Exhibit City News - November 2016

2016 Randy Smith Memorial Golf Classic Pictorial

NOVEMBER 2016 • VOL. 22 • ISSUE 6

CITY MANAGER MUSCLE

I&D Workers’ Health Risks Over Time CC Space Surplus Benefits Exhibitors

The Life and Times of nth degree’s Melvin Alston

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

2016 Randy Smith Memorial Golf Classic Pictorial

28

NOVEMBER 2016 • VOL. 22 • ISSUE 6

CITY MANAGER MUSCLE

I&D Workers’ Health Risks Over Time

Features 28

CC Space Surplus Benefits Exhibitors

I&D Workers’ Health Risks Over Time

The Life and Times of nth degree’s Melvin Alston

Part-time work for full-time pay US $6 CAN $8

30

EXHIBITCITYNEWS.COM

CC Space Surplus Benefits Exhibitors

On our cover: muscular Melvin Alston, city manager at nth degree - making work, workouts and family work. Photo by Exposures, Ltd. - exposuresltd.com

Restructuring Lingering Labor Problems

Cover Story

Willwork, Inc. and SACKS Exhibits Partner Up

36

22-26

A Bullseye for Attendee Engagement

City Manager Muscle

40

A Bodybuilder’s Balancing Act

Columns 12

As the Saw Turns

20016 Randy Smith Memorial Golf Classic

36

A Brief Pictorial Retrospective

43

Pump the Brands

Are You Peddling Hotdogs?

Group Delphi: Consistency Makes Brands Sing

14

44

The Green Peice Learning From the Wisdom of the Ancients

Corporate Q & A BlueHive Inc.’s Leonard Metcalf

16

47

Employment Strategy Corner

Logistics Provide Insight into Dreamforce

Maybe it’s My Resume That’s The Problem

showNets’ Meticulous Network Execution

18

48

May the Dreamforce be With You

International Man Connecting Worldwide Exhibit Supplier Associations in North America

20

Ask the Expert Working with Family

62

AIPC BREXIT and the Meetings Industry

10 58 64 66 70 74 78 87 92

In this Issue

The Snapshot International Focus Convention Ctr. Spotlight In Memoriam People on the Move The D.E.A.L. Regional Show Calendar Classified Ads Service Guide

6 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

Inspiration, Education and Motivation

52

43

Trends and Predictions They Sometimes Do Come True!

56

Aluvision Inspires with New Showroom Clients Want to get Inspired

60

EDPA ACCESS 2016 For Those who Make Trade Shows Come Alive

74

Withdrawal Liability What Obligates an Employer to Pay

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

Greetings to readers everywhere!

H

ard to believe its November already…and soon the holidays will be upon us! Meanwhile, the continuous cycle of tradeshows and events help blur the passing weeks and months into memories.

As with each edition, ECN transports you, the reader, to meet and explore the realities of some of the many people, places and things that make working in our unique industry so interesting and enjoyable. Whether it’s nth degree’s Melvin Alston (gracing this issue’s cover) - ranked fourth in the world in his class for bodybuilding - or Leonard Metcalf, discussing his three -decades plus adventure in our industry (see 10 Questions, Page 44), it’s clear we have some of the most incredible people working with and around us. (Please do continue to contact us with suggestions for future features!)

This issue we also take the reader to Dreamforce at San Francisco’s Moscone Center. If you weren’t one of the 170,000+ people in attendance, we have ample coverage for you. We also travel

Don Svehla | Publisher

CSAL

CONVENTION SERVICES ASSOCIATION

AS VEGAS

8 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

Editorial EDITOR Arthur J. Bloberger 702-309-8023 ext.103 ArthurB@exhibitcitynews.com

to Georgia for pictorial coverage of The Randy Smith Memorial Golf Classic (see Page 40). Although the results speak for themselves, being there in person with the huge team of volunteers and mixing with the families of the recipients makes for an emotionally charged event.

ART DIRECTOR Thomas Speak Tom@Speak-Design.com COLUMNISTS Calanit Atia Haley Freeman Philip H. Kemper Larry Kulchawik Jim Obermeyer CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jessica Ablamsky Kathy Anaya Jeanne Brei Peter Celauro William Daniels Pat Friedlander Amber Johnson Larry Kulchawik Lesley Martin

Sales DIRECTOR OF SALES Kathy Anaya 702-309-8023 ext. 105 KathyA@exhibitcitynews.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Shane Levin 702-309-8023 ext. 1010 ShaneL@exhibitcitynews.com The name may be gone…but the jacket remains!

Me, sporting my decades+ old Giltspur jacket with tourney volunteers Hayda Toro and Suzanne Bennett from Tectonics’ Atlanta office

CIRCULATION Nancy Castino 702-309-8023 ext. 100 Subscribe@exhibitcitynews.com

ACCESS 2016

CONFERENCE & SHOWCASE

LEADING THE WAY

Nov 30 - Dec 2, 2016 | Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress | Orlando, FL

The Only Executive Conference for Designers, Builders + Suppliers of Exhibits + Experiences EDPA.COM/ACCESS

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GERMANY

THE SNAPSHOT

Kongresshaus Stadthalle Heidelberg

(Heidelberg Convention Center) Photo courtesy of Heidelberg Marketing GmbH Location: Heidelberg, Germany - the fifth-largest town in the State of Baden-Württemberg Built: 1901-1903 Exhibition/tradeshow space: 2,500 square meters or 2,6910 square feet, boasting a total of 14 event rooms with plenty of area for events with catering for up to more than 1,200 visitors.

Major events held: Recent scientific events include Research in Astronomy Education, The Complex Life of mRNA and The Organoids: Modelling Organ Development and Disease in 3D Culture, the latter pair having been organized by the European Molecular Biology Laboratory.

Coming up early next year, TRAU Heidelberg is a 2 day event being held on January 28- 29, 2017 that showcases a variety of fields in the wedding & bridal industry.

Fun facts: The Kongresshaus Stadthalle Heidelbergwas built more than 100 years ago to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the University reform of 1803 as a meeting and festival building for the local citizens.

In spite of its historic walls, the Kongresshaus Stadthalle is equipped with the latest sound, projection, lighting and communications technology.

The boats of the “Weisse Flotte (Fleet) Heidelberg” provide a really special extension area for congresses of all types.

ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2016 11

COLUMN As the Saw Turns

Are You Peddling Hotdogs?

I

was talking to a good friend the other day about our changing industry. He has been around this business for about 25 years. He was venting some frustration about how some of his staff still approach every new sales opportunity from the perspective of how much shop work there is for them. They look at a design, or a concept, and say “Well, there’s not much build there for us. Maybe we should pass.”

A very telling comment. It says so much about where that company has parked themselves culturally. They’re basically saying that they’re a shop first, and everything is done to feed the shop. If it doesn’t fit their perception of what they do – build stuff - they are unwilling to consider the project.

If you align with the idea of finding one thing you do well and sticking to it - then this might make sense. But what happens when the world around you changes? What happens when the industry you’re in becomes more concerned about shipping and drayage costs and lighter weight materials? What happens when your client wants to spend less on capital purchases and more on rental? When they want someone who can provide a total event solution – not just the property, but also lighting and sound, staffing, logistics, and even consulting on any number of issues? When each 12 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

event is a distinct project, quickly - that are prerather than just part of pared to do business a larger program? in this new era and What it means is have a handle on that companies that what clients need have done well in the now will do well.

By Jim Obermeyer past are going to have For many long to look again at the products standing companies, it might and services they are prepared mean a move away from to provide, and see if they tradition…from the way it has match what is required now by always been. It might mean their clients. And while we’re at restructuring or refocusing it, it would probably be good to parts of their business to meet look at who that client now is. changing needs of clients.

Most likely, the person that It goes to that whole idea you are now talking with at of being a partner with your your client company is going client rather than a vendor. A to be a Millennial, and the vendor is someone you buy a approach to doing business hotdog from at the ballpark. that has given you success A partner is someone who unfor decades may just need to derstands your business, your change. As in everything from marketing strategy, and is a what you sell, to how you sell consultant to you in creating it, to how you market yourself. and executing your trade show It also means that new plan. And getting results. companies - and those that That may include building an are nimble enough to change exhibit. But it is most likely go-

ing to include a whole lot more.

Like participating in the creative process, recommending marketing solutions, finding resources, managing logistics, tracking results. And it may also include sourcing a Cirque de Soleil act for an event or figuring out how to do a 30-foot tall wall of fire in a convention center.

The bottom line is that you become a trusted source of value-added service to your client; someone they turn to when they need solutions of all kinds…a partner. And that’s a lot better place to be than waiting for someone to buy a hotdog.

See you on the show floor.

Jim Obermeyer has been in the tradeshow industry 35 years, both as a corporate trade show 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

Learning From the Wisdom of the Ancients

I

f you visit Nimes, France actually invent concrete, today, you can experience they did perfect it. In 2013, what it was like for researchers released the ancients to attend findings that explained large-scale events. why Roman conThe Nimes Arena, a crete is so durable.

Roman colosseum These findings also commissioned by revealed that the Emperor Augustus in Roman formula for

By Haley Freeman the first century AD, concrete was more still stands as a testament sustainable than our modto the glory and ingenuity of ern version, reviving ancient the Empire. It is a stunning wisdom that is a treasure for example of Rome’s genius the modern world. for constructing monumenSamples were recently tal architecture, built on a taken and studied from a scale to rival modern areconcrete breakwater that nas with seating for 24,000 had been submerged in the people in 34 terraces. One of Mediterranean for 2,000 the best-preserved Roman years. Scientists have long amphitheaters in the world, marveled that numerous the structure has been fully submerged concrete strucrestored and is not only a histures in the waters around toric site, but also a modern Italy have survived millenevent venue. nia of saltwater submersion Part of what made Roman and thrashing by waves and architecture so exceptional weather, yet remain perfectly was the use of concrete to intact. Researchers in Europe fabricate lasting structures. and the U.S. analyzed the conWhile the Romans didn’t crete’s mineral components 14 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

and found that the Romans’ unique formulation of lime and volcanic ash reacted with seawater to bind the mixture and form a virtually indestructible substance.

Humans still love to build with concrete. In fact, it is estimated that the world uses about 19 billion tons of it every year, and it is a primary building component of modern arenas and convention centers. For instance, Concrete Construction reported that more than 1 million square feet of concrete was placed to complete the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

(A shout out to the folks at T-Mobile Arena. My daughter and I attended the sold out Drake concert there just last week, and despite the crowds, we found the venue beautiful, the staff efficient and friendly, and the overall experience world class.)

The upside for building with concrete is that it is generally considered a sustainable building material due to its strength, durability and thermal mass. And once a concrete structure has reached its lifespan, portions can be disassembled and reused, and the remaining material can be crushed and recycled into aggregate. However, in the mid-20th century, concrete structures were designed to

last only 50 years. Now, the target is 100 to 120 years. So how does our version of concrete fall short of that used by the Romans, whose structures have survived the onslaught of time and the elements for more than 2,000 years?

Modern concrete is formulated using Portland cement, which lacks the lime and volcanic ash mixture. It doesn’t bind as well as Roman concrete and has a greater tendency to weaken and crack after a few decades of use.

Further, the amount of fuel used to generate the heat necessary to produce Portland cement is a major source of the world’s carbon emissions.

The Roman version did not require high heat, making it less polluting to manufacture.

The good news is that ash, called pozzolan, with similar mineral characteristics to that used by the Romans, is found in many parts of the world and is widely accessible for inclusion in modern concrete. Scientists are now experimenting with ways to reformulate modern concrete to mimic that of the ancient world. By understanding and employing the wisdom of Roman engineers, we have an opportunity to build more sustainable structures that will stand for generations.

Green Quote:

“Sustainable development requires human ingenuity. People are the most important resource.”

– Dan Shechtman, Winner of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

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COLUMN Employment Strategy Corner

Maybe It’s My Resume That’s The Problem

T

here are lots of disposition, it is acceptable to excussions going on tend your resume length to two today about resume pages. Keep your resume sucwriting,--- and often there is cinct and relevant, but don’t go a lot of confusion about the under a 10-pt. font size. proper format, length, description of one’s background 2. Objective and experience, what data to statement is out include---and the list goes The professional summary on. But, the one thing to or profile has replaced remember is---the only the objective statement. purpose of the resume Employers are focused is to get the applicant on what candidates an interview. That’s can do for them, not it---and the resume what the business can

By Philip H. Kemper should only include do for the candidate. basic material to accomplish You will sell yourself better with that goal. The interview, once a concise bulleted list of the you get it, will get down to full qualifications and accomplishand in-depth discussions about ments that make you a match your work background, and for the position. applicable knowledge and education as all this applies to the 3. No one resume fits all position. But, right now--- keep While it is smart to keep a it simple is the rule. master resume on file, you Here are some important need to customize your repoints you will want to consume to fit each job for which sider as you write that new, or you apply. Job seekers who all-important updated resume: take the time to tailor their resume to the employer’s needs 1. No single-page rule will stand out from the pack.

In years past, one of the Eliminate the details that most touted resume rules has don’t apply to the position and been that the document must emphasize the ones that make be just one page. Many people you look the most qualified. It will go to extremes to follow might take a little extra time to this command, resulting in apply using this technique, but tiny, unreadable font sizes just it will be worth it when you see to avoid having a resume that your interview offers increase. extends onto the second page.

Unless you are a newcomer 4. References to the job market, it is entirely upon request possible that you’ll need more There is no need to waste than a page to adequately valuable resume space on this showcase your skills and qualoutdated section. Employers ifications. If you have enough assume that you will provide job experience that fits the references when and if asked.

16 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

Instead, keep a separate page with the names and contact information of your references ready to supply to the employer once you have advanced in the interview process.

5. Show social networking skills Websites such as Facebook and Twitter might be considered distractions in the workplace, but they can be an asset on a resume. Employers want to know that applicants are upto-date with current technology and communication trends.

Links to a professional online portfolio, blog or LinkedIn page should be included in your resume header. There is a good chance that employers will do an internet search to find out more about potential employees, so make sure that all of your social networking profiles project a professional image.

6. Beware giving too much information It is not necessary to give your life story on a resume. In fact, providing an employer with too much information can be detrimental to your chances of employment. Delete information about where and when you graduated from high school. Ditch irrelevant jobs from over 15 years ago.

Do, however, list professional organizations you belong to, and awards you have received.

Although it was standard practice in some industries years ago, it is now inappropriate to include personal details in a resume such as information about your hobbies, religion, age and family status. Not only does it look unprofessional, but that infor-

mation today could be used to discriminate against you.

Employers will ask if they want to know why you left previous positions, so don’t mention it on your resume. The rule of thumb is to pare down your resume to include only things that show why you are the perfect fit for the specific position for which you are applying.

7. Watch for outdated terminology and skills Skills in obsolete computer software and systems should be removed from your resume.

Technical experience is critical in nearly every industry and employers often use technology keywords to find resumes in electronic databases. Listing basic computer skills such as word processing, and using an internet browser, is not recommended because employers will assume that you have those proficiencies. The job description is the best guide to determine the terminology and technology skills that should show up on your resume.

The bottom line In a fast-paced and competitive job market, the parameters for writing a resume continue to change.

Resumes that do not reflect knowledge of the current needs in the workplace and the new rules of how to present yourself to an employer will likely end up in the trash.

Do your “homework” well!

Philip Kemper is Founder/President of KemperAssociates, a 39-year-old Chicago-based national executive search firm. Phil can be contacted online at kemperassociates.org or kemperassoc@hotmail.com.

COLUMN The International Man

Connecting Worldwide Exhibit Supplier Associations in North America

I

n 1990, three past presicountries and also opened dents of IFES pushed to the door for other country get the American associasuppliers to be IFES memtion EDPA into the interbers, since some countries national trade show did not have an active marketplace. Koen exhibit industry Bogaert, Leslie Zech association. During and Holgar Nicolaythis period, the two sen of IFES encourstrongest exhibit aged Ingrid Boyd of marketing counBy Larry Kulchawik EDPA to join IFES. tries, Germany and EDPA presidents Dalton USA, launched international Jenkins and myself then chapters within their own carried the torch afterwards. associations. Both EDPA and At the time, EDPA memberFAMAB fully realized the ship to IFES was not fully international need of their supported by its members. members to find trusted Other EDPA presidents and partners, so they each creatEDPA International Chapter ed an international chapter members then followed to to provide an added focus, pave the way to help Ameriknowledge and networking can exhibit suppliers to betfor their exhibit supplier ter compete internationally members doing internathrough IFES and the EDPA tional work. This was also International Chapter. an added source of reveThe IFES membership nue for their associations. dues became a major isThere were times when both sue for EDPA, since not all FAMAB and EDPA felt they EDPA members participated did not need IFES or OSPI, internationally. The dues since their mutual strength fee became a value vs return and influence in the expo issue for EDPA’s general business was so strong. In membership. So ten years the end, these two powerful later, IFES changed their associations elected not to be by-laws to allow individual myopic in their thinking and exhibit companies to be direalized the power of being rect members of IFES, as well a citizen of the world, rather as the country associations than rule it with a few. Think they represented. Dues were big, act small. then paid directly, and not The exhibit supplier memthrough the association. This bers of both EDPA and was a controversial move at FAMAB associations are enthe time, but in the end trepreneurial in spirit and are was the right move. This made up of some of the most change opened the door widpowerful and generous exer for networking between hibit companies in the world.

18 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

They all believe in the power of trade shows. For their support and generosity, their members want value in their membership. The big exhibit companies also realized that they need to think big, but act small to be trusted among

will expand, but for now it is still growing. IFES, EDPA, and FAMAB play strong roles to provide a platform for fairness and cooperation between countries. As the world of trade show marketing evolves, so do the world

As the world of trade show marketing evolves, so do the world locations selected to conduct tradefairs. their colleges in their region.

Of all the country associations that have “international chapters,” only EDPA has strong membership from exhibit suppliers outside the USA. The international members who join EDPA are looking for one thing — added business and trusted partners from a strong American marketplace. They are looking to expand and support their customers outside of their own country region. American exhibit companies are also looking for trusted international partners to support their total efforts abroad.

This two way exchange will eventually develop to create exclusive partnerships for the suppliers who manage multiple international events. I’m not sure how long this balloon

locations selected to conduct tradefairs. A united IFES, EDPA, and FAMAB stand in the belief that all countries collectively offer a unique opportunity to the end user/ exhibitors when trade show venue locations continue to shift from country to country.

Local knowledge and resources will surely be needed.

Where will world trade shows move their sites to next? Are you ready to succeed?

This year’s annual EDPA meeting, ACCESS2016 will be held Nov 30-Dec 2 at Orlando’s Hyatt Grand Cyprus. The International track will focus on and feature trade show success in Germany.

Euroshop will also be held again in Dusseldorf, Germany in 2017. Hope to see you at both of these events!

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COLUMN Ask the Expert

Working with Family

V

ery often in the trade show and Recently, I had the honor of watching exhibition industry, you will find the same pride in a father’s eyes. Many of family members working togethus hire bands and talented artists to work er. We ask, recruit or drag our families to in our booths or for an event. In Septemhelp us with setting up booths or assistber 2016, I hired Jeremy Cornwell for ing at the office, especially if we are the “Life is Beautiful” festival, the shorthanded, which we often are. largest in Las Vegas.

As in the case of John & Alex What was unique about this is Fricke from Derse. John, the that in Cornwell’s band, a father, father, needed help with eight Gene Liccardi (lead guitar), and jobs at the CEMA show, so he son, Chris (drums), were playing

By Calanit Atia recruited his son Alex, who was together for the first time EVER. between jobs. John recalls, “It was pure Both very talented musicians in their desperation. I needed help and he agreed own right, they never got a chance to play to work for free. Customers loved him. together until that day. The joy in their Two weeks later, I offered him a job on my eyes, playing together on stage in front team.” Started by luck, they now have been of massive crowds, was quite visible. You working together for three years, getting could have seen it from miles away, truly stronger every day. a special moment. Gene was filled with a My company, A to Z Events, a desfather’s pride, in awe at his son’s talent. tination management company and “You know you have a great drumentertainment agency, specializes in mer when you don’t know he is there,” working with exhibitors and exhibit he beamed. “Turning around on stage, houses, suppling booth props and trade seeing my son - that is a memory that I show talent or planning receptions. It will have forever.” Chris, as would any was opened 2001 because of my mother son wanting to make his father happy, Sara’s encouragement! said, “Seeing my father play on stage and She believed I could do it and she was having the biggest smile, which I never there to help me in the early years with thought I would see again, meant everyerrands, such as going to the bank, or thing to me.” staying at the office, perhaps to receive Our parents leave us legacies, as defia package. My greatest memory is from nitely in the case of Carl and Annie Birsa, the EXHIBITORLIVE! Show - setting up who founded CB Display Service, Inc. my booth, my mother seated on a chair in 1969 in Chicago. When they opened waiting for a delivery. their Las Vegas CB office in 1976, their son Dennis moved to Las Vegas with How many of us have memories associate Paul Willet. “I absolutely loved like these? Many, I bet. working with my father and I still miss In 2015, I won one of the most prestihim every day,” said Dennis. gious awards in Las Vegas, “Women Who No doubt that families working togethMean Business,” from the Las Vegas er can be a force of strength.

Business Press. And I received a commendation from US Senator Harry Reid.

Calanit Atia is founder and president of A to Z My mother’s eyes lit up. This Award Events, an award winning event planner, a Las was OURS, not mine, OURS. There was Vegas ambassador, social media maven, columnothing better than to share it with my nist, Air Force veteran and speaker. She can be mother. One year ago, October 2015, she contacted at Info@AtoZevents.com, twitter.com/ became an angel; she will always be my CalanitAtia, facebook.com/calanit, linkedin.com/ guiding force in/calanit instagram.com/calanitatia.

20 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

From top to bottom: Calanit Atia and mother Sara, John Fricke and son Alex of Derse, Musicians Gene and Chris Liccardi and The Birsas, Carl, Dennis and Annie.

MELVIN ALSTON

CITY MANAGER MUSCLE Bodybuilder Balances Work, Work-outs and Family Time BY ARTHUR BLOBERGER

IT’S 8 A.M. Alston reports to the Las Vegas, Nev., offices of nth degree, a top event marketing and management company, where he works in his mild-mannered, secret identity as their city manager, 22 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

with a tenure of nearly a quarter-century. That’s a long time to work in one place, but it’s not at all unusual for nth degree, where there’s not a lot of high turnover – always a sign of a great employer.

“I do enjoy working for nth degree,” Alston states. “It’s a really fun ride for me here. We’re like a big family, even though we’re spread out all over the country. One of the things that I am probably the most thankful for are the opportunities I’ve been given to progress and learn and expand my horizons in the company. I’ve always been given opportunities to do more, and I’ve always taken advantage of those opportunities.

And I in turn try to do the same thing for people coming up behind me.”

IT’S 6 P.M. Alston is home with his family – wife Tanisha and kids Xavier, 14, Channing, 16, and Miles, 19 – just spending quality time with his loved ones or maybe attending his teenager’s extra-curricular activities.

“I’m as proud of them as they are of me,” he says.” I’m very involved with my kids, my son’s marching band – he plays a lot of instruments. My youngest son is a high school football player and my daughter has a beautiful voice and is heavily involved in the choir.”

Imagine a terrified young man coming to pick up his daughter for a date

and seeing all those monster muscles.

You can be sure he’ll behave. “I hope so,” says Alston, “Because that will motivate me to train harder. I want to scare the bejesus out of them.”

Between working out, working, and family time, is there much time for anything else? “Nope,” he says with a grin.

Other than eating every two hours like clockwork, that is, when he’s not sleeping or working out. Hey, it takes a lot of fuel to maintain a superhuman body!

Photo by Exposures, Ltd. - exposuresltd.com

IT’S 4 A.M. Most of us are still fast asleep. But not Melvin Alston. A world-class amateur bodybuilder, he’s already in the gym doing rep after rep and set after set of heavy squats, lifts and presses. And he’ll be there about 4-4.5 hours, just as he is seven days a week. Hovering at around 240 lbs. of massive muscle and steely sinew, his physique could make a super-hero envious, while his passion and commitment to achieving results could make him a role model for us all. ”Bodybuilding is very different from most sports,” says Alston. “People always ask me, ‘How long are you going to do this - you’re 45 years old and you’re still competitive?’ But probably most bodybuilders, especially on a professional level, are between the ages of 35 and the late 40s. I think it has a lot to do with such a thing called muscle maturity and muscle density and things that happen that you can only achieve after you’ve been working out for a long time consistently. That’s one of the things that I enjoy about bodybuilding – you don’t have to be 20-years-old, a young guy, to be competitive.”

Photo by Exposures, Ltd. - exposuresltd.com

IN LIKE FLINT. Melvin Alston was born in Flint, Michigan, on New Year’s Day, 1971, back when the water was pure and the auto industry was booming. He went to elementary school there, junior high school there, and high school. Then he went to college for two years at the University of Michigan and played football for them in Ann Arbor, just 45 minutes down the highway from his home.

“My father worked for General Mo@ExhibitCityNews

tors for 35 years in the factory there before he retired,” he recalls. “If you grow up in Michigan, especially around Flint or Detroit, somebody in your family’s going to work for General Motors, Chevrolet, Ford or Chrysler. My mom was a nurse at one of the big hospitals there. She was an RN and a labor and delivery nurse, neo natal and intensive-care. I had one younger brother and an older sister. They weren’t really involved in sports at all, so I kind of

was the first one in the family. But my dad, when he was in high school, he was really involved in sports – he played basketball and was a track athlete.”

FOOTBALL INJURIES HAPPEN. Alston’s first sports injury was in high school, and then it became a reoccurring problem in college. Knees, ankles – he just couldn’t stay healthy and on the field. The doctors were telling him, Continued on p. 24 ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2016 23

CITY MANAGER MUSCLE

HE BEGINS BODYBUILDING. Alston actually started working out with weights when he was 12-years-old, just kind of learning about weight-training. It was for football then, but at 16-years-old, he joined the local YMCA and started working out. Exposed there to people who were into bodybuilding and powerlifting, they took one look at him and saw all kinds of raw potential.

Already well over 200 pounds, Alston was always muscular, always a big kid.

So they took him under their wing and showed him how to train as a bodybuilder and powerlifter.

“I just fell in love with that as well,” he beams. “There was a local show, The Flint Bodybuilding Championships, coming up later in the year and I decided I was going to compete in the teenage division. It was my first show.

I was seventeen. I won and became Mr. Teenage Flint, 1988. I was just hooked after that. The next year, 1989, I competed and won the Mr. Teenage Michigan Championship. That qualified me to compete in the Mr. USA Teen Championship. So the following year, at the age of 19, I flew down to Houston Tex., and I took Fifth Place there.

“After that, even though I was still 19, I competed in the men’s division of Mr. Michigan and actually won! The last show I did after that was The Great Lakes Open Championships, more of a regional show as opposed to a state-level show, 24 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

and that qualified me to compete for the USA National Championships. But that was right at the time where I decided to transfer to Las Vegas and UNLV. So I kind of put everything on hold after I won that Great Lakes Championship.”

HE MOVES TO LAS VEGAS. When Alston was finished playing football, that’s when he decided to transfer to UNLV in Las Vegas to get a fresh start. His major was physical therapy and sports medicine. At the time, his grandparents lived there, as well as several aunts and uncles.

“We used to come out here every summer and visit as long as I can remember, so when I decided to transfer in ’91, I looked at that as an option,” recalls Alston. “I came out here to visit

and decided, okay, this is what I’m going to do. As far as the bodybuilding goes, I stopped competing then and didn’t do any more competitive shows. I never stopped working out – I just loved working out – but it was a time in my life where I was transferring, starting fresh at a new school. And that’s where I met my future wife, Tanisha. A couple years later, we were married and started having kids and raising a family. Those things were more of a priority to me than the bodybuilding. But I always said that once I got to a point where I was a little more settled and stable, I’d certainly go back to it. And that’s what I did.”

NTH DEGREE OFFERS HIM A JOB. While Alston was going to college at UNLV, he also began working at Gold’s

Photo by Greg Frank

Continued from p. 23 “You’re either at the point where you’re going to have to get some surgery done or you may have to walk away from football. And even if you get surgery, you’re probably still going to have issues that you’re going to have to deal with later on in life.”

“I thought about it, and I thought about quality of life,” he mused. “My mom and dad raised me to where, even though I loved playing football and it was a passion for me, I was going to college to get my education first and foremost.

My whole world didn’t revolve around playing football. So when I had to make a decision not to play anymore at around 19-years-old, I was okay with that.”

Photo by Greg Frank

eventually went from just being a worker to being a lead man. And I started having opportunities to lead jobs and I got to a point where I was being requested a lot and I had to make a decision.

Did I want to keep doing the personal athletic training when I can make more money with nth degree? So I decided not to be a trainer anymore, just to go to school and work for nth degree.”

Eventually finishing college and getting his Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine, Alston quickly realized that he was already making more money with nth degree than if he were to leave them and go work in that field. Now it’s been 23 years, and he’s still with nth degree.

“I’ve just kind of worked my way on up,” he says proudly. “After being a worker, a laborer and a lead man, I became a project manager and I would travel around the country with certain clients – like Unisys Corporation and Timberland – traveling on the road with them for many years. Then Roger came to me again and said, ‘We’d like to promote you to asst. city manager.’ That was right before 9-11. I remained one of his assistants for about five years, and then he decided to move on and take a position with another company and they promoted me to city manager. So eventually, I got the job of the man who originally introduced me to the industry. Now I am the city manager.”

Gym as a personal trainer. There, he met the then-city manager of nth degree, Roger Stevenson, during their workouts. Stevenson approached this

big, strong, young kid and asked him if he’d like to pick up some work at some of the big conventions that come in to town, offering to work around Alston’s school schedule.

“So I signed up at the union hall and started working for nth degree as a laborer about 1993,” explains Alston. “After about a year of doing that and going to school, Roger Stevenson approached me and said, ‘You’re doing a great job and I may be able to get you even more work now.’ So I started taking on more and more work with nth degree and

HE RETURNS TO BODYBUILDING. One thing about bodybuilding, just because you qualify to compete at the next level, it doesn’t mean you’re ready. And Alston didn’t feel like he was ready until just a few years ago, having given himself plenty of time to make some changes in his body and let it mature before competing again. Today, he’s the main athlete sponsored by Moore Muscle Incorporated, a small supplement company for which he travels around the country to endorse and help promote their products.

“Right now, I’m competing at the very top of the amateur level,” he explains, “if I would have taken first place recently instead of second, then I would have Continued on p. 26 ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2016 25

CITY MANAGER MUSCLE

been able to move on to the professional level, where I could be competing at the Mr. Olympia show coming up soon. I’ve gone as high as you can go on the amateur level. That last trophy that I got for second place is the fourth second-place finish that I’ve gotten in the last two years. And every second place has just been by a few points. One of them was just a one-point difference between me and the guy who took first place.”

HE’S AT THE CROSSROADS. Between his children, wife Tanisha, and nth degree, Alston’s support system is huge. Even though people see him as a bodybuilder and he’s up on stage by himself, people automatically assume it’s an individual sport. But you really need a strong support system to be successful because everything you do will have an impact on them.

“I’m kind of at a point now where I’m really asking myself how much further do I want to go,” he admits. “I don’t know the answer. I really don’t know 26 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

the answer, because I’m so close to turning professional. There’s a part of me that says you can’t stop now, you’ve gotten this close. I can’t hang it up now.

But then there’s a part of me that says you’ve been doing this for a long time and it may be getting almost time for me to hang it up. So I go back and forth.

“It would be easy for me to walk away if in my last show I took 10th or 15th place. It would be a lot easier, because I’m a realist. I don’t have a problem with keeping it real for myself. If I wasn’t competitive, it would be easier, but the last few years, I’m actually getting better. So that’s kind of what’s keeping me going right now.

“I talked to my kids about it, the family, last week, and they’re like, ‘Dad, you’re so close. You’ve got to do it one more time.’

We’ll see. I’m pretty much finished for this year. It’s seasonal. The top national shows and the world championships where I just competed are in the summer.

So now is kind of like the off-season.”

It’s the offseason. While preparing for competition, Alston ingests nothing but

water, chicken breasts, tilapia, vegetables, sweet potatoes, rice, oatmeal, egg whites and asparagus - all protein and carbs.

He says it’s a very boring diet eating “the same things seven or eight times a day,” but the closer he gets to the show, the more it’s just all-natural foods. Just before the competition, you want to cut out as much manufactured stuff going in your body and have it be as natural as possible.

“I actually take in more protein powders and bars in the off-season,” says Alston.

“A normal off-season for me is usually like Sunday through Friday, I’ll keep it pretty healthy. But on Saturday, I’ll let myself eat whatever I want. I give myself one day a week to eat whatever I want, and satisfy those cravings and get it out of my system.

Then I’m good until the following week.

“I ate junk like a madman all last week because that was the first week of not being on a contest diet for six months. I ate the pizza and donuts, apple pie and peanut butter cookies, pizza, Doritos. In the off season, I’m just like everybody else.

I want to go out and eat a triple cheeseburger at Wendy’s, just like you!”

Photo by

Continued from p. 25

Photo by Exposures, Ltd. - exposuresltd.com

Melvin and Planning Coordinator Jim Knox in nth degree’s Las Vegas ‘war room’

INDUSTRY HEALTH

I&D Workers’ Health Risks Over Time

BY LESLEY MARTIN

Part-time work for full-time pay. Ask someone on your install and dismantle (I&D) crew why he’s in the business, and you might get that answer. A hard worker who consistently works overtime and double-time can earn $100,000 or more for 200 days of work. Although workers enjoy the benefits of one-and-one-half and double times their regular rate, the overtime intensity is costly to their long-term well-being.

Physical demands of working overtime When considering work-related risks of physical jobs, we often think of safety first.

Worker training and equipment has significantly reduced work-related injuries. According to OSHA, the injuries and illnesses per 100 workers dropped from 10.9 in 1972 to 3.3 in 2014.1 The more insidious risks are the long-term effects of consistent work-related aggravations. Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are health problems affect the muscles, ligaments, joints, and other parts of the muscular system. Work-related MSDs are caused by a combination of physical, organizational, and individual factors that act simultaneously and synergis28 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

tically on the body.

The most strenuous work situations happen when postures are sustained for long periods of time without alteration (static postures) or are repeated numerous times (repetitive tasks). Long work cycles without rest to recover compound strains.2 No matter their age or experience, the most common repetitive task for I&D laborers is walking. While most office workers struggle to earn their 10,000 steps, the FitBit record holder at I&D company TS Crew walked 40,000 steps (or 20 miles) in a single day.

And often, these steps are on concrete surfaces that offer no give. Workers are required to wear closed-toed shoes that protect feet from dropped objects, but sole support is often compromised. (The worst offender is a pair of cowboy boots, which are designed for people riding horses, not walking on concrete.) Additionally, workers are likely carrying tool belts that add weight. The result is repetitive shock to joints and fatigue.

Exhaustive work cycles “Exhibitors may not appreciate the sacrifice the I&D workers make in their daily lives,” said Chris Griffin, CEO of TS Crew in Orlando, FL and

Las Vegas, NV. “It’s a hard physical job that can cause hardship on families as well.”

Workers must completely prepare the show floor before opening time, which may require late nights and fast pace. Although breaks are required, sleep is the only remedy for loss of sleep.

Additionally, most tradeshows require that move-in and set-up happens on the weekends, when most social events occur. After the crowds leave – right around dinner time – the same crews return to dismantle and pack-out the properties even faster than before. Physical aches, exhaustion, and absence are tough on the workers’ bodies, minds, and families.

Job insecurity Cyclical work has regular periods of lay-offs and re-hir-

ing that causes stressful uncertainty about employment.

Many leave to find more stable jobs, causing a workforce shortage that drives laborers to work overtime to complete remaining projects.

The intensity of both underand-over employment creates a “pressure cooker” atmosphere that can overwhelm and exhaust employees.3

systems. If they continue taking drugs, or mix substances, they might accidentally overdose. The loss of Prince earlier this year is a tragic example.

Top left: John Schenkel and Todd Kruge check blood pressure on Big Red Bus. Above right: TSS ORL - meals in a jar ingredients.

Below left: TSS Orlando staff - learning about nutrition.

second leading cause of death.

The construction industry, which is a similar trade, is one of the top nine occupations at risk for suicide.4

The intensity and job insecurity can trigger mental health issues. Unfortunately, many workers go undiagnosed and untreated. Construction-type jobs are still predominantly male and the typical “tough guy” culture creates a barrier for workers to seek help. For men between the ages of 25 and 54 in the United States, suicide is the @ExhibitCityNews

Aging workforce Adding to the job insecurity, baby boomers are continuing to work, creating an older workforce that is aging in a career that’s intensely physical. Local 510 in San Francisco, CA has workforce with a median age of 53. Aging can lead to an increase of MSDs prevalence, due to a reduction in body resistance.2 For the blue collar worker, their hands-on profession requires that they are able-bodied. Older workers are not as quick to recover from a long day. For unbearable aches and pains, they might self-medicate with Advil, Tylenol, or something much stronger.

Finding relief I&D companies require that their employees remain 100% alert and dismiss them for intoxication of any kind. Once a company establishes this standard, workers respect the rules. However, prescription drug abuse is hard to detect.

Like alcohol, the substance is legal and socially accepted.

Prescriptions are even the doctor’s orders.

Baby boomers, who are the majority of I&D workers, are a generation of the psychedelic 60s. They were conditioned to turn to drugs to escape or cope. Now there is a nationwide trend of baby boomers abusing Vicadin, Oxy, and other opiates.5 Prescription drug abuse can quickly become dangerous, especially for older people. Their slower metabolisms can cause substances to build-up in their

Building a culture of well-being In addition to the great pay and flexible schedule, I&D workers also find satisfaction in the brotherhood culture.

Griffin likens them to a “football team working together.”

They share in the struggles of working long hours in a few short days. In the end, they share in the triumph of having built a physical structure.

Comradery also means looking out for each other’s safety.

Now is a time when workers can learn to look out for each other’s wellbeing. For effective impact, the organization must drive the shift. TS Crew is a progressive I&D company that added a wellness program for their workers. Their activities include FitBit challenges with attractive prizes, like an extra vacation day. They also educate workers on healthy habits, such as meal prepping with mason jar lunches.

To learn more, research initiatives that are being taken in the construction industry. Resources for suicide prevention: http://carsonjspencer. org/files/6114/4106/0974/Construction_Industry_Blueprint_for_ Suicide_Prevention.pdf.

References: 1. https://www.osha.gov/ oshstats/commonstats.html 2. https:// oshwiki.eu/wiki/Introduction_to_musculoskeletal_disorders 3. http://carsonjspencer. org/files/6114/4106/0974/Construction_Industry_Blueprint_for_Suicide_Prevention. pdf 4. http://www.forbes.com/sites/amymorin/2016/05/21/what-construction-workers-could-teach-other-industries-about-mentalhealth-awareness/#341392449a23 5. http:// www.wsj.com/articles/aging-baby-boomersbring-drug-habits-into-middle-age-1426469057

ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2016 29

LABOR

Pennsylvania Convention Center

Convention Center Space Surplus Benefits Exhibitors RESTRUCTURING LINGERING LABOR PROBLEMS

BY AMBER JOHNSON

Spurred on by thousands of pages of economic impact studies assuring an embarrassment of riches would follow, communities across the nation are investing collectively billions of dollars to expand, renovate, or build from scratch convention centers. Likened to an arms race where battles will be fought with canapĂŠs and hotel perks, the proliferation of exhibition venues large and small stands to upend an industry that for decades has operated with a relatively homogenous set of rules and practices governing 30 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

which shows went where and how much it cost.

Historically, large shows had a very small list of possible venues and often stayed in the same place for decades because of scheduling and space considerations. Many small shows stuck to lesser-known, more economical facilities to avoid the higher costs of exhibiting in large exhibition centers. Few challenged the hugely unpopular rules and correspondingly outlandish costs for exhibiting at some venues because similar practices were common across the

country. The system in place was just a bitter pill that those in the exhibition industry had to swallow if they wanted to stay in the game because venues had no impetus whatsoever to change the way they were doing business.

Exhibitor stories of spending tens of thousands of dollars in drayage to move a shipment a few feet, or being forced to hire two carpenters for a four-hour minimum at $100 per hour each to complete a 15-minute job, or staffers not being able to turn a screwdriver, change a light

bulb, or adjust a sign without running afoul of a union abounded. Moreover, the absence of choice in providers created an environment where the notion of customer service was nearly nonexistent, leading exhibitors to complain that they felt more like captives than customers.

Over time, it all contributed to an atmosphere of quiet contempt among exhibitors who sometimes questioned whether the trade show experience was worth the headache and expense it took to get there.

Perhaps it was stories of ex-

hibitor discontent, or facilities boasting that their calendars were filled years in advance, or maybe it was a realization that bringing in visitor dollars is a sound path to economic salvation – whatever the cause – a staggering number of cities are now pouring dollars into convention offerings to attract a bigger piece of the trade show pie.

To wit, in the spring of 2014, 18 U.S. convention centers were expanding, and today the number is at least twice that.

The biggest difference between 2014 and now, however, is that in 2014, the cumulative total of exhibit space being added by the projects combined was 1 million square feet, and today, San Antonio, Texas, alone is adding 750,000 square feet, to say nothing of the other facilities.

Dozens upon dozens of smaller venues in second-tier cities like Columbus, Ohio, Boise, Idaho, Sacramento, Calif., Milwaukee, Wis., Miami Beach, Fla., and so on, are planning to expand by as much as double their current footprints in order to attract more mid-size events.

But even some of the nation’s giants are undertaking significant expansions, including venues in New York, Houston, Texas, Anaheim, Calif., Atlanta, and Orlando, and suddenly, for even the nation’s most sizeable convention centers, the threat of competition is very real. Just ask San Diego, Calif., where officials are frantically trying to get an expansion plan approved as other cities openly court Comic-Con to move to a larger venue from its home for the past 46 years.

Heywood Sanders, a con@ExhibitCityNews

vention center expert and professor of public administration at the University of Texas at San Antonio, says while the new projects might stimulate economic growth and revitalization in some communities, others are bound to suffer in the glut of venue options. “The overall nature of the market right now is that convention center space in this country is seriously overbuilt. The result is that every seriously sized center is seeing performance issues,” he said.

Consider that in the year 2000, the United States had 52.1 million square feet of exhibit space, and today that figure is closer to 71.2 million square feet – and climbing.

The number of events taking place, however, has not grown by the same degree despite a projection by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics that the meeting and convention industry would expand 44 percent between 2010 and 2020. What has expanded, however, is the number of hotels courting conferences and events and developing the space to host them. Together it all adds up to an industry where competition is fierce and venues that don’t revisit their offerings are in danger of losing out.

But just adding or renovating space is not enough to land new business today.

Geoff Donaghy, president of the International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC), says the surplus of space is changing the dynamics of the industry and allowing planners to demand more, taking their business elsewhere if they aren’t satisfied. “Today we have what is essentially a buyer’s market, which means

that organizers and those acting on their behalf can and do negotiate hard and look for incentives and discounts beyond anything we’ve seen in the past,” Donaghy said. “That means everyone needs to work a little harder and find new ways to distinguish themselves from their competitors. It also means that centers that can’t deliver a high quality product are finding it tougher to attract business because there are so many good alternatives.”

A sampling of national events that changed locations recently include Graph-Expo moving from Chicago to Orlando, the International Engineered Fabrics Conference and Exposition moving from Miami Beach to Boston, OTAKON moving from Baltimore to Washington, D.C., and Dell Technologies Inc. moving its user conference from Austin, Texas, to New Orleans, but there are many more.

Aside from expanding, convention facilities are battling for business by renovating spaces, improving technology, and ratcheting up the perks they throw in. Free Wi-Fi, new sponsorship opportunities, discounted meeting rooms and more are dangled as carrots, while other improvement plans focus on the visitor experience by beautifying the campus surrounding the center and adding conveniences like lodging and restaurants.

But some facilities are vaulting ahead of the competition by going for the heart of the industry’s greatest pain point – the rules and costs for exhibitors participating in an event – and making changes that exhibitors say are about time. Though it has produced

controversy in some cities where changes were instituted, altering venue rules to add exhibitor rights and reduce the power of unions has proved to be a powerful attractor for event planners and exhibiting companies.

That relaxing of decades-old labor rules is putting pressure on other venues to follow suit or risk losing events.

The proverbial poster child for the labor debate is the Pennsylvania Convention Center, the cornerstone of Philadelphia’s convention and visitor industry. In 2014, the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority was successful in making changes to work rules at the center to give exhibitors more rights and make exhibiting there more cost competitive and generally a more pleasant experience.

Prior to the shift, the venue, which had nearly doubled its size in a 2011 expansion project, was booking fewer events than before the expansion, and leaders were blaming antiquated work rules as the problem. According to the Philadelphia Business Journal, in 2002, the city hosted 27 conventions, in 2013 it hosted 13, and in 2014, it was projected to only host 7 in 2017. City tourism officials said the lost events amounted to 925,000 hotel room nights and $1.3 billion in economic impact for the city.

Officials from shows that relocated to other cities were not shy about saying the costs and rules associated with PCC caused them to leave, so facility management asked the six unions with jurisdiction to work in the building to sign a Continued on p. 32

ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2016 31

LABOR Continued from p. 31 customer service agreement aimed at restructuring the way the facility did business.

Gregory Fox, chairman of the board of directors for the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority, said the previous union agreements were decades old and needed to be changed to keep the facility competitive. “It was time to heed the frustrations and concerns voiced by center customers,” he said. “It was time to address the extra time, resources, and money that they had to expend while doing business in a center with outdated work rules and onerous limitations on exhibitor rights. It was time for the center to stop wasting precious time while our competitors used the center’s lingering labor problems to lure away customers.”

Four of the center’s six unions signed the agreement within a deadline established by the board. The two that didn’t – the carpenters and Teamsters unions – were ousted from the building, and their work was divided up among unions that had cooperated.

Among the changes put in place, exhibitors are allowed to use power tools and ladders to assemble exhibits under 600 square feet, unload their personal vehicles using their own equipment, hang signage, lay floor coverings, and install and remove non-rented AV equipment. The agreement also eliminated nonworking steward and foreman positions on the show floor.

Officials say shows are seeing declines of 20 to 30 percent in labor costs, but more than that, they are experiencing a 32 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

shift in culture that exhibitors say feels like hospitality and customer service.

Outside the venue, a fair amount of chaos ensued the signing of the agreement, with the carpenters and Teamsters unions picketing, suing, demonstrating, and eventually capitulating to the new work rules. But management officials of the center stood their ground on the ouster of the unions, saying the new system was working perfectly and that they had missed their opportunity to be part of it.

By early 2015, PCC was reporting its highest bookings ever, with nearly 900,000 hotel room nights booked for coming years. Organizers of events who had canceled bookings reversed their decisions, and 69 percent of the business secured in 2015 consisted of repeat customers.

Other convention centers have adopted versions of an exhibitor rights agreement, though the amount of concession given varies tremendously. Some venues have budged only slightly allowing exhibitors to bring in and set up a 10-by-10-foot exhibit so long as it can be hand-carried and erected in 30 minutes without tools – a rule that has spawned a fleet of lightweight pop-up booths that don’t require screwdrivers or allen wrenches.

Other smaller venues tout that they do not even have in-house union labor, which might seem to imply that exhibitors are free to do most anything with regard to their booth at shows there. That is generally not the case, however, as venues may still have exclusive providers for

To wit, in the spring of 2014, 18 U.S. convention centers were expanding, and today the number is at least twice that. services, and show organizers may require the use of certain labor and services whether the facility does or not. And it is unfair to exclusively blame unions for the cost of exhibiting, planners say, because show organizers often establish costs for things like drayage and garbage collection.

When asked about the likelihood that national shows would consider second-tier cities for events, David DuBois, president of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events, said some organizations will forego the attraction of a large city like Las Vegas or New York in exchange for affordability.

“Cities with populations of 500,000 to 800,000 people and good mid-sized convention centers and a nice, tight downtown that is walkable are becoming more of an option, as compared to a bigger, more expensive destination,” he said. “The problem is, those destinations are sometimes harder to sell to the association’s board of directors because they are often concerned that a second-tier city won’t draw the same attendance as a Chicago or Los Angeles. Or the board might say, ‘That second-tier city is just not sexy enough for me.’ ” While sex appeal has its

place in event planning, so, too, does a venue that is easier on an exhibitor’s budget.

Recently opened venues in smaller markets such as Nashville Music City Center or dramatic expansions like the one scheduled for San Antonio may bridge both worlds by offering state-of-the-art venues with exhibitor-friendly labor rules in cities that visitors love. “Location decisions are the result of a range of factors including both venue and destination matters,” Donaghy said. “If any one of these is not acceptable, it can result in a loss of business, as planners need the full package of features in order for their event to be a success.” The bottom line, he said, is venues will need to compete harder for a planner’s business.

With several billion-dollar expansions being bandied about at local government levels, it doesn’t appear the race to build new space will end anytime soon. Some analysts suggest it is possible the meetings and events industry will continue expanding to eventually fill all of the event space being created. Until it does, however, experts agree there will be losers in the convention center competition, but it won’t be event planners and exhibitors.

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DESIGN

Willwork, Inc. and SACKS Exhibits Partner To Revolutionize The Sig Sauer Booth At The Shot Show THEY HIT A BULLSEYE FOR ATTENDEE ENGAGEMENT AT THE “SUPER BOWL” FOR THE FIREARMS INDUSTRY IN LAS VEGAS

The latest buzzword for tradeshows is to not just exhibit but to engage and entice emotions. Judging by the online comments after the 2016 Shot Show at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas, Sig Sauer, one of the largest firearms manufacturing entities in the world, achieved that goal.

SACKS Exhibits, specialists in the design and production of trade show exhibits, chose to partner with Willwork, Inc., a nationwide exhibit and event service provider committed to providing their clients with the highest level of skilled handpicked labor, experienced project managers, creative event solutions, cutting edge technology and five-star customer service and The Filias Agency, brand development advertising agency, to make Sig Sauer’s exhibit presence a much talked-about direct hit.

Says Willwork account executive Chuck Texeira, “Engagement is a concept we know well at Willwork.

Our teams understand that we must be engaged on every level in order to be success36 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

ful. This includes engaging our own internal teams, our customers, the venue staff, and other vendors. Everyone must work together toward the common goal of making the project successful. Our staff has been practicing and perfecting this for close to 30 years. Our planning teams have decades of experience planning complex and challenging installations, and we take every project we are given at Willwork very seriously.

From a 10 x 10 to a 100 x 100 booth and above, we understand that whatever we are installing is a representation of our clients. That they are investing in their presence at these events for reasons that are very important to them.

We make sure that we do whatever it takes to make that investment successful.”

Texeira adds, “In the case of Sig Sauer’s investment at Shot Show, the team at Willwork was fully engaged in the project from day one. Being present at planning meetings and booth previews enabled our team to have intimate

knowledge of the goals and the properties for the project.

Myself, our project managers and city managers review every detail of the blueprints to map out the project from day one, hour one through the loading out of the last truck after dismantle. We make sure that we understand every moving part, every team that will be involved and every need that the clients have so that we can be sure to develop the best execution schedule.”

As the designers of the booth, SACKS Exhibits account director Michael Hanifan says, “Debuting Sig Sauer as the complete systems provider while reinforcing Sig’s motto to be recognized as “the most innovative, customer-driven company in shooting sports, personal defense and law enforcement/ military while delivering uncompromising quality…” proved to be quite a challenge.

The goal was to balance promotion SIG’s legacy products while creating greater brand awareness surrounding their Continued on p. 38

Photo by Steve Rossman

BY JEANNE BREI

PROJECT CREDITS Client Team: Sig Sauer (Shawn McDonald, dir. of

global events & tradeshows and Aisling Meehan, tradeshow specialist)

Production, Exhibit Design and Construction: SACKS Exhibits (Michael Hanifan, account director + Bob Mitchell vice president of business development)

Exhibit Installation & Dismantle: Willwork Inc. (Chuck Texeira, account executive)

Photo by Steve Rossman

Media: The Filias Agency, (Greg Filias, dir.)

Portsmouth, NH Rigging: Sands Expo, Las Vegas, NV

@ExhibitCityNews

Continued from p. 36 ammunition, optics, silencers and airguns divisions.”

In order to achieve this, Hanifan explains, “With brand awareness being a primary focus, we designed the business unit kiosks with the intention for the divisions to have their own identity, stay true to the brand but also be part of the SIG umbrella.

There was a clean, consistent look and feel throughout the various zones of the booth.

The large, 170-foot LED ribbon combined corporate and dynamic divisional messaging on a grand scale, while the double deck structure offered 6,000+ square feet of essential meeting space. From a strategic installation perspective, having the front white arch and LED ribbon separate from the double deck structured and modular business unit kiosks, allowed for an aggressive installation. The various union teams could install their portion in tight quarters but did not have to rely or wait on another, which proved to be a great cost savings to SIG.” Willwork account executive Chuck Texeira asserts that “open communication amongst all of the parties (Sig Sauer, SACKS, Willwork, The Filias Agency, audio visual, electricians, riggers….) was crucial to the success of the install. In depth weekly meetings allowed for detailed information to be translated across to each party respectively. The weekly round tables would allow each stakeholder to express any concerns and help share industry best practices as it pertained to them.”

Adds Texeira, “Thanks to our excellent working relationship with SACKS, Willwork had a 38 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

“Just finished up with my first round at the SIG booth. It’s unbelievably large.”

– a 2016 Shot Show attendee from Chester County, PA on SIGTalk.com (Sig Sauer Gun Enthusiasts Forum)

“As always, SIG had a great number of products on display for attendees to look at.”

– GunsHolstersAndGear.com

“This year at the SIG Sauer booth there was a lot to take in.”

– GunsAmerica.com

“There’s not much that Sig Sauer isn’t doing these days.”

– Outdoor Hub.com

“The Sig Sauer Legion series pistols started shipping late last year and were on full display at SHOT Show...I haven’t had a chance to fire one of the new Legion pistols yet, but based on what I was able to see at SHOT, most of these mods seem to make a lot of sense for serious users.”

– LuckyGunner.com

great knowledge of how the exhibitory would assemble prior to install. The result was a record-breaking installation of a 3,000 square foot deck– what normally would take two to three days--completed in approximately 14 hours! The precision and ability to keep to a pre-set schedule saved the cli-

ent precious time and money.”

Willwork prides themselves on their superlative I & D labor because they train them in their own Willwork University, which features a unique blend of classroom, shop floor, and exhibit floor instruction. More than just logistics, technical know-how,

and a high degree of technical training, they teach a deep commitment to customer service. They role-play real-life situations on the trade show floor so students learn to think on their feet, anticipate and head off potential problems and be creative in developing solutions. Their graduates are spread throughout the U.S., as Willwork has nine offices with labor that works exclusively with Willwork.

As the designers and fabricators for the booth, Stan Sacks said “We were drawing on our 35 years of experience in delivering award-winning, successful exhibits for our clients.” Founded in 1978 SACKS, is the experienced leader in custom branded exhibits, events and environments, delivering value, durability and creativity for such clients as Fidelity, HOLOGIC, Kronos + NBC, to name a few.

Sig Sauer drove the meaning of partnership to a new whole new level. SIG clearly stated that if SACKS wanted to win the account, they’d have to have an in-depth knowledge of firearms and all their product offerings. As a result, the entire SACKS account team went through extensive firearms training, at the world renowned Sig Sauer Academy.

They learned about all about SIG’s products, deepening their connection to the brand and SIG experience. Armed with this new product knowledge, they decided upon a clean architectural design approach, integrated LED lighting, interactive audiovisual and museum style showcases to transform the Sig Sauer booth.

Bob Mitchell, vice president of business development, ex-

Photo by Steve Rossman

DESIGN

BY THE NUMBERS

70’ X 100’

Photo by Steve Rossman

BOOTH SPACE – 7,000 SQUARE FEET plained, “the pistols and rifles are truly a work of art themselves. So our design concepts primary focus was to highlight their product; using the latest materials and lighting was secondary.” This approach revolutionized the Sig Sauer presence at the Shot Show 2016.

“Working with Willwork on the Sig Sauer booth was a seamless installation of a new build that was achieved by working so closely in tandem between the two companies.”

Hanifan continues to explain, “many factors go into the delivery an exhibit of this caliber –anyone who has done a large scale event knows that things can go sideways rather quickly - which results in cost overruns and heated tempers. Willwork understood the pressure, the @ExhibitCityNews

high stakes of this account and delivered as promised.”

Shawn McDonald, director of global events & trade shows for Sig Sauer, agrees that working with Willwork and SACKS “exceeded our expectations.

We thought the booth was tremendous—for a brand new build, we were very pleased on multiple levels.” McDonald adds, “The Shot Show in Las Vegas each year is the Super Bowl for our industry. It’s paramount that our booth reflect our brand and position in the industry—the attendees and even our competitors were praising our booth.” And they are already hard at work designing next year’s Shot Show presence – building on this year’s successful design.

Between SACKS’ leadership,

structural design, graphic production services, full-service fabrication shop, dedicated account management team and Willwork’s in-house A/V department, , technicians and skilled project managers and labor, they are working together to stay on the cutting edge of technology and design to offer it to their customers.

As Willwork’s Teixera says, “touchscreens, holograms, LED—the technology is changing rapidly and we have to stay ahead of the curve so that our customers have it first.” Sig Sauer’s Shot Show booth hit the bullseye in engaging the tradeshow attendees and wowing them with the museum-quality display, meeting space and successful design.”

3,000

SQUARE FOOT DOUBLE DECK STRUCTURE

10,000

COMBINED SQUARE FOOT BOOTH

8

55” SCREENS FOR LOOPED CONTENT

18

55” SCREENS FOR LOOPED CONTENT

30

RIGGED LIGHT FIXTURES

170

LINEAR FEET OF 4’H LED 4MM TILES

ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2016 39

Photography by Jennifer Wagoner

RANDY SMITH MEMORIAL GOLF CLASSIC

40 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

Photography by Jennifer Wagoner

A PLETHORA OF MAGNANIMOUS trade show golfers recently participated in the 2016 Randy Smith Memorial Golf Classic, acknowledged by many as the largest charity event in our industry.

Held yearly each October, it’s eponymous of a man who worked for exhibit fabricator Ideas Inc. back in the ’90s. Tragically, Randy Smith fell asleep at the wheel after working a series of long exhausting days servicing The Super Show. His passing left his wife alone to care for two young sons without a father.

Started 22 years ago by coworkers Rich Johnson and Ted Peterson, the event culminates a full year of fundraising activities across the United States by chapters of industry associations like EDPA and EACA. Although the Smith children are now grown up, the charity lives on, rendering emotional and financial support to those in need. In fact, the charity has helped more than 150 families so far.

This year’s banquet and presentation remained similar to the format of years prior. As such, it included a custom-made comedy video meant to lighten the mood before the evening proceeds with the more serious and tear jerking testimonies and speeches by recipients, their surviving spouses/parents and/or relatives.

With too many sponsors to list here, special recognition was nonetheless given this year to Czarnowski, whose Atlanta office spearheaded a competition between its other US offices, the end result of which was the presentation for a check for $20,000.00+.

The evening included a presentation by the EDPA/EDPA Foundation, which each year has committed, as part of their ‘Good Works’ program, to raise funds annually for the RSMGC. Another highlight of the evening was the presentation of The Don Drew sponsor of the year award, this year given to Norm Friedrich of Octanorm USA. According to Rich Johnson, “Norm and his organization have supported the efforts of the Randy for more than two decades. We are blessed to have him and people like him involved year after year.”

Continued on p. 42 @ExhibitCityNews

ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2016 41

RANDY SMITH MEMORIAL GOLF CLASSIC

Photography by Jennifer Wagoner

Continued from p. 41

42 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

BRANDING

Pump the Brands FROM THE OFFICE TO THE STREET, CONSISTENCY MAKES BRANDS SING

BY PETER CELAURO

G

reat brands are like number-one hits. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what makes them catchy.

But when they are, you just can’t get enough.

So what is a brand, exactly?

In a word, it’s identity — when a company’s values, promises, voice, and even internal culture blend to form a unique personality the public finds appealing.

While “branding” may make you think of the ubiquitous swoosh or that iconic apple, the most effective brands aren’t necessarily the biggest.

What really matters is the consistency and appeal of the message. When branding is done well, employees and customers alike know exactly what the brand is about — and feel compelled to be a part of it. @ExhibitCityNews

But how?

Follow these three steps to make your brand sing the same tune in the office lobby, at your next event and on the tradeshow floor. Before long, your catchy new message will have employees and customers alike happily singing along. After all, that’s what hits — and household names — are all about.

Step One: The Hook Great songs are built on great hooks. For a brand, that hook is your story. What’s your company about? What values and causes does it hold in high regard? Who are your customers, and how will their lives improve because they follow you or buy your product?

Notice that we haven’t mentioned what you’re selling

yet. Anyone who’s seen a sneaker commercial knows the greatest brands focus less on product features and more on their own irresistible traits.

They also focus on the prestige, self-improvement or fulfillment they offer customers — if only they’ll buy in. In that sense, a brand’s appeal is as much about customer desire as it is about products.

Step Two: Deck the Halls You’ve got an irresistible hook. The next step is to get your most powerful brand ambassadors humming it: your employees. One oft-overlooked way to crank your culture to 11 is to upgrade your office, store or workplace.

A well-branded corporate environment is like a theme park devoted to your brand.

Transform a boring collection of cubicles into an innovative and on-brand space to bolster motivation, boost morale and engender company pride.

Step Three: Takin’ it to the Streets Once your team’s got the

beat, it’s time to share your song with the world via all the channels in your marketing mix. Unforgettable brand events and immersive tradeshow experiences are the “listening parties” that turn curious visitors into fans. And the best ones offer energy, excitement and interaction that even a concert would be hard-pressed to match.

Follow these steps and you’ll soon find your fan base growing and your brand doing what all great brands do: earning infectious consumer enthusiasm simply by being itself.

About Group Delphi Group Delphi is an award-winning experience creation company with a nearly 30-year history of design, production, strategy and interactive excellence.

From exhibits and corporate environments to pop-ups, retail stores, and museums, Group Delphi creates immersive, unforgettable experiences for some of the world’s best-loved brands.

ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2016 43

TEN QUESTIONS

Leonard Metcalf of BlueHive Inc.

BY EXHIBIT CITY NEWS

For three decades, Leonard Metcalf has been at the forefront of the trade show and exhibit business, leading creative teams with a desire to drive positive change across the industry. Today, Leonard is Senior Vice President at BlueHive Inc. in Worcester, MA, and his passion for his work has not abated one bit. If anything, it’s stronger than ever.

What inspired you to enter the tradeshow and event industry?

Honestly, I was seeking a career in sales. Back in 1985, I was working as a salaried in-house sales associate at Somerville Lumber in Westboro, MA, when a semi-retired co-worker, a man I looked to as a mentor, recommended that I pursue a career in commissioned sales.

Having spent his entire career in the field, Jack Donahue knew what it took to succeed, and in my then 23-year old self he saw potential. Following jack’s advice, I came across an ad for an Account Executive at a company called Folio Exhibits, and thinking it sounded like an interesting opportunity, sat for an interview with the owner, Paul Hanlon. And just like that, on a sunny July say in 1985, I began what would become a career in the trade show and event industry that would span over three decades. Yet, to this day, I still think of Jack Donahue, and remain very grateful that he suggested a simple 44 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

change of direction that would lead to a lifetime of experiences. Thank you Jack, you inspired me!

What is your most memorable story from your career? If you have more than one, feel free to discuss!

As you can imagine there are many stories, having been involved in this industry for 30 plus years, but there is one incident that occurred during my first couple years at Folio that I will never forget. At that time, when I was being trained and mentored by Paul Hanlon, we were subcontracting all of our design work out to several talented exhibit designers in the Worcester area. I was pitching a project for a company called Thorn EMI, so I met with

a designer to discuss a project for a 10’ x 30’ inline. Standard practice, the designer took the necessary information, and a few days later we met to review the design he had done. On a side note, please remember that this was before computer generated design, so drawings were done by hand, and color was added via paint or marker.

The design looked great, except for one thing that I thought was a problem; the designer had included a 10’ x 30’ carpet, and colored it yellow. Now, Thorn EMI’s brand colors were navy blue and light grey, which we had discussed, and yellow was never mentioned during the meeting, not once. I voiced this concern to the designer, and his opinion was that the yellow in the design enhanced the look of the exhibit.

Being approx. 25 years old at the time, I was young and eager, but still able to take a sales and life lesson from the experience; always try look at the positive things first in any situation. Sometimes they overrule what you consider to be the negatives. And, perhaps more importantly, NEVER second guess an artist’s work!

Given your vast experience, what value does BlueHive bring to the industry that makes it stand out from the crowd?

Undoubtedly, our passion for design.

Since BlueHive was founded in 2005, the company has flourished and matured, but despite these evolutionary changes, one thing has remained consistent, and this is our passion to design and build creative, 3D environments that support brands in a way only we know how. And then, to keep everything current, we support our physical marketing endeavors through digital and social media. It is this onetouch branding concept that separates us from the crowd, and keeps us at the cutting edge of exhibit design.

I approached Paul, voiced my concern that the proposal I had prepared for the client included a grey carpet, and showed him the design. Very calmly, as is his way, I remember Paul saying, “Lennie besides the yellow rug, do you like the overall design?” I said yes. Then he said are we priced within the client’s budget.

Again, I said yes. At that point, Paul explained that it was not necessary to make any changes to the rendering because, overall, it looked great. He simply told me to go the appointment, disregard the yellow carpet, and sell the project on those two points. I admit, I was not happy with Paul’s decision, but I did what he said… and, lo and behold, the client loved the design and we got the order. @ExhibitCityNews

Bouncing off the previous question, what do you feel makes the trade show and event industry such a unique career path?

The sheer magnitude of the industry, and seemingly endless avenues of opportunity within. Yet, despite this richly creative and ever-thriving world, it is still relatively under the radar of young people. When I interviewed with Paul Hanlon back in 1985, I was totally unaware that this industry existed and when I got hired pretty much everyone I spoke to about my new job had no idea of it either. That uniqueness is part of our challenge in trying to recruit young people into our industry, and at BlueHive we are always looking to the future. We are already blessed with a handful of promising young professionals, and it is through them that BlueHive will continue to innovate for decades to come.

In your opinion, what makes a great trade show exhibit?

One that was designed and built by BlueHive! Just kidding!

From a sales and marketing point of view, a great trade show exhibit helps the end user present and represent their brand, and ultimately how it helps sell their product or service within the trade show arena. That metric is often overlooked when someone is trying to create a unique creative structure, but is something that we always consider from the beginning. At BlueHive the designer/artist, the engineer, and sales team work together throughout the process to develop an effective structure that, when utilized according to plan, will net positive results.

Tell us about one of your most memorable or favorite project that BlueHive has participated in.

There have been many great projects since BlueHive opened its doors in January 2005, and we are grateful to have worked on all of them. But my favorite is one that we completed within the past year, and it was not a trade show exhibit!

The project was what we call a ‘branded environment’, and it allowed us the privilege of working with what I consider one of the most iconic brands in America; the Avedis Zildjian Company of Norwell, MA. Now, being a drummer, many will think I am biased to this project as Zildjian is the world’s largest and most recognized cymbal manufacturer… and they would be absolutely correct! I have had great respect for Zildjian all my life, and have used their cymbals for as long as I can remember, so having the opportunity to work with them is an honor.

The scope? Zildjian added a new, twenty thousand square-foot section to their existing building, and they asked us to design and build custom work spaces for the 10,000 sq. ft. second floor section in which their creative teams work. The project was a complete success, and it was a thrill for all of us to meet many of the great people at Zildjian, to tour their entire facility, and to learn of the history of a company that has been owned by the same family since 1623. I could go and on......memorable and a privilege indeed!

Continued on p. 46 ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2016 45

TEN QUESTIONS Continued from p. 45 Designed and built by BlueHive

What do you consider one of the biggest changes within trade show exhibit industry that you have witnessed during your career?

There have been many, but if I was to pick just one, I would have to say advances in technology have been the most profound. When I started in 1985, pagers and fax machines were considered cutting edge, so my generation has had the fortune to witness and help develop many of the technological applications that we utilize on a daily basis. At BlueHive, the software applications and digital tools that we have to work with today allow our designers to render and animate their concepts in a 360 degree digital animation, not building models from scratch. And that is just one minute example of a much larger pie; we are currently working on WOW screen technology and digital support techniques for our clients, as well as investigating further applications of advanced AV solutions.

What advice do you have for young people wanting to make it in the trade show and event industry?

First of all, welcome! The trade show and event industry is packed with opportunities in both the blue and white collar industries, as us older folks say, and is ever-evolving. So, go for it! However, my advice to everyone always is, whatever task you are given or asked to do in your position, do it to the best of your ability and always have your employer’s best interests in mind. That approach has served me well throughout my career.

What do you do for enjoyment outside of work?

Living in New England, the seasons dictate outdoor activities, but one thing I enjoy when I am able is bike riding.

We are fortunate to have many miles of surfaced bike paths within close proximity to the Blackstone Valley area that run through historic New England towns and along water ways. Another thing I enjoy is music. I play the drums, so getting together and playing music with friends 46 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

or seeing a live band is a lot fun, and, for me, a great way to relax.

What’s next for Leonard Metcalf and BlueHive?

In my personal life, my daughter Mia has just started her senior year in high school, and so my wife, Marcia, and I have been looking at colleges with her for the past year or so. Currently, she has narrowed her choices down to two or three, but wherever she ends up, next year Mia will begin to study for her career as a graphics designer. And who knows… she may end up in the same industry as her dad, which is very cool to me.

In terms of BlueHive, we are navi-

gating through our 11th year with great success, and it looks to be our best yet in terms of business. We have a team of over 90 great people working very hard to succeed, and we are still growing! We are always looking for opportunities to add new services, products and talent to our company, so don’t hesitate to reach out. I am also excited that Paul Hanlon’s daughter, Caitlyn, and son, Michael, are both working at BlueHive.

They are the third generation of Hanlons involved in our industry and have a successful blueprint to follow and improve upon. With all that considered, I think the future of BlueHive looks very bright. Very bright indeed.

LOGISTICS

Nearly 100 miles of cable, 2,000 pieces of network equipment, 50 miles of tape, and one terabyte of data…

showNets Logistics Provide Insight into Dreamforce Another successful Dreamforce is in the books.

This year saw the attendance of more than 170,000 CIOs, CTOs, marketing specialists, software engineers, press and more. These great minds gathered in downtown San Francisco to exchange ideas, learn about innovations in Salesforce, hear from industry leaders and come together to solve problems. This year, Dreamforce partnered with U2’s Bono and his organization, (RED), to raise in excess of $1 million to help end AIDS across the globe. @ExhibitCityNews

Working tirelessly behind the scenes of this great event was a crew of thousands who designed, planned, implemented, decorated, cleaned and installed, etc. Thanks to the efforts of the George P. Johnson Experience Marketing Agency, Dreamforce was assembled in one of the most organized fashions ever. Without extremely organized and clearly delineated leadership, an event this massive would not succeed in such spectacular fashion.

As one of the vendors for George P. Johnson at Dreamforce, showNets acted as the

network internet supplier for the core Moscone Campus, the Metreon, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Yerba Buena Gardens, Marriott Marquis, Palace Hotel and the Intercontinental Hotel.

Concise and careful planning plus open and clear communication between the GPJ team and showNets allowed for easy and meticulous execution of network requirements.

Though only a portion of the overall effort, showNets logistics provide insight into a tremendous event like Dreamforce. Five full

sized tractor trailers full of equipment were sent to the campuses in which showNets provided network access. Roughly 100 pieces of freight were unloaded into the convention centers and hotels by a staff of 75 people.

Nearly 100 miles of cable, 2,000 pieces of network equipment, 50 miles of tape, and one terabyte of data were utilized before Dreamforce began. showNets technicians remained on site during Dreamforce to help attendees, exhibitors, and staff alike connect to the network. At the conclusion of Dreamforce, the showNets team harvested all of their equipment in the matter of two days and hit the road for their next event.

Though this small glimpse seems impressive, it is truly a drop in the bucket of overall labor, supplies, equipment, and time that went into making this year’s Dreamforce spectacular. Special thanks go to Salesforce and the George P Johnson team for allowing so many people the wonderful experience of Dreamforce in San Francisco.

ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2016 47

SHOWFLOOR

Howard Street between Moscone North and South was transformed into Dreampark

May the Dreamforce be with You DREAMFORCE INSPIRES, EDUCATES AND MOTIVATES WORDS AND PHOTOS BY JESSICA ABLAMSKY

A staggering 170,000 people attended Dreamforce Oct. 4-7 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. The annual convention, which has grown into one of the biggest events in tech, sold out this year for the first time ever.

Part conference, part party, Dreamforce offered thousands of sessions, hundreds of exhibitors, and a free concert by legendary rock band U2. The event sprawled out over 16 locations, including local hotels, 48 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

arts venues, and every inch of Moscone’s three buildings: West, North, and South.

“It’s huge,” said Chris Kiminas, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at EWI, an engineering and technology organization that specializes in materials joining. “I’m connecting with people that I haven’t seen in years.”

Trailblazers take over San Francisco “It’s cool not having a booth,”

said Guillermo Nava, Sales Development at ZenProspect, a startup that offers lead generation software and marketing communications. “Usually when I’m at a trade show I’ve got a booth. It’s nice to not have that lingering duty.”

Nava attended Dreamforce with a free Expo+ pass to network, pursue partnership opportunities, and find out what other companies are doing. He was excited about networking without the stress

of a booth, which he said allowed him to have deeper conversations with people.

Salesforce provides customer relationship management software for sales, service, marketing, and IT. This year, Salesforce debuted their trailblazer theme. To help familiarize customers with Salesforce solutions, the exhibit hall at Moscone West was turned into a forest, complete with visitor center, trading post, and trailhead. Support beams were transformed into giant trees, with shrubs and small woodland creatures at the base.

The hall was segmented into camps by interest – Admin Meadow, IoT Cabin, Developer Forest, and etc. – but attendees were encouraged to explore them all thanks to the Dreamforce 2016 Trailhead Quest, with a prize pack that included a Trailblazer hoodie, stuffed animal, and coloring book.

Wall sized panels depicted stunning outdoor scenes, and no space was wasted.

Though the exhibit hall was crowded, attendees who

wanted to stay a while could choose from a variety of camping chairs, some placed around charging stations.

The trailblazer theme continued at the grand entrance to Moscone North and South, with a Dreamforce branded arch, artificial grass and a variety of picnic tables, hammocks, and camping chairs with rustic coffee tables on Howard Street. A mindfulness station was located nearby the Rock Lodge, where bands blasted music.

The goal of Dreamforce is to inspire, education, motivate, and excite the Salesforce customers, said Julie Liegl, Senior Vice President of Strategic Events.

“Truly the benefit is for our customers who come to Dreamforce to connect with each other, learn from each other, and better understand how they can truly transform their organizations,” she said.

Dreamforce helps EWI staff figure out how to make the most of their investment in Salesforce, said Lenny Annesi, IT Manager for EWI. “It gives us a great opportunity to figure out what more we could be doing with the product,” he said. “We have a list.”

New to Dreamforce this year was Dreampitch, where three startups built on the Salesforce Cloud App competed to win up to $150,000 from Salesforce Ventures, and a coveted spot in the Salesforce Incubator.

The celebrity panel, including Black Eyed Peas front man will.i.am, and ABC Shark Tank stars Mark Cuban and Chris Sacca, grilled presenters, who had only four @ExhibitCityNews

minutes to make their pitch, followed by four minutes of grueling questions.

Wining the majority of the prize money, and a spot in the incubator, was chatbot Claire.

The Facebook messenger bot allows retailers to get feedback on their products, and incentivizes participation with loyalty points and giveaways.

Party Like a Trailblazer The Dreamforce party circuit offered plenty of options for letting off steam.

Salesforce partners offered dozens of parties and networking events, with plenty of free food and drinks. In an attempt to lure revelers, the Pardot B2B Marketers Bash featured a concert by bestselling musician Flo Rida.

On Tuesday, nearby ThirstyBear Brewing Co. was at capacity for Hops & Ops: Dreamforce Kick-off Party, an RSVP-only event

by InsightSquared, Datanyze and Engagio. Dreamforce Exhibitor RingCentral took over Hakkasan San Francisco, where the event quickly hit capacity. Late comers were routed to a second location around the corner.

A keynote by Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff was livestreamed across the city and around the world. Located a short walk from the Moscone Center, Optimizely opened its doors to Dreamforce attendees Oct. 4-7 with a VIP Lounge.

The company, which can be integrated with Salesforce, did not exhibit at Dreamforce.

But they did offer healthy snacks, caffeinated beverages and an escape from the crowd.

Dozens of Dreamforce attend-

Dreamforce Q & A with Julie Liegl, Senior VP of Strategic Events How long does it take to plan Dreamforce?

This is the 14th annual Dreamforce and has become the world’s largest software conference. As you can imagine, the amount of planning time has grown along with the event. To date, Dreamforce is more than a year-long planning process we have the dates for future Dreamforce events booked for the next decade. While the team is currently heads down focused on this year’s event, we have individuals focused on planning for next year and beyond. Overall, it’s a huge planning effort.

Is the planning, design, marketing, and etc. all done inhouse? If not, what consultants do you use?

We have a fantastic, world-class internal organization that works across all the events that we do, including Dreamforce and Salesforce World Tours. We have kept the internal team lean because we partner with some of the industry’s top agencies which also assist in the planning of these events. This helps us bring in new talent, new perspective, and new best practices from other companies, which has been a model that has been really successful for us.

How long is the setup for Dreamforce?

The setup for Dreamforce is surprisingly fast. We estimate around an 8-day process for the entire event.

How long does cleanup take?

The cleanup is a much quicker process than the setup!

What’s the purpose of the event?

Salesforce has become the world’s largest software event because we have built up an amazing community of Customer Trailblazers over the last 17 years. Customer Trailblazers include everyone that has used the Salesforce Customer Success Platform to connect with customers in new ways, including: CEOs, partners, admins, marketers, sales and service reps, developers, and more. They are truly on the cutting edge of innovation and are using Salesforce to progress their careers and change their lives for the better.

As part of this, the entire goal of Dreamforce is to inspire, educate, motivate and excite the Trailblazer community, bringing everyone together for four days of empowerment. It’s really the one place where Trailblazers can learn how to connect with their customers in a whole new way and see the future–not just Continued on p. 50 ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2016 49

SHOWFLOOR Continued from p. 49 where Salesforce is headed, but really the direction of the industry as a whole.

People leave Dreamforce empowered, not just to transform their companies but really to transform their lives. It’s sort of a mix of business practices, personal development and inspiration.

What are the benefits for Salesforce?

Dreamforce is the largest investment that we make in our customers’ success every single year. Truly the benefit is for our customers who come to Dreamforce to connect with each other, learn from each other, and better understand how they can truly transform their organizations.

What’s new this year at Dreamforce? Any new innovations you’d like to point out (layout, exhibit design, sessions, technology, etc.)

One of the things I am most excited about is our all new Cloud Expo. Our partner ecosystem is bursting at the seams and attendees will have the opportunity to witness the largest gathering of cloud companies under one roof, with more than 400 Salesforce partners showcasing their technology on the Expo floor.

On the product side, our main focuses for this year will be the unveiling of Salesforce Einstein – the world’s first comprehensive artificial intelligence platform for CRM. Salesforce Einstein is AI for everyone. It’s going to democratize AI, making every company and every employee smarter, faster and more productive. It delivers the world’s smartest CRM. We’re really excited about it!

We also have a few new programming items that we think attendees will be very excited about. We will allow companies from within our ecosystem to pitch entrepreneurs and stars of ABC’s Shark Tank, Mark Cuban and Chris Sacca, as well as will.i.am, at the first ever Dreampitch competition. Any startup built on the Salesforce App Cloud is eligible to win a $150,000 investment from Salesforce Ventures.

Giving back will be a main focus for a lot of this year’s programming and for the first time ever, we have brought in a global partner, RED, to join us at the event and help to raise awareness in the fight against AIDS in Africa. We’ll also be ending Dreamforce with a day of compassion that will feature keynotes, as well as designated areas where monks from Plum Village will lead daily meditation sessions.

This year, we’re thrilled to have 22-time Grammy award winners, U2, headline the Dreamfest to help raise $10 million for UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals.

What is the future of Dreamforce? Any plans for next year you can share?

Next year’s event is scheduled for November 6-9, 2017 in San Francisco at the Moscone Center.

50 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

ees took Optimizely up on their offer during the keynote, which was livestreamed on flatscreen TVs. Showpad, a Dreamforce exhibitor, also offered attendees a haven from the crowd.

The 18th story office featured free food, drinks and sweeping views of downtown San

Francisco and the nearby San Francisco Bay. The company also provided a bus to Dreamfest, the concern headlined by U2.

“One of the nicest things is being able to engage with people in a less superficial environment,” said Emma Dunstone, vice president of

Salesforce advertised its successful partnership with Coca-Cola on the trade show floor.

Attendees got their pulses racing with the human hamster wheel, which allows users to charge their cell phone by turning the wheel.

marketing for Showpad, which offers content management, sales tools and analytics.

Dreamforce is Showpad’s second biggest annual marketing investment, after their annual user’s conference. To maximize their investment, staff prebooked 70 meetings, and everyone at the office is trained to show off and sell to potential customers.

The training gives staff the confidence, and allows short three to four hour shifts on the trade show floor, so everyone working the booth remains fresh, Dunstone said.

There are internal incentives for engaging customers, which she said adds an extra layer of fun.

“Sales people are inherently competitive,” she said.

Dreampark was a popular hangout, especially during the keynote by Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, which was livestreamed for a large crowd.

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ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2016 51

INDUSTRY TRENDS

Trends and Predictions Sometimes Do Come True!

BY RETIRED EXHIBIT GUY LARRY KULCHAWIK

Every decade or so, I try and purge through documents I have saved to one day put to use. Never know when you may need an old issue of Trade Show Week. While cleaning, I did run across a 1985 issue of Exhibitor Magazine. Lee Knight, founder and publisher, prepared an editorial that spoke about predictions in the exhibit industry. Lee’s insights have always been a step ahead of the curve and right on. Considering that this was written more than 30 years ago, each of his predictions became a reality, and then some. Many of his predictions were perceived as 52 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

controversial at the time, but his insights guided us all in the right direction.

Prediction - Custom exhibit suppliers will expand their services to address trade show marketing beyond the structure alone.“Custom exhibit companies were seeking to establish their preemptive positions with an evolving industry,” says Lee Knight.

Fact - Today, most custom exhibit companies provide full trade show marketing services like lead management, booth staff training, event management and international services as a basic service beyond their exhibit design and fabrication skills.

Prediction - Exhibit systems and portables will play a stronger role in the mix of exhibit design solutions. Exhibitors continued to believe in the power of trade shows, but now need to do more with less due to high costs and budget constraints.

Fact - At the time most all exhibit solutions were custom.

Portable, exhibit systems, and fabric solutions, were now growing to be an economical solution for some of the shows exhibitors were attending.

Today, all custom exhibit companies offer systems, fabric and portables along with their custom designs. Many exhibitors now purchase these directly. Lo

and behold, the largest exhibit company in North America today is Skyline Exhibits!

Prediction - Exhibitor education programs will play a stronger role than ever before.

Exhibitors are looking for data and insights to increase results for their trade show investments.

Fact - Many custom exhibit companies and consultants began to conduct educational seminars to support their clients’ educational interests in trade show marketing.

Today, many college marketing departments finally recognize the existence of trade show marketing as a part of the marketing mix. (Many still do not talk about it!)

Over all these years, Exhibitor Magazine has stepped up to support Lee Knight’s predictions and have created educational programs that offer training and certifications to enhance exhibitor knowledge about trade show marketing.

Solutions like the Exhibitor Live! trade show event, educational seminars to earn a CEM certification, and exhibit designer event/award programs each offer direct solutions for exhibitors to better succeed at trade shows.

Prediction - Intelligent exhibit design will be a requirement for exhibit designers. Exhibit design consciousness that was demanded in the computer industry will permeate to other industries.

Exhibit firms will be faced with providing more creative options to a more enlightened and competitive exhibit buyer group. Exhibit design firms will begin to encourage their designers to attend more shows and see what’s new.

Trends outside the exhibit world will influence exhibit design at a more rapid rate than ever before. Exhibit designer symposiums and college level degree programs will begin to unfold as well.

Fact - In 1997 EDPA created a three-day Designer Symposium that was held for three years in different US cities. Exhibitor then formulated an expansion of this designer training in years that followed. Exhibitor also created exhibit design award programs to acknowledge excellence in exhibit design.

EDPA created an “Exhibit Designer of the Year” award that continues to this day. During this period, Bemidji State University offered an undergraduate degree program in exhibit design. FIT then followed to create a masters degree in exhibit design. Both programs continue today and are strongly supported by industry suppliers, associations, and publications.

Prediction - Higher costs for trade show participation will come with a need for better attendance profiles provided by show organizers. Exhibiting companies will need to justify the costs required to participate and will need to provide intelligent and measurable results for their show selections and their target audience focus.

Fact - In 1985, few show organizers provided quality attendance data for their exhibitors to base trade show investment decisions. Today attendance research is provided by most all show organizers and is an expected piece of data that is no longer as rare as hen’s teeth. Research com@ExhibitCityNews

panies like Exhibit Surveys, Inc. now help to make this easily doable for show organizers and/or associations.

Lee’s foresight and visions for the exhibit industry strongly helped to push all involved in the industry to do the right things, as well as to do things right for the sake of the industry. Lee Knight was awarded the EDPA Hazel Hays Award in 1990 and continues to contribute his thoughts to this day.

Another Trend and Prediction that was slowly unfolding in the late ’80s was exhibitor participation in international trade show events. Companies like Octanorm saw this trend unfolding and created a select group of exhibit suppliers called OSPI (Octanorm Service Partners International). Hans Steiger and Han Bruder pushed for unity among exhibit suppliers (including US companies) to serve as trusted partners when exhibiting abroad.

Another organization that was also beginning to unfold with a similar mission was IFES (International Federation of Exposition Suppliers). In 1984, IFES was created with six country exhibit industry associations in Europe who joined forces to establish tradefair cooperation between exhibit suppliers when crossing borders. It was not until 1995 that the USA (EDPA/ Ingrid Boyd) joined IFES to be a part of a world community of exhibit associations. In 2012, IFES changed its by-laws to include exhibit supplier companies as well as the country associations as members. Their mission was to establish world cooperation and consistency at trade

shows and fairs.

While Europe and the rest of the world freely participated in international trade fairs, the US was slower to do so since they were consumed, and very successful, with their trade shows in the USA. It was not until 2012 that US participation in international trade shows picked up speed to catch up with the rest of the world’s willingness to expand to exhibit overseas. Through this period, international companies frequently participated in US shows, and gained much experience with US trade show differences. American exhibit suppliers are now getting the same experiences and confidence to do shows abroad and have caught up quickly.

In my book, Trade Shows

from One Country to the Next, I review the venues, regulations, labor issues, exhibit design styles and cultural differences when exhibiting in any of the 45 countries outlined.

No one person or company is the expert for the entire world market. The theme of the book…there is no right way, there is no wrong way, there is only a different way. Find and trust a partner to work with, understand and respect what is different, then you are on your way to exhibit success.

New trends in face to face marketing will continue to unfold.

Keep your eyes on the crystal ball and keep an open mind to accept changes, and a willingness to act on them. Wishing you all continued trade show marketing success!

ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2016 53

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EXHIBIT SYSTEMS

Aluvision inspires with new showroom Clients want to get inspired. Aluvision, the developer and manufacturer of the internationally acclaimed modular exhibit system, has always kept that in mind since the start of the company in 2003. At the beginning of this year, Aluvision expanded their North American presence with the opening of a stocking and manufacturing facility in Duluth, GA. Besides full production capabilities, the company also invested in an amazing, brand new showroom to bring new design ideas and inspiration to their clients.

Last June, five months after the opening of the new facility, Aluvision organized its first ALUVISIONlive! event to officially inaugurate the 5,000 ft² showroom. The 56 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

open house was the perfect occasion for both existing and potential clients to take a look behind the scenes of the company. The guests had the opportunity to meet with the Aluvision team, share knowledge with fellow industry professionals and learn more about the Aluvision products.

All of that in a very amicable and casual atmosphere.

Besides product training, hands-on workshops and networking opportunities, the tour of the new showroom was a key activity during the event.

The different booths illustrate the infinite possibilities with the Aluvision frame system and they perfectly reflect the company values: modern or homely? Trendy or timeless?

Extravagant or simply professional? All different styles can

be achieved with this versatile frame system. The ecological and progressive themes however are always recurrent, since innovation and durability form the basis of the company’s philosophy.

Visitors will also discover how the simplicity of

the system still results in a high-level, custom look finish. Aluvision’s newest solutions and products are always displayed in the showroom. The new ‘Step’ flooring system, for example, is now being put in the spotlight: a strong and easy raised floor system that will help you elevate your booth to the next level!

Guests from all over the US and abroad have already found their way to the Aluvision showroom. Existing and potential clients alike are truly amazed by the look and feel that the company managed to create in this inspiring environment. The many positive and enthusiastic reactions during and after the first ALUVISIONlive! edition has had the company already plan the next one. The second edition will take place on November 3rd, 2016.

For more information or to schedule a showroom visit, contact Aluvision at info@aluvision.com or (470) 252 3500. You can also check out their facebook page www.facebook. com/Aluvision and website www. aluvision.com.

F

acing uncertainty from corporate marketing teams, existing competitors and start-ups, exhibit and event companies are challenged to find new ways to engage clients, grow Revenues and profit from their creative offerings. Nolan Advisory Services advises exhibit and event companies in the areas of Strategy, Finance and Operations.

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INTERNATIONAL FOCUS

Smaller International Shows May Yield Larger Results

BY AMBER JOHNSON

Record numbers of U.S.-based companies are trying their hand at international exhibiting, and research says more than 45 percent of those companies are planning to try exhibiting in Germany. It’s no wonder: Though it’s only about half the size of Texas, Germany is a powerhouse in the exhibition industry, boasting three of the world’s top five largest exhibition venues and five of the world’s 10 largest trade show organizers.

Exhibitions there, or trade fairs as they are often referred to in the German vernacular, cover every inch of the spectrum of industries and they tend towards the massive, attracting exhibitors and attendees from all over the world. But the word “massive” takes on entirely new dimensions when it comes to German fairs, and U.S. exhibitors who think the International Consumer Electronics Show and McCormick Place are enormous can be in for a shock. In Germany’s largest venues, CES-size shows happen routinely, and you could nearly drop two McCormick Places into Hanover Fairground, the country’s (and world’s) largest facility.

It is for that reason that German exhibit designer Axel von Hagen, when speaking to exhibit managers contemplating shows in Germany, suggests they consider skipping the big shows and look for more intimate regional events overseas that may in the end return the same results. The concept sounds counterintuitive until one realizes that Hanover, for example, has more than 5 million square feet of indoor space in 27 halls, and thousands of exhibitors can fit inside.

To compete in that environment is difficult, von Hagen warns, because it’s easy for an exhibitor to disappear in the din, and the realistic return on an investment at that show might be well below a company’s ex58 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

pectations. Researchers at UFI, the global association of the exhibition industry, say the average European booth size in 2014 was 431 square feet, which is considerably larger than the average exhibit space in the United States. Anything smaller could end up a speck in a sea of exhibits, and going larger is more than many budding international exhibitors are prepared to bite off.

But there are exhibitions happening across Europe that appeal to a smaller niche and as such attract a more diminu-

…you could nearly drop two McCormick Places into Hanover Fairground… tive number of attendees and exhibitors.

But if it is the right niche, von Hagen says, the return from a second-tier trade fair might be well beyond what an exhibitor would see as a tiny dot in one of Germany’s gargantuan events.

In Salzburg, Austria, for example, the Salzburg Exhibition Center spans nearly 400,000 square feet, or about the space of the Baltimore Convention Center, and hosts some important B-to-B fairs aimed at a variety of industries including the scientific, automotive, and engineering communities.

Though they are considerably more compact than shows in Hanover, Dusseldorf, and Frankfurt, shows in Salzburg are on par with average-sized events in the United States. The largest professional show in the venue, which is dedicated to the restaurant and hotel industry, draws 700 exhibitors

and more than 46,000 attendees to its show hall. In nearby Vienna, two venues – the Austria Center Vienna and Messe Wien – host precisely targeted events designed for the textile, pharmaceutical, and technology industries, among others. And Zurich has a convention center that is home to professional shows for architecture, automation, digital marketing, human resources, the beauty industry and more, all within the confines of an exhibit hall that is 300,000 square feet instead of 3 million. Moreover, von Hagen says, costs for exhibiting in those cities will likely be lower than at major venues, and amenities like lodging and dining will be more economical as well.

Exhibitors may discover that, just as they would find it difficult to be noticed in sprawling trade shows, the buyers they seek would prefer a smaller, more targeted event that appeals directly to them and takes up less of their time. This can be especially true for managerial trade show attendees who often hold the company’s purse strings but are reluctant to spend days away from the office wandering 27 show halls.

Trade fairs are commonly audited in Europe, lending a degree of confidence to the show data reported by organizers.

AUMA, the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry, provides audit data and other free tools for exhibitors to help them gauge potential shows. Those tools include a Trade Fair Benefit Check that helps exhibitors establish goals, determine their budget, and calculate the benefits of exhibiting compared to the cost. By plugging in events available in tier two markets as well as the information available about past attendees, exhibitors may find that they can connect with their international target market without having to be in an enormous show hall to do so.

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ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2016 59

ASSOCIATION

EDPA ACCESS: The Conference for people who make trade shows come to life PAT FRIEDLANDER

After the turkey and the pumpkin pie comes EDPA ACCESS 2016, the networking and education opportunity for the exhibit industry. When EDPA was born, the exhibit industry was a little less complicated than it is today; now ACCESS gives designers and builders a forum where they can discuss contemporary industry challenges and explore solutions.

Now produced by PRO Management, EDPA ACCESS 2016 will be held at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando. Taking advantage of everything that Orlando has to offer, attendees can kick off the conference with golf, fishing, --or ziplining!

These optional activities are a gateway to the networking that is such an integral part of this conference.

Important education for the industry The education that takes place at ACCESS is critical to the success of both the conference and EDPA as a whole.

Attendees have a choice from three tracks: »» Down to Business Track »» Leading the Way Track »» World Wide Track 60 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

EDPA members get little down time throughout the year to explore the business environment in which they work, so the speakers at ACCESS 2016 will offer a penetrating look at some of the issues attendees face, whether they are owners or employees of exhibit houses or exhibit related companies.

General sessions Opening keynote speaker Eric Chester’s topic, On Fire at Work - How Great Leaders Ignite Passion in Their People without Burning Them Out, will focus on leadership issues-best practices, strategies, and tactics to encourage and retain top talent. At Thursday morning’s keynote, Personality Poker: The Playing Card Tool for Driving High-Performance Teamwork & Innovation, Stephen Shapiro will deconstruct the culture of innovation by means of his (what else?) innovative game, Personality Poker®. The closing general session will be an exploration of the partnership with show management, featuring David Dubois, president and CEO of International Association of Exhibitions & Events (IAEE) along with a panel of show management professionals.

Meanwhile the three tracks mentioned above will promote relevant discussions in each category. From the annual Economic State of the Union address to the Portable Modular Summit, EDPA ACCESS offers something for everyone, no matter what their interests.

And don’t forget…

The annual meeting of Women in Exhibitions, chaired by Amy Sondrup, managing director Access TCA, will be held Wednesday evening at 6:15, as will the first-timers’ reception. Thurs-

day afternoon at 4:30, a speed networking session will give attendees the opportunity to forge new partnerships. This will be followed by the “Not so Silent Auction: and the President’s Gala, black tie optional Running throughout the entire event, the Supplier’s Showcase will be open between sessions with a special opening preview on Wednesday evening at 7:30 PM. Registration is now open for EDPA ACCESS 2016 at www.edpa.com.

For more information, call (203) 557-6321

CONCERTS CONVENTIONS DINING ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT SHOPPING SPORTING EVENTS

Introducing Exhibit City News’ Newest Section

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Join ECN as we take a look at some of the most creative, innovative designs in the world and the workforce that brings these designs to life.

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AIPC

BREXIT And The Meetings Industry

by Geoff Donaghy – AIPC President

A Challenge or an Opportunity?

A

t this point nobody can really do anything other than guess at what the local, let alone global, implications will arise from the Brexit vote, particularly in that it is far from clear even what form the final resolution may take. But already there are a lot of reasons to believe that the effect on the UK meetings and conventions industry may well be minimal or potentially even beneficial.

Certainly the early overall reactions were dramatic. Global markets don’t like shocks or uncertainty, resulting in the predictable impacts on currency and market valuations. But just as predictable 62 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

is the readjustment and recovery already underway. Whatever the final balance turns out to be it will be years in the making, with a lot of bumps in the meantime.

But the Meetings Industry responds to some very different forces. To begin, a very large proportion of events are in fact local or regional, and these make for a very stable base of activity in any destination. At the same time, many events on rotation are driven by academic and professional needs rather than business ones, and these are unlikely to be much affected, just as association events were practically untouched by the global financial crisis within recent memory.

Secondly, decision factors important to most planners and their respective organizations are unlikely to be much influenced by whether or not the UK is in or out of the EU. These selection criteria are generally based on where events feel they need to go in order to respond to the distribution of markets and members, potential for new markets and members and, increasingly, linking up with institutions and programs that respond to the priorities set by the organizations in question – none of which are going to be particularly influenced by a change in EU status.

Other factors - such as the quality and attractiveness of the destination product, including meeting facilities, the complementary hotel product and the availability of other amenities essential to the delivery of a great event – are once again unlikely to be impacted by Brexit-related consequences.

Another key site consideration – certainly since the belt-tightening that accompanied the last global recession – is cost structure, and here there may actually be a benefit to consider. To the extent that Brexit has seen UK currency trading at less of a premium than previously organizers may see an opportunity to get a highly desirable destination at bargain prices - and there is even further potential for more beneficial tax arrangements depending on how this factor plays out in the future.

So; a looming catastrophe? Not likely.

In the end, meetings and conventions will mostly do what they have always done – create forums for people to exchange knowledge and support the advancement of business and the professions. In that regard, their role in Brexit may turn out to be a force for good where it’s most needed – helping bridge the gaps created by changing political alignments.

Geoff Donaghy is CEO at the International Convention Centre Sydney and Director of Convention Centres AEG Ogden. Donaghy also represents AIPC on peak global body, the Joint Meetings Industry Council. For further information please contact marianne.de.raay@aipc.org or visit www.aipc.org.

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Welcome to a place where you can be part of something. Where a city and center are humming with energy. A place where you can actually feel good about a meeting. Where people go out of their way for you because that’s what we do. Because here, you matter.

What matters to you? Value? Service? Sustainability? A positive voice guiding you, every step of the way? We get it. We have reinvented this city and center for you.

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ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2016 63

CONVENTION CENTER SPOTLIGHT

EAT Whether it is a simple appetizer or a full course meal, there are many eateries in Vienna to choose from, several of which are both spacious and historic. The Griechenbeusl is one such place, offering several different parlors, including The Mark Twain Room, Music Room, and Candleroom, among others. Several different items on the menu, from steak and smoked salmon to veal, will leave your palette in pure heaven. But when looking for somewhere simple to grab a drink and an appetizer, head on down to O’Connor’s Old Oak Pub. The atmosphere is delightful and friendly with efficient service.

STAY

T

he contemporary architectural triumph known as the Austria Center Vienna is just a mere 5-7 minutes away from Vienna’s City Centre and has a capacity of 20,000 delegates, with 24 lectures rooms that hold between 100 and 4,320 participants. Overall, there are more than 180 meeting rooms and 22,000 sq. feet of exhibition space, not to mention that attendees can also enjoy the six foyer restaurants which are directly adjacent to the lecture rooms.

The Austria Center Vienna’s innovative WLAN won over a panel of international experts seeing off competition from high-profile congress destinations worldwide. They were awarded their trophy at IMEX. In the immediate vicinity of the conference centre, you will find 923 hotel rooms, a direct link to the A22, a 64 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

By Kathy Anaya

parking garage and ample extra truck parking for move-ins and move-outs.

Within walking distances, whether it’s to banks, supermarkets or pharmacies, you can spot many breathtaking skyscrapers, new buildings that are unmistakable features of the capital’s contemporary skyline. When coming from the underground station, the first things you’ll notice are the flags fluttering in the breeze and people from every nation crossing your path and speaking countless languages.

Located in the heart of Europe, there are so many reasons to go to Vienna.

It is the world’s leading conference destination and offers a green, clean, safe environment that will cast spells on its visitors. With the majestic charm of a bygone empire, it offers the timeless delights of coffeehouse traditions and delicious Viennese cuisine.

ATTRACTIONS Even a one-day Vienna trip allows you to explore the city’s great history and culture by visiting some of Europe’s great palaces, churches and art museums. The Hofburg Palace provides a view to the life of the Hasburg dynasty, the Kunsthistorisches Museum will bring you close to the great European artists, and a visit to churches like the great St. Stephan’s Cathedral will reveal some real architectural gems.

At evening time, we recommend a concert at the Schonbrunn Palace, which allows visitors to not only tour the palace, but also experience the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johann Strauss in the place and atmosphere it was once composed in.

Photo by Marius Hoefinger

Austria Center Vienna

From award winning hotels to best bargain alternatives, there is much from which to choose when looking for a place to stay. For a five star hotel, we recommend Kaiserin Elisabeth or Hotel Sans Souci Wien. True, these are somewhat pricy, but when going first class, the cost is secondary to the surroundings.

However, if one is looking for something more affordable, there is always the Star Inn Hotel Wien Schonbrunn by Comfort or the K & K Hotel Maria Theresia. These are both comfortable and clean dwellings at a more affordable price.

Foundation

Get ready to raise funds and have fun at the Silent Auction

during

ACCESS 2016

Electronics, trips, food, wine and much more!

Special pre-reception for grantor companies.

Proceeds go to industry families in need, scholarships and partner schools.

Please consider making a donation and joining us at this special event!

Be Part of the Story. Visit www.edpa.com/edpafoundation to see how!

@ExhibitCityNews

please contact: Amanda Helgemoe ahelgemoe@nuvistaonline.com ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2016 65

MEMORIAM

Julian Schoicket Julian Schoicket passed away August 7 in Atlanta, Ga., at the age of 57.

Julian grew up in New Brunswick, New Jersey and graduated from Rutgers Preparatory School. He was an entrepreneur who worked as a trade show contractor in Atlanta. In fact, Julian was the owner of Atlanta, Ga. based Nationwide Services for more than ten years.

Some of his passions included playing lacrosse, watching football and reading newspapers.

The son of Daniel and Sally Schoicket and brother of Saundra Schoicket, he was very close to his family and rarely missed a Sunday brunch with his parents.

Please note that Saundra is mourning with her family in Atlanta. To extend condolences, she can be contacted by email at sschoicket@gmail.com or by phone at (717) 534-1372.

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LEGAL

What Obligates an Employer to Pay Withdrawal Liability

By William Daniels

Withdrawing from a multiemployer pension plan can result in a devastating liability to the employer responsible for making contributions to the plan. It is often a hidden liability that can cost the employer hundreds of thousands, even millions, of dollars. But what exactly is withdrawal liability, how does an employer become exposed to such liability and when is the liability triggered? These are questions that this article will answer.

Withdrawal liability is what is charged to an employer that withdraws from a multiemployer pension plan. Use of unionized labor at trade shows is often required and/or necessary. Most union employees are also participants in multiemployer pension plans and the use of union labor often requires contributions to such plans. If the union plan to which an employer is required to make contributions is underfunded (i.e., the plan does not have enough money to pay all promised current and/or future benefits), then each employer obligated to make

68 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

contributions to such plan is subject to potential withdrawal liability. This liability does not necessarily relate to just the employees of the employer, but can also include liability for other employers’ employees.

For example, a large employer employs union employees and is obligated to make contributions to the XYZ Pension Plan. Unfortunately, the large contributing employer goes bankrupt and its employees are laid off as the employer shuts down its business operations. Because the employer has no money or assets, it cannot pay its share of withdrawal liability. Since the XYZ Pension Plan cannot collect that money from the employer, it then redistributes that liability to all other remaining contributing employers.

Basically, the fund spreads the loss among those employers still operating in proportion to the amount of contributions they make to the fund divided by the total contributions of all remaining contributing employers. The larger

the unpaid liability, the more that is redistributed to the remaining contributing employers.

Other factors can result in an underfunded plan as well. If a plan’s investments do not hit certain benchmarks established by the plan’s fiduciaries and actuary, then underfunding will occur.

Large downturns in the market (like what we saw in 2008) can have a devastating negative financial impact on a plan’s funded status. It is easy to see how over time, underfunding and liability can add up. Also, there is a cascading effect; the larger the underfunding, the larger the withdrawal liability, and for each employer that fails to pay their fair share of the withdrawal liability, the liability of the remaining employers increases. For declining industries, we often see that the few employers who remain in the industry receive the largest portion of the unfunded liability.

How does an employer get exposed to withdrawal liability? This question is not as intuitive as you may think. An employer becomes exposed to withdrawal liability once it becomes required to make contributions to a multiemployer pension plan. Traditionally, an employer becomes exposed by executing a collective bargaining agreement with a union that requires contributions to a multiem-

ployer pension plan that is either already underfunded or becomes underfunded at some future point in time. With good legal representation, the employer should take the issue of withdrawal liability into consideration when negotiating the agreement with the union.

However, this is not the only means in which an employer can become obligated to make contributions to a multiemployer pension plan, and thus, be exposed to withdrawal liability. Some unions use short form agreements (a.k.a. “me too” agreements) where a master collective bargaining agreement already exists. The short form is typically one or two pages and the union will state that in order to operate in the jurisdiction of the union (e.g., at a particular trade show), the employer must sign the agreement. Such agreement will obligate the employer under the master collective bargaining agreement, which often mandates contributions to a multiemployer pension fund.

Another means by which employers become obligated to make contributions to multiemployer plans is through a participation agreement. These agreements are often one or two pages and simply state that while the employer is engaging in covered work, it will make contributions on behalf of its employees to the multiemployer pension plan. Such agreements

will have a provision that the signatory employer is subject to the terms of the plan document and/or trust agreement.

Even if the employer does not execute any of the above documents (or more likely the above document expires and the employer does not renew), the employer can still be exposed to withdrawal liability if it makes or continues to make contributions to a multiemployer pension plan. In other words, making contributions to such a plan directly or allowing a third party to make contributions on behalf of the employer is enough basis for a plan to assess the employer withdrawal liability. For example, an employer executed a short form “me too” document in 1977. In accordance with the terms of that document, the employer made contributions to the XYZ Pension Fund (an underfunded multiemployer pension plan). Although the “agreement” expired in 1980, the employer continued to make contributions to the Fund on behalf of its employees through the 80’s, 90’s, 2000’s and into the present. After years of service the employer closes its business.

That employer may be subject to withdrawal liability. The pension plan does not need to produce a written document in order to assess withdrawal liability against an employer. The employer’s history of making contributions to the plan

is likely enough for the plan to establish an obligation and allow it to assess withdrawal liability.

Another issue that is prevalent in the tradeshow industry is the use of a third party for labor concerns. A company can hire a third party to hire, maintain and manage employees. Often the company may not see itself as an employer as the third party will provide employees, handle payroll, be a signatory to a collective bargaining agreement with the union and/or provide other services related to such employees. A company may believe that is has no exposure to withdrawal liability because it has no employees and instead uses a third party to handle its labor issues. This may not be true. The company should carefully review its agreement with the third party.

Who is obligated to make contributions under the third party agreement?

Often, a third party will simply agree to make contributions on behalf of a company, not in lieu of the company.

Accordingly, the agreement will specify that contributions are being made to the multiemployer plan by the third party on behalf of the company. If the company has the obligation to make contributions to the multiemployer plan, then it will have the obligation to pay withdrawal liability.

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ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2016 69

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

People on the Move

D

aniel Corcoran (right) has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer at Corcoran Exhibitions. He joined Corcoran Expositions in 2009 and most recently was sales director, where he recruited, hired, trained and managed a team of eight sales associates, oversaw sales of 1.1 million square feet of exhibit space valued at $35 million dollars and developed a sales schedule covering 36 expositions. In his new role, Corcoran will oversee the day-today operations of the company, including exhibit management, exhibit sales, show operations and show accounting.

In addition, he will be responsible for setting company goals, strategic planning, and operational performance.

Elevation Exhibits & Events, an award-winning exhibit design and event planning firm recently announced the addition of Account Manager Andrew Shiels (right) to its team.

Shiels has been in the exhibit and environmental design industry since 1998 working with custom exhibit builders, museum and restaurant interiors. In his capacity as account manager, Shiels will be a key interface with existing clients, managing the day-to-day aspects of trade show programs. He will also act as liaison for the client and Elevation’s executive team – maintaining a clear communication and feedback loop that is crucial to successful outcomes.

The San Diego Convention Center Corporation is pleased to announce Karen Totaro as the facility’s new senior vice president and GM. Totaro will oversee the operations of the facility including Engineering, Event Services, Security/ Guest Services, Facility Services and Information Technology, and serve as liaison and contract manager for Centerplate, PSAV and Smart City Networks.

70 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

By Exhibit City News

“As the recent Chairman of the Board for the 5,000 member International Association of Venue Managers, I have had the opportunity to travel extensively and nothing compares to the San Diego community in terms of warmth of spirit and creating a unique lifestyle that others only hope to emulate,” said Totaro.

Aluvision is pleased to announce that Phebe D’hondt (right) has been hired as a Marketing and Communication Assistant. D’hondt graduated as a conference interpreter in June of this year from Ghent University in Belgium, one of the best universities for postgraduate studies in conference interpreting in Belgium. She is a conference interpreter for the following language combinations: Dutch to French, French to Dutch and Spanish to Dutch, with an active knowledge of Dutch (mother tongue), French, Spanish and English and a passive knowledge of German. D’hondt is also passionate about photography, a real fitness addict and has played the piano since she was nine.

Mirror Show Management has promoted Steve Sherwood to assistant warehouse manager and Dave Miller to woodshop manager. Sherwood started with Mirror Show Management in 2014 as warehouse coordinator. In 2015, he was promoted to Cisco lead warehouse coordinator.

Sherwood’s promotion to assistant warehouse manager will fulfill a need that recently developed on the Warehouse team.

Miller started with Mirror Show Management in 2006 as woodshop specialist. In 2014, he was promoted

to shop foreman. Miller’s promotion to woodshop manager recognizes the many skills and abilities he has mastered over the past 10 years. He will be replacing a retiring colleague. MSM congratulates Sherwood and Miller on a job well done.

Shepard is excited to announce the recent hire of Shannon Bere, who will be taking on the newly-created position of managing director of Design Services. Bere will oversee the design department with the intent to put practices and processes in place that will best support the in-house design team. Under her guidance, Shepard will continue to effectively deliver industry-leading creativity and innovation, while researching and implementing new products to control production costs.

“When the opportunity presented itself, I jumped on it. I’ve worked with Shepard before and it’s a great company that truly values its people,” says Bere.

Joe Antonellis, a 30-year IT veteran with a diverse background of technical/managerial experience in the IT Industry, joins the SPARGO team.

Antonellis’ experience includes 15 years as a manager/director working for a variety of companies including Fannie Mae, George Mason University and, most recently, the College Board.

At SPARGO Inc., Antonellis will oversee and orchestrate the efforts of the IT project management team that supports the company’s registration, housing and meeting logistics operations.

Joe will focus on project management for strategic accounts and the development of new products and systems.

Neil Schwan (left) has accepted a position as a client team director at Hamilton Exhibits’ Chicago office.

Schwan is a 21-year veteran of the exhibit industry, and brings extensive experience in the areas of trade shows, Continued on p. 72

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PEOPLE ON THE MOVE Continued from p. 70 events and account management. He has been involved in all aspects of the design, build, and logistics processes. In his role, Schwan will be responsible for new business development and ongoing client retention.

Said Schwan, “Hamilton is a company that is poised for growth. They have done an excellent job of building a reputable company and I am looking forward to being a part of the excitement here in Chicago.”

Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau has promoted Lauren Dismuke Rushing to director, group markets and Kymberli Fulton (right) to manager, human resources. As director of group markets, Rushing will provide dedicated marketing support to sales and convention services as well as grow the reach and quality of marketing efforts for the group market sector. Additionally, she will continue to promote Atlanta as a premiere destination for meetings and conventions. In her new role as manager of human resources, Fulton will assist in introducing new programs structured toward maintaining a successful work environment for employees and ensuring ACVB remains in compliance with employment laws. She began with ACVB in 2010 as a resource representative and most recently served as the human resources specialist.

MG is pleased to announce Megan Wells (right) has joined its staff as marketing services coordinator. This is a new key role within MG’s magnify group which provides engagement marketing support to a number of different clients. In addition to providing project management and admin support to the magnify team, Wells will also manage communications for the New Business Development team.

Wells will report to Ben Olson, VP, marketing. “We are happy to have Megan join magnify’s growing team,” 72 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

said Olson. “Her undergraduate degree in electronic media & marketing and her experience in marketing & promotions will be a benefit to magnify clients looking to enhance their programs.”

Edlen Electrical Exhibition Services is pleased to announce promotions in its Las Vegas Mandalay Bay office. Yuhi Kim (right) has been promoted to senior Event Services manager while Casey Preston has been promoted to Event Services manager. A recipient of the NV Millennium, UNLVino and Nat Hart scholarships, Kim is a Las Vegas native and UNLV graduate, joining Edlen in 2014.

She has travelled to various Edlen offices to assist on events as well as with the production of such Las Vegas events as JCK, MAGIC, Black Hat USA and SupplySide West. Preston joined Edlen with more than 20 years of customer service experience and has been behind the scenes on such events as JCK, NFPA Conference & Expo, ABC Kids Expo and GlobalShop. She is excited to continue her career with Edlen.

SourceOne Events is pleased to announce Mike Foster (right) has joined their team as the new director of Sales and Service.

Mike brings more than 30 years of experience managing corporate accounts in the events industry. As Director of Sales and Service, Foster will be responsible for the strategic direction, growth and the execution of SourceOne Events’ services.

“Joining the SourceOne team is a true honor. Their proven performance and attention to top-notch customer service made for an easy transition. I know that my experience in customer care will greatly enhance our ability to serve our

partners,” says Foster.

Highmark TechSystems is delighted to announce that Brian Baker (left) has joined the company as vice president. Atlanta-based, Baker will be an integral part of Highmark’s leadership team, driving strategy, product development, marketing, and new business development as well as working with Highmark’s customers.

“Brian’s design acumen and perspective will bring a new dimension to the services we offer to our clients,” said Highmark President Debbie Parrott. “As we develop new products at Highmark, Brian’s intelligence and vast knowledge of both engineering and creating exhibits using extruded aluminum systems will be a key factor in introducing new design options to our expanding customer base.”

Highmark TechSystems also recently announced several company promotions. Jeremy Luther is now rental assets and logistics manager, having worked in purchasing and logistics at the company for the past four years.

Jeremy holds a degree in computer science from Ivy Tech in New Haven, In. Jacob Christman has been promoted to the newly created position of special applications engineer. In this role Christman will be instrumental in implementing new applications, machinery and processes into Highmark’s fabrication methods. His duties will be split between engineering development and direct production work.

Shawn Lothamer has been promoted to design detailer, a key role in Highmark’s engineering department.

Lothamer joined the company in 2013 as a machinist and was soon promoted to machining team lead. He brings a unique mechanical and technical perspective to Highmark’s engineering and quality control department.

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THE D.E.A.L. Dining, Entertainment, Attractions & Lodging

DINING

‘Yo Quiero’ Taco Bell Cantina - Restaurant Really Coming to LV Cantina restaurant with a distinctly Vegas experience to open on Harmon Corner on Las Vegas Strip Taco Bell recently revealed it is going all in. This fall, the eatery will open a flagship restaurant in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip – complete with the unique and social dining features of new Taco Bell Cantina restaurants.

Perfect for breakfast through a fourthmeal, or a pit stop on a road trip through the desert, the new 24-hour Taco Bell Cantina restaurant will have a design specific to the sparkle and flare of Vegas, with unique décor, an open kitchen layout, community seating and shareable menu items. The Cantina will offer a dining atmosphere fit for the lifestyle of the Vegas Strip, inclusive of experiences that are uniquely Taco Bell.

“Expansion into urban markets is a key focus for us both this year and over the course of the next several years,” said Brian Niccol, chief executive officer at Taco Bell Corp. “When we talked about where to establish a flagship store, it didn’t take long to realize that having a presence in the heart of Vegas would undoubtedly create a unique, distinctive and fun destination and experience for Taco Bell fans.”

The new Las Vegas Taco Bell Cantina will be centrally-located on the Las Vegas Strip on Harmon Corner, directly across from CityCenter and The Cosmopolitan Hotel.

The two-story restaurant will feature an outdoor patio for al fresco dining experiences, digital displays and offerings unique to the Las Vegas experience. Designed to set the stage for a social dining experience, the restaurant will serve alcohol, including beer and Twisted Freezes – a unique offering provided only in Taco Bell Cantina locations. Diners can pair their Twisted Freezes with one of the tapas-style menu items exclusive to Cantina restaurants – 74 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

Be prepared to ‘think outside the bun’ on Las Vegas Blvd.

including nachos and rolled tacos – during designated hours each evening.

Taco Bell first introduced the Cantina restaurant concept in 2015 with two store openings. In that same year, Taco Bell opened over 275 new restaurants, remodeled approximately 600 more, and is currently on pace to exceed both of those numbers in 2016. Of the 2,000 restaurants planned to be built by 2022, 200 will be

urban locations – a typically underrepresented geographic area for the brand.

Atlanta is currently being explored for the next urban development, while numerous cities across the U.S. are also under consideration for future locations. These include major metropolitan areas from New York, Boston and Ohio to smaller cities with revitalizing downtown areas like Berkeley, Austin and Fayetteville.

ENTERTAINMENT

DAVID BOWIE LEGACY Designed to Bring Bowie to a New Generation Put on your red shoes and dance the blues We lost David Robert Jones, better known as David Bowie, earlier this year on January 10. Regarded by critics, fans and fellow musicians as an innovator, both visually and musically, Bowie was one of the world’s best-selling music artists. World-

wide, he was awarded 14 platinum album certifications and released eleven number-one albums. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.

DAVID BOWIE LEGACY, release date November 11, 2016, collects together some of Bowie’s finest singles from his first hit, 1969’s ‘Space Oddity,’ through to the final singles ‘Lazarus’ and ‘I Can’t Give Everything Away,’ from earlier this year.

All formats of DAVID BOWIE LEGACY also feature a previously unreleased version of the classic 1971 single ‘Life On Mars?,’ mixed by its original producer Ken Scott.

DAVID BOWIE LEGACY is an introduction to a whole world of music that is just waiting to be rediscovered by a whole new generation. Also available in an extended 2 CD set and vinyl, here’s the hits you’ll get on the 1 CD track set, the best of the best:

»» Let’s Dance (single version) (4.08) »» Ashes to Ashes (single version) (3.35) »» Under Pressure – Queen & David Bowie (4.04) »» Life On Mars? (2016 mix) (3.50) »» Changes (3.35) »» The Man Who Sold The World (3.58) »» Space Oddity (5.21) »» Starman (original single mix) (4.12) »» Ziggy Stardust (3.12) »» The Jean Genie (original single mix) (4.05) »» Rebel Rebel (4.30) »» Young Americans (original single edit) (3.14) »» Golden Years (single version) (3.27) »» Modern Love (single version) (3.56) »» China Girl (single version) (4.15) »» Fame (4.16) »» Sound and Vision (3.03) »» ‘Heroes’ (single version) (3.33) »» Where Are We Now? (4.09) In more than fifty years from his very first recordings right through to his last album, Blackstar, Bowie was at the vanguard of contemporary culture as a musician, artist, icon and a constant influence on generations of writers, artists and designers. He was, and remains to be, a unique presence in contemporary culture.

He has already been missed, having left a legacy of inspiration in every discipline from art to fashion to acting and beyond. @ExhibitCityNews

But it is for his groundbreaking music that he will mostly be remembered.

ATTRACTIONS

SeaWorld Entertainment Unveils Major New Attractions for 2017 First of its kind new rides, shows and events from coast-to-coast SeaWorld Entertainment, a leading theme park and entertainment company with 12 destination and regional theme parks, recently announced its extensive line-up of new attractions, shows and events for 2017. The announcement includes major new ride additions at three of its theme parks; a virtual reality experience in Orlando and a new orca presentation in San Diego. All totaled, the company will invest approximately $175 million in capital spending, one of the largest new attraction years in its more than 50 year history.

“Wave Breaker: The Rescue Coaster” will debut at SeaWorld San Antonio, summer 2017. The unique jet ski-style car design, the first in North America, engages riders in a straddled seating position.

Riders lean into a series of banked turns, racing over hills for maximum airtime and two high acceleration launches. Inspired by the Emmy award-winning program, Sea Rescue, the coaster enables riders to feel what it’s like to race alongside SeaWorld’s heroic animal care team as they...

A revised “Kraken Virtual Reality” roller coaster is coming to SeaWorld Orlando in 2017. The park’s popular Kraken roller coaster will be transformed into a “deep sea” virtual reality coaster experience, the only VR coaster experience in Florida taking riders on a mission alongside sea creatures inspired by extinct and legendary animals of the past. A custom digital overlay with uniquely designed headsets will be fully integrated, both mechanically and electronically, into the coaster train.

Reaching heights of up to 61 feet, the majority of the coaster’s 2,600-foot track will be directly over water, creating the sensation that riders are surging across the park’s Ski Lake. With a minimum height requirement of 48 inches, Wave Breaker promises to be a dynamic coaster experience for the whole family.

The new coaster is unique to SeaWorld’s mission. The coaster is sure to thrill, but also brings awareness to the brave Continued on p. 76

Artist rendering of “Kraken Virtual Reality” roller coaster

ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2016 75

THE D.E.A.L. Dining, Entertainment, Attractions & Lodging Continued from p. 75 efforts of the SeaWorld animal teams as they join forces with organizations around the world to help ill, injured, orphaned and abandoned animals, like dolphins and sea turtles. The queue line experience will tell the story of rescue missions, and invite guests to become involved in SeaWorld’s efforts to protect animals.

In the summer of 2017, SeaWorld San Diego will introduce its new, inspiring, educational “New Orca Encounter,” rather than theatrical shows, as part of its ongoing commitment to education, marine science research, and rescue of marine animals. These live documentaries will focus on orca enrichment, exercise, and overall health. This change will start in its San Diego park next year, followed by Orlando and then San Antonio by 2019.

The new Orca Encounter will be based on orca behavior in the wild: what they eat, how they hunt, how they navigate and how they communicate, helping guests gain a deeper appreciation and respect for the orcas and empowering them a sense of determination and purpose to help preserve the future of these majestic animals. This new encounter will look at broader themes such as research, rescue, conservation, habitats and distribution, husbandry and care, and social structures.

The new behavioral-based orca experience, will inspire as well as educate

76 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

guests about the majesty of these complex animals, and reinforces the company’s commitment to provide educational experiences with the park’s resident orcas.

LODGING

For the Curious Int’l Traveler Looking for Their Next Discovery Hotel Kämp in Helsinki, San Clemente Palace Kempinski in Venice and Ahn Luh Zhujiajiao in China The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd., a collection of uncommon luxury hotels, recently announced the addition of three new members to its ranks. From a former monastery on a private Venetian island to a historic building that encompasses an ancient Chinese courthouse and Old Qing Dynasty theater, each reflects its destination’s heritage through design and architecture. Located in Finland, Italy and China, they join the more than 375 diverse properties in more than 75 countries that comprise the Leading Hotels portfolio.

With a cultural and social heritage dating back to 1887, Hotel Kämp is set in the heart of Helsinki, overlooking the Esplanade Park, with designer boutiques

on its doorstep. An integral component of city life, in its early days it served as the informal morning meeting hub for the top daily newspaper. Still reflecting its local setting, Hotel Kämp offers 179 rooms and suites, all of which feature stellar examples of Finnish contemporary graphic art in all its diversity. For dining, guests can opt for Restaurant Yume, serving Asian fusion fare with a California twist; or Kamp Brasserie, open throughout the day and evening, offering classic artisanal French cuisine in an historic atmosphere. Rates start at EUR 475 per night, single or double.

A former 17th-century monastery, San Clemente Palace Kempinski in Italy is set on its own separate island in Venice,

San Clemente Palace Kempinski, Venice, Italy

accessible only by privately arranged boat transportation, yet it is only ten minutes from Piazza San Marco. Surrounded by expansive gardens, the hotel offers 190 room and suites fashioned in classic Venetian style, with high ceilings and large windows overlooking the park, the sur-

rounding lagoon and the city. Acquerello restaurant serves Italian creations and boasts an immense terrace with excellent views. Insieme is the setting for breakfast, while La Dolce offers all-day dining in the garden. In addition, the hotel has a 12th-century church available for weddings and special events, as well as tennis courts, an outdoor pool, fitness room and a pitch-and-putt course. Rates start from EUR 540 per night, single, EUR 590 per night, double.

Ahn Luh Zhujiajiao is located in an ancient water town in the Qingpu District of China, a destination with a 1,700-year heritage. Less than an hour’s drive from Shanghai, the resort transports guests to another era with a 600-year-old courthouse from the Ming Dynasty that has been incorporated into the lobby, and an Old Qing Dynasty theater that forms the building’s core. Among the 35 villas, each with art and antiques from the owner’s

private collection as well as its own courtyard and private garden, are four that additionally offer a heated outdoor pool.

Enhancing the guest experience are facilities including outdoor and indoor pools, Chinese and Asian cuisine restaurants, a Chinese-style tapas bar, a library, cigar bar, Tai Chi room, a traditional Chinese medicine service desk, and a spa specializing in the ancient healing traditions of the East. Rates start from CNY 3,200 per night, single or double, and include daily breakfast, fresh fruits, and Wi-Fi. Established in 1928 by several influential and forward-thinking European hoteliers, Leading Hotels has an eightdecade-long commitment to providing remarkable, authentic travel experiences, selecting only hotels that meet its high standards for quality and distinctiveness, resulting in a curated portfolio of hotels united not by what makes them the same, but the details that make them different.

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CONNECT WITH US: @TheEggWorks @EggWorksRestaurants /EggWorksFamilyRestaurants ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2016 77

Trade Show Calendar CANADA

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

Show HealthAchieve - OHA - Ontario Hospital Assn Family Medicine Forum - FMF Buildex, Construct & Design Trends Calgary Canadian Waste & Recycling Expo - CWRE Toronto Academy of Dentistry - Winter Clinic - TAD Air Transport Association of Canada - ATAC Green Industry Show & Conference - GISC Print World Canadian Western Agribition Construct Canada IIDEXCanada PackEx, Des & MFG, Powder & Bulk Solids, ATX, ExpoPlast, Aerocon, Contr. MFG Expo Cervical Spine Research Society - CSRS Canadian Pool & Spa Conference & Expo Archaeological Institute of America The National Franchise & Business Opportunities Show Landscape Ontario Congress Winnipeg Renovation Show Western Retail Lumber Association Prairie Showcase - WRLA Truck Loggers Assoc. Annual Coastal Forestry Conv. & Trade Show - TLA Montreal International Auto Show The Franchise Show - CFA CANNEXUS National Career Development Conference Toronto Gift Fair

Start 11/07 11/09 11/09 11/09 11/11 11/15 11/17 11/19 11/21 11/30 11/30 11/30 12/01 12/05 01/05 01/07 01/10 01/13 01/17 01/18 01/20 01/21 01/23 01/29

End 11/09 11/12 11/10 11/10 11/11 11/17 11/18 11/21 11/26 12/02 12/01 12/01 12/03 12/08 01/08 01/08 01/12 01/15 01/20 01/20 01/29 01/22 01/25 02/02

Venue Metro Toronto CC Vancouver CC BMO Centre International Centre Cineplex Cinemas Empress Walk Westin Bayshore Hotel EXPO Centre at Northlands Park Enercare Centre Evraz Place Metro Toronto CC Metro Toronto CC Palais des Congres Westin Harbour Castle Scotiabank CC Sheraton Centre Toronto Metro Toronto CC Toronto Congress Centre RBC CC BMO Centre The Westin Bayshore Palais des Congres Place Bonaventure Shaw Centre Toronto Congress Centre

All Information Is Subject to Change*

City Toronto Vancouver Calgary Toronto Toronto Vancouver Edmonton Toronto Regina Toronto Toronto Montreal Toronto Niagra Falls Toronto Toronto Toronto Winnipeg Calgary Vancouver Montreal Montreal Ottawa Toronto

St ON BC AB ON ON BC AB ON SK ON ON QC ON ON ON ON ON MB AB BC QC QC ON ON

Att 8600 2000 4000 2500 3024 600 2000

Exh 330 150 225 225 144 50 154

Nsf 42.7K 15.3K 25K 50K

Industry Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Building & Construction Government Medical & Healthcare 6300 Aerospace & Aviation 25.4K Home Furn. & Int. Design Printing 145K 450 800K Agriculture & Farming 35K 700 110K Building & Construction 15.5K 350 182K Building & Construction

2000 2700 5000 12K 15K 2800 2000 206K 3150 800 22K

Medical & Healthcare Building & Construction 155 42K 7000 Science 150 35K Business Landscape & Garden 600 33.5K Building & Construction Building & Construction 265 61K 60 22K Forest Products Automotive & Trucking 100 Business Education 1.1K Gifts

*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.

Continued on p.98 78 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

Promote Your Brand Manage Your Sponsors Engage Your Attendees

@ExhibitCityNews

ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2016 79

• • •

• •

Trade Show Calendar US CENTRAL

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

Show National Association of Biology Teachers - NABT Texas Society of Architects - TSA Agriculture Future of America - AFA Leaders Conference Opportunity Fair Neuroscience Education Institute - NEI Global Psychopharmacology Congress Texas Academy of Family Physicians - TAFP ASCP Annual Meeting - American Society of Consultant Pharmacists International Symposium for Testing & Failure Analysis - ASM International Water Conference - IWC Deepwater Operations Conference & Exhibition Nat. Assoc. of RV Parks & Campgrounds - ARVC Outdoor Hospitality Conf. & Expo National Association for Interpretation - NAI Academy Of Psychosomatic Medicine - APM Stainless Steel World America Mid-Continent Dental Congress - GSLDS American Association of Hip & Knee Surgeons - AAHKS THE NBM SHOW HEALTHCARE DESIGN CONFERENCE American Assoc. of Pharmaceutical Sciences - AAPS The Recruiting Trends Conference Evangelical Theological Society Annual Meeting InnoTech Austin NAILBA - Nat. Assoc. of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies American Studies Association American Academy of Religion - AAR Society of Biblical Literature USAF Aircraft Structural Integerity Program - ASIP Defense Manufacturing Congress - DMC Texas Assoc. for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance - TAHPERD American Epilepsy Society - AES

Start 11/03 11/03 11/03 11/03 11/04 11/04 11/06 11/06 11/08 11/08 11/08 11/09 11/09 11/10 11/10 11/11 11/12 11/13 11/14 11/15 11/17 11/17 11/17 11/19 11/19 11/28 11/28 11/30 12/02

View Complete Calendar Online

End 11/06 11/05 11/06 11/06 11/06 11/06 11/10 11/10 11/10 11/11 11/12 11/12 11/10 11/11 11/13 11/12 11/15 11/17 11/16 11/17 11/17 11/19 11/20 11/22 11/22 12/01 12/01 12/03 12/06

All Information Is Subject to Change*

Venue Denver Sheraton Downtown Henry B. Gonzalez CC Sheraton Kansas City The Broadmoor Westin Gallaria Hotel Hilton Anatole Ft. Worth CC Marriott Rivercenter Moody Gardens Ft. Worth CC AmericanBank Center JW Marriott George R. Brown CC St. Charles CC Hilton Anatole Crowne Plaza Denver George R. Brown CC Colorado CC Hilton Austin Grand Hyatt/Marriott Rivercenter Austin CC Gaylord Texan Colorado CC San Antonio CC Hyatt Hill Country Colorado CC Moody Gardens George R. Brown CC

City Denver San Antonio Kansas City Colorado Springs Dallas Dallas Ft. Worth San Antonio Galveston Ft. Worth Corpus Christi Austin Houston St. Charles Dallas Denver Houston Denver Austin San Antonio Austin Dallas Denver San Antonio San Antonio San Antonio Denver Galveston Houston

St CO TX MO CO TX TX TX TX TX TX TX TX TX MO TX CO TX CO TX TX TX TX CO TX TX TX CO TX TX

Att 3000

450

850 1200 600

2000 2000 2170 8500 450 1800 1500 2000 10K 400

5000

Exh

Nsf Industry 12.9K Education 285 27500 Building & Construction Agriculture & Farming Medical & Healthcare 135 24000 Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Science Water 60 9000 Petroleum, Oil & Plastics 200 40000 Sporting Goods & Rec. 75 Associations Medical & Healthcare Metalworking 100 6000 Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Printing 268 51840 Medical & Healthcare 600 130K Medical & Healthcare 30 Business Religious 95 2200 140 16000 Insurance 200 20000 Religious Publishing 29 2900 Aerospace & Aviation Exhibit CityMilitary News’ best-read section!

Education 82 17040 Medical & Healthcare

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 NOVEMBER 2016 81

Trade Show Calendar US MIDWEST

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

Show NAFCD + NBMDA Annual Conv. - N. American Building Materials Dist. Assoc.

Society of American Foresters National Convention - SAF EdSpaces Wisconsin Dental Association - WDA Infusion Nurses Society Fall National Academy - INS Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association - ISVMA Pack Expo International CAEL International Conference - Council for Adult and Experiential Learning Solar Power PV Conference & Expo Hoosier Educational Computer Coordinators - HECC Bands of America Grand National Championships American Indian Science & Engineering Society - AISES The Makeup Show Chicago American Medical Informatics Association - AMIA National Agriculture Bankers Conference - ABA Private Label Manufacturers Association - PLMA Water Quality Technology Conference & Expo - AWWA Kidney Week - American Society of Nephrology OCALICON - Autisum & Disabilities Conference American Anthropological Association - AAA Annual Meeting National Youth Workers Convention - NYWC Illinois Association of School Boards - IASB Radiological Society of North America - RSNA Dental Implant Conference - AAOMS Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market Expo Performance Racing Industry Show - PRI National Grain & Feed Assoc. - NGFA Country Elevator Conf. & Trade Show The Midwest Clinic - International Band & Orchestra American Economic Association - AEA

Start 11/01 11/02 11/02 11/03 11/04 11/04 11/06 11/09 11/09 11/09 11/10 11/10 11/12 11/12 11/13 11/13 11/13 11/15 11/16 11/16 11/17 11/18 11/27 12/01 12/06 12/08 12/11 12/14 01/06

End 11/03 11/06 11/04 11/05 11/06 11/06 11/09 11/11 11/10 11/11 11/12 11/12 11/13 11/16 11/16 11/15 11/17 11/20 11/18 11/20 11/20 11/20 12/02 12/03 12/08 12/10 12/13 12/17 01/08

Venue Hyatt Regency Chicago Monona Terrace Duke Energy CC Kalahari Resort & CC Hyatt Regency Westin Yorktown McCormick Place Palmer House Hilton Hilton Chicago Crown Plaza Hotel & Conf. Center Lucas Oil Stadium Minneapolis CC Revel Fulton Market Hilton Chicago JW Marriott Rosemont CC Indiana CC McCormick Place Greater Columbus CC Minneapolis CC Duke Energy CC Hyatt Regency Chicago McCormick Place Sheraton Grand Chicago Devos Place Conf. Center Indiana CC Chicago Marriott Downtown McCormick Place Hyatt Regency Chicago

All Information Is Subject to Change*

City Chicago Madison Cincinnati Wisconsin Dells Cincinnati Lombard Chicago Chicago Chicago Indianapolis Indianapolis Minneapolis Chicago Chicago Indianapolis Rosemont Indianapolis Chicago Columbus Minneapolis Cincinnati Chicago Chicago Chicago Grand Rapids Indianapolis Chicago Chicago Chicago

St IL WI OH WI OH IL IL IL IL IN IN MN IL IL IN IL IN IL OH MN OH IL IL IL MI IN IL IL IL

Att

Exh

Nsf

2000 936 2232 800 1000 68K

100 10000 152 47000

Industry Building & Construction Forest Products Education Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Packaging & Logistics Education Renewable Energy Education Art, Music, Culture Science Beauty & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Banking Apparel Water Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Science Religious Education Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Agriculture & Farming Automotive & Trucking Agriculture & Farming Art, Music, Culture Financial & Legal

25 2600 95 7100 2.3K 1.2M

1500

2000 4000 2018 600 10.2K 1300 10.6K

10K 54K 1500 4000 44.5K

60 45 3600 1.1K 229K 82 185 44700

700 90 380 970

445K 11000 74800 274K

350 45000

Fife

Williston

NEW YORK Bronx Carlin

Trenton Chicago

ILLINOIS

San Francisco

Richmond San Jose

Hobbs

Lake Charles

82 NOVEMBER 2016 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 FOLIO:SHOW MILCOM - AFCEA New York Library Association - NYLA ad:tech New York Buffalo Niagra Dental Meeting Society of Urologic Nurses & Associates Conference - SUNA NeoCon East The Liver Meeting - AASLD American Association of State Transporation Officials - AASHTO American College of Rheumatology - ACR/ARHP Money Laundering Enforcement Conference - ABA Ocean City Resort & Gift Expo HX: The Hotel Experience BDNY - Boutique Design New York New Jersey League of Municipalities - NJLM Kosherfest ArchitectureBoston Expo - ABX VEITHsymposium ISC Solutions - Security Psychonomic Society Annual Scientific Meeting Greater New York Dental Meeting - GNYDM Materials Research Society Fall Meeting & Exhibit - MRS Recreational Vehicle Industry Association - RVIA New England Grows!

FFANY New York Shoe Expo National Council for the Social Studies - NCSS Pri-Med East PostGraduate Assembly in Anesthesiology - NYSSA LegalTech New York

All Information Is Subject to Change*

Start 11/01 11/01 11/02 11/02 11/02 11/04 11/09 11/11 11/12 11/12 11/13 11/13 11/13 11/13 11/14 11/15 11/15 11/15 11/16 11/17 11/25 11/27 11/29 11/30 11/30 12/02 12/08 12/09 01/31

End 11/02 11/03 11/05 11/03 11/04 11/07 11/10 11/15 11/15 11/16 11/15 11/15 11/15 11/14 11/17 11/16 11/17 11/19 11/17 11/20 11/30 12/02 12/01 12/02 12/02 12/04 12/11 12/13 02/02

Venue Hilton Midtown Baltimore CC The Saratoga Hilton Javits Center Buffalo Niagra CC Marriott Wardman Park Pennsylvania CC Hynes CC Westin Boston Waterfront Walter E. Washington CC Marriott Wardman Park Roland E. Powell CC Javits Center Javits Center Atlantic City CC Meadowlands Expo Center Boston Conv. & Expo Center New York Hilton Midtown Javits Center Sheraton Boston Javits Center Hynes CC Kentucky Expo Center Boston Conv. & Expo Center New York Hilton Midtown Walter E. Washington CC Hynes CC Marriott Marquis New York Hilton

City New York Baltimore Saratoga Springs New York Buffalo Washington Philadelphia Boston Boston Washington Washington Ocean City New York New York Atlantic City Secaucus Boston New York New York Boston New York Boston Louisville Boston New York Washington Boston New York New York

St NY MD NY NY NY DC PA MA MA DC DC MD NY NY NJ NJ MA NY NY MA NY MA KY MA NY DC MA NY NY

Att 800 5170 1000 10K 2904 500 7500 8000 1000 16.8K 1000 1600 14.8K 6922 10.5K 6000 9586 2000 10K 2500 53.5K 5000 7658 7957 3000 4500 5000 3700 13K

Exh 100 266 150 300 110 100 250 80 85 156 50 150 455 534 725 350 409

Nsf 8500 43900 12000 36000 20000 25000 11000 70400 6000 20000 73850 81155 110K 33000 57600

225 72000 644 275 299 369 200 170 215 105 300

131K 27500 727K 90300 35000 65600 12640

Industry Exhibition & Meeting Ind. Military Libraries Advertising & Marketing Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Home Furn. & Int. Design Medical & Healthcare Government Medical & Healthcare Banking Gifts Hotels & Resorts Home Furn. & Int. Design Government Food & Beverage Architecture Medical & Healthcare Security Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Chemical Recreational Vehicles Landscape & Garden Apparel Science Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Financial & Legal

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 NOVEMBER 2016 83

Trade Show Calendar US NORTHWEST

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

Show Cloud Computing Expo American Translators Association - ATA Amer. College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians - ACOEP Scientific Assembly Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers - SHPE Pacific Northwest Apparel Association - PNAA - NW Trend Show CETPA - California Education Technology Professionals Association SecureWorld Expo American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology - ACAAI Assoc. of American Medical Colleges - AAMC Annual Meeting American Institute of Chemical Engineers Annual - AIChE Supercomputing - SC Drone World Expo Washington State School Directors’ Association - WSSDA Pacific Marine Expo - FishExpo San Francisco Cash & Carry Show California Optometric Association Monterey Symposium Abilities Expo - Bay Area AnDevCon - Android Development Conference California School Boards Association - CSBA American Society for Cell Biology - ASCB American Exploration & Mining Association Embedded Systems Conference - ESC Silicon Valley BIOMED Device San Jose - MDM Association of American Law Schools - AALS Potato Expo American Probation & Parole Association - APPA Northwest Food Processors EXPO & Conference - NWFPA Outdoor Retailer Winter Market Western Fairs Association Convention & Trade Show - WFA

Start 11/01 11/02 11/02 11/02 11/06 11/08 11/09 11/10 11/11 11/13 11/14 11/15 11/16 11/17 11/18 11/18 11/18 11/29 12/01 12/03 12/05 12/06 12/07 01/03 01/04 01/08 01/09 01/10 01/15

End 11/03 11/05 11/05 11/06 11/08 11/11 11/10 11/14 11/15 11/18 11/17 11/16 11/19 11/19 11/20 11/20 11/20 12/01 12/03 12/07 12/09 12/08 12/08 01/07 01/06 01/11 01/11 01/12 01/18

Venue Santa Clara CC Hyatt Regency Hilton Union Square Washington State CC Smith Cove Cruise Terminal Sacramento CC Meydenbauer Center Moscone Center Washington State CC Hilton SF Union Square Salt Palace CC San Jose CC Spokane CC Centurylink Field Event Center San Mateo County Event Center Monterey Marriott San Jose CC Hyatt Regency SF Airport Moscone Center Moscone Center Nugget Casino Resort San Jose CC San Jose CC Hilton SF Union Square Moscone Center Grand Sierra Resort & Casino Oregon CC Salt Palace CC

All Information Is Subject to Change*

City Santa Clara San Francisco San Francisco Seattle Seattle Sacramento Seattle San Francisco Seattle San Francisco Salt Lake City San Jose Spokane Seattle San Mateo Monterey San Jose San Francisco San Francisco San Francisco Reno San Jose San Jose San Francisco San Francisco Reno Portland Salt Lake City Reno

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

Att

Exh

Nsf

1500 300

25

500 3647

65 6500 100 24995

4000 100 10000 13.5K 371 149K

5879 3600

430 74874 200 20000 75

4000 6000 2800 11K 3014 3500 1900

300 350 237 250 406

25000 50000 62500 48993

160

3524 350 40000 32.7K 877 389K 1200 100 20000

Industry Computers & Apps Associations Medical & Healthcare Engineering Apparel Education Security Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Chemical Computers & Apps Aerospace & Aviation Education Sporting Goods & Rec. Gifts Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Computers & Apps Education Medical & Healthcare Building & Construction Computers & Apps Medical & Healthcare Education Agriculture & Farming Police Food & Beverage Apparel Associations

PUT YOUR BUSINESS ON THE MAP! Showcase your regional services with a calendar sponsorship.

Contact Sales@ExhibitCityNews.com For Rates and Details. (Design Services Available) 84 NOVEMBER 2016 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 SOUTHEAST

All Information Is Subject to Change*

Show Clean Gulf National Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition - NBAA ATMAE - Assoc. of Technology, Management & Applied Engineering Georgia Educational Technology Conference - GaETC International Pool Spa Patio Expo - PSP REALTORS Conference & Expo Healthcare Financial Management Association - HFMA Region 9 Specialty Tools & Fasteners Distributers Assn - STAFDA American Vacuum Society - AVS International Congress of Esthetics & Spa Lafayette Oil & Gas Convention American Society for Dermatologic Surgery - ASDS International Jewelry Fair/General Merchandise Show American Heart Association Scientific Sessions American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene - ASTMH

Start 11/01 11/01 11/02 11/02 11/02 11/04 11/06 11/06 11/06 11/06 11/09 11/10 11/11 11/12 11/13

End 11/03 11/03 11/05 11/04 11/04 11/07 11/08 11/08 11/11 11/07 11/10 11/13 11/14 11/16 11/17

Venue Tampa CC Orange County CC DoubleTree by Hilton Georgia International CC Morial CC Orange County CC Sheraton Hotel Georgia World Congress Center Music City Center James L. Knight Center Cajundome Hyatt Regency New Orleans Morial CC Morial CC Marriott Marquis

City Tampa Orlando Orlando Atlanta New Orleans Orlando New Orleans Atlanta Nashville Miami Lafayette New Orleans New Orleans New Orleans Atlanta

St FL FL FL GA LA FL LA GA TN FL LA LA LA LA GA

Att 2500 25.1K 875 2500 10.2K 19.7K 500 4240 3300

International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans - IFEBP International Association of Amusement Parks - IAAPA The Gerontological Society of America - GSA National Council of Teachers of English - NCTE Florida Chiropractic Association - FCA Winter Convention & Expo Athletic Business Conference & Expo Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation & Education - I/ITSEC The Running Event - IRRA National Workers’ Compensation & Disability Conf. & Expo International Work Boat Show Exhibit Designers and Producers Association - EDPA Southeast Natural Products Association - SOHO Coal-Gen POWER-GEN International

11/13 11/15 11/16 11/17 11/17 11/17 11/28 11/29 11/30 11/30 11/30 12/03 12/13 12/13

11/16 11/18 11/20 11/20 11/20 11/19 12/02 12/02 12/02 12/02 12/02 12/04 12/15 12/15

Orange County CC Orange County CC Sheraton Hotel Georgia World Congress Center Naples Grande Beach Resort Orange County CC Orange County CC Orange County CC Morial CC Morial CC Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Gaylord Palms Orange County CC Orange County CC

Orlando Orlando New Orleans Atlanta Naples Orlando Orlando Orlando New Orleans New Orleans Orlando Orlando Orlando Orlando

FL FL LA GA FL FL FL FL LA LA FL FL FL FL

6000 26.4K 3500 6500 1000 2400 15.8K 600 4200 14.8K 400 1700 2880 21.5K

Exh 150 1.1K 14 225 548 393 47 700 200

Industry Pollution Control Aerospace & Aviation Manufacturing Education Building & Construction Real Estate Medical & Healthcare Building & Construction Science Beauty & Healthcare 3500 100 35000 Petroleum, Oil & Plastics 900 100 10000 Medical & Healthcare 18.7K 442 101K Jewelry 13.6K 217 129K Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare 4400 1.2K 100 120 150 251 500 250 260 1K 90 375 208 1.3K

Nsf 23K 1M 1900 30000 155K 97394 4700 79600 90000

495K 12000 12000 53240 185K 22500 38500 218K 35000 30800 382K

Insurance Gaming & Entertainment Medical & Healthcare Education Medical & Healthcare Sporting Goods & Rec. Military Sporting Goods & Rec. Insurance Boats Exhibition & Meeting Ind. Food & Beverage Energy Energy

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

Answer: 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

AND

TWEET ON Join the conversation

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ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2016 85

Trade Show Calendar US SOUTHWEST

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

Show NFMT - Facility Management AAPEX - Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo SEMA Show Streaming Media West National Association for the Education of Young Children - NAEYC ONE UGM - Nextgen Healthcare Users Group Meeting Nursing Management Congress Computer Measurement Group - CMG American Ambulance Association American Academy of Optometry Society for Neuroscience - SfN California Association of Health Facilities - CAHF EVENTtech TechNet Asia-Pacific - AFCEA Diving Equipment & Marketing Association - DEMA FABTECH International/AWS Welding Show/Metalform Amer. Soc. of Reg. Anesthesia & Pain Medicine - ASRA Ann. Pain Medicine Meeting Los Angeles Auto Show International Association of Fairs & Expositions - IAFE AWS re:Invent - Amazon Web Services Association for Career & Technical Education - ACTE American Society of Hematology - ASH American Society of Health-System Pharmacists - ASHP Midyear International Council of Air Shows Annual Conv - ICAS National Agricultural Aviation Association - NAAA Expo!Expo! - International Association of Exhibitions & Events - IAEE Ground Water Expo - NGWA CVC West Travel Industry Exchange

Start 11/01 11/01 11/01 11/01 11/02 11/06 11/06 11/07 11/07 11/09 11/12 11/13 11/14 11/15 11/16 11/16 11/17 11/18 11/27 11/28 11/30 12/03 12/04 12/05 12/05 12/06 12/06 12/08 12/13

End 11/02 11/03 11/04 11/02 11/05 11/09 11/10 11/10 11/09 11/12 11/16 11/16 11/16 11/17 11/19 11/18 11/19 11/27 12/01 12/02 12/03 12/06 12/08 12/08 12/08 12/08 12/08 12/11 12/15

All Information Is Subject to Change*

Venue The Mirage Sands Expo Las Vegas CC Hyatt Regency Los Angeles CC Mandalay Bay Mirage Hotel Hyatt Regency Caesars Palace Anaheim CC San Diego CC Palm Springs CC Paris Las Vegas Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Las Vegas CC Las Vegas CC Hilton SD Bayfront Hotel Los Angeles CC Paris Las Vegas The Venetian Las Vegas CC San Diego CC Mandalay Bay CC Paris Las Vegas Long Beach CC Westgate Las Vegas San Diego CC Hilton San Diego Bayfront

City Las Vegas Las Vegas Las Vegas Huntington Beach Los Angeles Las Vegas Las Vegas La Jolla Las Vegas Anaheim San Diego Palm Springs Las Vegas Honolulu Las Vegas Las Vegas San Diego Los Angeles Las Vegas Las Vegas Las Vegas San Diego Las Vegas Las Vegas Long Beach Anaheim Las Vegas San Diego San Diego

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

Att 2000 175K 135K 6000 20K 4500 1400 800 750 5600 30K 1047 1600 4036 9815 25.9K 1100

Exh 200 2.3K 2.2K 125

56 80 23 75 168 573 216 65 158 644 1.2K 40 100 5000 300 112 5000 300 20.5K 272 17.1K 356 1500 325 1200 155 1449 269 5000 325 4000 200 3000 294

Nsf 21000 501K 998K

2300 10000 29500 102K 26700 7500 21411 146K 465K 5100 760K 35000 40000 117K 110K 26000 39100 69000 23000 70000

Industry Real Estate Automotive & Trucking Automotive & Trucking Communications Education Computers & Apps Medical & Healthcare Computers & Apps Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Exhibition & Meeting Ind. Military Sporting Goods & Rec. Welding Medical & Healthcare Automotive & Trucking Gaming & Entertainment Computers & Apps Education Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Aerospace & Aviation Agriculture & Farming Exhibition & Meeting Ind. Water Medical & Healthcare Travel Industry

• 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 86 NOVEMBER 2016 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

Classifieds

Show Site Supervisor, Sales & Project Management

PROJECT MANAGER: The Project Manager works closely with

RES Exhibit Services LLC is currently seeking smart, sales, design, manufacturing and waredynamic and creative candidates for several openings: SALES MANAGER: Responsible for converting new business maximizing the use of all RES services.

Meet/exceed stated annual sales goals and expected to contribute to overall sales initiatives. Primary responsibilities:

SHOW SITE SUPERVISOR:

house departments to meet or exceed the expectations of the client during their event or show within the timeframe and budget parameters. Primary Responsibilities:

Responsible for supervising and ensuring setups and takedowns in the field are executed in a cost effective, efficient manner that meets • Detail Entry and Pre-Show Planning. the requirements of the client. This • Project Planning and Transition of Job. position travels domestically on a • Identify new opportunities and ag• Show Delivery and Post Show Planning. frequent basis and must be able to gressively seeking prospective clients adjust workloads and tasks as rewithin assigned business segment A minimum of 5 years experience quired to support changes with ease and/or regional territory as directed in Project Management within the and confidence. This role involves by the company. construction and exhibit industries both supervision, administrative, and • Provide consultative services to required. Must be available to travel warehousing tasks. Primary responsiprospective clients to identify and regularly for tradeshows for several bilities include: develop market solutions that will days consecutively without issue. meet/exceed prospective client’s • Supervising and ensuring install and stated strategies and goals. dismantles in the field are executed • Coordinate and leverage company in an effective, cost efficient manner COMPANY PROFILE resources effectively throughout the that meets the requirements of the With over 40 years experience prosales process. clients budget. viding exhibit solutions, RES works • Oversee project estimation and • Review set up prints and bill of ladwith clients from around the world to design process to ensure proposed ings prior to the install of the exhibit. design and build exhibits that stop work meets the needs and budgets • Understanding and executing based customers — and potential customfor the prospective client. on the install and dismantle calendar, ers — in their tracks. RES offers an • Conduct presentations for clients showincluding daily milestones. unbeatable mix of experience, talent, casing RES’s capabilities, designs, and • Provide daily report of time, status integrity, quality and value. We are services. Profitably negotiate the final and photo on show site floor for proud to provide the best-in-class agreement. Close the sale. supervisor and other staff and labor exhibit solutions that not only compete • Demonstrate capabilities and efassisting with show set up. but surpass many larger firms. fective knowledge of RES products • Delivering the big picture and and services. overall goal.

To review a sample of RES’ eye-catch• Meet/exceed monthly sales forecasts. • Recognizing and understanding ing exhibits, events and permanent • Attend tradeshows to prospect for possible challenges. installations visit us at www.res-exnew business and penetrate existing • Always striving to over achieve the hibits.com and follow us on LinkedIn, relationships. daily tasks.

Twitter and Facebook.

• Efficiently, and in a cost effective • Recording accurate and organized manner, utilize all internal business information.

RES offers a competitive salary and development resources in support of comprehensive benefits package selling initiatives.

Requires Exhibit Industry experience including company holidays, Paid Time working for an exhibit house and super- Off, Health Insurance, Vision, Dental, Must have a minimum of 3 years sales vising crews on show site. Must be able 401(k), Life Insurance, Short-Term and experience selling exhibits and exhibit to travel at least 200 days per year.

Long-Term Disability and more. services. Must be available to travel regularly for tradeshows for several Apply direct to Sarah Fantauzzi, Vice President Human Resources: sfantauzzi@res-exhibits.com days consecutively without issue.

@ExhibitCityNews

ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2016 87

Classifieds

Trade Show Project Manager – CA and IN Group Delphi, the experience creation shop, produces immersive, thrilling experiences for audiences everywhere (from pop-ups to museums and beyond). As makers of wonder, awe, and connection, Delphi has been a recognized innovator for over twenty-five years in the experiential marketing space. Our client roster includes Apple, Nike, Pixar, Virgin, Medtronic, VMware, and many more. Our award-winning team of filmmakers, artists, videographers, builders, designers, producers and managers is truly world class. We’re 200 strong, we’re growing fast—and we need you.

Project Managers are primarily internal-facing and work with a production team of designers, builders, exhibit specialists, and others to build incredible exhibitory and find solutions to tough problems. They also work closely with a team of Account Managers and Experiential Marketing Consultants to meet and exceed our clients’ expectations. The world of a Project Manager is demanding, rewarding, and at times hectic – but never boring.

YOU’LL KNOW THE PROJECT MANAGER ROLE IS RIGHT FOR YOU IF YOU: • Have the ability to take a complex issue or task and break it down to its • simplest form.

• Can handle multiple projects while managing cross-functional teams.

• Take responsibility for finding solutions and enjoy creative problem-solving.

• Like to be challenged and are able to remain calm under pressure.

• Communicate proactively, confidently, and positively.

• Believe in quality and putting in whatever time is needed to get projects done.

• Have a strong Project Management background/understanding.

• Can identify and address issues in a clear, concise, and productive manner.

• Believe you can influence the world around you to bring about positive change.

• Desire to learn from those around you and a curiosity for the way things work.

• Are adaptable and flexible and want to join an organization that is as well.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THIS ROLE WILL INCLUDE: • Problem Solving – When Plans A, B, and C have failed, a Project Manager needs to already be ahead of the game with the next solution. A Project Manager is forward-looking, creative, and solutions-oriented.

• Communication – A Project Manager problem solves most effectively by proactively keeping everyone informed and collaborating together for solutions.

• Risk Management – A Project Manager stays ahead of the game by identifying aspects of a project that can go wrong and clarifying assumptions in order to avoid problems or ensure contingencies are in place.

• Scheduling – It’s critical that a Project Manager can plan but then adapt their plans to the changes or unknowns the team runs into as the project progresses.

Trade Show Labor Supervisor Exhibit house seeks experienced Field Services Supervisor for immediate full time employment to provide on-site supervision for set up and dismantle of trade show exhibits. Competitive salary and benefits.

More information available at www.starincorporated.com or by calling 847-695-2040. Apply in person or online.38W636 US Highway 20 Elgin, IL 60124 88 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

Production schedules are communicated to stakeholders within the organization and its important that schedules are updated and maintained.

• Project Management – A Project Manager at Group Delphi assists in the initiating and planning of and is fully engaged with executing, monitoring, and controlling the projects for their assigned clients.

We hire the smart, the passionate, the creative, and the bold; the Project Manager will be no exception. Our ideal candidate must be able to demonstrate aptitude in the specified areas below. This will be considered when choosing the best applicant for this position.

• Two years minimum of experience in the trade show, museum or theatrical environment. Accredited PMP credential may suffice for two years of experience.

• Undergraduate degree in related fields (Architecture, Industrial Design, Technical Direction, Stage Management Exhibit Design, Project Management, etc.).

• Some level of training or continuing education classwork related to the Project Management field.

WHAT WE OFFER: • Competitive salary and great healthcare benefits including dental and vision.

• A creative, innovative, and positive culture where people are encouraged to be themselves.

• Meaningful career development and training.

• Locations: Alameda, CA and Fort Wayne, IN Apply at www.groupdelphi.com/jobs

Classifieds

CAD Detailing, Solid Works/AutoCAD Job Type: Full-time Facilities/Opportunities: Detroit, MI; Atlanta, GA; Las Vegas, NV; Chicago, IL The role of the Project Engineer is to develop and produce highly detailed fabrication and assembly drawings for shop construction of Aluminum Extrusions, Round Tubing, 2D CNC, Millwork, and Steel.

This person will collaborate with estimating, project management team and manufacturing to bring conceptual ideas into detailed and accurate production plans.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: • Gather design information in order to meet design objectives.

• Assist project team interpreting drawings throughout project life cycle.

• Work with project team to determine and incorporate “Value Engineering” ideas.

• Perform necessary site evaluation, measurements, and documentation required for drawing development.

• Create production ready fabrication drawings and assembly instructions.

• Generate space plans and custom fabrication details for trade show exhibits.

• Manipulating existing drawings and properties.

• Amending layouts including electrical and other service requirements.

• Engineer displays using aluminum extrusion systems.

• Develop crating and trailer load studies, Develop weight studies.

• Check drawings to make sure they meet facility rules and restrictions.

• Organize electronic files to ensure the current versions are in use.

• Prepare various prints or files for a variety of needs, such as plans for Fire Marshall or Structural Engineer review and approval • Collaborate with contracted engineering firms for exhibit structural analysis and safety issues.

• Generate 3-dimensional computer models from design intent documents.

• CNC part extraction, layout, and programming.

• Perform drawing maintenance, including updates, revisions, and development of as-built record documents when required.

• Meet with production team for hand-off meetings.

• Meet with setup personnel to verify setup procedures.

• Research new materials and fabrication methods.

• Maintain engineering project database.

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EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: • Preferred Education: Minimum of an Associate Degree or training in an Architectural, Mechanical drafting or Computer Aided Drawing (CAD) field of study from a college or trade school.

• Minimum 2-years of direct work experience in an Architectural or Mechanical drafting capacity as it relates to the event and tradeshow industry. Must demonstrate proficiency using AutoCAD 2014 or greater. SolidWorks proficiency is an advantage.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES: • Exhibit, Display and Event Industry related experience a plus.

• Knowledge of basic production techniques, how parts are designed and engineered so the final assembly is accurate and easily constructed.

• Understanding of architectural, structural, mechanical and electrical disciplines and capability of coordinating with these disciplines.

• Critical thinking and problem solving skills.

• Strong mathematical skills. Strong written and oral communication skills.

• Proficiency using the Microsoft Office; Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint.

• Experience at working both independently and in team-oriented, collaborative environment is essential.

• Able to effectively adjust to shifting priorities, demands and timelines.

• Analytical and problem-solving capabilities.

• Reacts to project adjustments and alterations promptly and efficiently.

• Strong interpersonal skills.

• Adept at conducting research into project related issues and products.

• Must be able to learn, understand, and apply new technologies.

• Ability to effectively prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment is crucial.

• Interpret written information in a variety of formats, including such documents as manuals, graphs, reports and schedules.

• Experience using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop a benefit.

WORK CONDITIONS: • Up to date software and computer systems.

• High pace environment with variety in projects.

• Overtime (or ability to work irregular hours) may be required to meet project deadlines.

• Some travel may be required.

Please submit resumes to JTallman@tectonics.com.

ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2016 89

Classifieds

Project Management Manager Orbus, a leading Custom Modular Exhibit Manufacturing and Tradeshow Supply company, located in the Midwest, seeks a full-time PM Manager to lead and manage our front end operations.

This individual would be responsible for managing the project management and detailing teams that are responsible for producing details required for our production teams to manufacture custom modular exhibits, as well as managing our teams that provide instructions for our clients for on-site installation.

This individual should have a minimum of 5 successful years of experience managing project management teams of 10+ people.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES • Must have the ability to hire, train, mentor and motivate current and future team members • Manage the scheduling of workload through teams • Ensure all team deadlines are met • Work with other departments such as sales and production to facilitate smooth project fulfillment • Work with other department heads to facilitate cross-departmental training • Develop and implement departmental processes and procedures • Develop and implement departmental metrics for overall evaluation on a per individual and per project basis • Improve overall quality and accuracy of team output, based upon those quantifiable metrics

REQUIREMENTS (SKILLS & EXPERIENCE) * Must have a minimum of 5 successful years of experience managing project management teams of 10+ people • Must be an excellent team player that works well within their department and others • Must be enthusiastic and an excellent communicator and motivator • Must be proficient with the Microsoft suite of products • Must have a proficient understanding of a company’s P & L and how their team’s contribution affects that • Must be a detail oriented individual with exceptional organizational skills • CAD experience not a requirement, but would be beneficial • Tradeshow / Exhibit manufacturing not a requirement, but would be beneficial • Must be willing to relocate to work out of our Midwest facility This is an opportunity to join a high-performing team in a dynamic and exponentially growing company.

Please send resumes to: hr@orbus.com

WANTED: A conscientious sales representative intimately acquainted with experiential marketers, event producers & retail brands, seasoned in the art of bridge-building, and able to take our company deeper into these industries we serve. •• We are Xylem Design, a Colorado-based custom manufacturer of specialty displays and exhibit components. Designing and building for 30 years, everything we do is firmly based on our guiding values: Continuous Improvement, Respect, and Mind-Blowing Service.

Our commitment to serving our customers with these values has set us apart in the industry and fuels our growth. •• To learn a little more about us, watch this brief albeit under-produced video I recently made. http://tiny.cc/xkgtey We know we’re looking for a unicorn (an available, well-connected sales rep with a soul?!) and if that’s you, give me a call today at 970690-2833! Greg Glebe, Founder & CEO

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

90 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

To place a classified ad, contact Kathy Anaya: Please contact us for details: klandrum@exhibitrac.com or call 702-824-9651 ext. 700

Call (702) 309-8023 or Email: KathyA@ExhibitCityNews.com

Classifieds

3D Graphics Designer As an Experience Designer with IMI Exhibits will include designing graphic and structural elements for tradeshow environments and exhibits.

You will generate solutions to the creative challenges that our internal and external customers face in the fastest-paced, highest volume market in the country.

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE: • Creative and enthusiastic about design.

• Well-versed in exhibit concepts.

• Able to articulate design concepts to clients, account executives, design team, and all other relevant branch departments.

• Organized and able to manage multiple assignments at once.

• A team player ‘ willing to lead or follow as the project demands.

• Customer service oriented.

• Create 3D designs and exhibits.

• Prepare presentation renderings, digital presentations or sample boards.

• Meet with and present to clients and account executives.

• Develop original concepts from client notes and requirements.

• Keep current with design trends and research.

• Maintain familiarity with modular systems and custom fabrication techniques.

REQUIREMENTS: • At least four (4) years’ experience in the tradeshow industry, designing exhibits, tradeshow environments, and/or corporate events.

• Possess solid skills in Adobe CS applications, AutoCAD, 3DS MAX.

EDUCATION: • High School Diploma/GED Required.

• Bachelor’s Degree in exhibit design, environmental design, set design, or related field preferred.

Salary-Depending on experience with benefits.

Please send resumes to:hr@imi-usa.com

@ExhibitCityNews

Mueller International Exhibit Services Inc. is looking for an independent sales executive to expand its US based business

We are a medium-sized international builder with headquarters in Freiburg Germany, and US office and shop in Orlando, FL. We have designed and built award winning exhibits up to 40,000 sq. in Germany, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, China, Italy, France, Spain, Brazil and the US. Currently we are in the process to expand our US branch. Therefor we are looking for a self-motivated sales executive or broker.

IF YOU: • have least 8-10 years of sales experience in the industry with an existing clientele • are familiar with our industry, have knowledge of locations, the difficulty of some venues and the ups on others • prefer the freedom to work from wherever you like to?

Then this is your chance.

WE OFFER: • Support with fast and innovative designs, some can be done with in 24 hours!

• Estimates / sales proposal that follow with in 24 hours • Almost 24/7 technical support for changes, designs and technical questions • Great online tools, brochures, impressive client lists and references • High standards of building quality through superbly tooled and staffed shops • Global support team • Over 38 years of experience in the industry and deep roots in Germany as well as the US and Canada • Compensation on percentage based commission so we all have a chance to win.

Don’t hesitate to contact us: Erik Keever: ek@international-exhibit-services.com or Sven Grosse: sg@international-exhibit-services.com

ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2016 91

INDUSTRY SERVICE GUIDE

On Location For more than 25 years, On Location has provided nationwide labor and management services for exhibits, events and environments that deliver a positive Return on Experience for its customers - on time and on budget. As a leading I&D company, highly trained and experienced employees help clients develop a custom plan, adapting comprehensive processes to fit the client’s unique business needs and providing continuity of hands-on service before, during and after each event. www.onlocationind.com

Attorney-at-Law

Consulting Trade Shows from One Country to the Next A new book written by past IFES & EDPA PresidentLarry Kulchawik Trade Shows from One Country to the Next...

A guide to recalculating your thinking when marketing in multiple countries “Trade Shows from One Country to the Next” delves into international marketing, with a focus specifically on global trade show differences and distinctions. Rather than concentrate on details about marketing per se, this book focuses on the needed adjustments-mental, physically and otherwise-when marketing a product/service through tradeshows from one country to the next. Although dedicated to trade show exhibit architecture and behavior, much of the information contained in this book also speaks to effective communication skills required when spending a week or less marketing a product in a foreign country. After forty-three years in the international trade show arena, the author shares his thoughts and the comments obtained from world-wide experts in the countries outlined. No one person or company is the expert everywhere in the world. There is no right way or wrong way-there is only a different way.

This book will appeal to not only exhibit managers, show organizers, venues, and exhibit suppliers, but to those who market anything on a global scale. Effective communication is key! $17.95

International trade show marketing requires a recalculation of thinking when exhibiting globally.

This book points out the country differences for exhibiting abroad.

A review of the venues, rules, regulations, exhibit styles, labor issues, and cultural differences for exhibiting in 45 countries.

Whether you are organizing an international trade show or working it, your awareness of cultural differences can make or break your success at global trade shows.

There is no right way, there is no wrong way, there is only a different way.

Respect and understand what is different to avoid surprises and ensure exhibit success.

Available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or direct through Exhibit City News. www.larrykulchawik.com

Exhibits

92 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

Exhibits

INDUSTRY SERVICE GUIDE

P.O.P. Exhibits Inc. P.O.P. Exhibits Inc. designs and produces trade show exhibits, point-of-purchase displays and mall kiosks. Clients include: Alaska Air, Amazon.com, Absolut Vodka, AOL, British Airways, Motorola, NASA.gov, Pepsi, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Army and the U.S. Interior Department.

Exhibits

Exhibits & Events

Exhibits & Events

BOOK BUSINESS WITH YOUR AD HERE Contact sales for details: 702-309-8023 ext. 105 sales@exhibitcitynews.com

@ExhibitCityNews

ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2016 93

INDUSTRY SERVICE GUIDE

Plastic Man Inc. Since 1985 Plastic Man Inc. has been in Las Vegas area providing the ultimate in Custom Acrylic/Wood Fabrication. From designs, fabrication, graphics to final installation our extensive experience gives high quality service. Our Custom Fabrication has been servicing Las Vegas Casinos, commercial, industrial and retail which truly makes us an industry leader.

Exhibits & Events

Event Management

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

Event Production

BOOK BUSINESS WITH YOUR AD HERE

Upstate NY

Montpelier, VT

Contact sales for details: 702-309-8023 ext. 105 sales@exhibitcitynews.com

Concord, NH

Boston, MA Worcester, MA SpringďŹ eld, MA

Hartford, CT

Providence, RI

94 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

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

INDUSTRY SERVICE GUIDE

JasperWorks Exhibits Services JasperWorks Exhibits Services is a Salt Lake City based I&D company specializing in partnering specifically with national I&D companies to service their clientele, projects and events in Utah and the surrounding regions including Idaho and Wyoming.

Established in 1996 by founder, Tory Clayton, JasperWorks has cultivated a reputation of reliability and integrity along with being regarded as a company that offers a knowledgeable, skillful and professional influence on the show floor. So if you don’t have an office in Salt Lake City, give us a call. We’ll put the pieces together for you!

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Exhibit Software

Exhibit Staffing & Talent

Furniture

Lighting

ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2016 95

INDUSTRY SERVICE GUIDE 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.

BOOK BUSINESS WITH YOUR AD HERE Contact sales for details: 702-309-8023 ext. 105 sales@exhibitcitynews.com Chicago | Atlanta | Boston | Dallas | Las Vegas | Los Angeles | New Jersey

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

Logistics

Logistics

Nail Salon

Off-Road Racing

DRIVE A RACE TRUCK IN THE LAS VEGAS DESERT

IN THE LAS VEGAS DESERT

www.vore.com 855.GET.VORE 96 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

INDUSTRY SERVICE GUIDE Printing

Tradeshow Furnishings

• 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

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

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

Tradeshow Leads

ROO

Tradeshow List

ROI $

ROE

TRADESHOW LEADS TO SALES.COM Proving Tradeshow Value Since 1986

ORGANIZERSFor Your Exhibitors EXHIBITORSFor Your Career SUPPLIERSFor Your Salespeople

www.TradeshowLeadsToSales.com Tree Removal

Tradeshow Photography

exhibit and event experience photography

10% OFF

www.cjphotog.com

ECN10

Las Vegas, Nevada 218 - 209 - 1466 corey@cjphotog.com

PROMO CODE

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ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2016 97

ADVERTISERS

Advertiser Index A-Z 27

Eggworks

77

Prism Tradeshow Lighting

19

7

Employco

15

Rosemont – RES

60

100

Exposystems

78

Sho-Aids

79

63

Freshwata

5

SRS Fabrication

79

beMatrix

2

Group Delphi

17

Step 1 Dezigns

55

Brumark

71

Highmark

66

Storage West

55

Champion Logistics

59

Hill & Partners

79

Super Bright LED

69

Charlie Palmer

73

Horizon Print Solution

86

Sunset Transportation

80

Coastal International

21

Joe’s New York Pizza

76

Willwork

Cobo Center

63

Larry Kulchawik Consulting

65

Color Reflections

99

Momentum Management

Corporate Communications

67

NewGen Business Solutions

51

Corporate Events

59

Nolan Advisory

57

Cort

34

Nomadic

54

D.E. McNabb

13

Octanorm, USA, Inc.

53

Dolomite

68

Onsite Services

67

Orbus

33

253, Inc. 4 Productions Aluvision Angles on Design

EDPA Foundation

9, 65

3

FOR ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES Contact sales: 702-309-8023 ext. 105 sales@exhibitcitynews.com 98 NOVEMBER 2016 Exhibit City News

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LED Light Walls

Displays and Furniture

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> Duluth > GA 30097 > O: (470)-252-3500 > info@aluvision.com > www.aluvision.com