of the quesassociations are addressing, tions that the survey asked 20 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

several hundred international associations: How international are you today?

One of the areas GLOBALSTRAT wanted to explore is to understand just how “international” associations are and whether there is a difference in outcomes for those that have a more international dimension to their membership. The survey revealed that the more international (members and revenue) the association, the more likely it was to experience faster overall growth.

As an international association, what are the major obstacles you face?

International associations face a long list of potential obstacles and challenges when trying to grow their organizations. A full half of all associations that responded to the latest survey stated that “defining the appropriate business model” was a major obstacle. This is incredibly important since the “business model” determines how an organization sustains itself.

Other important obstacles included; identifying qualified partners and suppliers, accurately estimating a market’s potential, legal and registration issues, language and culture, and competition from other associations.

Does a strategy make a difference?

Another area that GLOBALSTRAT wanted to explore was whether having a dedicated international growth strategy really makes a difference?

The difference could not be more clear. Associations that not only had a strategy, but are implementing it, were much more likely to experience association member growth. In fact, having a strategy was the single most important factor for a successful association and for meeting attendance at events that are held internationally.

The exposition industry is now truly global. As exhibit supplier companies and the expo associations that support us, our ability to connect with the world marketplace will ensure our success for the future.

For more info on the survey, contact tbarkan@globalstrat.org.

COLUMN Ask The Expert

UNLV’s New Hospitality Hall Welcomes New Students for a New Era

T

he University of Nevada, Las Vegas Harrah College of Hospitality has opened its new state-of-the-art academic building, Hospitality Hall.

With the reputation for being one of the best hospitality schools in the world, this building is expected to add to the continued success of its students and alumni.

As a proud alumna of UNLV Harrah College of Hospitality, I am personally excited about the new Hospitality Hall.

I moved from Israel to attend the best floor is the college’s student concierge school in the world and I loved every desk, coffee shop, and a golf store. The minute of it. I am only envious that this classrooms/labs on subsequent floors new building was not built when I also double as ballrooms. was attending UNLV. “The purpose of this building,” In my opinion, this new buildexplains Stowe Shoemaker, Ph. ing inspires success, team buildD., Dean, William F. Harrah ing, and motivates students to College, UNLV, was that “we excel. The atmosphere of a bouwanted to create a space that

By Calanit Atia tique hotel inspired Hospitality mimics the kind of space that our Hall. According to principal architect students will be working in when they Michael Del Gatto of Carpenter Sellers graduate. Hospitality is all about creating Del Gatto Architecture, the 93,500-sq. great experiences. It is about having lots ft. Hospitality Hall was designed “for the of places where people can interact with industry, by the industry,” each other with a lot of vibe and things Hospitality Hall features sweeping happen. We wanted to make sure that views of the Las Vegas Strip and serves hospitality students really understand as a bridge to the hospitality and gaming that hospitality industry is not a job—it’s industry. With combined classroom, laba lifestyle. So if you come into the buildoratory, and meeting space; the design ing, taking classes and there is all this encourages interaction and a sense of excitement around, if you love that, you community among students, faculty, know you found your true passion.” and industry professionals. A dramatic He adds, “The new building has 80 ofwooden staircase, seen passing through fices, 16 classrooms and four conference the amber-tinted entrance, serves as the rooms.” As for future plans, he says, “We focal element that draws visitors in to are going to create a Hotel Catering Comlounge in the lobby; the advising and capany that will be used by our students reer service centers. Situated on the first to gain a lot of practical experience in 22 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

running events and catering events.”

Professor Gail Sammons, Ph.D., explains, “The best thing about the flat classroom tables is that you can move them around to best suit the subject matter and classroom activity. You can set up for small groups, set up as U- or square-shaped instead of a straight line of six rows. Changing the way the seating of the classroom allows different types of teaching strategies depending on the faculty member and course.”

She adds, “We have so many nooks and crannies that students can sit in. The day classes started, every one of them was filled with students working together and already applying themselves.”

I am continually thrilled at the growth of my alma mater, the Harrah College of Hospitality, now in its 50th year. For more info, visit www.unlv.edu/hospitality/hospitalityhall.

Calanit Atia is the founder and president of A to Z Events and Trade Show Talent; she’s an award-winning event planner, a Las Vegas ambassador, social media maven, columnist, Air Force veteran and speaker. She can be contacted at Info@AtoZevents.com.

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ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2017 23

AIRPORT SNAPSHOT

San Francisco International Airport Location: 780 S. Airport Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94128 Year Opened: Built in 1927, and given its current name in 1931.

Size: It covers 5,207 acres with four runways, two terminals and seven concourses. Terminal 2, the oldest part of the airport has just one concourse. In 2017, 27,862,429 came through the airport, making it the seventh busiest in the country.

Fun Fact #1: In addition to SFO, The bay area is served by Oakland International Airport (OAK), and Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport (SJC).

The former was also opened in 1927 and is located a few miles across the bay from SFO. The latter was dedicated nearly 40 years later and is an hour’s drive away.

Fun Fact #2: SFO began on 150 acres of land leased from the Mills Estate. The estate was overseen by Ogden L. Mills who was Coolidge’s Undersecretary of the Treasury. Mills was later President Hoover’s Secretary of the Treasury.

Fun Fact #3: During World War II SFO was used as a Coast Guard base and an Army Air Corps training and staging base.

Fun Fact #4: Construction of the Oakland International Airport began in 1925, and the Dole Prize in 1927 hastened its completion. Pineapple magnate James Dole offered a prize of $25,000 for the first fixed wing aircraft and $10,000 for the second to fly from Oakland to Honolulu. Of the 11 planes participating, three crashed before the start. Only two planes made the flight successfully. Six planes were destroyed and 10 lives were lost in the publicity stunt.

ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2018 25

FATHER KNOWS BEST

Father Knows Best…

Especially When Passing the Torch in the Tradeshow Industry CAN YOU MATCH THE FATHER WITH HIS ADVICE?

FATHERS:

1. Alejandro Escalante

The Omega Group, Latin America

2. Cam Stevens

3. Bill Haney

Stevens E3, Toronto, Canada

Derse, Milwaukee, WI

BY JEANNE BREI

The tradeshow industry is filled with entrepreneurs who get their entire family involved in the family business.

According to Cam Stevens of Stevens E3, designers and builders of innovative exhibits, environments and events, based near Toronto, Canada, “This was my father’s company, and before that, it was his father’s company. My grandfather founded the business in 1927. I sort of fell into the business by working summers and generating an interest in the organization at an early age. It was in the blood…” He adds, “Since our family has been in the business for close to 100 years, there is likely a lot of pressure, as a fourth generation potential successor, to step up and accept their fated role as being a leader of the company. There have been discussions as to what role they might play in the future, but both of them require some additional education and lots more on-the-job training before they can properly determine if running or owning a business is right for them.

When I was their age, I certainly did not have aspirations about owning the business, and when I ask myself when I did, I really struggle to answer. For me, it was a gradual evolution that naturally transitioned into an ownership. I did have apprehensions about running a 26 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

business--still do. It’s not to be taken lightly. The pressure to consistently grow sales, maintain profitability and stay ahead in the industry can be exhausting and stressful. There are many rewards from running your own business as well though. As much as it would be great to see them in leadership positions, it has to be right for them.”

“Right for them” has been a recurring theme with several fathers and their offspring. Highmark Techsystems/ICON Exhibits’ Mick Parrott explains, “Of my three daughters, I always felt Debbie had the aptitude, education, experience and disposition suited for this demanding business. With her excellent marketing background, competitive spirit and exceptional interpersonal skills, I knew she could be successful and hoped she would learn to love the industry as much as I did. Debbie exceeded my expectations on all counts and was instrumental in facilitating the merger of ICON Exhibits with Bay area-based Delphi Productions in 2009 to form Group Delphi where she became the new entity’s VP of Marketing.

As I was making plans for my retirement, Debbie expressed her interest in Highmark’s business model and its potential for growth. The best option for all was to bring Debbie back to Indiana to test

4. Mick Parrott

Highmark Techsystems & ICON Exhibits, Fort Wayne, IN

Inc./

5. Bob Dobinski

6. Rich Rebecky

7. Robbie Blumenfeld

Corporate Communications, CorpEvents New England, Westborough, MA

Coastal International, Wayne, NJ

Abex Exhibits, San Fernando, CA

8. Ned Brown

Exhibit Concepts, Dayton, OH

9. Will Nixon

Willwork Exhibit & Event Services Boston, MA

a. “While the assets on your balance sheet are important in that they reflect the strength of your company today, the most valuable asset for its long term survival is never shows on your balance sheet: It is your company’s reputation. The best way to build that asset is to always honor your commitments, even if that costs you more money.” b. “Always listen to the client and hear them out before you offer any solutions. Review the situation and always be straight up with them. And remember their names—it’s important to say hello to everyone and remember their names. People like that when you remember them.” c. “My advice for my children working to advance themselves in a business is to work to continuously educate yourself through schooling, seminars, industry trade events and trade associations. Get involved and get connected with like- minded industry peers.

It’s critical that you understand how a business works and what makes it operate. I mean this from both a production perspective as well as administratively. Also, you can’t be good at everything, so pick what you love to do in the company and do that.

Hire people to do what you don’t like or don’t want to do, because there are people that love doing those things that you hate doing. Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you, and can help you grow the company. Your job is to be a cheerleader for your team of people. They will grow the business.” d. “I don’t remember giving her business advice. As I remember, her early days were filled learning the functions of various departments and then implementing ways to improve the efficiency and service to our clients. I was comfortable with knowing that she is self motivated to achieve the best results on any task set before her. She made my decision to retire fairly easy. All she had to do was tell me she was ready to take the responsibility.” e. “Winning as a husband and father, the most important jobs in life, and as a teacher and coach, requires one to be hard-working, prepared, sensitive, tough, resilient, and dedicated to being at your best all the time. These are qualities needed in a successful entrepreneur and business manager.” f. “If you don’t love what you do someone else will and it makes it hard for you to compete.” g. The same advice I give him for life is the one I give him for work, “do not lose your credibility and always keep what you promise.” h. “You have to run the business like you want to run it – like the Millenial that you are.

Don’t try to run it like I would – run it the way you want to with your new ways of thinking.” i. “Pursue your level of happiness and go into the workplace so you can work to live and not just live to work. Let work be a means to create happiness outside the workplace and have a great life.”

Answers: 1g, 2c, 3f, 4a, 5i, 6b, 7h, 8d, 9e

her ability to become my successor. She joined Highmark in 2014 as the company’s president where she once again demonstrated her affinity for the exhibit systems business and the requisite leadership skills. You can imagine how pleased I was when she approached me with an exciting vision for growing the company and a compelling proposition to acquire Highmark TechSystems in 2016,” adding, “Since acquiring Highmark, Debbie has demonstrated she has the vision and business acumen to lead the company to levels of new product development and new market penetration that I have never envisioned. She makes her dad more proud with each passing year.”

Exhibit Concepts founder Ned Brown feels the same proud way about his successor, daughter Kelli Glasser. “I never had any apprehensions. I offered Kelli a job after she graduated from the University of Cincinnati but she respectfully declined saying she wanted to make her own way. After a couple years she came to work and it wasn’t long before she found her niche. I knew she was smart and innovative and would be a great addition to our company.”

For Zach Blumenfeld, VP at Abex Exhibit Systems, not only was it right for him, it was a perfect fit. He explains, “My motivation for working at Abex was graphic design. I started designing as a natural progression that came from drawing and painting at a young age and also due to my interest in music at around the age of 13, which led me to designing and coming up with flyer graphics for my first band in middle school,” adding, “I started working in the business part-time at the age of 15 and full-time by the time I was 18 (about 12 years now being full-time at Abex). I am being groomed for my dad’s position one day, and at the moment I am responsible for overlooking all marketing, design, sales and new business development. I had no apprehensions really about working for my dad. The business has always been something I’ve Continued on p. 28 ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2018 27

FATHER KNOWS BEST Continued from p. 27 been invested in because of my interest in design and attention to detail.”

Derse’s Brett Haney says, “I came back to the company five years ago in a vice president position and have climbed the ranks becoming president in the summer of 2016. As president I oversee the day to day operations of Derse. We are following a succession plan that will see my dad, Bill Haney, and his business partner, Bill McNamara be able to retire in the next few years. Even in retirement however, I see both Bills being somewhat involved in the business; I wouldn’t want it any other way, as having both of them as counsel on challenges that arise is invaluable to me and the other members of our leadership group. Anything that can make us better and more successful will always be wanted at the company and having their decades of experience to bounce ideas off of is an incredible advantage many do not have in my position. I did not have any apprehensions about coming to work with my dad as I knew well beforehand that he would be demanding but also be a great mentor to help me grow as a business person. We have a great working relationship that I think is built on mutual respect for each other’s strengths and abilities.”

Samantha Rebecky, field service supervisor at Coastal International, says, “I like to say I have always been in the business--granted I didn’t always work in the business but I grew up listening to stories from my dad and some of his managers whom are close friends now. I officially started working in the industry when I was about 18 years old just to help a new display house and make a few bucks while still in school. I was a project manager when I began but when I started at Coastal I was brought on to support the Northeast ops manager and whatever else they needed from me. Mainly, I work with the ops manager here in New York and some small account management to assist the NY office as well. Ever since I started in this industry I have always worked with my father in some way. I used to be one of his clients and now he 28 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

OFFSPRING: 1. Alex Escalante

The Omega Group

2. Andrew Stevens E3

Stevens

3. Rachel Stevens

Stevens E3

4. Brett Derse

Haney

5. Chad Haney

Derse

6. Kellie Glasser Exhibit Concepts

7. Samantha Rebecky

Coastal International

8. Zach Blumenfeld Abex Exhibits

9. Rachel Dobinski

Corporation Communications/ CorpEvents New England

10. Mike Dobinski

Corporation Communications/ CorpEvents New England

11. Debbie Parrott

Highmark Techsystems, Inc.

12. Bill Nixon

Teamwork Event Specialists

E

ns/

s

j. “I would say the best piece of advice he’s ever given me is to be your own man.

Think for yourself and make decisions for yourself. Trust your own instincts as they usually are accurate.” k. “My dad’s advice is you should be working to live and not living to work. Make money to live and have a good life. Plus, he’s President Buddha. He just doesn’t get mad. He’s a solution maker who doesn’t yell at anyone. He just looks for people who can handle the adversities and be creative and come up with solutions.” l. “The best piece of advice my dad has given me would be that always say hi to everyone you meet. Even if you need to reintroduce yourself ALWAYS say hi to them because you never know when you will see them again or when they may be able to help you in the future. Another piece of advice he gave me was to never be afraid to ask questions. Don’t just guess and assume something. Ask and learn from that issue/question and I always have.

Just simply being polite goes a long way.” m. “The event business is filled with changes—it’s not about sticking to the plan –it’s all about your attitude when changes are happening and how you’re adapting.

That’s what separates the great event planners—understanding the client’s view and adapting to what needs to be done.” n. My dad has always said that this is a business where you need to be comfortable getting your hands dirty and pitching in to get the job done. When I took on the presidency and then the ownership, he said, you always pay your team and your suppliers first and yourself last. He also said to be sure and thank the families of your employees for all the time those employees have to spend away from them to do what’s needed at work. I subscribe to all this advice as well as to his unwavering stance on the importance of integrity, work ethic, attitude and listening.

o. “ ‘You can’t be more successful than others, if you don’t work harder than the others’--that’s my dad´s advice.” p. “Work hard and look after your clients.

Service, service, service. Make sure your customer’s experience is good, and they will continue to come back time and again as a partner rather than a client.” q. “I think the best advice my dad has given me about working in the business is to always be looking for new ideas and design developments or advances in technology that could help further product development and capabilities to be able to produce a perfectly tailored exhibit.” r. “Listen to what everyone around you has to say and learn from what they do, they know how best to do different things and you should learn from them before finding a way to do it yourself.” Dad has also told me on a few occasions to always surround yourself with people that are smarter than you.” s. “The best advice my dad gave me was to be my own man and think for myself.” t. “I don’t know that this was ever said as ‘advice’ per se, but I know Dad’s philosophy has always been “take care of the company and it will take care of you,” and I completely agree with that. We both possess the feeling of responsibility to take care of the company’s clients and employees.” u. “I owe a lot to my parents for any success I have achieved in life, and in business. And it has been a privilege and has brought me great personal and professional fulfillment to have been taught, coached, mentored, and guided by my father. A winner and a fiery competitor. I have inherited, and get a lot of my work ethic, competitiveness, creativity, and commitment to thorough preparation, from my father.”

Answers: 1o, 2r, 3p, 4j, 5s, 6t, 7l, 8q, 9k, 10m, 11n, 12u

is my boss. We have always had a great bond because when I was younger he coached me in sports and I think it just carried over once I got older.”

Bob Dobinski also coached his kids in sports and took them on the road to do I&D with Corporate Communications (Rachel and Michael talk about the fun of pulling all-nighters dismantling a sports event as a family), and Rachel says, “my dad was always the coach who took all the kids no matter how they played.” Says her father, “It’s nice working with your kids but there’s no plans for succession or transition. I told them this has been my dream and if it matches up with your dream, then great. But no pressure.”

Willwork’s founder Will Nixon taught and coached his eight children as well.

Says Nixon, “I was married to my wife, Helen, for 52 years, until her passing in 2007, and together we brought up eight children, six girls and two boys. Bill was the third born. I taught high school history and social studies, and coached high school athletics, for 40 years.

During my career in education, I taught Bill in the classroom, and coached Bill in football, basketball, and track,” adding, “Contributions I made to Bill’s success in the industry were largely through the example I set, and lessons I taught, apart from ... and prior to ... me working in the tradeshow business. I set the example as a husband and father, teacher and athletic coach.”

When asked about their most memorable industry experience, three different sons mentioned going to Euroshop with their father. It may not be the reason that Andrew Stevens and Brett Haney are following in their father’s footsteps but as Alex Escalante, from Omega Group in Latin America, says, “My most memorable experience was working at Atelier Damböck and being part of their staff during the stand they had in the last edition of Euroshop. I really like to make work trips with my dad,” adding a sentiment shared by nearly all, “About my dad, he is my example to follow as a boss, as a father, but above all, as a person.”

ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2018 29

MUSEUMS/EXHIBITS

Tradeshow and Museum Exhibits Have a Lot in Common MANY DESIGNERS AND BUILDERS WORK IN BOTH INDUSTRIES

BY F. ANDREW TAYLOR

David Beaudry isn’t exactly a rocket scientist, but he’s pretty close.

“I’ve worked on everything from retail to stand alone kiosks,” the independent drafter/designer says. “I’ve even drawn out the plans for an 82foot rocket ship for a museum in Kuwait. It was a one-to-one model of the Ariane 5 rocket that puts satellites up.”

Beaudry is one of many design and build specialists who have a foot in both the world of tradeshows and exhibitions as well as the museum world.

He got his start in Hollywood, the architectural department of Hollywood video that is.

He cut his design teeth doing floor and space planning for three years before moving on to an exhibit company.

“The first thing they put me on was an interactive unit that 30 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

simulated the inside of a car,” Beaudry says. “As you worked the controls, different things popped up on the screens.”

He worked in the exhibit company for 11 years before it went under. Within two months of that company’s closure he had established himself as an independent, mostly working from home at his new company, Five22 Drafting.

“I do engineering drawings and detail drawings, whatever is needed to build everything” Beaudry says. “I also do set up drawings, showing how to put the pieces together, parts and piece drawings for CNC cutting, water jet or laser cutting. A lot of times I’ll create flattened elevations for the graphics department.”

He works about 30 hours a week for Formations Inc., a Portland, Ore.-based firm spe-

Formations Inc planned, designed and fabricated 32,000 square feet of exhibits dedicated to understanding Muhammad Ali’s history for the Muhammad Ali Center, Louisville, Ky.

cializing in planning, design, fabrication, and installation of interpretive exhibits and thematic interiors.

“We have always been focused on museum work, but a lot of the people who work here have some crossover with tradeshow exhibits,” says Chad Jacobsen, an exhibit designer with the almost 30-year-old company. “It’s

all custom work, solving new problems every time.”

Formations Inc., has a prescribed step-by-step process for the designs that takes their clients from rough concept and sketches straight through to signing off on the order to proceed with fabrication.

From there, much of the work is done in-house, although they still contract out for some

specialty items, such as sculptures and dimensional maps.

“A lot of our clients know their subject matter extremely well, but they don’t necessarily know how to get that message formatted in a way that visitors can understand and appreciate.” Jacobsen says.

“That’s why places like the Wright Brothers Visitor Center at Kitty Hawk, N.C., the

Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park in Skagway, Alaska and The Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Ky., call on us.”

It takes Formations about 18 to 24 months from concept to installation on an average big project, with some variance depending on the complexity of a project. They currently have 40 different projects in various stages in the shop. Once the approved concept drawings go to a drafter/detailer like Beaudry it’s up to that person to work out how the interactive elements will work and how it will be constructed.

“For example, if I’m working for a client and they need an interactive design where the visitor needs to grab handlebars and turn them, I have to work out how that motion translates into a model airplane a foot in front of them and two feet in the air in an acrylic sphere attached to the wall,” Beaudry says. “I have to work out all the mechanics of how it works, what do we build it out of, how to make it durable and how to change out or repair parts. They’ve got to be able to get into it easily, but not allow kids to get into it easily.”

Professionals in the industry must be experts in a wide variety of materials, including every type of wood, plastic, glass, acrylic metal, fabric and a variety of new materials coming to market.

“Exhibit engineering is the bridge between concept and reality,” Beaudry says.

Debra Roth and Marc Posnock, the principals of Origi-

Formations Inc planned, designed and fabricated 312,500 square feet exhibits in the museum’s main gallery and factory exploring the colorful history of the Louisville Slugger for the Louisville Slugger museum in Louisville, Ky.

nators, a New York City-based company specializing in design and fabric structures both worked with the exhibition industry at times. They don’t seek that work out anymore, preferring to concentrate more on live marketing and activations.

“We have a lot of experience in the exhibit world and for

Exhibit engineering is the bridge between concept and reality,” whatever reasons, they just never understood how to use our creativity,” Posnock says.

“We’re not interested in doing tri signs and circle signs and stuff like that. Everybody does it. If it’s sculptural or artistically driven on the other hand, we’re definitely interested.”

They’re more interested in carving out a space with fabric sculptures or meet-

ing unusual challenges presented by the museum world.

For example, the company was recently called on to solve an issue with an architectural issue at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City.

“There was this huge expensive curved glass brick wall near the entrance,” Roth said.

“From the outside, it looked like a security grate, so people couldn’t tell that it was open.

They would walk right up to the doors, stand there looking inside and turn around.”

Their solution was to build a stretched fabric wall around the glass brick wall, but they were not allowed to attach anything to the wall they were disguising. This necessitated creating a freestanding stretched fabric structure with a large convex and concave curve. Freestanding stretched fabric walls are common in the exhibition industry and Roth and Posnock were very familiar with the concept, but as far as they know, a wall like they ended up building has never been done before.

“It was a great solution and it clearly revealed that the Continued on p. 32 ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2018 31

MUSEUMS/EXHIBITS Continued from p. 31

32 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

The Bellagio Conservatory in Las Vegas changes its displays five times a year. Many of the props are created by Gist Specialties based in North Las Vegas. This year’s spring exhibit included working waterfalls.

Gist Specialties Motto is “We Build STATEMENTS” From the Bellagio Conservatory to the Worlds of Wonder to Theme Parks and Beyond…

In the constantly changing landscape of Las Vegas, one place still manages to stand out head and shoulders above the rest in terms of regular dramatic change: The Conservatory of the Bellagio. A lot of the credit for that usually belongs to North Las Vegas-based Gist Specialties.

The more than 13,500 square foot Conservatory completely changes its elaborate displays five times a year; once for each season and an additional change out for Chinese New Year.

Gist doesn’t make all the props, but they do make most. For this year’s spring display, they chose a striking personification of the season as a beautiful woman, with living moss skin and a functioning waterfall cascading from her hair and raised, cupped hands.

“They give us a colored rendering and we break it down in AutoCAD,” says Jason Cooper, owner of Gist Specialties. “It takes us six to seven weeks to build the whole thing.”

The Bellagio is rightly proud about bringing in thousands of live plants to create the living display, but under those plants are large sculpted props. In a few cases, the plants themselves are created by Gist.

“We take the renderings and scale it up and put dimensions on it,” Cooper says. “You could almost put the picture right behind the tree and see it match at every point.”

The first couple of weeks are consumed with drawing and figuring out how the large-scale pieces will be broken into sections, so they can fit through the doorways of the Bellagio. A small-scale model was built and scanned for the critical centerpiece, “Spring.”

For “Spring,” more than two and a half truckloads of carving foam were cut using a CNC cutter. The cutter worked two shifts a day, six or seven days a week for five to six weeks. After that the fine detail of the sculpting is done by skilled artisans.

“For most of the build, 15 to 20 people are working on it,” Cooper says “When we get near the end, it’s all hands on deck and the whole company is on it.”

In addition to its regular work at Bellagio, Gist Specialties creates architectural work, including many of the columns and moldings seen in casinos. They also do stage work and props for theme parks and related properties, including Disneyland, Universal Studios and Six Flags.

They worked with an international production team to fabricate a new stage at the Rio Hotel & Casino Theater for a water-themed variety show named WOW: Worlds of Wonder. The stage featured large LED walls and ceiling, water walls, holograms and multi-media projection. Gist also designed a water circulation system to fill a shallow pool on stage from a 5,000-gallon reservoir in 45 seconds and drain it in 150 seconds multiple times during the 90-minute performance.

They created the illusion of a 3-D background that was moving without using 3-D at all.

“I’m happy I get to employ such a great crew,” Cooper says. “They do a tremendous job and that brings in repeat and new clients and that’s what allows us to stay so busy.”

Photos courtesy of The Museum of the City of New York

BY F. ANDREW TAYLOR

Photo by F. Andrew Taylor

museum was open for business,” Posnock says. “It was a very interesting challenge and very satisfying. On the surface it looks very clean and simple but the nitty gritty of it was very complex.”

Another outside-of-the-box problem they needed to solve was what to do to display a fabric piece that had been donated to be included in an exhibition on the history of women’s suffrage in New York City that the Museum of the City of New York was having installed. The piece was what is called a parachute and it was painted with images representing a century of the women’s movement. It had been used in a recent parade, with several women holding the edge and the wind created by the motion of the marching billowing out the fabric into an elegant dome.

“It was the perfect artifact to include in the display, but the question was how to present it so that it has the impact and retains the simplicity and look of the piece in full billow,” Posnock says. “If you just hang it, it’s going to be an ugly, saggy thing.”

The museum staff suggested stretching it on a circle but that would have presented the same issue of sagging. Originators voiced strongly that the piece had to be displayed in a dome, as it had been in the parade, but the museum was concerned with the cost of fabricating and the elaborate, custom made structure to support it in that shape.

“We work with fabric all the time, so we suggested lightweight Fiberglas rods,

Photos courtesy of The Museum of the City of New York

Photo by F. Andrew Taylor

The Originators created a display for a “Parachute” banner from the Jan. 20, 2016 Women’s March in New York City for the Museum of the City of New York. One of the challenges was finding a cost effective way of displaying the dome shaped fabric.

“Beyond Suffrage” Exhibit

handling it like a tent,” Roth says. “That required a little sewing, but I told them I could sew it in a way that you’ll never know I did it.

We had to get permission from the donor to alter it, and they approved so that’s what we did.”

The final piece sits as a dome on top of a room constructed with curved walls with displays. Light passes through the fabric structure helping the

relatively small space not feel quite so claustrophobic.

In the early ‘90s, Roth and Posnock were friendly competitors, owners of the only two companies working primarily with fabric for event displays. When Posnock’s partner decided he wanted to focus more on tradeshow exhibition, he sold his part of the company and joined forces with Roth. Both drew their inspiration from Bill Moss, an

industrial designer and fabric artist who, in 1955, originated modern stretched fabric tent designs. Like those tents inevitably led to stretched fabric walls seen at nearly every event today, there’s been a lot of cross pollination over the years between museum exhibition and trade show exhibition to get to where things stand today. Both sides have benefitted from learning from each other.

ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2018 33

EXHIBITORLIVE WRAP UP

John Pavek with pink elephant in the Connection Zone

New Branding is the Big Winner at EXHIBITORLIVE 2018

BY ALETA WALTHER

The big news during EXHIBITORLIVE 2018 was not the number of exhibitors, nor the number of attendees, not even the record-breaking class attendance. The strikingly obvious change was the event’s new branding. Hosted at the Mandalay Bay Conference Center in Las Vegas, Feb. 26-March 1, the annual learning conference and trade show was touted as an opportunity to “Connect With Your Species.”

Having covered the EXHIBITORLIVE show for six of the last eight years, I was slack-jawed as I passed under the roll-up door and into the registration foyer. Gone was the familiar setting of shows past.

In its place was a more inviting, more vibrant, more refreshing venue. More, 34 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

more, more, yet it was impossible to ignore the “elephant in the room.”

Yes, in the middle of the registration area/lobby stood a fluorescent pink, adultsized elephant and a post of a friendly mouse beseeching attendees not “to climb, write or sit” on his behemoth friend. The lobby, rebranded as the “Connection Zone,” was also much larger and airier than the past while offering an inviting array of seating and table options for meeting friends, clients, business partners, dealers, checking emails or just catnapping.

John Pavek, chief marketing officer for EXHIBITOR magazine, says management decided it was time to shake up the show’s brand. The first step was to pump up the

lobby’s vibe. In the past, the exhibit hall and lobby were separate, the exhibit hall’s lively ambiance hidden behind drapery and badge police. With the drapes absent this year, the exhibit halls’ voice and majesty were exposed, beckoning all to enter.

“This show has been around for 30 years and from time to time we look to re-invent ourselves,” says Pavek. “We have always known that the exhibit hall is such an incredible place, so we said, ‘what can we do to enhance the exhibit hall experience for both the attendees and the exhibitors?’ We consulted numerous experts on show design and we came up with the idea of creating a retail shopping experience, taking a cue from stores like Best Buy, where the customer walks in and sees everything--to open up the sight lines.”

Pavek says that the second most important change this year was redesigning the entry venue into a “Connection Zone.” “It’s about changing the way people connect and engage during the show,” said Pavek.

“In the past, many companies and sponsors held dealer meetings and other gatherings away from the show floor. With that in mind, we wanted to provide a convenient place for them to meet, close to the show floor. The Connection Zone does just that with the show hall as a beautiful backdrop.”

Pavek adds that the slogan, “Connect With Your Species,” is more than a marketing slogan. Show management wanted attendees to engage and connect with like-minded professionals, including attendees who have a need for a product or service and people who can fulfill that need.

“2018 is year one of a three-year plan to re-energize EXHIBITORLIVE,” says Pavek.

“Our goal for next year is that attendees will be just as surprised as they were this year.”

Attendance up, exhibit space holds steady EXHIBITORLIVE’s overall attendance was up about 11 percent over the 2017 edition with Pavek highlighting a nice growth in conference attendees and “exhibit hall only” attendance. According to Pavek, exhibitor floor space sold was about the same despite five fewer exhibitors this year

Among the conference attendees were 30 newly certified trade show marketers (CTSM) graduates who were honored during a celebration dinner on Feb. 25 at the Mandalay Bay. Another 40+ candidates sat for the CTSM certification exam during EXHIBITORLIVE. Jan Nelson, CTSM exec. director, says the education sessions were well attended by CTSM candidates and individuals taking classes without pursuing the CTSM credential. “The program is thriving,” Nelson says. “We are just a handful away from having 600 CTSM graduates and we had many, many new enrollees at this show.” She adds that there were many new classes this year, attracting CTSM graduates pursuing continuing education.

And the winners are…

During EXHIBITORLIVE, Exhibitor Media Group handed out numerous awards in a variety of categories. The Best of Show Awards categories were judged by 100+ corporate marketers attending the event.

Best New Exhibitor

Holographic Entrance, Luminescence Production Services, New Hyde Park, N.Y.

“Judges loved how Holographic Entrance used their small booth (10x10) to facilitate an immersive attendee engagement that was laser-focused on the product being displayed,” stated an Exhibitor magazine press release. “They also appreciated how the exhibitor placed its product at the front of the booth and incorporated simple and crystal-clear, key messaging.”

Holographic’s FogScreen technology allows a company to project its logo, product or message onto flowing fog.

Holographicentrance.com states that the FogScreen application is well suited for tradeshows, conferences and other events.

Dennis Finnegan, founder/owner of Luminescence, says placing FogScreen at the entry of a booth creates a safe, immersive experience for attendees. “This product is truly engaging…a fantastic social media tool where people can interact with the projection,” says Finnegan.

Blue Pony

Best of Show Small Booth, less than 200 sq. feet:

Blue Pony, Fort Wayne, Ind.

“Judges said Blue Pony used its booth space extremely well, going far beyond the typical small booth setup,” stated the press release. “They enjoyed the clean design, friendly and knowledgeable staffers, clear messaging, and engaging activity, calling the booth both inviting and exciting.”

Blue Pony creates royalty-free motion graphics for entertainment, sales, and educational purposes. For example, sales presentations, tradeshows, interactive touch screens, the web, digital signage, advertising, interactive touch screens and special events. “We believe that our exhibit was attractive to attendees because of the fun experience we provided,” says Nathan Grepke, president, Blue Pony.

“We offered a dart game… that people found intriguing, a lot of curiosity with people thinking, ‘it looks like a digital LCD monitor we’re but throwing darts at it. How are they pulling that off?’ ” Best Big Booth, more than 200 sq. feet

Exhibit Concepts Inc., Dayton, Ohio and Chicago, Ill.

“Judges said Exhibit Concepts utilized its booth space very well, incorporating a double-deck structure, bold graphics,

eye-catching audiovisual elements, and an open, inviting layout,” says the press release. “Judges also gave Exhibit Concepts high marks for the exhibit’s second-story meeting space and glass cubes featuring past products, and they raved over its friendly, professional booth staff.”

Exhibit Concepts designs and produces branded environments, including tradeshows, museums, corporate interiors, experiential and interactive engagements, creative and design services, and program management. “Our employees… they’re the reason we are and have been so successful for 40 years and this booth is no exception,” says Kelli Glasser, president and CEO for Exhibit Concepts. “I’m so proud of the Exhibit Concepts team.

This booth is a testament to the incredible talent we have in our company, from concept all the way to execution.”

Best Booth Staff

beMatrix USA, Norcross, Ga.

“beMatrix booth staffers were extremely inviting, friendly, and comfortable discussing the product without engaging in a hard sell,” according to the press release. “Judges also indicated that every individual they encountered in the booth seemed intimately familiar with the company’s offerings and were entirely on Continued on p. 36 ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2018 35

EXHIBITORLIVE WRAP UP Continued from p. 35 message throughout the interactions.” beMatrix produces a trademarked Tooless frame system for exhibits that is applicable for a variety of environments, including, tradeshows, events, museums and retail environments. “Winning the award was not our objective,” says Emma Christen, marketing specialist for beMatrix. “The objective was to create relationships with our customers and other people in the industry by being our authentic selves”

2018 FIND IT–TOP 40

This award honors the industry’s top exhibit producers and more than 100 exhibit houses with offices in the U.S. and/or Canada applied for the honor. Each was subjected to an evaluation process, including more than 50 individual criteria, all weighted to reflect how EXHIBITOR readers and the magazine’s editorial advisory board members value them when vetting and selecting potential partners.

The criteria considered were categorized into five primary areas: »» company and capabilities »» honors and awards »» thought leadership and industry participation »» reliability and service »» creativity and key differentiators Conducted by corporate exhibit managers, the evaluation process included surveying current clients and a review of entrants’ past projects, selling points, and innovations.

“This program is intended to spotlight the best exhibit producers in the industry, while also providing a valuable resource for exhibit managers searching for new potential partners,” says Randy Acker, president and COO of Exhibitor Media Group.

“The Find It–Top 40 represents the most exclusive list of U.S. and Canadian exhibit providers in the industry and serves as… a seal of approval when it comes to the companies behind many of the most successful tradeshow stands in the world.”

The following companies qualified for the 2018 Find It–Top 40 list, and five of them were honored for earning the highest score in an individual category of criteria: The Taylor Group - Company and Capabilities Mirror Show Management Inc. - Honors and Awards GES - Leadership and Industry Participation

beMatrix staff

Classic Exhibits Inc. - Reliability and Service Derse Inc. - Creativity and Key Differentiators “The competition for a spot on the 2018 Find It–Top 40 list was extremely competitive,” says Travis Stanton, editor of EXHIBITOR magazine. “After evaluating dozens of criteria and totaling the scores, less than a single point separated several firms from making the cut.”

2018 FIND IT–TOP 40 (in alphabetical order) »» 2020 Exhibits »» 3D Exhibits Inc. »» 760 Display Inc. »» Access TCA Inc. »» Acer Exhibits & Events LLC »» Affinity Displays & Expositions Inc. (AD-EX) »» Blue Sky Exhibits LLC »» BlueHive Inc. »» Chicago Exhibit Productions Inc. »» Classic Exhibits Inc. »» Czarnowski Display Service Inc. »» Deckel & Moneypenny Inc. »» Derse Inc. »» Exhibit Concepts Inc. »» Exhibitpro »» Exhibitus Inc. »» Freeman »» George P. Johnson Experience Marketing »» GES

»» Group Delphi »» Hadley Exhibits Inc. »» Hill & Partners »» Impact XM »» Katherine Frank Creative Inc. »» Kubik Inc. »» Matrex Exhibits »» MC2 »» mg »» Mirror Show Management Inc. »» nParallel »» Pinnacle Exhibits Inc. »» ProExhibits »» RES Exhibit Services LLC »» Skyline Exhibits LLC »» Spoon Exhibits & Events »» Steelhead Productions Inc. »» The Rogers Company »» The Taylor Group »» The Trade Group Inc. »» Visual Communications Inc.

PORTABLE MODULAR AWARDS

EXHIBITOR magazine unveiled the winners of its 2018 Portable/ Modular Awards during its annual Las Vegas gathering as well.

The award celebrates design excellence in portable, modular, and system exhibits. Judged by a panel of marketing and design experts, the competition featured 11 categories. There were also two special awards presented: the Zeigler Award, given to the project earning the highest score regardless of category, and the People’s Choice Award, chosen by popular vote on ExhibitorOnline.com.

ZEIGLER AWARD Exhibitor: Aluvision Inc. System: Aluvision Inc. Design/Fabrication: Aluvision Inc.

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD Exhibitor: Parallon Business Solutions System: Classic Exhibits Inc. Design/Fabrication: Classic Exhibits Inc. Design: Astor Group Exhibitor Services

BEST 10-BY-10-FOOT EXHIBIT Exhibitor: Orkin LLC System: beMatrix Design/Fabrication: e4 Design

BEST ISLAND EXHIBIT LESS THAN 600 SQ. FT. Exhibitor: Payfactors Group LLC System: Moss Inc. Design/Fabrication: Hill & Partners

BEST ISLAND EXHIBIT 600 TO 1,000 SQ.FT. Exhibitor: Elgato Systems GmbH System: beMatrix Design/Fabrication: Access TCA Inc.

BEST ISLAND EXHIBIT MORE THAN 1,000 SQ. FT.

System: beMatrix Design/Fabrication: Condit Exhibits

BEST INTERNATIONAL DESIGNER Exhibitor: Burkhardt Leitner Modular Spaces System: Burkhardt Leitner Modular Spaces Design/Fabrication: Terminal Design

Makisto USA staff

BUYERS CHOICE AWARDS

There were 33 new products that debuted in EXHIBITORLIVE’s New Product Showcase. A panel of conference attendees compared them and selected six as Product Showcase Buyers Choice Award winners:

»» Makitso USA, WaveLight Inflatable Backlit Counter »» SocialPoint, Digital Fishbowl »» beMatrix, LEDskin »» Exhibitry, Tactile VR-AR »» Reality Engineering Solutions, REP Connect »» Fusion Imaging, Klik SEG Frames

BEST RECONFIGURABLE EXHIBIT Exhibitor: Twitch Interactive Inc. System: beMatrix Design/Fabrication: Astound Group Inc.

BEST RENTAL EXHIBIT Exhibitor: Cybereason Inc. System: Moss Inc. Design/Fabrication: Hill & Partners

BEST USE OF TECHNOLOGY Exhibitor: beMatrix System: beMatrix Design: Dirk Driehuijzeh Design Fabrication: Next Level BVBA

SocialPoint staff beMatrix LEDskin

Best Island Exhibit More Than 1,000 Sq. Ft.

Exhibitor: Aluvision Inc. System: Aluvision Inc. Design/Fabrication: Aluvision Inc.

BEST FABRIC EXHIBIT Exhibitor: RCS Sound System: Tectonics Design/Fabrication: Exhibit Concepts Inc.

BEST USE OF GRAPHICS Exhibitor: Nilit Ltd. System: Moss Inc. Design/Fabrication: Hill & Partners

BEST IN-LINE EXHIBIT Exhibitor: Farmhouse Culture ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2018 37

EXHIBITOR PARTY

From the Red Carpet to the Spazzmatics, from Temporary Tattoos to Photo Booths, From the Bar to the Dance Floor - It Was a Great Party! See you next year for the 20th Exhibitor Party!

38 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2018 39

Thank you all for attending

2018

PARTY

Brought to you by:

and THANK YOU to all of our fabulous sponsors. See you in 2019!

SHOP TO SHOWFLOOR An In-Depth Look into Today’s World of I&D and Event Labor

The new Southern Nevada Teamsters 631 convention and construction training facility opened March 28.

Exhibit Design Future Trends

ExhibitorLIVE Design Tour EDPA Gives Students a Behind-The-Scenes Tour

A New Teamsters Training Facility Trains the Next Generation of Industry Professionals

Pp. 42-43

Pp. 44-45

Pp. 46-48

Staying Ahead of the Design Curve with AR, VR, AI and More

Building Better Builders

This section is dedicated to all exhibit house professionals, as well as all exhibit managers and tradeshow coordinators worldwide.

For advertising information and rates, please call our offices at 702-309-8023 and ask for sales. @ExhibitCityNews

ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2018 41

SHOP to SHOWFLOOR I&D and Event Labor

EXHIBIT DESIGN PROS PREDICT FUTURE TRENDS Staying Ahead of the Design Curve with AR, VR, AI and More

by Cynthya Porter

E

ach year, exhibit design professionals throw down their bets on what trends will dominate the trade show industry during the coming months to help exhibitors stay ahead of the design curve. Predictions for 2018 varied widely, with some saying booths would get more simple while others said they would be more elaborate, and some saying signage would get bolder and brighter while others said the trend would be for graphics that are understated and simple. There were a few points on which exhibiting experts generally agreed, however, and trade shows so far this year seem to be proving those predictions to be right on the money.

Texture

Grass, wood, moss, rusted metal, and embossed surfaces

42 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

have all been on the decorating scene for a while, but they are getting an update to something that is more industrial chic than antique or rustic looking, design professionals say. “I foresee 2018 being the year for bold sophistication,” says Ingrid Adolphs of Perfect Surroundings Intl., a national spokescompany for CORT Events. “Marble stays. Mixed metallic finishes will remain but silver will be taking the back seat and copper, brass, and bronze will take on more important roles. That said, muted earth tones like rose and terra cotta are also on trend, but I expect to see them paired with unusual combinations of geometric and tribal pattern, colorful accents, and faux fur, velvets and leathers.”

Found objects painted bold colors, black lacquers, and

vibrant contrasts are all in the mix as well, experts say, as are industrial-looking accents that give an exhibit an aura of genuineness and honesty.

Experiential Design

Now more than ever, professionals say, exhibitors need to figure out how to make attendees feel something positive if they want to be remembered beyond the show floor.

“Whether you consciously think about creating an experience or not, you, your stand team, and your stand create an experience with every visitor who comes near to or into your stand,” says publisher David O’Beirne in his experiential design blog for Exhibitors Only.

Bearing that in mind, he says, exhibitors must be purposeful about the impression attendees walk away with.

Experiential design can be as simple as a touchscreen display that attendees can explore or as elaborate as letting attendees choose the lighting and scents in the booth during their visit. “But an experience in an exhibit should tie into the brand story somehow or it’s just a ploy that serves little purpose and will be forgotten,” says Char Livingston, a designer at Signess Exhibits.

“It used to be that trade show attendees were passive receivers of information on the show

floor. But now, millennials in particular want to interact with their environment, and the more you let them do that, the more likely they are to remember you.” Also important, she says, is that the experiences be social media-worthy because many millennials equate experiences with status and they like to share them.

Savvy exhibitors will harness that passion for social media by making it as easy as possible for attendees to not only share, but also tag them.

Themed Exhibits

Themes are back with a vengeance in 2018, experts say, driven primarily by a growing desire among exhibitors to be seen as unique. But also, Amy Benes writes for exhibit house Nimlok, themes are more often being seen as a way to fully integrate a brand campaign into the trade show environment.

“In the age of integrated marketing, more and more marketers are carrying campaign themes through to their trade show booth and trade show

marketing program,” Benes wrote for the company’s trend outlook blog. “Advances in fabric applications and extrusion frames allow for more creative, brand-embodying exhibit designs that can better translate an overlying campaign theme.”

Strategists at Gilbert, a New York-based experiential design firm, agree. “Trade show

booths with a theme will retain their edge,” the company wrote for its 2018 outlook. “While vendors will want to make sure that their booth reflects and enhances their brand, it pays off to be somewhat daring during theme selection. Create a theme that draws attendees in because consumers want to visit exciting, bright, and captivating booths.”

Technology

Though they say it is moving in more slowly than originally expected, industry experts still anticipate virtual reality and augmented reality to take a better foothold during the coming year. What may change, however, is the way in which it is used. “As new technologies make waves, exhibitors rush to include them in their stand design to make an impact,” says Kate Denny, a senior account director at U.K.based Rapier Group. “But gone are the days when every event would feature at least a couple of virtual reality headsets in the mix. Today, tech usage

is shifting from gimmicky to creative and functional.”

Another technology expected to come into its own–just as soon as exhibitors understand how to use it–is artificial intelligence (AI). But the AI at hand is much more Siri than “Space Odyssey 2001,” with strong potential for its functionality in helping booth staff access data on the fly. “Artificial intelligence tools can process, analyze, and present data far faster than humans, making them a potential gold mine for exhibitors,” says Jill Anonson, a manager of event solutions at ITA Group Inc. “Imagine being able to pull detailed company, product, or client statistics instantly on the show floor– you could instantly tailor your conversation to match booth visitors’ company size, industry, or product interest.”

The inherent risk of adding AI to an exhibit is that it could potentially usurp the human factor if it is relied on too heavily during client interactions. Using it as a resource for rather than a replacement for staff is the key, many said. “While artificial intelligence likely will not replace booth staff in 2018, there is a potential for the technology to make your staff more efficient on the show floor,” says Anonson.

Beyond those four common themes found in many predictions, there are a few other areas that figured prominently in the industry’s discussion about 2018 and beyond. The use of creative lighting is expected to

become a thing, printed literature is expected to go away, and the matter of sustainability is expected to impact both booth design and the tchotchkes being given away.

But experts also agree that while they are only postulating what will be on the rise in the industry, the thing they know for sure is that the playing field of the trade show floor is changing and everyone needs to be ready to change with it. “As a highly connected society, visitors are expecting information to be conveyed in novel and innovative ways,” says Adam Dembovsky, sales manager at the South African firm Set Squared (Pty) Ltd. “The information you deliver is equally as important as how you deliver it: attendees are looking to be wowed.”

Wowing attendees, Livingston says, comes from both capturing their attention and telling them your story in a language they understand which, she says, helps deepen the relationship. “Some trends, like colors or design materials, are about style, while others are guideposts for how the industry is fundamentally changing because of the people in it,” Livingston says. “Companies have to consider their resources and their audience and decide where their investment should be. It could get expensive to chase every design trend that came around, while it could cost a company a lot if it dismisses the trends for how attendees want to interact at trade shows today.”

May/June 2018 43

SHOP to SHOWFLOOR I&D and Event Labor

THE DESIGN TOUR AT EXHIBITORLIVE!

by Jeanne Brei

E

ach year, the day before EXHIBITORLIVE officially opens its doors, EDPA provides a guided tour of the show floor as exhibitors are finishing up their booths to the students from Bemidji State University’s Exhibit Design undergraduate program and SUNY/FIT Exhibition Design master’s degree programs. This year, past EDPA president and ECN columnist Larry Kulchawik led 14 grad students from FIT and 16 undergrads from Bemidji State to meet with 10 different types of exhibit industry suppliers, who are all EDPA members and supporters of the program.

The tour included meeting Derse’s Russ Fowler, Octanorm North America President Norm Friedrich, DS&L Lighting President Rob Cohen, Brumark’s Dave Walens, beMatrix President

44 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

Robert Laarhoven, Coastal International’s Mike Boone, PRG’s Rodney Brannon, Live Marketing’s Diane Ament, Freeman Design Director Michael DeBord, Czarnowski’s Dillon Nagle and IFES Director Uta Gorsky.

According to Christina Lyons, asst. professor/chairperson of FIT’s Graduate Exhibition & Experience Design, “The students were thrilled!

They soaked up every minute, and were so thankful to all the supporters that assisted in their attendance. They certainly understood the value of what they were able to experience and that they are being introduced ​​to an exciting and welcoming industry--full of opportunity. The industry connections made that week resulted in internships and connections that will last beyond graduation. Many students were able to meet their

mentors for the first time in person and actually walk and study the show floor with their mentors from the EDPA mentorship program. Students were also able to see alumni of the FIT program, presenting their designs on the tour.”

She adds that “for many it was their first time in Las Vegas and for some their first time at a tradeshow of this magnitude. They’re never quite sure what to expect, but once they dodge the forklifts and weave through set up materials—the energy they see on the show floor a day before opening is infectious and certainly sparks excitement in each student. Students are able to hear directly from firm owners and designers describing their process and design intent as well as learn about set up techniques, fabrication feats and sometimes even hear a few install war stories.

While walking and studying the designs and interactions on the show room floor throughout the show students have a much deeper knowledge and appreciation of all that goes in to the finished design having had this behind the scenes glimpse before the show opens.”

Lyons adds that “We are deeply thankful for the time and special care that Larry puts in to creating this tour each year. Each firm owner and designer sets aside time for us during an extremely hectic and busy day—I hope that all who contribute to this tour know the value of what they do for the students, through each tour stop and each connection a passion for the industry is ignited in the students—it is an invaluable opportunity and students carry what they hear and learn with them well beyond graduation.”

The Brumark booth staff welcomed the Design Tour students to view their booth while it was still under construction at ExhibitorLIVE on Sunday and took a moment when it was completed for a group shot.

ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2018 45

SHOP to SHOWFLOOR I&D and Event Labor

BUILDING BETTER BUILDERS A New Teamsters Training Facility Trains the Next Generation of Industry Professionals

by F. Andrew Taylor

H

ow do you become a teamster?

Practice, hard work and, if you’re lucky and live in Las Vegas, more than 2,000 hours of training at the new Southern Nevada Teamsters 631 Convention & Construction Training facility. The new facility at 4490 Nexus Way in North Las Vegas, is over 70,000 square feet, more than twice as large as the previous training facility, and it was designed not only to train new teamsters, but to sharpen the skills of current teamsters.

The project is a collaboration between employers and the union that originated from collective bargaining discussions.

It’s designed to bring the best people into the labor force.

“It’s essential for us as employers because it’s creating our skilled workforce,” says Bill Muller, director of operations/ western region Renaissance Management Inc., and employer co-chair of Local 631 Training Trust.

The facility opened in January after nearly a year of build out from a shell.

Thanks to careful planning, the classes smoothly transitioned from the old location to the new facility and the training was never interrupted. The new structure includes classrooms and 46 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

offices, but the majority of the building houses a mock warehouse and mini showroom for training. Apprentices and journeyman can take classes at the facility where they practice I&D on pipe and drape and more complex booths (including two story booths), decorating, forklift operation, floor layout and many other practical applications of skills related to the tradeshow and exhibition industry.

“I invite all 631 signatory employers to contact Crystal Van Dyke, our director, and set up an appointment to visit our new facility and its expanded and improved capabilities,” says Muller. “Said input from signatory employers is critical to the success of our program.”

At an open house on March 28, the facility demonstrated all of these things while installing booths, bringing stock to them and then dismantling the booths and bringing the components out to trailers outside ready to be shipped away.

“We could do some of this at the old facility, but the new location allows us to greatly expand what we can do and the number of people we can have doing it at one time,” says Muller. “The city and the needs have been growing for many years and we wanted to step out ahead and have the people ready to meet those new needs.”

Crystal VanDyke, the apprenticeship coordinator/director for Teamsters Local 631 notes that about 180 to 240 apprentices take classes at the facility each year.

A vigorous testing and scoring system prior to admission weeds out all but the best, so there is almost no dropout rate.

“We do intake maybe once a year or so,” says Muller. “This year 1,000 people applied. Only 490 passed the reading, writing and arithmetic tests and the top 60 scorers were invited to become apprentices in the program. We were extremely selective.”

Those 60 went through boot camp, a

physical aptitude test that includes walking several miles and performing physical tasks that emulate the sort of work they will do on the floor--including carrying 10-pound bags and placing them on an eight-foot crate, going up and down ladders and rolling weighted carts over carpeting.

“We’ve always been working to get to the next level,” says Tim Koviak, a trustee with Teamsters 631. “We’ve been trying to figure out how to get better people on the show floor and how to create a better experience. I think this is one more step towards getting there.”

Koviak believes a big part of what makes it all work is rather than using a separate training staff, the program

takes the best from the industry who teach what they do and can quickly adapt to changes in the industry, teaching how to install a new kind of display or operate a new kind of equipment.

“The new facility allows us to employ more technology in the training process,” says Bernie Masset, senior director of events for MC2 and one of

the four employer trustees of the facility. “Not just overhead projectors, but more technology that is in sync with what we do now. It also allows us the space to teach seven or eight classes at once.”

The trustees and staff of the facility hope it will serve as an example for other cities and show the value of an apprenticeship program

in any city that serves the tradeshow industry.

“We want to put out a workforce and a product that isn’t just good, but is excellent,” explains Masset. “We want a workforce that represents not just the union or the employer or even themselves but one that represents an industry.

When you’re out there you’re a face of Las Vegas.”

ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2018 47

Welcome to The New So. NV Teamsters 631 Convention & Construction Training Facility

COME MEET OUR STAFF & FACULTY:

Crystal VanDyke

Apprenticeship Coordinator/Director

Julie Morgan

Administrative Assistant/Dispatcher

Debbie Asato

Administrative Assistant

Trena Zamito

Administrative Assistant/Instructor

Mike Martinez, Instructor Greg Wilmot, Instructor Carol Ridgeway, Instructor Bill Botos, Instructor Dan Morrison, Instructor THANKS TO OUR TRUSTEES:

Tommy Blitsch, Teamsters 631 Secretary/Treasurer Bill Muller, Renaissance John Giordano, Freeman James Harmer, Teamsters 631 Tim Koviak, Teamsters 631 Anthony Lau, GES Bernie Massett, MC2 Laura Sims, Teamsters 631

4490 Nexus Way, Bldg 2, Suite 102 N. Las Vegas, NV 89115

Call today at 702-651-0344 or visit us online at www.631Train.com

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ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2018 49

ALUVISION

“Why fit in when you were born to stand out?”

– Dr Seuss

Fab-186 bright

LED tile 55 P2

If you missed Aluvision’s World of Wonder booth at the ExhibitorLIVE show earlier this year, you most certainly missed out on some of our industry’s most eye-catching novelties. Aluvision, developer and manufacturer of the renowned modular wall frames with holes, has always been recognized as a leader in bringing innovative solutions to the event and tradeshow exhibit world. The success of this approach resulted in the company’s impressive growth over the years. As a reward for their trendsetting strategy, Aluvision took home two awards at the show’s Portable Modular Awards: the one for Best Island Exhibit > 1000ft² and the top honor Zeigler Award.

Aluvision @ EXHIBITORLIVE ‘18

RedSmith @ EXHIBITORLIVE ‘18

Exhibitforce @ EXHIBITORLIVE ‘18

Zigzibit @ EXHIBITORLIVE ‘18

Gateway @ EXHIBITORLIVE ‘18

Aluvision clients standing out using the Aluvision modular frame system at EXHIBITORLIVE

50 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

One of the show’s most successful products was without a doubt Aluvision’s LED tile 55 P2: a LED tile that allows for seamless integration and tool-free installation within Aluvision’s Omni55 frame system. Its 2.8 or 2.5 pixel pitch guarantees a crisp visual experience. The launch of this new product adds an exciting new range of possibilities to this modular building system.

The Aluvision booth showcased many other new accessories and auxiliary profiles that complement the original Aluvision Omni-55 wall frames, offering an extensive range of creative possibilities.

The modular Aluvision frame system allows a booth to fit into any space. But rather than just fitting in, discover the many ways Aluvision offers you to stand out.

Eager to learn more about Aluvision’s World of Wonder? Sign up for the next AluvisionLive! Training Days on June 6 & 7 at the company’s facility in Atlanta, GA or go to www.aluvision.com.

INTERNATIONAL FOCUS

Brazil: Poised for Growth INCREASING POLITICAL STABILITY AND CONFIDENCE LEADING THE WAY

BY CYNTHYA PORTER

52 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

L-R below: Toni Sando, exec. pres. of Visite Sao Paulo; Daniel Galante, ops director and Willians Lopes, comm./marketing director of the São Paulo Expo.

intended to cast a net for business beyond Brazil’s borders.

But while the exhibition marketplace in Brazil is rebounding more cautiously than some other global markets, officials working with the region say the trade fair world is poised to blossom on the heels of recovery thanks to the presence of nearly a dozen international organizers who have kept operations in Brazil.

But for that recovery to propel the exhibition industry forward will require some improvements within tradeshows themselves, says Ana Maria Arango, UFI’s regional manager of Latin America.

According to a UFI blog on

the matter, auditing of tradeshows in Brazil is rare, and the lack of hard data threatens to continue stunting growth in the region. “Having clear data on the statistics of the region is possibly one of the main challenges of the industry since there is no entity that deals rigorously and every year fully to keep a count,” Arango says. “Local and international businessmen still do not rigorously demand certifications that attest to the figures of each event.”

Arango goes on to say that it may simply be a matter of resources, particularly as 78 percent of the country’s fairs are organized by companies that only oversee one event, and many of those companies are relatively small operations. Moreover, the largest share of the country’s fairs are under 54,000 sq.ft. and just 19 percent are between 100,000 and 200,000 sq.ft..

There is no single body overseeing the exhibition industry, and so norms for metrics and reporting are not widespread. But as the industry is strengthened, so too should be the methods for evaluating it.

But Arango says increasing political stability coupled with greater internal confidence in the industry make Brazil the country to watch going forward. “These indicators show us a still-heterogeneous market,” she says, “and it’s ready to develop in terms of size of events and the consolidation of industry players at a regional level.”

Cynthya Porter is a 70-time award-winning journalist recognized by national and international associations for her expertise in tradeshow topics, travel writing, photography, and news. She has covered the exhibition industry for seven years and travels the world in search of interesting stories and photographs. Contact her at https://www. linkedin.com/in/cynthyaporter/.

Photos by Gregory Grigoragi

After a prolonged period in which its exhibition industry has languished compared to the global marketplace, Brazil appears to have silver linings on the horizon, officials say, with optimism seeping into a previously grim outlook. According to a survey

by UFI, the Global Association of the Tradeshow Industry, 82 percent of the exhibition industry companies that participated expect to have an increase in income during the first half of 2018, and nearly the same number expect it for the second half of 2018 as well. Furthermore, in the most recent Global Exhibition Barometer conducted by UFI, Brazil ranked fifth among 17 markets in which operational gains were compared.

For tradeshow organizers, the news is a welcome change from the previous decade in which Brazil was plunged into a serious recession. However, according to UFI, local economies still represent the greatest concern for businesses, with 33 percent citing it as their number one worry.

Competition from within the industry is ranked second as a concerning business issue. As such, UFI officials say, Brazil’s tradeshow industry is expected to remain focused inward for some time, with relatively few companies saying they

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ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2018 53

INTERNATIONAL FOCUS

Experiential Content is at the Heart of Visitor Experiences

BY SARAH CHEW

Think about a recent museum experience you had that you found rewarding and stimulating. You will soon realize museum exhibits have long since moved on from classic, static viewing, and are increasingly taking advantage of visuals, audio and interactive technology to create experiential environments that engage the senses. A museum is no longer a repository of information, but rather a catalyst in the visitor’s learning journey. People do not want to visit a regular exhibition; they crave the temporary escape into other worlds and want to be immersed in them.

Technology extends the experience Marvel Cinematic Universe created a world people were drawn to. Last October, a hyper-reality exhibition–The Marvel Experience–launched in Busan, South Korea. As opposed to the format of traditional exhibitions dedicated to movie sets, props and costumes, The Marvel Experience offered visitors an enriching and immersive experience to live within the Marvel Cinematic Universe and become part of the adventure. With the latest 54 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

in state-of-the-art interactive and multimedia technology, visitors had the opportunity to fly with Iron Man, smash with Hulk and scale buildings with Spider-Man. The mobile exhibition also housed the world’s only 360-degrees 3D stereoscopic theatre, holograms and a 4D-motion ride. These elements gave visitors a dynamic way to experience Marvel entertainment and put them right in the middle of the action.

Connecting audiences through open-ended engagements Designing a great visitor experience requires much effort and expertise. It should be approached from a holistic perspective that considers the entire experience. A single interaction or a piece of content cannot survive on its own.

From finding inventive ways of designing an exhibition topic to balancing the use of interactives, media and text, every element converges to contribute to an immersive experience. Every so often, a slightly theatrical approach is used in telling the story. In Dialogue with Time– Embrace Aging at the Science Centre Singapore, the exhibi-

tion explores the topic of aging.

It was designed as a physical platform with multi-layered content and a visitor journey that delivered a coherent and compelling experience. Apart from providing insights into the effects of growing old, the exhibition offered immersive interactions and simulated scenarios through the use of role play, game theory and engaging in discussions with the senior guides. The key to an enriching experience and successful visitor learning is to help bridge the original contexts of exhibition topics and objects with visitors’ everyday lived context.

If we can create an engaging story, we will inspire an enduring connection to the subject.

In its simplest form, this not only provides an appreciation but also, the power to ignite passionate responses, deliver experiences and drive demand.

Adopting new approaches in the face of changing preferences Increasingly, most museums are facing up to the challenges of redesigning with a younger generation in mind and competing for visitors’ time by studying other industries. From events

to retail, useful approaches and techniques to understand visitors and communicate what is on offer can be employed.

The recently revamped Singapore Maritime Gallery looks to the future, both in content and presentation. From steering a ship via a simulator and an AR “ship spotter” that highlights the different vessels that ply Singapore’s waters, to a designated zone for children where interactive activities illustrate the concept of navigational safety, all visitors get a handson experience of what it is like to work at sea. Also new are multimedia displays on the latest maritime technologies, a communal space to host exhibitions and workshops, as well as a resource corner to aid student research with maritime-related materials and publications. This refreshed gallery is a great platform in reaching out to younger Singaporeans and interest them not only in the heritage, but also a career in the maritime sector.

Sarah Chew is the executive director of Kingsmen Exhibits Pte Ltd, a leading communication design and production group in Asia Pacific and the Middle East.

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ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2018 55

AIPC

Centre and Association Partnerships in Washington, D.C.

BY GREG O’DELL, AIPC VP & WALTER E. WASHINGTON CONVENTION CENTER AND EVENTS DC PRESIDENT AND CEO

Both centres and event organizers have a shared stake in a successful outcome for any given event since whatever satisfies attendees is the best guarantee for future participation. Working together–using a centre’s unique knowledge of what works best in their facilities combined with the organizers in-depth understanding of what their delegates most want and need–is the best way to achieve this, but requires a commitment by both parties to cooperation and keeping an open mind to a range of possibilities.

I can best illustrate this via a specific example drawn from our own experiences at Events DC, which hosts hundreds of events annually in its venues, including the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Over the years, the Center has established itself as a strong partner and resource for associations looking to increase attendance and enhance the overall event experience in Washington, D.C.,–all while building innovative revenue opportunities.

new patrons looking for memorable dining experiences to restaurants throughout the city each week. The promotions particularly benefit newer, smaller restaurants with limited promotional budgets.

RAMW also provides the Center with client hospitality opportunities during quarterly Chef’s Table food showcase events.

The Center hosts RAMW’s annual awards gala to showcase our venue and food offerings to the restaurant community; Events DC is designated as the gala’s primary sponsor.

RAMW’s promotion of the District as a significant culinary destination creates a unique value proposition for leisure, business and convention travelers, as well as increasing the city’s appeal to tour operators, business developers and event organizers.

It also significantly expands its member restaurants’ customer base at no additional marketing cost to its members through advance alerts of the convention business opportunities--a valuable member benefit.

Enhancing the Attendee Experience The Center has partnered with the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) since 2012. RAMW uses our annual investment to enhance its local marketing spending and to develop select national promotions showcasing District restaurants and the District’s growing culinary experiences to national media, entrepreneurs and event organizers.

RAMW creates customized marketing campaigns for citywide and major Center events and promotes these events to its member restaurants, encouraging them to offer event-related discounts, incentive and welcoming opportunities. This gives event patrons a wider selection of restaurant options. This is a member benefit for RAMW members, driving thousands of

Growing the Auto Show’s Impact With the Center growing its citywide convention and trade show business to fill hotels’ mid-winter need periods, it had become increasingly challenging to host a building-wide event over consistent dates during the winter season. This was the case until the Center repositioned the Washington Area New Car Dealer Association’s (WANADA) Washington Auto Show dates for early 2012, repositioning the show dates from the December-January dates it had held since 1983 to early February.

Prior to the partnership, the Auto Show was perceived strictly as a gate show without consistent or reliable tracking of its impact on hotel room nights or restaurant visits. Additionally, the Auto Show faced challenges to grow the auto manu-

56 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

facturers’ participation without a consistent show schedule that accommodated the transfer of major exhibits around established major U.S. auto show dates.

The partnership has made the following changes to the basic Auto Show package: »» An enhanced pre-show program, in cooperation with the Soc. of Automotive Engineers, that present technical product development and legislative tracks for dealers, as well as for Congressional and federal govt. attendees meeting with manufacturers’ reps. »» An expanded preview night program featuring luxury and lifestyle vehicles geared towards high-end buyers. »» The Auto Show has engaged a third-party housing vendor to coordinate and manage all show-related lodging, credibly establishing the Auto Show’s value to the local hotel community.

For its part WANADA has assisted the Center to refine its Auto Show crowd management program to allow 100 percent screening of all bags brought into the facility through three entrances; significantly improve queue management, so that guests may quickly be brought into the building; improve ticket sales processing through enabled card readers and scanners with the majority of ticket sales driven online rather than onsite.

These optimizations have contributed to the growth of the Auto Show, which brings thousands of guests downtown and generates significant and consistent operating revenue for the CC. The Auto Show also demonstrates its benefits to the local hospitality community and increase sits value to buyers in new markets and member dealers with the new show programs.

Through partnerships, the Center builds revenue by enhancing the overall event experience, creating a successful and sustainable model.

INTERNATIONAL FOCUS/ASSOCIATION NEWS

IFES to Host World Summit in Chicago THE “GLOBAL COLLABORATION NETWORK” OFFERS GLOBAL NETWORKING

BY CYNTHYA PORTER

The world is shrinking when it comes to the exhibition industry, and for suppliers, working in new markets around the globe is easier than ever before. But even with significantly opened trade borders, the ability of a company to glide into a new international market and succeed is enormously dependent on one thing: their connections in the tradeshow industry. Locating quality suppliers to partner with, especially where language or cultural differences may exist, can be a daunting task, but those partnerships–or lack of them–have the ability to make or break an exhibition business before it ever gets off the ground on new soil.

Myriad associations around the globe seek to connect exhibition professionals, but each serves a particular niche, whether it is a country or type of service, and most have an open admission process that includes minimal screening of applicants when they apply. While good for networking, education, and advocacy within a particular region or profession, none can singly connect its members to a global database of verified experts working within the exhibitions marketplace.

So one organization has made it its mission to knit together associations and companies from across the world and do so with a vetting process that assures only the best of the best are represented in its rolls: IFES. The International Federation of Exhibition and Event Services has been serving the tradeshow industry since 1984, although its early days bear little resemblance to the powerhouse the organization has become.

The earliest iteration of IFES was a conglomeration of national associations 58 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

that included EDPA from the United States, FAMAB from Germany, FFME from France, ExpoBel (now Febulux) from Belgium, and BECA (now ESSA) from the United Kingdom. The organization in those days was small but purposeful; it sought to help 11 member organizations collaborate through networking and sharing knowledge. Today the mission of IFES is much the same, but it has taken on an impressively worldwide dimension.

Now, says IFES executive director Uta Goretzky, the federation includes around 300 associations and companies from 40 countries–each member active in the design, conception, production, and services used at exhibitions, tradeshows, and events. Small gatherings have given way to master classes, expert certifications, and global summits–the next of which will be in Chicago in June of 2018.

The IFES Global Summit–held once a year in rotating destinations–has more than doubled in size in the past five years, further evidence of the increasing globalization of the exhibition industry. Though the organization largely concentrated on the European marketplace in the beginning, recent years have seen the summits move to places like Moscow, Delhi, and Cape Town, South Africa, with each new destination deepening the reach of the federation into new markets.

Each event features a roster of speakers who address industry topics such as sustainability, international differences and industry trends, but for many, the greatest lure of the summit is the expansive amount of networking that members who come from around the world are offered, allow-

ing them to cultivate relationships that will bring business to a new level in a new destination. Through meals, tours, and evening festivities, attendees forge bonds that are hard to come by through a computer interface, Goretzky explains. “Through networking, we help our members find partners,” she said. “Then, for example, when a client in the United States wants to expand their program to China or France, their supplier can connect them to the right providers in those markets with the confidence that it is a firm that has been carefully vetted.”

That networking is the hallmark of the organization, which IFES president Voicu Sferdianu says can be explained succinctly: “The global collaboration network.

That is how we have chosen to explain what IFES is in three words,” he said.

But this is not just any networking opportunity where the reputation of the industry peers across the table might only be as good as their game faces. “An IFES membership stands for quality,” Goretzky says. “All of our members have signed the IFES Code of Conduct, which guarantees the integrity and quality of our partners.” That reputation for excellence, she says, is spreading through the industry, and becoming a member of IFES is seen as something of a badge of honor. “We ensure the quality of our membership through our strict application procedures, and not everyone can become a member,” she explains. “Of the 120 companies that applied for IFES membership since the beginning of 2016, only

80 were approved to be members.”

But for those who become members, a growing list of resources has made it a federation that is increasingly useful. In addition to providing research to help inform members and a platform for members to discuss things such as best practices, IFES

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is cultivating an education program labeled ICE for IFES Certified Expert, which will develop international skills for project managers, and it holds master class workshops in various cities around the world.

Also new this year, Goretzky says, will be an app with easily searchable information and an enhanced membership directory available through its member portal.

In exchange for those and the other benefits of membership, IFES companies must agree to abide by a rigorous code of conduct that, if breached, could cost them their membership.

Among that code, members must promise to abide by edicts such as creating a safe and harassment-free workplace, ensuring all governmental fees, conditions, and regulations are followed, operating in a culture of honesty and respect, being accountable for all payments due to others, minimizing environmental pollution, and conducting themselves in a spirit of professionalism

and fair play, among others. “So if an IFES partner serves the customer of another member,” Sferdianu says, “both the customer and member know that they will be treated in a professional manner from a company upholding the highest of quality standards. This is a value-added member benefit that is hard to put a price on.”

Also hard to put a price on is the opportunity to connect with like-minded companies on an international level right in Chicago. The gathering has been on a long hiatus from the U.S., but organizers hope that its return to the center of the country will attract a host of professionals curious about the organization. With non-member and spouse packages, as well as a slate of elbow-rubbing, organizers have paved the way for broad participation, and they expect 2018 to be one of the biggest years yet.

Themed “Reaching New Heights,” the 2018 IFES World Summit will take place in Chicago from June 27-29. For more info, visit www.ifesnet.com.

ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2017 59

CONVENTION CENTER SPOTLIGHT

EAT

The George R. Moscone Convention Center

T

he last major beam of steel (337,000 pounds in total) was erected at San Francisco’s Moscone Center on March 12, reaching a major milestone in this $551 million expansion project that will create an exciting urban landscape while bringing the center’s total exhibit space to more than 504,000 sq. ft. “I am proud to say that the project is on time and on budget and we are looking forward to the grand opening ribbon cutting, scheduled for Jan. 3, 2019,” says Joe D’Alessandro, president and CEO of the San Francisco Travel Association. “San Francisco welcomes more than 25 million visitors each year, and over 20 percent of those visitors pass through the Moscone Center. It is important that San Francisco stay competitive with expanded and upgraded convention facilities. This project has achieved that.”

About 40 percent of the expansion opened in September 2017 and has been in active use. The project also includes two new pedestrian bridges across Howard Street, the East Bridge and West Bridge. The East bridge will allow attendees to access the upper levels of Moscone North and Moscone South without returning to ground level. It will also feature a public art piece 60 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

designed by Leo Villareal, who also designed the iconic Bay Lights on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. The West Bridge is a public access bridge connecting the Yerba Buen a Gardens on either side of Howard Street.

The expansion of Moscone Center is designed to be LEED Platinum Certified. Sustainability features include the largest rooftop solar array on a building in San Francisco, generating up to 19.4 percent of the building’s energy needs.

Moscone Center will be net-positive on water, on on-site water treatment plant and will be a zero-emission building.

Behind-the-scenes benefits include an expanded kitchen, expanded freight access for move-in, move-out; built-in show offices and an improved public realm in areas around the center.

The architects are Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, in association with Mark Cavagnero Associates. The construction contractor is Webcor Builders.

Project management and construction management are by San Francisco Public Works and the San Francisco Tourism Improvement District Management Corporation (SFTIDMC). The Moscone Expansion project is a partnership between the SFTIDMC and the City & County of San Francisco.

Within a five minute walk from the Moscone, you can find great Italian food at Pazzia (337 3rd St.), amazing Thai food at Koh Samui and the Monkey (415 Brannan St.), and an excellent Mexican lunch at Chavos (595 Bryant St.). But my favorite spot for chicken marsala and Valrhona (premium chocolate) truffle cake is Puccini & Pinetti’s, (129 Ellis Street). It bills itself as “Union Square’s neighborhood classic that feeds your appetite for fun, spirits and extremely good food“ and it’s won honors from Trip Advisor, the San Francisco Chronicle and was voted one of the “Top 10 Italian Restaurants” by CitySearch.

SLEEP San Francisco has approximately 218 hotels with 34,002 rooms, but to go beyond the Westin, Hyatt, Marriott, InterContinental, W, Four Seasons, Hotel Palomar, surrounding the Moscone, try the San Francisco Zen Center, (300 Page St.) founded in 1962 by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, known for the classic Zen Mind Beginner’s Mind. It’s one of the largest Buddhist training centers outside Asia and has a diverse group of students, visitors, lay people, priests, and monks. There’s seven charming guest rooms where guests are welcome--but not required--to join in the daily meditation and programs.

PLAY Take a cable car ride to Fisherman’s Wharf and check out Lombard Street, the crookedest street in the world, for a breathtaking view of the Bay. Wander through Ghirardelli Square or follow the sounds of barking sea lions to Pier 39 and watch the street entertainers (maybe the next Robin Williams) or wander through 300 feet of clear tunnels surrounded by sharks, eels and octopus at the Aquarium of the Bay. I enjoy just walking and admiring the 1800s architecture– and checking out the music at The Top of the Mark, Le Colonial, Lefty O’Doul’s, The Gold Dust, Savoy-Tivoli (by Coit Tower), the Verdi Club and more!

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ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2018 61

TRADESHOW STRATEGIES

Make Tradeshows the “Show and Tell” Arena for Your Company STORY TELLING IMPROVES SHOW RESULTS

BY KARIN ROBERTS

Remember “show and tell” in elementary school?

We do. And the fact that the memory of that experience lasts for a lifetime proves its staying power. So it makes good marketing sense to use the same principles in your tradeshow exhibit, where your display can provide the perfect setting for demonstrating to your market what your company can do. Of course, it’s easier to show if you have a tangible product to sell, but the concept can still work for a service business.

Keep It Short In a recent white paper, “Make It Count,” we detail six elements to ensure that you

get measurable results from your tradeshow exhibit. The first relates to the five-second rule. “Within five seconds, most people who walk by your tradeshow display will decide whether your message is of interest to them. Make sure you get your best prospects to stop at your booth and stay a while. Your tradeshow exhibit should match your corporate brand image and send a powerful message at a glance.”

Invite People To Stop By “Many companies invest heavily in pre-show marketing to targeted attendees with promotions designed to bring them to your exhibit. If you are relying just on

CONCERTS CONVENTIONS DINING ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT SHOPPING SPORTING EVENTS

62 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

passersby to make a sale, you may be missing a big opportunity,” the white paper states. These days, it’s easier than ever to invite people to your next tradeshow, including sharing upcoming events on social media.

Your exhibit itself can offer an experience that invites people to interact. New types of displays tend to attract attention, so you may want to try something out of the ordinary at your next show.

One recent innovation is called the HypeBOX, which combines an actual product display with a high-tech LCD touch screen so you can provide digital content right along with the real thing.

The HypeBOX ranges in size from 10 to 84 inches, but if your product is too big to fit in that space (for example, industrial equipment), you might create a model of your product to put on display instead. Being able to see the product itself can help make a lasting impression.

Do More Showing Than Telling In his article, ‘Building Your Business by Being Specific,” business growth, efficiency and marketing consultant Andrew Jensen writes that the focus of your messaging

needs to be on showing what makes your business unique.

“Diversifying your business is a concrete step you can take towards improving it, thereby increasing your profits,” he states. “In today’s competitive market, simply telling customers about your business is not a big enough step towards that goal. Instead, by using specifics to show your customer what makes your business unique, you can create a memorable, positive reputation for your company.”

Tradeshow displays are perfect for demonstrating what makes your company special, and the exhibit design can make all the difference. Dawn Foodservice, which specializes in bakery supplies and baked goods, created an exhibit that looks like a bakery, with display cases of their tantalizing sweets that exhibit-goers can sample.

For global packaging company Amcor, their innovative packages are displayed on shelves in their exhibit to show how they are “creating a new world of packaging.” Their exhibit also features two round tables with four chairs at each to make it easy to hold conversations with multiple attendees.

Make It Personal Technology can do a lot of the storytelling for you, but

your booth staff needs to be trained to make memorable connections. It’s important for everyone on the tradeshow floor to be prepared to share a powerful, 30-second “elevator speech” that shows how your product can meet your prospects’ needs and reinforces your brand.

It’s equally important to listen to your customers and ask questions that reflect an understanding of their business.

As the white paper states, “The speech should include the main messages you want to get across, such as your products’ major features and how it benefits your customers. Those same points should be reflected in your booth graphics and literature. Talk with your marketing/advertising personnel to make sure that the messages that drive your brand advertising are carried over to the tradeshow event. Keep the focus the same and make sure your messages can be quickly and easily understood by a new prospect.”

Show And Tell Your “Signature Story” In an article in CEOWORLD magazine, “Why a CEO Should Be a Storyteller in Chief,” Chuck Kent writes, “Presenting hard facts invites an audience to raise their rational guard, examining and even challenging the data–but telling stories invites them to enter into the narrative. They let their guard down, let both the rational and emotional content sink in, and (assuming the story rings true) they arrive at their own conclusions.”

He interviewed David Aaker, vice chairman of brand consultancy Prophet, who wrote the book, Creating Signature Stories: Strategic Messaging that Energizes, Persuades and Inspires.

Aaker noted, “Audiences really are not interested in your brand, your firm, your product. They’re just not–and even if a message gets through to them, they’re

pretty skeptical. The reality is that, as compared to facts, stories are orders of magnitude more capable of gaining attention, of changing perceptions, of persuading, of stimulating action, of even inspiring. And we’re not talking about 20 or 30 percent better. We’re talking about 200 or 300 percent better.”

Want to make an exponentially bigger impact at your next tradeshow? Use the power of storytelling and the experience of “show and tell” to stand out from the crowd.

Karin Roberts is the director of marketing for The Tradeshow Network Marketing Group. As specialists in tradeshow marketing, TTNMG offers start-to-finish services for high-impact tradeshow appearances, including strategic marketing services, custom-designed and modular exhibits; storage, shipping, installation, and complete tradeshow management services. For more info, visit www.thetradeshownetwork.com

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ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2017 63

TRADESHOW TECHNOLOGY

Modus: Building Solutions into a Growing Platform Q&A WITH LEAD SOLUTIONS MANAGER NICK ADAMS

BY CYNTHYA PORTER

As the use of apps has exploded in recent years, so too have the number of ways in which to make them more useful. In this Q&A with Modus lead solutions manager Nick Adams, the app maker explains how its popular app platform got its start and how it evolved into the multifaceted tool that it is today.

ECN: How was Modus’ app platform created?

Adams: Modus actually started out as a solution developed inside a medical technology marketing company. A client of that firm came in and asked for some type of sales software to put on the new iPads its sales team would be using in the field, but it had to be something that could be managed remotely. Current Modus President and CEO Orrin Broberg saw the app in use and knew it had nearly unlimited potential as a sales and marketing tool. He partnered with the creator to spin the app out into its own company in 2013.

ECN: What is the company’s main product and what niche does it serve?

Adams: Our main product is the Modus platform used by sales and marketing teams. The product’s earliest iteration for outside sales and face-to-face marketing was called App Data Room, but we have added a variety of features to our product including lead capture and qualification, content creation capabilities, communication, tracking, and more. We have tied all of those features together into a customizable, expand64 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

able product that can serve as a complete sales and marketing tool. A pre-designed version of the app is available through the App Store, but we also develop custom solutions for clients who have unique requests and needs.

ECN: What are the greatest challenges in building a good app?

Adams: The biggest factor in play when building a good app is keeping it simple from a usability perspective, while also adding in the powerful features required to meet the needs of large, global enterprises with complex distribution channels. Too often, apps get overly complex and cluttered, and they end up looking like “button soup” over time.

Also, a good app needs to take into account that every client has its own unique challenges that builders should have the ability to address through customization, and it needs to be reverse-engineered from the end goal to make sure it is truly meeting customer needs.

ECN: How has the product evolved?

Adams: When it was first created, App Data Room was designed to address a specific client need for a sales tool that was easy to use by a mobile sales force and could be updated through a central office.

As our clients’ needs have evolved, so has the app, with multiple features added to the platform based on the real-world wish lists of our clients. Because it is so user-friendly while being versatile and powerful at the same time, our product has gained a lot of traction in industries like construction and manufacturing

where the sales force might be less likely to be familiar with mobile sales technology.

ECN: How have sales and marketing changed or evolved because of Modus and similar providers?

Adams: Sales teams are able to be so much more mobile than they were in the past thanks to Modus and other apps like it. You can have a salesforce all over the world receiving content updates immediately, and each can customize the way the information is accessed through the app to meet the specific interests of the customers they are serving. Unlike the past when you had no idea if literature was ever even looked at or shared, now sales managers can track exactly who reviewed the material, which points they were most interested in, and who they shared it with.

This kind of product has revolutionized the sales industry and a manager’s ability to pinpoint and react to client interest.

ECN: What type of success has Modus enjoyed?

Adams: Modus has won a stack of awards for its product, including: twice being named a Top Sales Tool by Smart Selling Tools, silver and bronze awards from American Business Awards, a Great User Experience Award from Finances Online, an Innovator Award from PM 360, and a nomination for a Tabby Business Award, just to name a few. But Modus has another stack of awards that the company is proud of: It is consistently named one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For by Minnesota Business magazine, which we think is a great testament to the culture at Modus where we work hard and play hard together as a team and take a lot of pride in the product we’ve created.

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@ExhibitCityNews

ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2017 65

TRADESHOW TECHNOLOGY

CadmiumCD’s eventScribe AN ALL-IN-ONE TOOL THAT WILL TAKE YOUR EVENTS TO THE NEXT LEVEL

BY MICHAEL DOANE

In an era where mobile technology is constantly available at your fingertips, people are finding the old way of planning conferences disjointed and inefficient. CadmiumCD, a Baltimore-based company, has changed the game for both event planners and attendees with a new suite of apps.

CadmiumCD offers several different product modules that can work as stand alone tools, but show producers also have the ability to mix and match the products with eventScribeTM, creating a seamless experience before, during, and after the event.

Before The Event Gone are the days of manually receiving thousands of abstracts from potential event participants. One of CadmiumCD’s most powerful offerings is the Abstract Scorecard, a flexible tool that organizes streams of data efficiently so you can focus on getting the right people into your event.

It’s a digital one stop shop for all event submissions.

The American Society of Landscape Architects has used the Abstract Scorecard since 2014 to manage nearly 2,000 entries and 10,000 reviews for their national level awards programs. Without the assistance of Abstract Scorecard, sorting through the thousands of data entries would be a 66 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

huge strain on resources. Data collection may be one of the most arduous aspects of event planning, but it certainly isn’t the only task that requires heavy lifting.

Expo Harvester manages data that piles up from speakers presenters and exhibitors, and then seamlessly distributes it to all attendees.

Because harvester works with eventScribe system, any updates move across modules effortlessly.

During the Event Staying organized during an event is challenging for even the most seasoned planners, and eventScribe is the event app for meeting planners. Not only do event planners love it, but it consistently receives some of the highest event app ratings on the App Store and Google Play. CadmiumCD calls it the world’s most robust attendee engagement platform.

With a laundry list of features that include an event news feed and push notifications, session feedback and surveys, document and slide sharing, and speaker profiles, eventScribe is the only app your event needs.

Ever feel lost at an event?

Allow your vendors to be more than a sea of tables and tchotchkes. Create an interactive floor plan for your event that is easily accessible on PC and mobile devices. With clean and easy to use interface, custom event branding, company logos and built in search navigation, this could be one of the most useful tools in your app arsenal.

After the Event Even after your event, CadmiumCD is still working for you. Leverage your Cadmium Dashboard to store and deliver audio recordings, presentation slides and handouts for your attendees to revisit.

You can also create custom CE quizzes and session evaluations to custom certificates and awards.

CadmiumCD is already being used by hundreds of organizations worldwide, including the Cleveland Clinic and the American Dental Association. Most notably, the CadmiumCD suite has been the singular event tool utilized by the American Library Association for their annual conferences since 2013. With guest speakers including Jamie Lee Curtis, Margaret Atwood, Cory Booker and Neil Patrick Harris, the ALA annual conference is the ultimate event for librarians around the country to gather and learn how to implement the innovative ideas, strategies, and library techniques into their home system. Not only does the ALA use Abstract Scorecard to make initial planning and data collection for the event as streamlined as possible, but during the event, the ALA leverages all CadmiumCD has to offer with eventScribe.

From a conference website and app to interactive search, presentation recordings and document sharing, attendees, presenters and exhibitors have all the resources of the conference at their fingertips.

Michael Doane is a writer, marketer, web developer and marketing manager at CadmiumCD, who’s fallen in love with the events industry. He lives for live events, education, technology, and alternative publishing. For more info about how CadmiumCD can transform your event into a seamless, unforgettable experience, visit www.cadmiumcd.com.

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ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2018 67

CORPORATE PROFILE

Chekesha Van Putten, Founder/CEO

Castango Is One Click Casting THE NEW PARADIGM FOR HIRING TRADESHOW TALENT

BY F. ANDREW TAYLOR

Think of Castango as Amazon for actors, eBay for entertainers or Uber for models. The young company connects trade show clients to spokesmodels, brand ambassadors, actors, performers and other entertainers directly.

“Castango is a digital job marketplace for models and talent,” says Chekesha Van Putten, who created it. “We’ve streamlined the casting process, saving time and money by eliminating the middleman. Now companies can search for, hire and pay talent on demand.”

68 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

Van Putten worked in film and television for nearly 20 years before she created Castango. The L.A. native appeared in films (Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery) and television (Mad TV, Melrose Place) and performed in the Academy Awards. She spent a few years as a Laker girl and brought those skills to the big screen when she played a cheerleader in the film American Beauty.

When L.A. got too crowded she followed her mother out to Las Vegas where she found

some additional work with tradeshows and conventions, although she still returns to L.A. for auditions and work.

“Even though I had a successful career, I was frustrated with having to depend entirely on my talent agent for jobs,” Van Putten says. “That, combined with my love of technology led me to start a business to solve that problem.”

She noted that as a performer she had to sign up with multiple talent agencies and submit multiple headshots and resumes and then wait and hope that one of the agencies would call her.

“It was a scattered and disorganized system,” Van Putten says. “With Castango, as a talent you sign up, build your profile with your professional headshots and your biography, including where you’re based and any special talents you have. Then you can start looking for jobs and applying for them online.”

At first, the site worked primarily as a job board, but she realized that integrating payment into the site was an important component.

“It’s a one-stop shop for finding jobs, communicating applying and getting paid,” Van Putten says. “It’s even simpler for the companies looking to hire the talent. All they need to do is sign up and list their job.”

She described the typical process of going through a rep at an agency, submitting proposals and reviewing contracts as being cumbersome and complex.

“There’s a lot of discussion going back and forth along with multiple emails with attachments and negotiations,” Van Putten says. “It’s much simpler

with Castango. For example, you could post that you’re looking for three tradeshow models for the CES convention and you’re paying $2,000 for the week. A notification would go out to all the talent that are in that geography.”

After the job is listed, talent can apply for the job and the client can review all the submissions. Once they find the people they are interested in, they can reach them by hitting the “Hire Talent” button on the site.

“That allows them to enter in their payment information and once the job is completed, the talent is paid online direct,” Van Putten says. “It’s a very simple process and it gets rid of a lot of paperwork that happens in a traditional brick-and-mortar situation.

The site lists a wide variety of tradeshow talents, including actors, fashion models, brand ambassadors, comedians, singers, dancers and more.

“We also have magicians, impersonators, and many other crossover talents,” Van Putten says. “We have triple threats, for example, who can sing, dance and act.”

The site includes headshots of the performers, so clients know who they’re hiring. Between 70 to 80 percent of the talent are women, which reflects the current needs of the industry. Van Putten believes that Castango works because it empowers both the clients and talents to take control of their own needs directly.

“There is a large variety of talents listed on the site in Los Angeles and Las Vegas right now, because Las Vegas is our hub, but I see this business transcending to global,” says Van Putten.

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TRAILBLAZERS OF YESTERYEAR

Creating a Historical Review of the Tradeshow Industry ECN IS SEEKING YOUR STORIES FROM THE SHOWFLOOR

BY DOUG STEVENSON

Many of you may have read our recent piece on industry legend Fred Kitzing in our last issue. We had many positive responses to that article, which is a good thing, because it signals the start of a planned series we are calling “Trailblazers of Yesteryear.” Certainly there are many people who have contributed largely to an industry that we know and love … and sometimes don’t love so much. So, how did we get here? This series will set about to explain that.

It is mostly common knowledge among us that this is not an industry to which little kids aspire. Kids want to grow up to be astronauts or fireman or doctors or engineers or nurses or scientists or librarians or rodeo clowns. Unless you grew up in the tradeshow industry, you likely did not say once upon a time, “I want to work long hours, evenings, and weekends toiling under unrelenting deadlines in a studio or shop, or traveling to Timbuktu and back and standing on a hard concrete floor inhaling diesel fumes in the tradeshow industry.” For most of us, it is something we happened into by accident.

For Fred Kitzing, its was that call he received from the American Meat Board while he was happily toiling as an 72 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

elevator operator. For me, it was an audition out of the Player’s Workshop of Second City. KITZING was auditioning live talent for the Housewares Show. For me, it was a discovery of the perfect blend of theater and marketing.

Five years later I went to work there. In sum, everyone has their own story.

The tradeshow business has been a perfect destination for cast-offs and misfits, people with many talents and interests. It lures those on the path less traveled—resourceful entrepreneurs and creatives with versatile skill sets with an appetite for adventure, travel, and labors of love. It is perfect for problem solvers who like to take on big, messy challenges and deliver on deadline. It has also been a destination for rogues, raconteurs, and renaissance men; sharks and charlatans, conmen and consultants, savants and simpletons. Foremost, it was, and still is, a haven laden with great opportunity for the resourceful, imaginative and ambitious, with an appetite for adventure and advancement. The familiar aphorism “It takes all kinds” is an apt descriptor of the tradeshow industry.

There are also all kind of stories to be told that are as varied as the people. Mostly it

is a story of ingenuity, adaptability, innovation—along with some subterfuge, sleight of hand, and bait and switch … and pulling rabbits out of hats. As discussions over many years have shown, the industry is certainly incestuous. No one of us is more than two degrees of separation from everyone else in the

We ask you to join in. Let us know if you have a particularly proud or peculiar tale to tell for the Trailblazers of Yesteryear series... industry. That makes it all often hilarious and sometimes hazardous. You have to watch your clients’ interests while you watch your clients … and your back. More than a few of the most amusing stories I’ve heard recently have been “off-the-record” because they contain names and circum-

stances not to be revisited, by the request of the survivors who want bodies to remain buried where they lie. But oh, what stories they are!

So we want to tell those stories and we think we have found a way. We will cast a wide net—there are many players who built this industry from many disciplines. Not only the fearless founders, but the iconoclastic designers, sales legends, pioneering project managers, visionary graphic designers, classically skilled craftsman, innovative fabricators, marketing mavens, prodigious promoters, consummate communicators, tireless I&D field personnel, etc.

In short, we will tell the story of how we all got here, how we sustained and transformed, out of diligence and dedication, or out of necessity.

Times change and we have changed with them. The series will cover it all—all the stories, in all of their unique aspects, mostly because this industry features an amalgam of stories very unique in their individual ways, many individuals having taken their own unique path, albeit all glommed together by common goals.

Beyond the series that will be published in ECN, there will be a bound historical volume of it all featuring extended interviews, photos from center stage and behind the scenes, anecdotes, sidebars and related tales, also documented for posterity on video.

This will be a group effort, and we ask you to join in. There will be promotional opportunities. Information on all of that and more to come. Stay tuned. And, until such time, keep on trailblazing!

@ExhibitCityNews

ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2018 73

IN MEMORIAM

Philip H. Kemper, Jr.

May 22, 1929 – January 16, 2018

T

rade show industry professional and long-time Exhibit City News columnist Philip H. Kemper Jr. passed away on January 16.

In 1977, the longtime Chicago resident founded Kemper Associates, recruiting experts for business meetings and events, tradeshow, exhibit and A-V production staffing. The company specialized in visual communications industry professionals.

Its clients included leading Fortune 100 corporations and production facilities of all sizes nationwide.

Prior to founding his own company, he had a significant career with several of the country’s largest advertising agencies, helping to direct the agencies’ marketing efforts on leading food and packaged goods accounts including the American Dairy Association, Coopers (Jockey) Underwear, Brach Candy and many more. He also helped clients develop successful new consumer food products. While working in the advertising agencies he developed an interest and expertise in the production of business meetings, events and tradeshows which included the creative use of audio-visual and special effects to market his clients’ products. This interest in the meeting side led to him branching out to create his recruitment company.

The lecturer and author wrote regularly about job search and interviewing techniques for Exhibit City News. “He was a great guy,” says friend and colleague Daniel Greene of Nolan Advisory Services. “He always made sure to keep up with me. He was great at connecting people and connecting with people.”

He was survived by his wife Patricia and predeceased by his parents, Philip and Jane Kemper, and siblings, Jane King and Mary Therese Kemper. His memorial service was held February 7 at Prentice Women’s Hospital, The Mathews Chapel, 250 E. Superior St., Chicago, Ill. For those wishing to leave a message in the guestbook, visit www.legacy.com/guestbooks/chicagotribune/philip-kemper-condolences/188073496?cid=full 74 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

Thomas J. Calamia Jr.

March 12, 1954-February 4, 2018

T

homas J. Calamia Jr. passed away after a brief illness.

The Henderson, Nev., resident was a long-time staff member of Freeman Exhibit Transport Co. He grew up in New Orleans and graduated from the University of New Orleans in 1977. He was based out of New Orleans for many years working at Consolidated Freightways. At the time, CF one of the largest LTL (“less than a truckload”) tradeshow carriers in the U.S. He moved to Las Vegas nearly 20 years ago to work with Freeman.

Jason M. Dahlke, director, exhibit transportation at Freeman, says, “Tommy was an important and valued member of the Freeman Las Vegas family. He is missed terribly and thankfully had a short lived battle with his illness. He taught us so much about life and the trucking business during his time at Freeman. I am a better person for knowing him.”

He was preceeded in death by his parents, Thomas J. Calamia, Sr, and Ruth Aquistapace Calamia, and his sister, Carol Calamia Amerland. He is survived by his daughter, Gabrial D. Sabish, and nephew, Eric L. Amerland (Brittanie). His memorial service and funeral were held March 23 at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 2624 Burgundy Street, New Orleans, La. For those wishing to leave a message in the guestbook, visit www. legacy.com/guestbooks/nola/thomas-j-calamiacondolences/188483797.

Alfonso Morales

December 10, 1957 - March 21, 2018

A

lfonso Morales, president & CEO at Morasi Design & Fabrication, a full service exhibit house based in Cerritos, Calif, passed away on March 21 in California. He incorporated his company in 1986, and in 2015, they won The Fab 50 Exhibit Fabricator Award and were proud to say that many of their 40 employees had been with them since before they incorporated and were now like family.

His memorial service was held March 29 at Fairhaven Memorial Park Mortuary of Santa Ana, Calif. For those wishing to leave a message in the guestbook or to see the many pictures and video that his family put up on the Legacy website, visit www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/alfonso-morales-obituary?pid=188537809&view=guestbook

Ron McEntee

June 20, 1958-April 3, 2018

R

on McEntee, a senior account executive at Avalon Exhibits/ Art Guild in passed away after a protracted battle with cancer. He had formerly worked as an account manager/ project manager for Exhibitware and as a lead/project manager for Nth Degree. He had an Associates degree in electrical and electronics engineering and had attended Monsignor Bonner in Drexel Hill, Penn.

Good friend John Seyler says, “I was Ron McEntee’s account manager for 16 years. Ron had a passion for the tradeshow business like none I have ever seen.

Ron insisted on providing his client’s the highest level of service in our industry which explains why Ron was so well liked and respected by his clients and co-workers. Ron had been battling cancer for the past six years and during that time Ron exhibited a level of toughness and courage that was truly inspiring.”

Tom Iacovone, president of Art Guild’s exhibits division, shared with Ron’s co-workers and clients that “Ron

died April 3rd after a long and difficult battle with cancer. His spirit, courage and faith were an inspiration to us all. He never complained and was still working up to the end. He was a loyal friend, a loving husband, a great father and trusted member of the Art Guild family. The last time we had lunch, he told how much he loved the people he worked with, his clients, vendors and fellow employees, and how much he missed everyone. You were truly his family away from home. I had the honor of calling him a friend for over 35 years and for the past 30 years had the privilege of working with him. Like many of you I will miss him dearly. These past five years I have prayed for him daily.

I now take great solace knowing I can now pray to him. Ronnie will be missed but never forgotten, he has left an incredible legacy and most important he had an impact on all who knew him and was loved by all. I don’t think you can ask for anything more. “ Iacovone went on to say, “He worked in many aspects of our industry before settling into sales for over 30 years.

Everyone In the industry who knew him loved and respected him. As we go through life the only thing that really matters is if you made a difference in people’s lives. Ron certainly did that.

Our industry lost a true giant.”

Another good friend and boss for more than 30 years, Raymond Montague, expressed that “everyone from Display Arts/ Art Guild is deeply saddened by Ron’s passing. He was a gentleman in every sense of the word. Ron was the consummate account executive and, more than that, he was a wonderful man and a great friend to all of us. He will be missed, but surely not forgotten.”

Ron was survived by his wife, Marge, and sons Andrew and Patrick.

Dr. Ron Wagner January 16, 1950-April 12, 2018

E

CN also sends our condolences to retired Freeman employee Debra Manning Wagner on the loss of her husband, Dr. Ronald Wagner, who passed away April 12 in Minneapolis.

ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2018 75

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

People on the Move

by Exhibit City News

F

reeman, the world’s leading brand experience company, has named Bob Priest-Heck (right) as its new CEO. Priest-Heck will be the company’s fourth CEO and the first in the company’s 90year history to come from outside of the Freeman family. Priest-Heck joined Freeman in 2011 with the acquisition of Wheelhouse Solutions. He has spent the past 25 years leading global technology brands and experiential marketing agencies—including Immersa Marketing and MediaLive International Inc.—and continues to parlay his experience into his strategies and initiatives at Freeman.

For example, he is credited with leading the charge to transform Freeman into a design-driven company, bringing on industry luminary Bruce Mau as chief design officer and ultimately creating the Freeman Design Leadership Council.

He was also instrumental in the development and launch of Freeman’s creative and strategic agency services arm, as well as in creating Freeman Digital Ventures.

Momentum Management, a nationwide industry leader for labor services, welcomes Walt McCreary as the D.C./ Baltimore city manager. McCreary’s father, also Walt McCreary, is the Momentum city manager in Orlando, Fla. The younger McCreary joins Momentum after spending many years working with his father at another labor service provider. “Walt McCreary is one of the most talented young professionals in the industry,” says General Manager Rick Bellerjeau. “Having worked alongside his father for the last 12 years, he has experience and wisdom beyond his years. The D.C./Baltimore market is in a great place with Walt.”

Momentum also announces the pro-

76 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

motion of Shawn Thompson to Dallas, Texas, city manager.

“With more than 15 years of experience on the show floor, Shawn displays leadership qualities and project management skills that have allowed him to ease into this role of city manager seamlessly,” says CEO Randy Bott. “After working for us as a member of our special operations team and spending years working in exhibit houses as one of their key supervisors and shop foremen, Shawn has an immense knowledge of what it takes to manage a city and how to successfully communicate and work with exhibit houses as a partner.”

Eagle Management Group Inc., has hired Robert Lawlor (left) to be their new city manager in Chicago. Lawlor managed Zenith LaborNet for nearly 23 years in one of the largest convention centers. In addition to his extensive experience in the field, he has a great attitude and work ethic which Eagle is excited to welcome. Lawlor places great focus on superior customer service, ensuring that Eagle clients are treated like family and that their needs are taken care of on time and on budget.

Innovative FOTO, the largest full service designer, manufacturer, operator and distributor of digital imaging photo booths and kiosks in the U.S., has hired Joel Martin (right) to be the director of innovation and media sales for their Digital Experiential Media Network (DE), a new division responsible for ad agency campaigns, experiential activations, digital programmatic advertising, and any tradeshows related to brands.

Formerly head of experiential at Brightbox, Martin has dealt with ad agencies, international business development and media. “We are really excited to have Joel Martin to help drive and expand our new Digital Experiential Media Network division,” says Stephen Williams, Innovative FOTO senior director. “With Joel’s extensive experiential media background, he brings depth to our team and is key to our long term success of DE Media Network.”

Rhiannon Andersen (left) has accepted the position of chapter president for the Las Vegas chapter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization. As an exclusive entrepreneurial network, the organization prides itself on providing entrepreneurs with excellence in both mentorship and support. EO, therefore, requires exceptional levels of both knowledge and experience in its leadership team. During her tenure of more than 22 years as co-owner of Steelhead Productions–a unique venture specializing in exceptional tradeshow exhibit design–Andersen has helped hundreds of clients to expand their business through tradeshow presentations.

Access TCA is delighted to announce that Mark Harnischfeger has joined the company’s sales team. With more than two decades of success in the exhibit industry and many leadership roles to his credit, Harnischfeger is at heart a client-focused professional with a passion for business development and account management. He has worked with companies across industries as diverse as aerospace, consumer electronics, entertainment, and healthcare. Jon Ellms, VP, principal, at Access says: “Mark brings to Access that rare combination of experiContinued on p. 78

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ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2017 77

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

Continued from p. 76 ence and enthusiasm. He possesses sales acumen and communication skills that will make Access’ offerings accessible to prospects and clients in a variety of industries. His reputation for client service and account longevity make him a perfect fit for Access.”

Display Supply & Lighting welcomes Shane Drummond (right) as its new sales manager for the Midwest market.

Drummond has been working for almost two years in a customer service position for one of DS&L’s lighting order fulfillment companies, Color Kinetics Distribution, Inc. “The addition of Shane to our account management team is a big plus,” says Rob Cohen, VP of sales and product development for DS&L. “Shane is a great fit for this position because he shares DS&L’s commitment to providing outstanding customer service and high-quality products and services to our customers.

Tectonics, the Warren, Mich.-based manufacturer of tension fabric structures, exhibits and displays, has named Brandon Laws as vice president, corporate sales, and John Lindsey, senior account executive. Laws will lead the corporate sales team and will be based in Tectonics’ Las Vegas office. Laws joins Tectonics following a highly successful 12-year career at Moss, where his roles included senior account executive and project service manager. Lindsey joins Tectonics after a highly successful 11-year career also at Moss, where his roles included director of event solutions and senior account executive. Lindsey will serve as a senior account executive, residing in Asheville, N.C., and servicing the Mid-Atlantic territory.

Creatacor, Inc., an award-winning exhibit design, fabrication and show management provider in Clifton Park, N.Y., is proud to acknowledge the hiring of new staff members to the graphic 78 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

design department. Emma Schlieder and Colton Wilhelm have been hired as graphic production designers. In their new positions, they create 2D graphics for exhibits and work with Creatacor’s marketing team to create promotional design items while assisting in the production and application of vinyl graphics to Creatacor’s exhibit structures.

Also, Alexa Kolupski joins Creatacor as an account coordinator and Kimberly Robito (right), an accounts payable clerk, recently completed her ninth month on board and also serves as Creatacor’s receptionist. “We’re so excited to add so many talented employees to our team,” says Will Farmer, COO, Creatacor. “These are all dedicated professionals and we look forward to having their continued support in growing the Creatacor brand.”

PLUS Studios, a place where the best of the old exhibit house system is combined with a new mentality and modern approach by industry veterans, has added two new account executives to their staff. Jill Sullivan (right) is a 20-plus year veteran in the events and non-profit industry. As an account executive she brings a vast of knowledge of experience in client management services and large-scale sales with worldwide media coverage. Nicole Trzcinka (left) came to Plus Studios with 10 years of customer service experience in food and beverage. They’ve also added Tom Sweeney as a sales associate and Adrian Ortega as a project manager to their staff. Plus Studios President Matt Naert says, “I’m excited about the growth of Plus Studios and proud to bring on talents to enhance a great team that we already have. Tom, Adrian, Jill and Nicole are bringing in experiences from diverse

industries that we were looking for.”

Sho-Link, Inc., has promoted Jean Keefe to senior relationship manager.

Keefe joined Sho-Link in 2003 as an executive assistant. In 2007 she was promoted to office manager, and in 2011 her primary focus changed to sales and marketing. Colleen Johnson, corporate vice president, says, “Jean excels in conveying the Sho-Link message to key players and is a consistent positive force within the organization. Her promotion to senior relationship manager reflects her commitment to personalized service and professionalism.”

Specialty Lighting, a market leader dedicated to the art of illumination and power distribution, is pleased to announce the addition of Teresa Attaway to the position of national sales director–retail environments. Attaway brings more than 25 years of sales and marketing experience to this position. Ward Norris, VP of sales says, “Teresa’s exceptional project management capabilities along with her proven track record for building customer loyalty and delivering first class customer service will be an asset while promoting Specialty Lighting’s products and services to the retail environments market.”

Convention Data Services, a trusted event registration, business intelligence and lead capture partner servicing top show organizers worldwide, proudly announces the appointment of Becky Hansen, executive vice president of event services at CDS, to the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) New England Chapter Board of Directors for a two-year term effective January 1, 2018. IAEE is the leading association for the global exhibition industry. “Being appointed to the IAEE Board of Directors is an honor,” says Hansen, “My goal is to increase participation in the New England chapContinued on p. 80

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ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2018 79

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

Continued from p. 78 ter, and, as the membership director, I will work closely with other board members to support IAEE’s goals. I also hope to focus on the educational programs, which I believe will be the catalyst for attracting new members.”

The Professional Convention Management Association has appointed Tonya Almond as its vice president of knowledge and experience design. Almond will lead the events and education teams and will engage with its global audience to help PCMA evolve its education content and event experiences.

Almond has more than 22 years of experience leading meetings, sponsorships and education and joins PCMA from her position as vice president of meetings and continuing education at the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

“Tonya’s position will enhance the impact we are making every day by unleashing the potential of an integrated approach to education and experience,” says Sherrif Karamat, CAE, PCMA president and CEO. The PCMA Board of Directors unanimously approved Kirsten Olean, CMP, CAE, director of meetings, American Society for Microbiology, to fill Almond’s vacated seat on the board.

80 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

“Kirsten previously served on our board between January 2015-January 2018, and was a critical contributor to our visioning undertaking,” says Karamat. “She will be a valued leadership voice as we execute our vision throughout 2018. Olean will serve through the end of Almond’s term, which expires January 10, 2019 following our Convening Leaders event.”

UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, serves more than 50,000 employees of exhibition organizers, venues, service providers, and industry associations in close to 90 countries around the world. To foster and manage the dialogue with this global membership, the exhibition industry as a whole, and industry stakeholder groups, UFI has recently welcomed Monika Fourneaux-Ceskova (above left) as the new marketing and communications manager to the UFI team in Paris. Fourneaux-Ceskova takes over the role from Angela Herberholz who has managed UFI’s marketing and communications activities for the past three years, and who is taking on a new

position within UFI as program manager.

Dennis Hirschfeld (left), former vice chairman and CEO of world-renowned structural steel manufacturer Hirschfeld Industries, has joined Redsmith Graphic Solutions as chairman. He had earlier served as the company’s CFO overseeing finance and acquisitions, facilitating rapid growth for the family business. “What I see is the intersection of my private equity experience for the past 12 years with a family-owned business to marry those insights to bear with Redsmtih,” Hirschfeld says.

Nimlok Chicago, an exclusive and expert Nimlok exhibit and display solutions provider, announced the addition of two sales consultants to its growing team: Annette Salinas (left) and Matthew Brennan. Salinas joins the team with more than seven years’ experience in sales and marketing roles in publishing and media, and looks to expand Nimlok Chicago’s integrated sales and marketing program. Brennan brings a varied professional background, including roles in manufacturing, real estate and finance.

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THE D.E.A.L. By Jeanne Brei

Dining, Entertainment, Attractions & Lodging

DINING

Time-Traveling Tiki Style or to Turn of the Century Indochina Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar or Le Colonial (formerly Trader Vic’s) The Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar at the elegant Fairmont Hotel has been described as a “true SF classic. Well, classic and campy at the same time,” says sftravel.com. “The Tonga Room features French Polynesian and Pacific Rim cuisine, live performances from a band playing from a boat and easily the best mai tai in town. While you’re there, check out the historic photos, including the Tony Bennett’s first performance of I Left My Heart in San Francisco.” But one TripAdvisor review states, “There are only a few ways to avoid the wait at the Tonga room. 1. Have a party of ten or more to make reservations. 2. Be a guest at the (Fairmont) Hotel and contact the concierge for reservations. Otherwise ex82 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

pect a wait. With that being said we had a great time at the Tonga Room. Awesome Tiki decor, rain storm in the pool every 30 minutes. Music started at 8. The food is Polynesian Asian fusion. I was apprehensive at first then blown away.

So glad we ate here. Huli huli chicken, mahi-mahi, island rice and asparagus.

Everything was delicious. If you get a chance I wouldn’t miss the experience at the Tonga room.”

From tiki to the ‘20s, head to the Le Colonial just minutes away from popular Union Square in San Francisco’s downtown district. Since 1998 Le Colonial restaurant has claimed the legendary address 20 Cosmo Place (off Taylor Street, between Post and Sutter), as it evokes the ambiance and tropical elegance of French colonial Vietnam in the 1920s in a lush, romantic setting. The inner courtyard, which once housed legendary Trader Vic’s, has been transformed into an oasis featuring mosaic-like tile flooring, a vaulted, pressed-tin ceiling, tropical plants and plush rattan furniture, all accented by

the glow of candlelight. Diners enjoy a menu designed to showcase authentic Vietnamese dishes with a touch of French influence.

Designer Greg Jordan has used patchwork tile floors, shuttered windows, antique lamps and rattan furniture, palm fronds and swirling ceiling fans to instill a sense that one has been transported to turn of the century Indochina. Le Colonial San Francisco is the brainchild of Jean Denoyer who launched successful Le Colonial restaurants in New York, Chicago and Houston, but this one—tucked away in an alley—is ideal for time travelers. There’s live music upstairs–and I felt like I’d stepped into the scene in Guys & Dolls where Sky takes Sarah to Havana for her first taste of nightlife as I danced to the Martini Brothers band.

The Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar , Fairmont Hotel Terrace level, 950 Mason Street, S.F., CA 94108; (415) 772-5278, www.tongaroom.com Le Colonial 20 Cosmo Place, S.F., CA 94109; (415) 931-3600, www.lecolonialsf.com

ENTERTAINMENT

From The Bay to the Breakers to Beach Blanket Babylon, San Francisco Entertainment is Bigger than Life Since 1912, tens of thousands of people have gathered in San Francisco to see the world’s largest “foot race” (it’s truly more like a parade where everyone is in the parade) as more than 70,000 costume-clad runners and walkers make their way from San Francisco Bay, a few blocks from the Embarcadero, to the Great Highway where the breakers crash onto the Pacific Coast’s Ocean Beach.

Held on May 20th this year, the 12K-15K course spans a little more than seven miles of the most amazing people and costume watching you’ll ever see.

Other festivals in May include the International Arts Festival at Fort Mason Center from May 24-June 3 with performances by more than 60 theater, dance and music ensembles from the Bay Area and 11 countries; Carnaval San Francisco in the Mission District on May 26-27

@ExhibitCityNews

which is San Francisco’s version of Mardi Gras and one of the largest annual public events in the city. Celebrating its 40th anniversary, it features exotic Carnaval dancers with a mixture of Latino, jazz, samba, Caribbean influences; and the Silent Film Festival which presents silent films accompanied by live music at the Castro Theatre from May 30-June 3.

But truly, the most iconic San Francisco show has to be the outrageously funny Beach Blanket Babylon, the world’s longest-running musical revue.

The show began its run in 1974, at the Savoy Tivoli and has since moved to the larger Club Fugazi in the North Beach district. Performers wear disproportionately large hats/wigs and gaudy costumes while performing satirical renditions of popular songs as they spoof popular and political culture. The San Francisco Chronicle described it as “a constant cascade of showstoppers” as Snow White takes a fast-paced journey around the world in search of her “Prince Charming.” Along the way she encounters politicians and political figures, film and TV stars, famous singers and athletes, along with long-running characters such as Glinda the Good

Witch, Mr. Peanut, Louis XIV, Oprah Winfrey, James Brown, Tina Turner, Carmen Miranda, Elvis Presley, a band of dancing French Poodles, and Snow White’s tour guide, a female narrator who takes on several incarnations from an Italian pizza lady to a cowgirl. Truly, it’s a show that should not be missed while visiting San Francisco.

So, at the end of the evening, raise a toast at The Top of the Mark (at the top of the Mark Hopkins Hotel on Nob Hill) or at the Starlight Room (on the 21st floor of the Sir Francis Drake Hotel) as 1930s glamour meets modern swing with breathtaking 360-degree views.

WW II soldiers would gather here for a good luck toast to the Golden Gate Bridge before shipping out, so I suggest keeping the tradition alive. Here’s lookin’ at you, San Francisco, I think I left my heart there.

For more info, visit www.baytobreakers.com, www. sfiaf.org, www.carnavalsanfrancisco.org, www. silentfilm.org and www.beachblanketbabylon.com.

ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2018 83

THE D.E.A.L. By Jeanne Brei

Dining, Entertainment, Attractions & Lodging

ATTRACTIONS

San Francisco CityPASS 3 Days of Unlimited Cable Car, Streetcar and Muni Bus Rides are Just the Start San Francisco packs a lot into its compact 49 square miles and so does the San Francisco CityPASS program-which saves travelers 45 percent off combined admission to five of San Francisco’s top attractions including a Cable Car and Muni Bus Passport, good for three consecutive days of unlimited rides on all Muni buses, vintage streetcars, and, of course, the city’s iconic cable cars. While other visitors are paying $7 for each one-way cable car ride, CityPASS holders can hop on and off as many times as they like.

Also included in each San Francisco CityPASS ticket booklet is prepaid admission to the California Academy of Sciences, a Blue & Gold Fleet Bay Cruise, the Aquarium of the Bay on San Francisco’s lively Pier 39, and an option ticket, allowing visitors to choose between the newly expanded and transformed San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (the $305 million expansion added nearly three times more gallery space) or the Exploratorium, an interactive laboratory/museum that encourages families to

84 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

investigate the world through science, experimentation and art—where you can step inside a tornado, turn upside down in a giant curved mirror, walk on a fog bridge, and explore more than 650 hands-on exhibits There’s even a second option ticket, where you can swap out the Blue & Gold Fleet Bay Cruise and have an Alcatraz Island Day Tour in your San Francisco

CityPASS experience. This offer is only available by purchasing directly from Alcatraz Cruises and replaces the Blue & Gold ticket in the CityPASS booklet.

Each 2018 San Francisco CityPASS ticket booklet costs $89 for adults, $69 for children. Ticket booklets are valid for nine consecutive days, including the first day of use. For more info, visit www.citypass.com/san-francisco

LODGING

Going Victorian Step Back in Time to an Era of Quiet Luxury For the quintessential San Francisco experience, an elegant Victorian Mansion/B&B such as Inn San Francisco, Chateau Tivoli, or the Queen Anne Hotel is highly recommended. These beautiful, historic Victorian mansions were built following the California Gold Rush (1890s) and offer you a chance to step back in time, to an era of quiet luxury with Victorian photographs, ornate woodwork, oriental carpets, marble fireplaces, chandeliers, antique furnishings and more.

The historic Queen Anne Hotel, with its elaborate architecture and warm ambiance is nestled amongst the charming Pacific Heights Victorian and Edwardian mansions, affectionately referred to as “the Painted Ladies.” There’s afternoon tea & sherry with freshly baked cookies at

@ExhibitCityNews

Chateau Tivoli Bed and Breakfast

the Queen Anne while the Inn San Francisco has panoramic views from their rooftop sundeck and a redwood hot tub sheltered by a jasmine-covered gazebo in their peaceful English garden.

Chateau Tivoli, restored to its Victorian splendor in the ‘80s, has been home to many illustrious personalities including Ernestine Kreling, the owner of the storied Tivoli Opera House and Bob Kaufman, the poet who inspired the term “beatnik.” Once it won the hearts of Mark Twain, Lily Langtry, and Luisa Tetrazzini; some of its fur-

nishings come from the estates of the Vanderbilts, Charles DeGaulle and J. Paul Getty, and all are artfully arranged to recreate the look and feel of life at the turn of the century.

For more info, visit www.bedandbreakfast.com/ san-francisco-california.html. The Inn San Francisco, 943 South Van Ness Ave., SF, CA 94110; (800) 359-0913, www.innsf.com. Chateau Tivoli, 1057 Steiner St., SF, CA 94115; (800) 228-1647, (415) 776-5462, www.chateautivoli.com. Queen Anne Hotel, 1590 Sutter St., SF, CA 94109; (415) 4412828, www.queenanne.com.

ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2018 85

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See complete listing of shows online at ExhibitCityNews.com/tradeshow-calendar

Att = Attendance | CC=Convention Center | Exh = Exhibitors | Nsf = Net Square Feet

US CENTRAL Show Texas Dental Association - The TDA Meeting National Rifle Association - NRA American Oil Chemists’ Society - AOCS National Postal Forum - NPF Electrical Manufacturing & Coil Winding Expo - EMCW National Electrical Wire Processing Technology Expo Southwest Fuel & Convenience Expo Energy Telecommunications & Electrical Assn - ENTELEC Pri-Med Southwest Annual Conference IPW - U.S. Travel Association DUG Permain Basin - Developing Unconventional Gas Energy Exposition & Symposium American College of Sports Medicine - ACSM American Society of Health-System Pharmacists - ASHP American Society of Safety Engineers - ASSE Design-2-Part Show World Pork Expo Independent Liquid Terminals Association - ILTA NRF PROTECT - National Retail Federation - NRF Loss Prevention Conference Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo - FEW National Lawn & Garden Show Association for Professionals in Infection Control - APIC International New Age Trade Show - West - INATS PowderMet - MPIF Hospitality Financial & Technology Professionals - HITEC Building Owners & Managers Association - BOMA Electrical Apparatus Service Association - EASA American Association of Nurse Practitioners - AANP National Education Association - NEA

All Information Is Subject to Change*

Start 05/03 05/03 05/06 05/06 05/09 05/09 05/09 05/15 05/16 05/19 05/21 05/22 05/29 06/02 06/03 06/06 06/06 06/11 06/11 06/11 06/12 06/13 06/15 06/17 06/18 06/23 06/24 06/26 06/29

View Complete Calendar Online

End 05/05 05/06 05/09 05/09 05/10 05/10 05/11 05/17 05/18 05/23 05/23 05/23 06/02 06/06 06/06 06/07 06/08 06/13 06/13 06/13 06/13 06/15 06/17 06/20 06/21 06/26 06/26 07/01 07/01

Venue Henry B. Gonzalez CC Kay Bailey Hutchison CC Minneapolis CC Henry B. Gonzalez CC Milwaukee Center Wisconsin Center Grand Hyatt George R. Brown CC George R. Brown CC Colorado CC Ft. Worth CC The Ranch Events Complex Minneapolis CC Colorado CC Henry B. Gonzalez CC Minneapolis CC Iowa State Fairgrounds George R. Brown CC Gaylord Texan CenturyLink Center Hilton St. Louis Ballpark Minneapolis CC Crowne Plaza Hotel Grand Hyatt San Antonio George R. Brown CC Henry B. Gonzalez CC Wisconsin Center Colorado CC Minneapolis CC

City San Antonio Dallas Minneapolis San Antonio Milwaukee Milwaukee San Antonio Houston Houston Denver Ft. Worth Loveland Minneapolis Denver San Antonio Minneapolis Des Moines Houston Dallas Omaha St. Louis Minneapolis Denver San Antonio Houston San Antonio Milwaukee Denver Minneapolis

St TX TX MN TX WI WI TX TX TX CO TX CO MN CO TX MN IA TX TX NE MO MN CO TX TX TX WI CO MN

Att 12K 75K 1495 6500 2800 2900 2000 2000 2600 6423 2482 4500 5600 2000 8545 1200 20K

Exh 370 600 80 150 140 118 263 175 165 881 191 250 135 100 472 120 390 223 1240 228 2000 300 180 65 2600 200 1500 250 1000 100 4500 300 2300 300 2000 217 3000 200 16.8K 240

Nsf 50000 177K 11000 55000 24500 24800 30000

Industry Medical & Healthcare Sporting Goods & Rec. Petroleum, Oil & Plastics Government Wire Electrical & Electronics Food & Beverage Electrical & Electronics 38900 Medical & Healthcare 145K Travel Industry 24600 Petroleum, Oil & Plastics Energy 24805 Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare 75600 Engineering 13000 Manufacturing 310K Agriculture & Farming 30000 Petroleum, Oil & Plastics 39300 Stores & Store Fittings Renewable Energy 25000 Landscape & Garden Medical & Healthcare 35000 Gifts 45000 Manufacturing 65000 Hotels and Resorts 47500 Real Estate & Electronics 39600CityElectrical Exhibit News’ best-read section!

50000 Medical & Healthcare Education

SEE YOUR AD HERE! Sponsor your region in the Trade Show Calendar.

ExhibitCityNews.com/Tradeshow-Calendar Exhibit City News’ best-read section! @ExhibitCityNews

ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2018 87

Trade Show Calendar US MIDWEST

Att = Attendance | CC=Convention Center | Exh = Exhibitors | Nsf = Net Square Feet

Show Ohio Health Care Association Annual Conv. & Expo - OHA North American Snow Conference - APWA International Telecoms Week - ITW Food Safety Summit and Expo INFO*FLEX - Flexographic Technical Association WINDPOWER Lightfair International - LFI Design-2-Part Show - Schaumburg, IL Anime Central Infusion Nurses Society Annual Meeting & Exhibition - INS National Restaurant Association - NRA Show North American RINK Conference & Expo - NARCE Sweets & Snacks Expo American Society of Clinical Oncology - ASCO Meeting Professionals International - MPI - WEC Public Risk Management Association - PRIMA Sur/Fin - NASF Ohio Hospital Association - OHA Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition - IRCE American Medical Association Annual Meeting Neocon & Buildex Chicago OMTEC - Orthopaedic Manufacturing & Tech Expo & Conf Society for Human Resource Management - SHRM American Dental Hygienists’ Association - ADHA ISTE - International Society for Technology in Education - NECC International Floricluture Expo United Fresh Marketplace North American Christian Convention - NACC Abilities Expo - Chicago

Start 05/01 05/06 05/06 05/07 05/07 05/07 05/08 05/09 05/18 05/19 05/19 05/22 05/22 06/01 06/02 06/03 06/04 06/04 06/05 06/09 06/11 06/12 06/17 06/20 06/24 06/25 06/25 06/26 06/29

End 05/03 05/09 05/09 05/10 05/08 05/10 05/10 05/10 05/20 05/22 05/22 05/25 05/24 06/05 06/05 06/06 06/06 06/06 06/08 06/13 06/13 06/14 06/20 06/25 06/27 06/27 06/27 06/28 07/01

All Information Is Subject to Change*

Venue Greater Columbus CC Indiana CC Hyatt Regency Donald E. Stephens CC Indiana CC McCormick Place McCormick Place Schaumberg CC Donald E. Stephens CC Huntington CC of Cleveland McCormick Place Hyatt Regency McCormick Place McCormick Place Indiana CC Indiana CC Huntington CC Hilton Columbus at Easton McCormick Place Hyatt Regency The MART Donald E. Stephens CC Greater Columbus CC McCormick Place McCormick Place McCormick Place Indiana CC Renaissance Schaumburg

City Columbus Indianapolis Chicago Rosemont Indianapolis Chicago Chicago Schaumburg Rosemont Cleveland Chicago Columbus Chicago Chicago Indianapolis Indianapolis Cleveland Columbus Chicago Chicago Chicago Rosemont Chicago Columbus Chicago Chicago Chicago Indianapolis Schaumburg

St OH IN IL IL IN IL IL IL IL OH IL OH IL IL IN IN OH OH IL IL IL IL IL OH IL IL IL IN IL

Att 3200 1500 6771 1400 2000 7200 24K 2000 31K 1000 61.5K 600 16K 31.2K 4000 1200 1200 1231 6958

Exh 300 120 93 152 240 425 550 200 100 2K 750 500 150 170

598 52 41K 700 120 12.5K 800 1800 130 16K 485 1752 192 4500 325 8000 250 5000 100

Nsf Industry 118K Medical & Healthcare 28000 Government Telecommunications 21000 Food & Beverage 30000 Printing 110K Renewable Energy 207K Lighting 20000 Manufacturing Art, Music & Culture 20000 Medical & Healthcare 543K Food & Beverage 8200 Sporting Goods & Rec. 165K Food & Beverage 217K Medical & Healthcare 77300 Exhibition & Meeting Ind. Associations 17000 Building & Construction Medical & Healthcare 98400 Computers & Apps Medical & Healthcare 152K Home Furn. & Int. Design Medical & Healthcare Business 15000 Medical & Healthcare 132K Education 60250 Landscape & Garden 72000 Food & Beverage Religious 25000 Medical & Healthcare

Fall in love with our interactive 3D cartoon characters who work tirelessly to bring you qualified leads and unforgettable experiences in trade show booths and at corporate events

See our video at www.chops.com 88 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

See complete listing of shows online at ExhibitCityNews.com/tradeshow-calendar

Att = Attendance | CC=Convention Center | Exh = Exhibitors | Nsf = Net Square Feet

US NORTHEAST Show The New Jersey Cooperator’s Condo, HOA, Co-op & Apt. Expo Association of Legal Administrators - ALA Abilities Expo - New York Metro American Association of Orthodontists - AAO American Psychiatric Association - APA Association for Iron & Steel Technology - AISTech BuildingsNY Door & Hardware Institute - DHI CoNEXTions Northeastern Forest Products Equipment Exposition American Payroll Association Oncology Nursing Society - ONS Annual Congress National Stationary Show & The Supply Side International Contemporary Furniture Fair - ICFF Eastern Energy Expo & Atlantic Region Energy Expo - AREE American Industrial Hygiene Association - AIHce American Association of Critical Care Nurses - NTI NAFSA: Association of International Educators BookExpo America - BEA International Franchise Expo - IFE Digestive Disease Week - DDW Bio International Convention IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium - IMS Expo East Trade Show HBA Global Expo - Health & Beauty Medical Design & Manufacturing - MD&M East New York State Association of Fire Chiefs - Fire Industry, Rescue & EMS Expo Society of Nuclear Medicine - SNM Police & Security Expo Summer Fancy Food Show - NASFT

All Information Is Subject to Change*

Start 05/02 05/03 05/04 05/04 05/05 05/07 05/08 05/09 05/11 05/15 05/17 05/20 05/20 05/20 05/21 05/21 05/27 05/30 05/31 06/02 06/04 06/10 06/11 06/12 06/12 06/13 06/23 06/26 06/30

End 05/02 05/06 05/06 05/08 05/09 05/10 05/09 05/11 05/12 05/19 05/20 05/23 05/23 05/23 05/23 05/24 06/01 06/01 06/02 06/05 06/07 06/15 06/13 06/14 06/14 06/16 06/26 06/27 07/02

Venue Meadowlands Expo Center Gaylord National New Jersey CC Walter E. Washington CC Javits Center Pennsylvania CC Javits Center Baltimore CC Champlain Valley Exposition Gaylord National Walter E. Washington CC Javits Center Javits Center Foxwoods Resort & Casino Pennsylvania CC Boston Convention & Exh. Ctr. Pennsylvania CC Javits Center Javits Center Walter E. Washington CC Boston Convention & Exh. Ctr. Pennsylvania CC Atlantic City CC Javits Center Javits Center Turning Stone Resort Pennsylvania CC Atlantic City CC Javits Center

City Secaucus Washington Edison Washington New York Philadelphia New York Baltimore Essex Junction Washington Washington New York New York Mashantucket Philadelphia Boston Philadelphia New York New York Washington Boston Philadelphia Atlantic City New York New York Verona Philadelphia Atlantic City New York

St NJ DC NJ DC NY PA NY MD VT DC DC NY NY CT PA MA PA NY NY DC MA PA NJ NY NY NY PA NJ NY

Att

Exh 300 1100 150 6500 159 13.4K 315 11K 250 8000 413 7000 300 107 7159 172 2000 100 3139 206 6987 623 15.6K 465 4000 250 5000 300 8213 419 10K 9846 525 13K 300 14.5K 271 16.5K 2K 4633 400 5000 900 16.5K 600 33K 1.1K 10K 400 3900 180 7500 700 26K 2.3K

Nsf 30000 35000

63200 110K 271K 50000 51300 91173 123K 77500 105K 129K 103K 181K 94000 122K 75000 201K

307K

Industry Real Estate Financial & Legal Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Metalworking Building & Construction Building & Construction Agriculture & Farming Business Medical & Healthcare Paper Home Furn. & Int. Design Energy Manufacturing Medical & Healthcare Education Publishing Business Medical & Healthcare Science Science Advertising & Marketing Beauty & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Fire & Fire Protection Medical & Healthcare Police Food & Beverage

From a 20-ft. 3D LED Video Wall*, live in real time, or any other type of video display you want to use. Imagine your own custom characters on holographic projections, massive video walls or intimate flat screens. * When viewed on Haverford’s 3D LED Video Wall with movie theater 3D Glasses

For more information, contact CHOPS Live Animation’s Gary Jesch at www.chops.com or 775-831-7451 @ExhibitCityNews

ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2018 89

Trade Show Calendar US NORTHWEST

Att = Attendance | CC=Convention Center | Exh = Exhibitors | Nsf = Net Square Feet

Show National Advanced Practice Neonatal Nurses Conference Association of California Water Agencies THE NBM SHOW California Society for Respiratory Care - CSRC Experiential Marketing Summit Internet of Things World CLEO: Expo - Laser Science to Photonic Applications Northwest Fire & Rescue Expo American Urological Association - AUA AAPG - American Association of Petroleum Geologists Annual Conf. & Exhibition Connections: The Digital Living Conference & Showcase Design-2-Part Show - Santa Clara, CA California Society of Plastic Surgeons - CSPS American Transplant Congress - ATC American Brachytherapy Society - ABS Annual Meeting Women in Technology International - WITI O’Reilly Velocity Conference American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine - ACVIM Clean Pacific Conference & Exhibition National Association of Federal Credit Unions - NAFCU West Coast Energy Management Congress - EMC Pacific Northwest Dental Conference - WSDA American Society for Engineering Education - ASEE Design Automation Conference - DAC AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting - ARM National Association of School Resource Officers - NASRO Sensors Expo Pacific Coast Builders Conference - PCBC PacVet - Pacific Veterinary Conference

90 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

Start 05/03 05/08 05/11 05/13 05/14 05/14 05/15 05/17 05/18 05/20 05/22 05/23 05/26 06/02 06/07 06/10 06/12 06/14 06/19 06/19 06/20 06/21 06/24 06/24 06/24 06/24 06/26 06/27 06/28

End 05/06 05/11 05/12 05/15 05/16 05/17 05/17 05/18 05/22 05/23 05/24 05/24 05/29 06/06 06/09 06/12 06/14 06/16 06/21 06/22 06/21 06/23 06/27 06/28 06/26 06/29 06/28 06/28 07/01

Venue Downtown Waterfront Marriott Sacramento CC Oregon CC Monterey Marriott Marriott Marquis Santa Clara CC San Jose CC Portland Metropolitan Expo Ctr. Moscone Center Salt Palace CC Hyatt Regency SF Airport Santa Clara CC Marriott Marquis Washington State CC Hilton Union Square DoubleTree by Hilton San Jose McEnery CC Washington State CC Oregon CC

City Portland Sacramento Portland Monterey San Francisco Santa Clara San Jose Portland San Francisco Salt Lake City San Francisco Santa Clara San Francisco Seattle San Francisco San Jose San Jose Seattle Portland Seattle Washington State CC Seattle Meydenbauer Center Seattle Salt Lake City Moscone Center San Francisco Washington State CC Seattle Peppermill Resort Reno San Jose CC San Jose Moscone Center San Francisco Hilton SF Union Square San Francisco

All Information Is Subject to Change*

St OR CA OR CA CA CA CA OR CA UT CA CA CA WA CA CA CA WA OR WA WA WA UT CA WA NV CA CA CA

Att 2300

Exh

Nsf 8500

2500

65

7500

4000

200 59500

11.3K 8446 850 2000

286 217 60 200

121K 71180 1100 20000

4500

2800 1000 2000 2000 9000 3600 6519 2500

117 75 180 150 150 130 193

4459 20K

185 21640 690 195K 120

10000 18000 80000 19000 85340

Industry Medical & Healthcare Water Printing Medical & Healthcare Exhibition & Meeting Ind. Computers & Apps Electrical & Electronics Fire & Fire Protection Medical & Healthcare Petroleum, Oil & Plastics Electrical & Electronics Manufacturing Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Computers & Apps Computers & Apps Medical & Healthcare Pollution Control Banking Energy Medical & Healthcare Education Electrical & Electronics Medical & Healthcare Safety Manufacturing Building & Construction Medical & Healthcare

See complete listing of shows online at ExhibitCityNews.com/tradeshow-calendar

Att = Attendance | CC=Convention Center | Exh = Exhibitors | Nsf = Net Square Feet

US SOUTHEAST Show Investments & Wealth Institute Annual Conference Experience The International Plastics Showcase - NPE, ANTEC, MME Coverings Governor’s Hurricane Conference International Jewelry Fair/General Merchandise Show American Academy of Physician Assistants - AAPA ICMI Contact Center Expo & Conference Techtextil North America Premiere Orlando - Beauty Show Techno Security & Forensics Investigations Conference Insurance Accounting & Systems Association - IASA Fiber Connect - Fiber Broadband Association Sapphire & ASUG Annual Conference - SAP Academy of General Dentistry Annual Meeting - AGD American Society for Microbiology - ASM Microbe Dairy-Deli-Bake Seminar & Expo - IDDBA Cisco Live USA National Association of Black Accountants - NABA National Sheriffs’ Association Annual Conference - NSA Nat. Independent Auto Dealers Assoc. - NIADA Used Car Industry Conv. & Expo Florida National Dental Convention - FNDC American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions - ADA Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric & Neonatal Nurses - AWHONN HydroVision International - Clean Energy National Athletic Trainers Association - NATA Florida Roofing, Sheet Metal & Air Cond. Contractors - FRSA American Physical Therapy Association - APTA NEXT Conference & Exhibition NAMM Summer Session International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators - IACLEA

All Information Is Subject to Change*

Start 05/06 05/07 05/08 05/13 05/18 05/19 05/21 05/22 06/02 06/03 06/03 06/04 06/05 06/07 06/07 06/10 06/10 06/13 06/15 06/18 06/21 06/22 06/23 06/26 06/26 06/27 06/27 06/28 06/29

End 05/09 05/11 05/11 05/18 05/21 05/23 05/24 05/24 06/04 06/06 06/06 06/06 06/07 06/09 06/11 06/12 06/14 06/17 06/19 06/21 06/23 06/26 06/27 06/28 06/29 06/29 06/30 06/30 07/02

Venue Music City Center Orange County CC GA World Congress Ctr. Palm Beach County CC Morial CC Morial CC Walt Disney World Resort GA World Congress Ctr. Orange County CC Marriott at Grande Dunes Gaylord Opryland Gaylord Opryland Orange County CC Hyatt Regency New Orleans GA World Congress Ctr. Morial CC Orange County CC Orlando World Center Marriott Morial CC Rosen Shingle Creek Resort Gaylord Palms Orange County CC Tampa CC Charlotte CC Morial CC Gaylord Palms Orange County CC Music City Center Caribe Royale

City Nashville Orlando Atlanta Palm Beach New Orleans New Orleans Orlando Atlanta Orlando Myrtle Beach Nashville Nashville Orlando New Orleans Atlanta New Orleans Orlando Orlando New Orleans Orlando Orlando Orlando Tampa Charlotte New Orleans Orlando Orlando Nashville Orlando

St TN FL GA FL LA LA FL GA FL SC TN TN FL LA GA LA FL FL LA FL FL FL FL NC LA FL FL TN FL

Att 4000 40.3K 22.7K 4100 5280 8500 1500 5000 66.4K 1500 2600 2500 12K 5000 10K 10K 17K 2000 4000 1670 5967 17.7K 3000 2639 9929 2500 2376 10.9K 405

Exh

Nsf

2K 940K 979 340K 32400 272 59480 250 50000 100 11000 350 785 289K 100 10000 200 34000 102 31000 220 70000 200 30000 275 50000 800 150K 200 347 173 300 171 240 358 350 209 221 372 95

155K 12000 50000 87400 80000 52400 53000 31200 31200 47268 10400

Industry Financial & Legal Petroleum, Oil & Plastics Building & Construction Government Jewelry Medical & Healthcare Telecommunications Textiles Beauty & Healthcare Security Accounting Communications Computers & Apps Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Food & Beverage Computers & Apps Accounting Police Automotive & Trucking Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Renewable Energy Sporting Goods & Rec. Building & Construction Medical & Healthcare Art, Music & Culture Police

Where Can You Find Industry Features, Maps, Insider Information, Shop Talk And Free Stuff?

Exhibit City News, of Course!

Sign up for six stunning, full-color issues of ECN and get our very special 20th anniversary edition, 52 weekly digital updates and free stuff to wear proudly!

GO TO EXHIBITCITYNEWS.COM/SUBSCRIBE OR CALL 702.309.8023

@ExhibitCityNews

ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2018 91

Trade Show Calendar US SOUTHWEST

Att = Attendance | CC=Convention Center | Exh = Exhibitors | Nsf = Net Square Feet All Information Is Subject to Change*

Show Hospitality Design - HD Del Mar Electronics Show - DEMS American for Talent Development - ATD MuseumExpo - AAM KnowlegeLab - Clinical Laboratory Management Association - CLMA Technology Services World - TSW National Hardware Show Imaging Technology Education & Exhibition - ITEX Electronic Distribution Show - EDS California Dental Association - Spring - CDA American Thoracic Society - ATS RECon - ICSC Leasing Mall & Trade Expo Society for Information Display - SID Display Week Licensing International Expo American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Annual - AAPD

Start 05/02 05/02 05/06 05/06 05/06 05/07 05/08 05/15 05/15 05/17 05/18 05/20 05/22 05/22 05/24

End 05/04 05/03 05/09 05/09 05/09 05/09 05/10 05/17 05/18 05/19 05/23 05/23 05/24 05/24 05/27

Venue Mandalay Bay Del Mar Fairgrounds San Diego CC Phoenix CC Long Beach CC Manchester Grand Hyatt Las Vegas CC MGM Grand The Mirage Anaheim CC San Diego CC Las Vegas CC Los Angeles CC Mandalay Bay Hawaii CC

City Las Vegas San Diego San Diego Phoenix Long Beach San Diego Las Vegas Las Vegas Las Vegas Anaheim San Diego Las Vegas Los Angeles Las Vegas Honolulu

St NV CA CA AZ CA CA NV NV NV CA CA NV CA NV HI

Att 13K 4000 10.5K 5000 2565 1000 19K 3000 2700 21K 14.6K 33.5K 7600 19K 4800

Exh 765 400 375 300 449 42 2.7K 240 255 590 175 1.1K

Nsf 272K

28000 559K 106K 180K 130K 52000 900K 43000 420 205K 130 14600

Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation - AAMI JIS Exchange - Jewelers International Showcase JCK Las Vegas Vegas Cosmetic Surgery InfoComm NFPA - National Fire Protection Association Conference & Expo American Water Works Association - ACE - AWWA World Tea Expo & Healthy Beverage Expo E3 - Electronic Entertainment Expo National Apartment Association - NAA Education Conference United States Bowling Congress - USBC & BowlExpo Healthcare Financial Management Association - HFMA National Institute SuperZoo IDEA World Fitness Convention

06/01 06/01 06/01 06/06 06/06 06/11 06/11 06/12 06/12 06/13 06/17 06/24 06/26 06/27

06/04 06/04 06/04 06/10 06/08 06/14 06/14 06/14 06/14 06/16 06/21 06/27 06/28 07/01

Long Beach CC Mandalay Bay Mandalay Bay Bellagio Las Vegas CC Mandalay Bay Mandalay Bay Las Vegas CC Los Angeles CC San Diego CC Las Vegas CC Sands Expo Mandalay Bay San Diego CC

Long Beach Las Vegas Las Vegas Las Vegas Las Vegas Las Vegas Las Vegas Las Vegas Los Angeles San Diego Las Vegas Las Vegas Las Vegas San Diego

CA NV NV NV NV NV NV NV CA CA NV NV NV CA

2592 11.6K 36.6K 1287 44K 7531 6654 5838 45.7K 5500 5000 2300 18.7K 14K

200 550 2.5K 158 1K 293 541 275 203 350 300 400 885 140

65000 70000

25100 95K 498K 52000 487K 64200 113K 48000 401K 70000 150K

Industry Home Furn. & Int. Design Electrical & Electronics Associations Government Medical & Healthcare Business Building & Construction Computers & Apps Electrical & Electronics Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Real Estate Electrical & Electronics Business Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Jewelry Jewelry Medical & Healthcare Audio Visual Fire & Fire Protection Water Food & Beverage Gaming & Entertainment Housing Sporting Goods & Rec. Medical & Healthcare

159K 28000 Sporting Goods & Rec.

• Delivery in Las Vegas, FedEx/UPS to all cities • Be a HERO use Horizon Print Solutions and make it EZ • Everything for your show or event from a top quality 25 year supplier!

Color Printing • Rack cards • Brochures • Booklets • Everything else 92 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

Meeting & Event Supplies • Lanyards & Credentials • Binders, Tabs and inserts • Tote Bags & Inserts • Tickets & Programs

Promotional Products • Giveaways • Table Drapes & Signage • Branded Apparel • Gifts & Awards

See complete listing of shows online at ExhibitCityNews.com/tradeshow-calendar

Att = Attendance | CC=Convention Center | Exh = Exhibitors | Nsf = Net Square Feet

CANADA Show Canadian Business Aviation Association - CBAA Partners in Prevention - Health & Safety Ontario SIAL Montreal - SET Canada International Society for Cellular Therapy - ISCT Blue Line Trade Show Pediatric Academic Societies - PAS Canadian Institute of Mining - CIM Recovery - Canadian Society of Exploration Geophysicists - CSPG/CSEG Pri-Med Canada Montreal Manufacturing Technology Show - MMTS Canadian Society for Medical Lab Science - LABCON - CSLMS JDIQ - Journees Dentaires Internationales du Quebec The Canadian Home Furnishings Market - TCHFM Sonography Canada National Conference & AGM Canadian Chemistry Conference & Exhibition - CSC World Conference on Disaster Management - WCDM CANSEC American Society of Neuroradiology - ASNR International Association of Business Communicators - IABC Project World & Business Analyst World Alberta Dairy Congress

All Information Is Subject to Change*

Start 06/12 05/01 05/02 05/02 05/03 05/05 05/06 05/07 05/09 05/14 05/25 05/25 05/25 05/25 05/27 05/29 05/30 06/02 06/03 06/04 06/07

End 06/14 05/02 05/04 05/05 05/03 05/08 05/09 05/11 05/12 05/16 05/27 05/29 05/27 05/27 05/31 05/31 05/31 06/07 06/06 06/07 06/09

Venue Waterloo Int. Airport The International Centre Palais des Congres Palais des Congres The International Centre Metro Toronto CC Vancouver CC Telus CC The International Centre Place Bonaventure Caesars Windsor Palais des Congres The International Centre Delta St. John’s Hotel Shaw Conf. Centre Sheraton Centre Hotel EY Centre Vancouver CC Palais des Congres Metro Toronto Congress Centre Leduc Rec. Center

City Waterloo Mississauga Montreal Montreal Mississauga Toronto Vancouver Calgary Toronto Montreal Windsor Montreal Toronto St. John’s Edmonton Toronto Ottawa Vancouver Montreal Toronto Leduc

St ON ON QC QC ON ON BC AB ON QC ON QC ON NL AB ON ON BC QC ON AB

Att 700 6000 14K 1252 700 6500 5000 4000 1800 4500

Exh Nsf 74 14100 400 831 239K 66

14800

450 100 170 22000 400 63 13289 12.5K 220 7000 245 1800 2300 11K 1964 1200 3500

120 18000 331 70000 33 6700 4000 70

Industry Aerospace & Aviation Medical & Healthcare Food & Beverage Medical & Healthcare Police Medical & Healthcare Building & Construction Science Medical & Healthcare Manufacturing Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Home Furn. & Int. Design Medical & Healthcare Chemical Government Military Medical & Healthcare Communications Business Agriculture & Farming

*DISCLAIMER: Please note that tradeshow information is provided as a resource only. All show information is subject to change. Please check show dates and venues with official show organizers and producers. For updated show and event listings, visit www.exhibitcitynews.com/tradeshow-calendar.

@ExhibitCityNews

ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2018 93

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Exhibit City News .com

Get the latest tradeshow industry news...on the go!

94 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

INDUSTRY SERVICE GUIDE Where to Find Professional Services, Products and Supplies – a Companion Directory to our www.ExhibitCityNews.com/Service-Guide

Aadvantaged Displays BWC Visual Technologies CEP Champion Logistics Chops Animation Collazo Expo Services Corey Johnson Photography Corporate Communications Corporate Events CoStar Exhibits

99 96 97 100 101 98 100 96 97 98

Equip, Inc. Exhibitor Training MasterClass Exhibitrac Direct Marketing Expoquarzo Exhibitions FWR Horizon Print Solutions JasperWorks Exhibits KB Lines King Size LED Displays KKOM

101 97 101 98 99 100 97 100 99 98

Larry Kulchwik Consulting 96 LipSmacking Foodie Tours 99 Last Minute Venues 101 Ommy Expositions 97 Plastic Man, Inc. 96 Tradeshow Transportation Specialists 100 TWI Group 101 YOR Design 98

For Service Guide information and rates, call sales at (702) 309-8023. Inclusive categories are available for all your company advertising needs.

ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2018 95

INDUSTRY SERVICE GUIDE

Corporate Communications

Exhibit / Trade Show Displays | Event Planning | Sporting Event Décor

From Tradeshows to Show Management to Sporting Event Décor, our goal is simple: to help you make your event something that your attendees will never forget. A positive experience is what keeps them coming back for more. Add in a ‘WOW’ factor, and your event will spread across social media in a frenzy. Now that’s great exposure! Since 1985, we’ve worked with our clients from on-site assessment, through concepts and designs, all the way to production, I&D labor of all materials and logistics. Tap us into your corner, and together, we will create an event that won’t be forgotten.

Audio Visual Technology

Consulting

96 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

Custom Displays

INDUSTRY SERVICE GUIDE

Ommy Ommy Exposition does tradeshow wooden booth custom fabrication, metal fabrication, full in-house graphics productions, CNC cutting and tradeshow transportation all from our 22,000 sq.ft. warehouse. We can build whatever you need so you can have a worry-free tradeshow. Call Ommy Expo at (702) 885-5723 or email ommyexpo@gmail.com for all your tradeshow needs. www.ommyexpo.com

Exhibit Production

Exhibit Services

Upstate NY

Montpelier, VT

Concord, NH

Boston, MA Worcester, MA SpringďŹ eld, MA

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(508) 366-8594 info@corp-eventsne.com

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Exhibitor Training

Exhibits

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ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2018 97

INDUSTRY SERVICE GUIDE

YOR Design Group Freelance Designer. Exhibit Designs and Renderings. Event/Stage Set Designs and Renderings. YOR Design Group’s mission is to help you sell. We offer Freelance Design ∙ Design Consultation ∙ On-Site Design Service. Established in 2005, Deano has over 25 years of exhibit and event industry experience in local and national markets. Testimonial = “Deano Pappas of YOR Design Group is highly professional, creative & honest. His design creativity and professional renderings are so important to us winning new business. He is an important part of our team.”

Got Design? We Got YORS! YOR Design Group | Freelance Design Services! (708) 598-8100.

Exhibits

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Exhibits & Events

Enhance your look.

BOOTH DESIGN & RENTALS PORTABLE SIGNAGE & HARDWARE BRANDED PREMIUMS VIDEOS & PRESENTIONS SOCIAL MEDIA PROMOTIONS PRINT & DESIGN SERVICES 262-250-2060 EXT 232 | RKOHL@KKOMINC.COM

98 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

INDUSTRY SERVICE GUIDE

LipSmacking Foodie Tours They’ve been honored as “Best Tour”, “Best Fine Dining,” and “Best Brunch” by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, awarded “Best Food/Beverage Tour Operations (Land)” by The World Food Travel Association, awarded “Best Tour” by InVegas magazine, and named “Best New Tour” by Thrillist. The LipSmacking Foodie Tours is Las Vegas’ premier food tour company exclusively geared toward those craving the ultimate tastes of Las Vegas. They have several types of tours, daytime or evening adventures at up to five top restaurants, on the Strip or downtown—including the elegant Savors of the Strip, the Downtown LipSmacking Tour, the Lip Smacking Boozy Brunch, Vegas Sights & Worldly Bites (at the Venetian/Palazzo), and Savory Bites Neon Lights. Tours can include a beverage package, a Strip helicopter tour or a Pink Jeeps renowned “Bright Lights City Tour.” Bon appétit!

Furniture

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AadvantageDisplays.com Lighting

Question: Where Can You Find Industry Features, Maps, Insider Information, Shop Talk And Free Stuff?

Answer: Exhibit City News, of course!

@ExhibitCityNews

Sign up for six stunning, full-color issues of ECN and get our very special 20th anniversary edition, 52 weekly digital updates and free stuff to wear proudly!

VISIT US ONLINE:

SUBSCRIBE@EXHIBITCITYNEWS.COM OR CALL:

702.309.8023 ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2018 99

INDUSTRY SERVICE GUIDE

KB Lines, Inc. KB Lines, Inc. provides the highest quality customer service with on-time pick-ups and deliveries. All loads will be secured with friendly, knowledgeable, reliable, and experienced professional drivers. Safety is our highest priority–ensuring your load is delivered efficiently and on time. Hank Duran, vp of ops/ joint owner, has 40 years of experience in logistics and holds monthly safety meetings and new driver reviews. We do primarily entertainment transportation, hauling stage lighting, truss, sound gear, background sets, and tradeshow booths. We provide Convention Transportation Services, Tradeshows, Special Events, Theater Shows, Ballet/Symphony, Local Vegas deliveries to venues and Dry Van.

Logistics

Logistics

Champion Logistics Group has a transportation division specializing in the coordination of trade shows and special events. Champion provides the most reliable and flexible trade show transportation in the industry.

Chicago | Atlanta | Boston | Dallas | Las Vegas | Los Angeles | New Jersey

800.323.5401 | info@champlog.com | www.champlog.com

Photography

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Color Printing • Rack cards • Brochures • Booklets • Everything else

Meeting & Event Supplies • Lanyards & Credentials • Binders, Tabs and inserts • Tote Bags & Inserts • Tickets & Programs

Promotional Products • Giveaways • Table Drapes & Signage • Branded Apparel • Gifts & Awards

INDUSTRY SERVICE GUIDE

TWI Group, Inc. TWI Group, Inc. is the premier specialist in domestic and international tradeshow shipping, and exhibition logistics with over 45 years of exceptional service. We’ve moved over 250,000 shipments and more than 250,000 million pounds of freight to over 15,000 shows worldwide. Specializing in exhibition freight forwarding, transportation and arranging customs requirements worldwide, the TWI team has proven its ability in more than 60 countries. Let TWI prove that Delivering First-Class Service Every Time to your international venue is not just a concept for us, it’s a reality.

Tradeshow Furnishings

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ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2018 101

Classifieds

Sr. Account Manager Derse, a face-to-face experiential marketing company that specializes in the design, fabrication, and program management for trade shows, business environments and events is seeking an experienced Sr. Account Manager for its Dallas, TX location.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES: • Is fully responsible for managing one account with regular yearly sales of $1,000,000 or greater • In concert with the assigned Account Executive, provide necessary sales support for assigned clients while maintaining good client relations with all contacts • Provide day-to-day support to Account Executive in developing new business within current client programs • Initiate / prepare job order documents and associated correspondence for all assigned accounts • Monitor production process to ensure that all project objectives are accomplished and are on time • Responsible for reviewing all change order items to ensure all costs are accounted for and that they fall within the given project time constraints and project budget, including applying any service agreements that are in place • Assist in preparation of proposals from cost estimates for construction

Exhibitrac is Hiring

Exhibitrac needs new show guides for its database, and will pay $10 - $20 per accepted guide. If you are an industry supplier, exhibitor, union or other employee who regularly attends or works at shows in major convention 102 May/June 2018 Exhibit City News

Equity Partner Wanted projects or services requested • Research & gather appropriate information as it relates to delinquent account issues • Attend production meetings between sales staff & shop supervision • Maintain an accurate and accountable job file on all project activities as well as write the weekly sales highlights • Travel to assigned client shows / events as needed / directed • Represent the company and its products and services professionally in a manner consistent with current marketing direction

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree and / or 7-10 years of strong account management experience required • Highly organized, flexible and ability to work necessary hours in a fastpaced, deadline driven environment • Strong customer service & conflict resolution skills combined with an ability to multi-task is necessary • Tradeshow / Event industry experience preferred • Ability to travel as needed • Advanced in Microsoft Office Visit us at www.derse.com for more information. EOE - M/F/V/D

cities such as Las Vegas, Chicago, Boston, Orlando, etc.

Please contact us for details: klandrum@exhibitrac.com or call 702-824-9651 ext. 700

Well established exhibit builder, centrally located, with a CNC based shop and a large storage warehouse, is looking for an equity partner to grow into full ownership.

Company has steady clientele, no debt and quality employees.

Email blindbox1234@ exhibitcitynews.com

Experienced Exhibit Account Executive

Want to Get fired Up? Tired of the same old same? Need a new outlook? Need to exhibit your talents? Think you are too old to start new with a company?

Think again! We loved “SEASONED” professionals to bring experience and good old fashioned “know how to our organization. Negotiable compensation packages and great benefits offered.

We also hire AE’s with at least 5 years exhibit sales experience. We are a 50 year old family-owned company and we’re looking for some new family members. Located in Chicago, IL just minutes from McCormick Place.

Send Resumes to : juliem@stevensexhibits.com.

Classifieds

○

Divisional Operations Director Derse, a face-to-face experiential marketing company that specializes in the design, fabrication, and program management for trade shows, business environments and events, is searching for a Divisional Operations Director for its division located in Waukegan, IL.

RESPONSIBILITIES: • Directly oversee production, project management, and logistics departments.

• Assess the needs of production, project management/detailing, logistics staff & make recommendations accordingly.

• Responsible for project performance, budget maintenance and overall profitability.

• Provide operational solutions for customers’ projects.

• Prepare Capacity Report & update for weekly production meeting.

• Oversee preparation of Long-Term and Daily Schedules.

• Lead weekly production and department meetings.

• Quality Control: ○ Responsible for monitoring quality to ensure production is meeting client & Derse objectives.

@ExhibitCityNews

Manage time and costs associated with projects to ensure budgets are met.

• Safety: ○ Work with Production Supervisor in driving divisional safety initiatives to ensure a safe work environment. ○ Conduct quarterly safety meetings. ○ Complete annual divisional safety audit with insurance company & HR. ○ Oversee new hire and annual safety training for employees.

• Supervision: ○ Conduct performance reviews on all direct reports and provide coaching/mentorship. ○ Work with HR on any employee relation matters.

QUALIFICATIONS: • Minimum of (5) years of management/supervision experience.

• Demonstrated experience in providing strong leadership and mentor staff is required.

• Hands-on knowledge of fixtures/cabinet-making/millwork trades.

• Custom environment/job shop experience preferred.

• Highly organized, flexible and ability to work necessary hours in a fast-paced, deadline driven environment.

Please send resume and salary requirements to derse.com/careers

ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2018 103

2018 EDITORIAL CALENDAR* *Content is subject to change

JANUARY-FEBRUARY

MARCH-APRIL

January (print & digital)

March (print & digital):

February (digital only)

April (digital only):

• Feature: Year in Review • Transportation/Warehousing/Material Handling • Vendors International Focus: Argentina

• Feature: Exhibitor Live Preview • Furnishings • Event Organizers International Focus: Belgium

• Technology Show/Products • AV/Lighting/Graphics/Photography • Corporate Social Responsibility Regional Focus: Southwest US

• Exhibit Building & Design • Show Management/Kits • Extrusions Regional Focus: Northeast US

MAY-JUNE

JULY-AUGUST

May (print & digital):

July (print & digital):

June (digital only):

August (digital only):

• Feature: Museums/Exhibits • Exhibit Design • Exhibitor Live Post International Focus: Brazil

• Feature: Women in the Industry • Show Security/Safety • Show Services International Focus: Singapore

• Mobile Exhibits • Warehousing/Material Handling • Corporate Social Responsibility Regional Focus: Central US

• Insurance/Legal/Contracts • Industry Salespeople • Tension Fabric Regional Focus: Midwest US

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER

September (print & digital):

November (print & digital):

October (digital only):

December (digital only):

• Feature: Giveaways/Incentives • General Contractors • Flooring International Focus: Costa Rica/Panama

• Feature: Labor/Unions • Associations • Booth Staff/Talent/Brand Ambassadors International Focus: Germany

• Lead Retrieval v. Data Matching/CRM • Tradeshow Marketing/Traffic • Social Media Regional Focus: Northwest US

Content covered digitally and in print Jan., March, May, July, Sept. and Nov. Other months, digital coverage only.

• Special/Corporate Events • Hybrid/Co-location Events • Corporate Social Sustainability Regional Focus: Southeast US

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

We would love to hear from you! Share the coverage you would like to see in future issues at newsdesk@exhibitcitynews.com 3

ADVERTISERS

Advertiser Index 4 Productions

21

4Productions.com

50/108

Aluvision.com/us

79

AnglesOnDesign.com

2

beMatrix.us

23

Brumark.com

23

CamdenTradeshow.com

FWR Highmark Tech Hill & Partners

49

CarpentersUnion.org

Horizon Print Solution

15

65

ChampLog.com

IFES Global Village

53

81

CharliePalmer.com

Imperial Security

80

88/89

Chops.com

Inside Track

92

61

CoboCenter.com

Joe’s New York Pizza

51

107

ColorReflections.com

Kingsmen Creatives Ltd.

13

59

Corpcom-Events.com

Labor Inc.

67

85

Modus Engagement

83

4/5

MomentumManagement

57

9

NewGen Business Solutions

93

EDPA.com/edpafoundation

Nolan Advisory

69

OasisPyramid

77

Sho-Link

55

ShowNets, LLC

106

Storage West

67

Sunset Transportation

7

Superior Logistics

45

Teamsters 631 Training Facility

48

TLC Flooring

79

TLCFlooringLV.com

3

Tradeshow Overflow

49

TradeshowOverflow.com

65

Willwork

40/70

Willworkinc.com

53

NolanAdvisory.com

17

SG Productions

631Train.com

NewGenNow.com

73

103

ShipSuperior.com

MomentumMgt.com

DEMcNabb.com

Route91Strong

Sunset-LV.com

GoModus.com

Cort.com

62

StorageWest.com

LaborInc.ca

EventsNE.com

Rosemont – RES

ShowNets.net

Kingsmen-Int.com

Corporate Communications

19

Sho-link.com

JoesNYPizzaLV.com

ColorReflections

Orbus

SethGrabel.com

TheInsideTrackInc.com

Cobo Center

61

Route91Strong.org

iessEvents.com

ChopsAnimation

Onsite Services

Rosemont.com/DESConvention

IFESnet.com

CharliePalmer

55

Orbus.com

PrintEfficiency.com

ChampionLogistics

Ommy Exhibition LLC.

OnsiteExhibitorService.com

HillPartners.com

Carpenters Union (Built to Last)

Employco.com

90

HighmarkTech.com

Camden Tradeshow

Employco

ExpoSystems

71

OmmyExpo.com

FWRental.com

Brumark

EDPAFoundation

77

ExpoSystems.com

beMatrix

D.E. McNabb

Experience Transport Agency

Octanorm, USA, Inc. Octanorm.com

ETALV.com

Angles On Design

Cort

63

EtsrSolutions.com

Aluvision

Corporate Events

EveryTSR Solutions/ETSR WiFi

Win Win Video

84

WinWinVideos.com

86

GroupsAtOasis.com

FOR ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES Contact sales: 702-309-8023 ext. 105, sales@exhibitcitynews.com @ExhibitCityNews

ExhibitCityNews.com May/June 2018 105

Let

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With fast, secure and reliable internet solutions showNets designs, deploys and supports custom Internet solutions for events and venues across the world. Cisco-certified professionals manage your network requirements every step of the way. showNets engineers the fastest, most secure, and most reliable networks and backs them up with responsive, professional, and client based services.

The showNets stress free conference and trade show internet solution includes: Redundant, fault-tolerant designs High-density, reliable wireless service Network Operations Center monitor 24/7/365 Dedicated teams of certified professionals • Flexible service offering includes: • Web casting • Automated access portal • Secure VPN • RFID

• • • •

showNets is the premier provider of high-density wireless and Internet. Our technical experts design and implement a state of the art network for your trade show. Let us show you why clients trust us with their Internet needs.

“showNets Keeps the Unseen Heart of E3 Beating" -Trade Show Executive Magazine, October 2015 Issue

Call today 1-800-310-4454 or check us out online www.shownets.net

LED tile 55 P2

Omni-55 frame

Pixel pitch: 2.5 or 2.8