Exhibit City News - September/October 2017 by Exhibit City News

HAMILTON EXHIBITS CELEBRATES 70TH ANNIVERSARY

September/October 2017 • VOL. 23 • ISSUE 5

TRADE SHOW IMAGES Veteran Photographer John Staley Captures the Convention Circuit’s Scene and Stories

FIGHTING PIRATES: AN EXHIBITOR’S PROPERTY RIGHTS PRIMER

From Hot Dog Cart to Hustle Con Orbus’ Boot Camp Training Leads to Business Building US $6 CAN $8

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A Place To Multiply A principled life multiplies. In Jeremiah 29, God uses this principle to encourage his people to live a fruitful life by multiplying their families, businesses, and activity within their community. He is explaining that multiplying and prospering is not about us as individuals; it’s about serving others. Momentum follows this unique approach to encourage its employees to realize their potential. This potential is born out of a servant leader’s heart to always bring the very best to our customers. In an industry where service is the absolute necessity of success, we strive each and every day to create the best experience imaginable for our exhibit house partners.

Momentum made a decision to focus on exhibit houses exclusively and remains a focused company; meaning all we do every day is work on making our labor services better. We’re not distracted by trying to service everybody or cultivate dreams of being something that we’re not. What we strive to be is the country’s best labor services company serving the exhibit house community in our industry coast to coast. We get up every morning with that goal fixated in our minds. Therefore, again, we return to the original theme we introduced earlier this year of gratitude. We are so grateful for the opportunity that so many of you have given us to serve you. Perhaps this explains some of the incredible growth that we’ve experienced over these wonderful 25 years. Blessings, Randy Bott

Matthew 6:33 As we continue to celebrate our 25th anniversary this year, I invite you to contact me directly to share any notes, memories, comments, feedback or questions to 25years@momentummgt.com. We are excited to grow alongside you in the future.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS HAMILTON EXHIBITS CELEBRATES 70TH ANNIVERSARY

September/October 2017 • VOL. 23 • ISSUE 5

TRADE SHOW IMAGES

Fighting Pirates An Intellectual Property Rights Primer for Exhibitors

Veteran Photographer John Staley Captures the Convention Circuit’s Scene and Stories

From Hot Dog Cart to Media Mogul Company Springboards to Success with Hustle Con

FIGHTING PIRATES: AN EXHIBITOR’S PROPERTY RIGHTS PRIMER

From Hot Dog Cart to Hustle Con

Orbus’ Boot Camp Training Leads to Business Building US $6 CAN $8

Hamilton Exhibits Celebrates 70th Anniversary

EXHIBITCITYNEWS.COM

On our cover: Veteran trade show photographer John Staley has logged more than 1.3 million miles in the last two-plus decades, a testament to his profession as an art form. Cover Photo by: Les Kamens/John Staley Photo

Set to Celebrate this Fall

Shop to Showfloor Section I&D and Event Labor

Feature Story

22-25

Demystifying Exorbitant Material Handling Rates

Have Camera, Will Travel The Trade Show Images of John Staley

The Truth Behind it

Columns

The JLG Booth at ConExpo 2017

As the Saw Turns

Really Wowed The Crowd!

A Bigger Boat

The Green Piece Laugh in a Northern Town -- Part 2

Employment Strategy Corner Unfilled Positions Can Cost You Real Money

The International Man IFES World Summit - Montpellier, France

Ask the Expert

The Hunter Heritage Hallway Adcraft’s Custom Fabrication and Installation

Orbus’ Two-Day Boot Camp Training Leads to Business Building

US Organizers Meet Global Venues

MPI’s 2017 World Education Congress Wins Big in Las Vegas

Opportunities for Growth Internationally

Departments

Aluvision:

8 Publisher’s Words 10 The Snapshot 52 AIPC 54 International Focus 64 Regional Focus 68 Convention Center Spotlight 78 People on the Move 82 The D.E.A.L. 86 Regional Show Calendar 93 Service Guide 100 Classified Ads 105 Advertiser Index 6 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

Continuous Innovation Paves the Way to Success

The Experience Transportation Agency Putting the Passion Back Into Transportation

A New Kind of Hospice Care Nevada Hospice Care Sets the Standards for the Future

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PUBLISHER’S WORDS

Greetings to readers everywhere!

hile the tradeshow and event workforce prepares for the remaining four months of projects across the nation, it’s also time for the kids to get back to their studies. And with the economy running in high gear, our industry is running strong and work is plentiful. Besides our regular features, columns and calendar, the must read content in this issue includes … Cynthya Porter’s advice on how exhibit managers can work to protect their intellectual assets both in the US and abroad (see page 26) in “Fighting Pirates- An Intellectual Property Rights primer for Exhibitors.” Lesley Martin’s “Demystifying Exorbitant Material Handling Rates, The Truth Behind it” (see page 38). “Orbus’ Two-day Boot Camp Training, Leads to Business Building” (see page 48). And Jim Obermeyer shares details on Indianapolis, Ind., based Hamilton Exhibits as they prepare to celebrate their 70th Anniversary (see page 32). I’ll see everyone again with the upcoming holiday edition in November. Meanwhile, I’ll see everyone in the digital world with … The Don and Mike Show! Now a weekly podcast, I have partnered up with industry veteran Mike Morrison of WS Display to record and

CSAL

CONVENTION SERVICES ASSOCIATION

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8 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

PUBLISHER Donald V. Svehla Jr. 702-309-8023 ext.102 DonS@exhibitcitynews.com EDITOR Arthur J. Bloberger 702-309-8023 ext.103 ArthurB@exhibitcitynews.com

produce a new episode each and every week. Be sure to sign up to be part of the industry conversation. We have just completed our fourth podcast episode! Have a listen at https://soundcloud. com/user-763433310. Gone, but Not Forgotten: Andrew J. Deacy, Chicago Carpenters Local #10, born September 7, 1963 … died July 27, 2017. Andy was a tradeshow carpenter for approximately 30 years. I remember way back then when I brought him into the local. Andy had one of the most creative minds of anyone I ever met. It is extremely sad to see alcohol take away yet another soul. Please use these real world examples to push us to help those in need of help. The Randy Smith Memorial Golf Outing: A reminder to give … now that nearly a years’ worth of feeder events across our nation have taken place … the 23rd Annual RSMGC takes place north of Atlanta at Chateau Elan again this year on Friday, October 13. https://rsmgc. org/atlanta/sign-up-to-sponsor/

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 Samanta Arjune Brian Baker Arthur Bloberger Jeanne Brei Amber Johnson Larry Kulchawik Lesley Martin Jim Obermeyer Cynthya Porter Tim Sitek DIRECTOR OF SALES Kathy Anaya 702-309-8023 ext. 105 KathyA@exhibitcitynews.com CIRCULATION Samanta Arjune 702-309-8023 ext. 110 SamantaA@exhibitcitynews

Don Svehla | Publisher

Vol. 23, issue 5, copyright 2017 by EXHIBIT CITY NEWS, published six times a year by Mr. Tradeshow Communications, LLC, 1675 E. Desert Inn Rd., Las Vegas, NV 89169. Editorial views presented within this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher and no liability is inherent. To subscribe, go to ExhibitCityNews.com or call (702)309-8023. Reproduction/reuse of this material may only be permitted with expressed permission of Exhibit City News. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to location listed above.

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THE SNAPSHOT

Javits Center Location: 11th Avenue between West 34th and West 40th Sts. in Manhattan, NY Year Opened: 1986 New York Convention Center Operating Corporation President and CEO Alan Steel recently announced the issuance of the Javits Center’s first-ever Sustainability Report, which outlines the efforts to green the largest convention center in New York. The report details a host of sustainable initiatives implemented there, including a significant reduction in the building’s energy consumption and the creation of a wildlife sanctuary. Since 2014, 26 bird species have been observed on or near the Javits Center’s 6.75-acre green roof, the second largest of its kind in the United States, proving its status as a home for area wildlife in NYC. The green roof also has demonstrated the capability of reducing storm water runoff. Data collected so far indicate that the green roof is capable of retaining up to 7 million gallons of storm water on an annual basis. By creating a wildlife habitat and reducing the carbon footprint through PLUS! comprehensive energy manageWhere to eat, ment, the Javits Center has quicksleep and play ly become an inspiration to other near Javits convention centers and buildings on p. 68 throughout the country, Known as the “Marketplace for the World,” the iconic facility has since become NYC’s primary venue for large conventions, many of the world’s top 250 trade shows and special events, hosting millions of visitors a year. The Javits Center has 840,000 sq. ft. of flexible exhibition space, 102 meeting rooms and four banquet halls, as well as a range of technology services. For more information and to read the entire Sustainability Report, please visit www. javitscenter.com.

ExhibitCityNews.com September/October 2017 11

COLUMN As the Saw Turns

A Bigger Boat

n 1987, I bought my first boat; a 19-foot open bow runabout. The boat came before our first dog, before our first child. Over the next 30 years – until this year – it was the only boat I’ve owned. We raised two kids with that By Jim Obermeyer boat – and entertained countless I like this new boat. I like friends that joined us on so it a lot. But it has taken me many water skiing vacations. a while to learn how to pilot Over the course of that time, it accurately – to approach as I captained that boat on rough water, to negotiate so many different lakes and those narrow passages, to rivers and open waterways, I dock it with precision. It is a learned how to pilot it through learning process; almost like rough water, storms, narrow learning to captain a boat all passageways, strong current over again. and could dock it and trailer it I’ve had a similar experiwith precision. When I turned ence in my professional life as the wheel, it responded imme- well. Close to 20 years ago a diately. When I hit the throtbusiness partner and I started tle, it moved instantly. Getting a trade show marketing firm. it to go where I wanted it to go It was the two of us and one became second nature to me. salesman, based in an unfinBut that all changed when ished basement of a friend’s I finally bought a new boat. A event marketing firm. bigger boat: longer, wider, more Nine months into it 9/11 powerful. A different boat to pichanged the tradeshow lot. A whole new set of circumindustry, and the economy, stances to learn. And it didn’t dramatically. But we survived. react the same as my smaller When we had to make tough boat. When I turn the wheel, it decisions on the direction of takes longer to make the change the company, the company in direction. When I punch the (as few of us as we were) rethrottle, it takes longer to plane sponded immediately. When out. It just takes longer to react the economy improved and to all of my input. we started to grow, and hit

12 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

the accelerator on business growth, the team responded. And when the recession hit, and tough decisions were a daily matter, the company was able to respond, and we endured. Getting this company to go where we wanted it to became second nature to us. But that all changed when the business was sold and I went to work for a new company. A much larger company. As the leader for a growing sales, marketing and new business development team, located in three different cities, this was a whole new set of circumstances for me to learn. I needed to learn the systems and processes and figure out the best way to move this organization in the direction we think it needs to go. It takes a little longer to affect change. I like this new company. I like it a lot. But it has taken me a while to learn how to lead it with accuracy – to

create a sales environment poised for growth, to fashion a marketing message that builds on the tremendous history of the company and to generate energy in a new business development program to carry us to the next level of growth. Not unlike learning to pilot my new boat, learning to lead this team is a process. It takes some time; it takes some energy, and it takes a passion for what you are doing. Whether I’m cruising down the lake or on this journey with my team, I want to master this process as soon as I can, and limit the number of bumps and bruises along the way. 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

Laugh in a Northern Town – Part 2

ou may remember pany operates based on many that back in June, principles derived from the art we visited the city of form of improvisation, and one Minneapolis and its one-of-aof those principles is to take kind entertainment and event what you have, make it bigger destination, Brave New Work- and better, and give it back. shop (BNW). Begun in 1958 That is a perfect philosophy to by veteran circus performer fuel our goal to not only create and the father of improv undeniably positive, transforcomedy, Dudley Riggs, BNW mational experiences for our is celebrating its 20th year customers now, but also to under the direction of Jenni innovate and create a model Lilledahl and John Sweeney, that would allow our company artist-entrepreneurs who are to continue doing so for many preserving and promoting years to come.” the genre of improvisational Project 824 is BNW’s phicomedy while also honlosophy in action. Through oring Riggs’ legacy as a this initiative, BNW conservationist. waives rental fees for We last discussed events organized by a BNW’s unique, menagerie of individfour-part business uals and social entermodel and two iconic prises whose goal is By Haley Freeman downtown Minneto showcase innoapolis buildings that house vative ideas, help humanity its operations and also serve solve pressing problems and as sustainable event venues. create a better world. In this edition, we will rejoin Imaretska continued, “A our conversation with BNW’s perfect example of a Project Chief Innovation Officer, 824 was a three-day nationElena Imaretska, and explore al convening to reinvent the many ways in which the child welfare organized by a company is contributing to a forward-looking non-profit sustainable community. called ALIA (www.aliainYou may recall BNW’s credo: novations.org), which con“We, the Brave New Citizens, vened 100 innovators both stay true to the Brave New from the child-welfare space Workshop’s mission to invoke and outside with the goal of laughter, provoke thought and designing a system that helps incite transformation, while kids thrive. IDEO [internaremaining honestly profittional design and consulting able, socially responsible, and firm] led the design process, environmentally conscious. and it was an incredible event We strive to always positivewhich utilized all our spaces ly impact our organization’s and resulted in 22 revised stakeholders, innovate tireprototypes, a draft of six core lessly, and lead progress in our principles that will guide the industry and our community.” design work moving forward Imaretska said, “Our comand 100-plus people who

14 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

connected and started a movement which will create real change.” (www.aliainnovations. org/10of10forkids/) The teamwork, self-expression and ingenuity intrinsic to BNW diffuse to the surrounding community, resulting in philanthropic initiatives beyond counting. Scholarships and outreach programs sponsored by BNW’s Student Union benefit adults and children alike, including kids with special needs and those in the judicial system, by helping them to improve communication and build self-confidence through play. BNW also hosts something called Happy Hour Squared. Every third Thursday, people gather at BNW, where they hand-make 2,000 sandwiches in two hours. Then, local philanthropist Allan Law, aka “The Sandwich Man,” fills his van and delivers them to people in need. So far, BNW has prepared nearly 100,000 sandwiches. Three years ago, BNW opened a local chapter of Gilda’s Club, a national cancer support organization named for former Saturday Night Live comedian, Gilda Radner. Since opening the doors, BNW has helped thousands of area residents with free services spanning support groups, healthy lifestyles initiatives, education and social events. BNW also embraces opportunities to host events with an environmental focus. For example, BNW hosted the first ever Sustainability in Theater conference, a blended virtual and live event that gathered

theater industry practitioners for discussion about the environmental impact of theater and ideas for reinventing the way theater is funded and managed. (http://minnesotatheateralliance.org/sit/about.php) Check out two more sustainable events at BNW: »» Eureka Recycling Zero Waste Summit (www.eurekarecycling. org/zero-waste-summit) »» Net Impact Minneapolis (https:// netimpactminneapolis.org/) Imaretska beautifully summed up the spirit that drives this organization of uncommon character: “Creating meaningful experiences for event attendees is a powerful way to spark and support change. A well-executed, intentional green event can teach and inspire very effectively by showing and immersing the participant in what a sustainable way of living can be, what the way forward should be. Having a visceral experience, feeling, doing, are all ways we human beings learn and remember, so to me the green events community has a tremendous opportunity to not only transform an industry, but transform the world.” (www. bravenewworkshop.com)

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COLUMN Employment Strategy Corner

Unfilled Positions Can Cost You Real Money

fter many years in the employment, recruitment and staffing profession---and as founder and president of the search firm Kemper Associates, I am amazed to find how many companies perform in a damage control and seat-of-the-pants fashion in many everyday business operations. Yes, it is true. This is especially so in a company’s staffing and recruiting activities. We react to circumstances, rather than plan a strategy designed to control our company’s destiny through careful staff planning. It’s time to get very practical. Let’s examine how much it costs to delay filling the open positions in your company. We’re going to find it’s expensive to procrastinate in hiring. Yes, the open desk, cubicle, or office within your company, represents money lost every day. Each hour a chair remains unfilled, customers and prospects go uncalled, questions go unanswered, orders go untaken, projects are understaffed, expensive free-lancers are used, and new efficiencies go undiscovered. Let’s calculate the cost of unfilled positions Don’t be put off or scared by the few minutes of very basic math we will use in the next few paragraphs, as we work to show just how much we lose when one of our positions is left unfilled for long. The results will surprise you, and be worth it, I assure you. By assuming that each current employee has a positive revenue impact, which they should, it is easy to calculate an average minimum baseline cost of each of your open positions. Use the following values in the two-step calculation below. 16 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

One way of determining if you should invest more in recruiting for such a position is to determine if different recruiting tactics lead to filling this position faster, and if the cost of that is By Philip H. Kemper less than the cost of leaving this position open then you need to get on trying to get that opening filled. For example, let’s say that in a cerIt’s easy to see the money lost in other tain department the daily revenue per businesses on things like unrented apart- employee is $500 and the department ments, unfilled airline seats or unsold hires for five positions per year. If the produce at the local market. Although it department was able to invest more in may be tempting to disagree, open posirecruiting strategy and shave five days off tions in our companies represent a very recruiting per position, this would save similar, lost revenue opportunity. the company $12,500 in lost potential revenue per employee. Meaning it would Set your lost revenue limit be in the company’s best interest to Do not be deceived into thinking your spend more on recruiting to make a hire open position has no real value. Do the quicker. Here’s where using an employabove calculation and then identify an ment specialist makes sense. acceptable future loss level. For example, These numbers often go unrealized if step two revealed that your daily revwhen a position is open, but they can enue per employee is $300, and you are help you to build a case against keeping ok with future lost revenue of $10,000, a position open too long. It is important you have about 33 days to fill your open you realize the money that can be saved position, $10,000 divided by $300 when you incorporate the right solution equals 33.33 days. into your recruiting efforts. The right recruiting solution, including the proper Cost of open position use of contract professionals, not only versus recruiting spend brings in quality candidates when you Of course, different positions have need then, but it improves your compadifferent costs per day based on how ny’s bottom line in the process. much revenue that role brings in to the organization. Some positions, realistiPhilip Kemper is Founder/President of Kemcally, cost a company more to leave open perAssociates, a 40-year-old Chicago-based than others, and many companies more national executive search firm. Phil can be actively recruit for these positions based contacted online at kemperassociates.org or on this increased cost-per-opening. kemperassoc@hotmail.com. R = Annual company revenue E = Number of employees Step one – Calculate Revenue per Employee R / E = Revenue per Employee Step two – Calculate Daily Revenue per Employee Revenue per Employee/365 = Daily Revenue per Employee

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COLUMN The International Man

Left, IFES presented the Roger Taurant Award to Holgar Nicolaysen/Denmark, IFES president, 2003-2005, for his outstanding contributions and dedication to the IFES. Above, IFES President Voicu Sferdianu/Romania welcomes all to Montpellier!

IFES World Summit - Montpellier, France Connecting a Small World with New Trade Routes

or me, attending from 19 countries. The an IFES conholiday atmosphere ference always was mixed with an provides a new excellent three day experience as well business program as an opportunity to of guest speakers By Larry Kulchawik meet new country and timely topics. associates and refresh relaA conference of this nature tionships with old friends. always serves to recharge This year’s IFES conferyour batteries and to uncover ence in Montpellier, France new thoughts about topics provided the warmth of a that you thought you knew all French beachside with the about, but did not. tastes of good food and fine Memberships in any inwine shared among friends dustry association are much 18 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

more valuable when you take the time to participate in their events. There is no better way to discuss industry issues and to network with old and new associates than by attending a meeting of this nature-especially when far from your home. This year’s IFES conference delivered new information, new members, and networking/friendship opportunities with a French twist. For me, the highlight was a sunset din-

ner with friends at a French vineyard serenaded by my favorite music-the Gypsy Kings. Next year’s IFES Summit will be held in my kinda townChicago is. This will surely provide a different kind of experience with equal value in a different color. The IFES mission to unite for the sake of the customers we serve lives strong. Thank you to the IFES staff and sponsors who made this event a memorable experience!

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COLUMN Ask the Expert

MPI’s 2017 World Education Congress Wins Big in Las Vegas

eeting Professionals pated. Approximately 55 perInternational, one cent of the registered attendof the largest meetees were planners and nearly ing and event industry 70 percent in attendance associations worldwere MPI members. wide, scored big with This conference is its World Education also important from Congress (WEC) education point of recently held in Las view, giving attendBy Calanit Atia Vegas. With a commuees an opportunity to nity of 60,000 meeting and grow. MPI is very strong on event professionals including education delivered over 70 17,000 members and chapters education sessions. Michael and clubs in 19 countries, this Cerbelli’s: The Hot List: 2017 conference is one of the highluncheon was two hours of lights of those in the industry. entertainment while getting The organization provides introduced to new event ideas innovative and relevant educa- and services. tion, networking opportunities MPI Exchange Room, a and business exchanges, and smaller scale of IMEX America, acts as a prominent voice for which is its strategic partner, is the promotion and growth of a place where planners, attendthe industry. Paul Van Deees and suppliers were able venter, president and CEO of to meet on a more intimate MPI, along with Brian Stevens, setting. It was a very casual CEO of ConferenceDirect and atmosphere where everyone the 2017 Chair of the MPI Incould come in-between sesternational Board of Directors sions and catch up about their are top professionals whom day. The most popular area was are truly committed to the the puppy cuddling booth and success of the organization. the headshot station. Excitement was in the air “When we meet, we change in an environment of enthusithe word.” www.mpiweb. asm…people were smiling and org So very true! The MPI laughing everywhere, excited Foundation raised more than to see old friends and meet$340,000 with The Big Deal, ing new ones. Today, more Rendezvous and the Not-Sopeople are working virtually Silent Auction compared to so attending conferences such $300,000 raised from these as WEC is very important. It events during WEC 2016. was estimated that over 2,500 MPI also raised another registered attendees, including $218,000+ with the Presi142 virtual attendees, particident’s Dinner, compared to

20 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

$145,000+ raised last year; funds raised from the event will support the MPI Academy in its efforts to provide more education to our global community. The MPI Chair Award was presented to Michael Dominguez, senior vice president and chief sales officer of MGM Resorts International. “Part of my job as this year’s chair is to select a recipient of the MPI Chair Award,” said Stevens’s speech during the RISE Awards luncheon. “We look for someone who has demonstrated exceptional service to MPI. When I considered who had not yet been recognized, this year’s choice became obvious. This person has more than 30 years in the hospitality business, and has been active with MPI since 1992. He spent five years on the leadership team for the Southern California chapter, first as Vice President of Finance, then Education, then Membership and then finally as President of the chapter. He served on the Marketplace

Advisory Council, the Industry Business Roundtable, and the MPI Foundation. He then spent five years on our international board of directors. He participated in the Audit Finance Committee and the Board Development Committee, and finally became chair of the IBOD in 2013. He’s currently one of the most sought-after speakers in our industry. In just the past five years, he has spoken at over 100 MPI chapter events. He’s been recognized as Chapter Leader of the Year by Southern California, and he was the inaugural recipient of MPI’s Industry Leadership Award in 2015. I am a bottom line guy, and he got MGM to invest over $2 million in the last 4 years to support MPI. He has presented at several Conference Direct events, and always receives the highest ratings of any speaker.” The host hotel this year was MGM Grand. During the meeting, MGM Grand broke ground on conference cen-

ter and Stay Well meetings expansion. In response to customer demand, the MGM Grand Conference Center is adding 250,000 square feet for a total of over 850,000 square feet. As part of the expansion, Stay Well Meetings—the industry’s first-ever wellness meetings experience which was launched at the hotel in 2014 – also will expand its footprint by 22,000 square feet and encompass the conference center’s entire second floor. Demonstrating the demand for a new way to conduct business, Stay Well Meetings feature amenities and programs that stimulate healthy, productive and creative work environments that many clients are actively seeking. “The expansion of Stay Well Meetings, along with our 340 Stay Well accommodations, allows MGM Grand to offer a completely unique destination for groups that carries through the entire resort experience from the board room to the guest room,” said Ernest Stovall, vice president of sales for MGM Grand. “The Conference Center expansion allows us to grow with the needs of our clients and drive

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new and expanded business to Las Vegas.” The project is scheduled for completion the end of 2018. Created by Delos, the program offers healthy environments for high-performance meetings with meeting rooms and spaces designed to optimize the health and well-being of attendees while complementing the existing Stay Well room and suite experience. To celebrate the debut, Delos Advisory Board member Dr. Deepak Chopra led the ribbon-cutting ceremony at MGM Grand during MPI “Wellness is penetrating the hospitality industry and working environments are changing rapidly, so it was a natural progression for Delos to incorporate its innovative Stay Well features into meeting environments,” said Delos Founder Paul Scialla. “With the creation of the Stay Well Meetings program, we have made a breakthrough in the design and approach of business meetings. These features not only provide health benefits to attendees, but also lead to increased productivity, creativity and collaboration.” Featuring Delos’ state-ofthe-art designs and innovative

wellness features, Stay Well Meetings creates a healthy work environment that helps increase the energy, focus and productivity of attendees with meeting spaces that offer evidence-based health and wellness elements, including: Air Purification; WELL Shield: Self-cleaning photocatalytic coating; Cleaning Protocol: Use of hypoallergenic products and state-of-the-art UV wand cleaning tool; Circadian Lighting: Engineered to emulate the properties of natural light; Virtual Biophilia: Virtual window lights; Chromatherapy: Use of dynamic color design; Acoustic Elements; Ergonomic Elements; Hydration Station; Aromatherapy; Biophilia; Mobile Application: Software for activity, nutrition, jet lag, and Cleveland Clinic Wellness programs; Wellness Station and tools such as guided meditation; Cleveland Clinic Wellness: Access to online programs for sleep, stress and nutrition and Healthy Menu Options. Dr. Chopra said, “The Stay Well experience is changing the way we travel today, and as someone who is always on the road, it’s an area of particular interest for me. With the outstanding success of Stay Well at MGM Grand, I am thrilled to see these evidence-based wellness technologies introduced in meeting and convention spaces, one of the most important places for health and wellness.” I had the honor of staying at Stay Well Room. I truly felt the difference as soon as I entered the room. The room did not feel stuffy or smelled like cleaning products. The purifying system giving the

room a clean smell and the Ascents Diffuser aromatherapy added spa feeling which was very pleasant and not over powering. My favorite was the note wrapped around the remote “This remote has been cleaned using stay well cleaning protocols.” Showering in Las Vegas can be unpleasant to guests since they are not used to the hard water. The Stay Well Shower Infuser definitely made the difference. I even went online and bought it. (staywellshop.com/bath) and the fact that I could drink from the faucet was remarkable, the water was tasty. MPI will return as strategic partner and premier education provider for IMEX America 2017. For the seventh consecutive year, MPI will deliver educational programming during IMEX America to be held in Las Vegas. The association will present the daily keynotes as well as power the Smart Monday program on Oct. 9. Also, the MPI Foundation will present its largest fundraising and networking event of the year—Rendezvous, the IMEX America Night. Next year MPI’s meeting will be held June 2-5, 2018 in Indianapolis and I highly recommend attending, See you there. Calanit Atia, Air Force veteran, founder and president of A to Z Events, Las Vegas Premier Destination Management Company, Entertainment Agency, www.AtoZevents.com, an award winning event planner, Las Vegas ambassador, social media maven, columnist, and speaker. She can be contacted at Info@AtoZevents.com, www.twitter. com/CalanitAtia, www.facebook.com/ calanit, www.linkedin.com/in/calanit, www.instagram.com/calanitatia.

ExhibitCityNews.com September/October 2017 21

THE TRADE SHOW IMAGES OF JOHN STALEY

BY ARTHUR BLOBERGER

22 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

Photo by Henry Roehr/John Staley Photo

HAVE CAMERA, WILL TRAVEL.

le & Telecommunications Joe Frazier at the 2005 Cab show in Philly Association for Marketing

Javits Center Lobby at the opening of the 2017 New York Society of Cosmetic Chemists show

e’s logged more than 1.3 million miles in the last two-plus decades, carrying with him the tools of his trade, two Canon pro digital bodies, three L-glass high-speed lenses, a couple of Speedlight strobe units, a tripod and plenty of battery packs and gadgets to run the whole shebang. From Canada to Europe and back to the good ol’ USA and his home turf of Astoria, Oregon, veteran photographer John Staley has built his name and bolstered his reputation capturing unforgettable images from a myriad of worldly conventions, trade shows and events of all types and sizes, everywhere from CES, NAB, InfoComm, CEDIA, MDRT, SCTE, E3, NACS, AES, NAMM and AAOS to Macworld. Often working hand-in-hand with the event’s on-location, Show Daily publication, he seamlessly traverses the vastness of today’s convention-floors seeking out and finding the right pictures, the big pictures, the important pictures – the needed pictures. As a young man and an Eagle Scout, he did the same in a national staff appointment for the Boy Scouts of America and as a political science major at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, where he honed not only his technical skills at photography, but also the qualities that would serve him well in that profession – dedication, commitment and an unrelenting determination to achieve nothing but the finest quality images for his clients. To that end, the pictures must be worth a thousand words. Today, they truly are, and even more so. They are also reflect @ExhibitCityNews

a lifetime of relentless image-making. In the late ‘80s, Staley was in on the groundbreaking 3-D photography revolution, mostly for Nishika Corp. But sitting behind a desk didn’t suit the 6-footer, so he immersed himself in a mission of searching out visions of peoples and places, interiors and exteriors, architectures and environments, portraits and profiles. He’s also excelled at many other types of assignments, including editorial, political, advertising and live entertainment, not to mention corporate and editorial video gigs. Then, somewhere along the way, the technical wizard transformed into an artist. Like many who end up worshipping and serving the demanding life of a trade show discipline, he was first baptized into the faith in 1991, shooting editorial and convention gigs in Las Vegas. This led to shooting the show dailies in 1995 for the NAB Show, the now mega-annual trade show produced by the National Association of Broadcasters. And, it was an old-school job, produced from 35 mm film and stripped into place by hand. But my, and thank goodness, how times have changed. After twenty-two years, he’s still fulfilling that role for NAB, although

these days he’s only shooting digitally, and a confirmed Mac user for life. However it wasn’t just the quality of his images that locked him into a trade show photography career, it was bringing journalistic sensibilities to the show floor that have kept his work in high demand. When the picture tells the story, the picture is right. And that means the photographer is the right one. But don’t just take my word for it. Here’s what Mark Robichaux, editorial director of Broadcasting & Cable and Multichannel News in New York City had to say about Staley: “In 20 years of journalism, I’ve never seen a photograContinued on p. 24 Ted Koppel receives the 2002 National Association of Television Program Executives Chairman’s Award in LV

ExhibitCityNews.com September/October 2017 25

THE TRADE SHOW IMAGES OF JOHN STALEY Continued from p. 23 pher more skilled or disciplined that John Staley. I’ve worked with him on dailies, weeklies and special projects. He shows up early, studies the set, stays till the end, and delivers truly extraordinary photographs. On time. Every time. John has a keen eye for what makes the best pictures to illustrate the story. For John, it’s not just shooting photos, it’s creating art.” “I have always felt that I’m a story teller with a camera. I was privileged to come up with some of the greats of convention photography … Ed Levy, Joe Scavo and Les Kamens … as well as a new generation of talent, like Mark Reinertson of New York City. Together with these colleagues, I have endeavored to play a part in the blending of journalistic techniques with marketing savvy, in trade show and event image-making. I am very proud of my contribution to our craft and am extremely grateful for all the partnerships I have enjoyed with show managements, exhibitors and other contractors, in over 1000 career convention and trade show appearances.” says Staley. Make no mistake about it: John Staley does not settle. He does not compromise. He does not quit. He’s a serious kinda guy –he doesn’t like kittens or Christmas - and he is a hard worker. He takes every picture seriously. To quote his favorite writer, Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, “When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.” Okay, so I’ve raved about his skills and his unceasing passion for perfection. You’ll see that for yourself here. And sure, we’ve worked together on a number of projects. But why else did I do this? Because for nearly 45-years, the man’s been one of my dearest friends. You can measure a man by many things, including his chosen profession, but as Charles Darwin said, “A man’s friendships are one of the best measures of his worth.” I couldn’t find a better friend anywhere. And you couldn’t find a better photographer anywhere, either. It’s my privilege to share with you some of his outstanding trade show images. If you like what you see, there’s a lot more to look at on www.johnstaleyphoto.com. 24 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

Mary Tyler Moore receives the 2009 National Association of Broadcasters Distinguished Service Award.

Clockwise left to right, a pair of techs setting up at the 2015 National Association of Broadcasters Show in LV; RJ Reynolds pavilion exhibit at the 2015 National Association of Convenience Stores show in LV; an attendee examining an audio product on the 2009 InfoComm show floor in Orlando; Elation at the 2009 InfoComm Show in Orlando; J.Lo at the 2013 NCTA (Internet & Television Association) Cable Show in Washington, D.C.; actor Christopher Lloyd reprising his role from Back to the Future at the 2014 CES in LV; and, Blackmagic at the 2017 NAB Show in LV.

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ExhibitCityNews.com September/October 2017 25

TECHNOLOGY

Fighting Pirates AN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS PRIMER FOR EXHIBITORS BY CYNTHYA PORTER

In the trade show world, there is perhaps nothing more valuable, or more fragile, than intellectual property rights. As evidenced by thousands of products, bringing a brilliant idea to the show floor can turn a company into a superstar. But it can also turn a company into a target for would-be thieves who spend their research and design budget on product espionage instead, trolling exhibitions for their next great knock off. For exhibitors then, the decision to exhibit is a conundrum to be sure. As the very underpinning of what differentiates one product from the next in the marketplace, a company’s intellectual property often represents the backbone of its existence, and having it infringed on can produce devastating consequences. But if intellectual property is the foundation of a company’s success, showing products to potential buyers in an exhibition environment is often the cornerstone of it, and exhibit managers must strike a balance between displaying products and protecting them from infringement at the same time. Copycat wares are as old as wares themselves, but governments and show organizers in the United States and around the world are stepping up their efforts to protect the owners of

patents and trademarks from parasitic copies that confuse consumers and dilute the marketplace. However, in all cases, the owner of the product has due diligence to take steps to protect their intellectual property from its inception and to the documentation needed so it easier to fight cases of infringement should they arise. What those steps are, and what documentation is necessary, differs depending on where an exhibitor is displaying their goods on the globe. In the United States, the most common types of intellectual property concerns in the trade show arena surround copyrights, patents, and trademarks. Among those, patent infringement can be the most difficult to identify and enforce, assuming that the intellectual property owner has gone through the steps to acquire the patent in the first place. While trademarks and copyright text have a small degree of de facto protection for a company just by their use, an invention has none, necessitating the procurement of a design patent – which addresses the way something looks – or a utility patent – which involves the way something works – in order to have any level of recourse against piracy. To small companies it can seem daunting, as the patent process is famously expensive and onerous,

26 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

not to mention lengthy. But, at least in the United States, a company need not have a fully completed patent to qualify for remedies; It can present a provisional patent or paperwork showing the patent process is underway to demonstrate intellectual ownership. At shows in the United States, an increasing international contingent of exhibitors has contributed to an increasing number of infringement claims, and until recently, U.S. courts have been ill-equipped to deal with such accusations in time to prevent infringement damage on the show floor. Typically, when counterfeiting is suspected in a day-today business setting, the rights holder can approach the court for an injunction, but the process requires notice to the accused and an opportunity for them to respond before action is taken. But courts in Las Vegas in particular, where a high number of the country’s tradeshows take place, have become more willing to fasttrack the process when the accused infringers are not based in the United States. The rationale, according to one judge’s order in an infringement case last year at the International Consumer Electronic Show, is that the visiting company has no business presence or assets in the United States, making it unlikely the plaintiff could pursue damages once the show ends and the international exhibitor goes home. Last year, federal marshals raided that booth at CES, which was operated by Changzhou First Int’l Trade Co., after a judge determined the Chinese manufacturer had likely

infringed on Future Motion Inc.’s patent for a one-wheeled skateboard. They confiscated everything – even the personal electronics of booth staffers – in order to investigate the claim that the company had copied Future Motion’s protected design and intended to sell it to consumers. In a similar crack-down on alleged piracy also in 2016, officials served subpoenas and confiscated goods at two booths at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas plus shut down six more exhibits at the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) happening at the same time nearby. Henk Van Dongen, director of marketing for Omix-ADA, the company that pursued the emergency injunction, said in a statement about the raid that company officials consulted with SEMA organizers about the best and least disruptive course of action, opting to use local attorneys to mount a court claim on the eve of the show’s opening. “This is obviously about our product line and intellectual property because we need to protect our customers,” Van Dongen said. “But it’s not just about Omix and Rugged Ridge; It’s something that is industry-wide and something that has been building up and becoming more and more rampant over the past two to three years.” Van Dongen said he saw counterfeits of multiple other companies’ products in the booth as well, but those companies had not filed with the court for protection. Show organizers across the Continued on p. 28

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TECHNOLOGY Continued from p. 26 board have expressed concern about piracy, though most, at least in the United States, are reluctant to intercede on behalf of one exhibitor against another. Because the injunctions are emergency measures from the court in which the accused party has not had the opportunity to respond, show officials prefer to support whatever a judge decides rather than make determinations on their own. This is not necessarily the case internationally, as some organizers staff a compliance division specifically designed to deal with claims of infringement between exhibitors. In Italy, for example, an exhibitor can file a complaint with delegates of the Intellectual and Industrial Property Service Regulation and ask that a booth be inspected with regard to suspected infringement. Using photos, documents, and verbal arguments of the accuser and accused, a panel of three experts examines the complaint and renders a binding decision, which is effective immediately. That decision is delivered within one hour of the hearing’s completion, and, if an exhibitor is found to be infringing on another, it is requested to remove the items in question. Some shows in Switzerland use similarly empowered panels of experts who hear claims and render decisions. At Baselworld, a massive jewelry and watch show in Basel, organizers have used a dispute resolution panel since 1985, with more than 800 cases decided since the dispute mechanism’s inception. Au-

thorities say it has had a preventative effect on piracy, and the number of complaints has steadily declined throughout the lifetime of the program. In other countries, trade show officials may not directly intervene in cases of suspected infringement, but provide help desks, legal teams, and other resources to help an exhibitor pursue their claim with local courts. In Germany, it is actually illegal for show organizers to make a determination regarding piracy, but several large venues have proactive policies in place to educate exhibitors and deter wouldbe infringers. Moreover, several cities in Germany have been classified as extended border-control zones, meaning the country’s customs officials have jurisdiction to seize items on the show floor that are deemed counterfeit by local courts. Germany also promotes, among its proactive practices, guidance on how exhibitors can report suspected infringed goods before they ever reach the German border. By reporting exhibitors to customs officials before pirated goods are imported, patent holders can protect their rights without having to deal with local courts and counterfeit goods on the show floor. The European Intellectual Property Rights Helpdesk, an organization dedicated to promoting awareness and enforcement of rights, notes that trade show organizers and associations have no legal authority to enforce intellectual property rights. However, they do have the power to create and enforce rigid terms

28 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

and conditions for participation in their shows. Among those conditions, organizers can require exhibitors to agree to on-site arbitration of infringement claims and they can demand that participants agree to uphold the show’s policies against counterfeit goods. If an exhibitor is found to be in violation of any of the terms, officials can also maintain a cancellation clause within the terms and conditions that allows them to void an agreement with an exhibitor for space at the show. But none of those measures will help an exhibitor who has not registered their intellectual property, and a trademark or patent registered in the United States doesn’t count. Most countries in the world offer protection for intellectual property, but only if that property has been registered through that country’s channels. Exhibitors planning to take products to the international marketplace must first complete the paperwork process in their destination country, as once they are on the soil there, the intellectual property has no protection at all from copycats if it has not already been registered. But before they can register for that country’s version of patent or trademark protection, an exhibitor must first do the research to find out if their product is even eligible. While the United States grants patents on a first-to-invent basis, many other countries grant them on a first-to-file policy. In short, that means a competitor could take a company’s patented product idea to a different country, recreate it, and register for a patent there,

precluding the original inventor from obtaining patent protection or even exhibiting their product in that country. Filing for patents in multiple countries can be cumbersome, but exhibit managers can also avail themselves of multilateral treaties such as the World Trade Organization, the Paris Convention, the Berne Convention, and the European Union to ease the burden. If exhibiting in a country or countries belonging to one or more of those agreements, then a single

For More IPO Info: U.S. Patent & Trademark Office Comprehensive information on patent and trademark registration. www.uspto.gov Export.gov Resources and education, plus country-specific manuals for intellectual property rights topics. www.export.gov European IPR Helpdesk Fact sheets, handbooks, and resources on intellectual property rights topics. www.iprhelpdesk.eu World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) General protection information and searchable database for trademarks and designs. www.wipo.int European Patent Office (EPO) Searchable patent database. Http://ep.espacenet.com EU Customs & Taxation Union Intellectual Property protection measures available through customs authorities. Http://ec.europa.eu

filing through that treaty organization will, in most cases, cover the exhibitor in all member countries. If exhibiting in EU countries, exhibit managers also have the option to register for a Community Trademark or Registered Community Design, both of which will cover all EU countries and can be obtained through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as part of an international registration system. Though China belongs to several worldwide treaties, products or trademarks exhibited in China are not protected unless they are registered with Chinese authorities directly. The Intellectual Property Helpdesk and the U.S.-China Business Council publish guides

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that walk future exhibitors through the nuances of protecting their rights when doing business at shows in China. But when doing shows anywhere, experts offer a few key words of wisdom for preparing well and responding deftly to issues that arise. Among those pieces of advice, the most important is that companies pursue registration of their products long before bringing them to a trade show. Having that documentation in hand, no matter what stage of the approval process a product is at, is also paramount so that infringement claims can be backed up with legal documents on the spot. If there have been previous cases of infringement with legal proceedings, exhibitors

should have copies of that documentation as well. Also, when traveling internationally to shows, company officials should use search databases to make sure that products they plan to exhibit aren’t infringing on a patent or trademark already in place. Otherwise, unwitting booth staffers might find themselves on the seizure end of an infringement dispute. Exhibit managers should do legwork prior to a show to assess the likelihood that another exhibitor is planning to bring an infringing product, and contact show organizers and customs officials if they believe that is the case. They should also ask show organizers in advance what measures they have in place to

address piracy or counterfeit complaints. And they should make sure that internal company conversations have already taken place so they know how the C-suite expects them to respond if infringement surfaces on a show floor. For managers just wading into the intellectual property rights water, there is a lot to learn in order to protect a company’s great ideas, and there is a lot at stake if they don’t. Thankfully, a number of organizations, including some trade show organizers in their show manuals, are working to flood the market with enough information to help even the newest exhibitor manage their company’s intellectual property rights like a pro.

ExhibitCityNews.com September/October 2017 29

INSPIRATION

From Hot Dog Cart to Media Mogul COMPANY SPRINGBOARDS TO SUCCESS WITH HUSTLE CON BY JESSICA ABLAMSKY

30 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

Sam Parr was slinging hot dogs in Nashville, Tennessee when he headed west. His second successful business, Southern Samâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hot Dog Stand, helped Parr pay his way through college and convinced him to try his luck in the big leagues. Encouraged by a job offer from Airbnb, Parr left college early and moved to San Francisco. The offer was rescinded the day before he was scheduled to start. So he co-founded Bunk, a roommate matching app he later sold.

How to Grow A Ridiculously Loyal Audience Miserable working for the company’s new owners, he quit, wandered aimlessly around the country on a motorcycle, and founded his first conference, a one-day event where successful CEOs tell their origin stories, and share growth tactics and behind the scenes insights. “The idea was, ‘I don’t know how to code, but I know how to start companies and I know how to hire people to do stuff for me,’” said Parr, the CEO and co-founder of The Hustle, one of the fastest growing media companies in the world. The three-year-old company’s daily email newsletter has about 400,000 subscribers, a click through rate double the industry average, and a profitable events business, including Hustle Con, Con Con, and Pizza & 40s. A throwback to the days when The Hustle could only afford to serve lousy pizza and cheap beer, Pizza & 40s is a free speaker series in San Francisco that features world-class entrepreneurs drinking a 40-ounce beer while sharing tips and tactics with a live audience. “As they drink more, the answers get better and better,” Parr said. “That was kind of the idea.” How to Organize a Conference in Less Than Two Months With No Experience When he started Hustle Con in the summer of 2014, Parr had never been to a conference. But he firmly believes inexperience can be an advantage. “I knew the power of live events,” he said. “I figure, ‘Well I’ve been to a whole bunch of concerts. I kind of know the concert industry.’” For Parr, that was enough. He was feeling a little lost when he started Hustle Con, and needed inspiration for his next business. The conference seemed like a great excuse to surround himself with cool people. He bootstrapped the event on a $10,000 budget and expected to lose money. Featuring off brand supplies from Costco, it’s not a classy affair. Still, he made about @ExhibitCityNews

$60,000 despite having less than two months to organize and market the event. That is the value Parr provides to The Hustle. He makes thing happen. Every day he made a list of 15 potential speakers. “The way I convinced them to come was I told them the other 14 people had agreed to come,” he said. He did the same thing with his sponsors. A risky move perhaps, but it paid off. The website was updated as speakers and sponsors confirmed, and he sent out email blasts to people who signed up for notifications. The interesting, humorous content encouraged potential attendees to share with their friends. “It was kind of simple, but it worked really well,” Parr said. Where the Magic Happens The first Hustle Con attracted 360 guests. The second event attracted nearly twice that many guests and made four times as much money. It also convinced him that he should start a media company, using his readers as evangelists. He focused on business and technology, because that is what he knows. The motivation behind The Hustle’s events has always been twofold: Getting The Hustle community together in one room, because that is where the magic happens. Paying the bills, because early on media did not bring much money. “That’s why we’ve continued to do events,” he said. “We make the majority of our money from media now, but in the beginning that was our only money.” That is why they recently added Con Con, a one day conference that teaches startups how to use content to acquire customers, to their list of events. As a tech nerd surrounded by other tech nerds, Parr is constantly asked about the secret to building an audience. It is a difficult skill for someone who only knows how to code. “I’m very good at content marketing,” Parr said. “That’s the skill set I have chosen to practice.”

Conferences are more than a money making venture for The Hustle, a three-year-old media company whose daily email newsletter boast more than 100,000 daily readers and a click through rate double the industry average. One of the fastest growing media companies in the world, The Hustle also hosts two annual conferences and Pizza & 40s, and free monthly speaker series where world-class entrepreneurs like Men’s Wearhouse founder George Zimmer, Tucker Max, bestselling author of “I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell,” and Dave Nemetz, co-founder of Bleacher Report, are given a 40-ounce beer and a stage. “Events have almost transformed into a marketing exercise,” said Sam Parr, founder and CEO of The Hustle, whose popular Pizza & 40s series can attract 1,000 RSVPs in a single day. Want to grow your events? Here are a few tips from Parr.

»» Know what your brand stands for. Inspired by the rebellious—live fast, live free—attitude of rock and roll, Parr knew that is what he wanted The Hustle to represent. »» Everything is content. Everything at The Hustle, from the welcome page to the sales and unsubscribe pages, reflect the brand’s unique personality. “Every bit of content is an opportunity to surprise and delight,” Parr said. »» Make it exciting. When Parr hosted his first conference, he had never attended one. His goal was to make attendees feel like they were attending a live music event, not a buttoned up business conference. It is very challenging, Parr said. But his team does not care how other companies do things, which helps The Hustle stand out. “It’s way better marketing,” he said. “You get a way better buzz.” »» Starting from scratch? Start small. You do not have to spend a lot of money to host a successful conference. Parr’s first conference was a low-cost affair featuring Costco everything. But to attract as many attendees as possible, consider selling tickets cheap. »» Be unapologetic. It is okay if conferences start small. “Just stand for something,” Parr said. “Whatever you stand for, be extremely unapologetic.” ExhibitCityNews.com September/October 2017 31

ANNIVERSARY

Photo far left, in 1968, Hamilton Dis plays built the Indiana University Big Ten float for the annual Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, Calif. Left and above, Hamilton Displays ac quires Dimensional Designs in 1991.

Hamilton Exhibits Celebrates 70th Anniversary SET TO CELEBRATE THIS FALL BY JIM OBERMEYER

Hamilton Display Manufacturing Company was founded in 1947 by Renzie Hamilton and his father-in-law Sterner Faussett. Renzie had worked for Citizens Gas of Indianapolis in their advertising department making models and believed a market existed for a display company. He resigned from Citizens Gas and opened the company in downtown Indianapolis in a building referred to as “the barn” - a two-story garage on Minnesota Street. Kenneth Hamilton joined his brother Renzie approximately one year later, and the company moved to 226 North Alabama Street to accommodate its growth. In 1954, they were joined by another brother, Bill Hamilton, who was responsible for another division, the Hamilton Airport

Advertising Company. Two other Hamilton brothers, Rich and Bobby, were not involved in the business. The business moved again in 1959 to 611 North Capital Avenue. In 1960, the business became known as Hamilton Displays, Inc., and by then was known as “the king of floats”, since they built almost 70% of the floats that were in the Indianapolis 500 Festival Parade. Renzie was a member of the Indy 500 Festival board of directors, and was heavily involved in the planning of the parade, as his company was the officially approved float builder. In 1964, the Hamilton-built ‘Princess Float’ won the top award for design in the Indy 500 Festival Parade. And in 1968, Hamilton Displays built the Indiana University

32 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

Big Ten float for that year’s Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, CA. The float was entitled “The Greatest Adventure” and featured Ms. Kit Field on board as Miss Indiana University. The company leased space from the National Guard Armory at 2015 South Pennsylvania Street in Indianapolis in 1969 so that the floats could be built in larger quarters. Some of Hamilton’s earliest trade show display clients were Citizens Gas, Stewart-Warner, Pittman-Moore, Indiana Bell Telephone, Diamond Chain and Wheelhorse. In 1976, Renzie was in charge of décor at a USO benefit at the Indiana Convention Center, where the guest of honor was Bob Hope, who happened to be celebrating his birthday as well. The Hamilton Displays team handled all stage sets, room design, and table decorations. In January 1990, Dan Cantor and Joel Coleman purchased Hamilton Displays from Kenneth Hamilton, and in January 1991 combined Hamilton with their largest local competitor, Dimensional Designs. Operations of the two companies and their five warehouses were joined in a new, purpose-built

200,000 square-foot facility in the Hunter Creek Business Park on Indianapolis’s east side in late 1991. Dan and Katy Cantor purchased Joel Coleman’s interest in the company in 1993. Asked about the purchase, Dan said, “Actually, the opportunity was almost rejected on the first review, because the old Hamilton initially looked like a construction company to me…there was lots of saw dust. During the second, more thorough, review, I reclassified the potential purchase as business or marketing services. I was very attracted to the design, engineering and fabrication aspects of the business, but also the client services piece. ‘Hamilton Displays’ was one of 50 prospects reviewed over a three-year period from 1987 to 1989. We pursued five companies to final stages of negotiation, and purchased Hamilton in January 1990.” Dan had owned several other businesses before venturing into the trade show world. He received an MBA in Finance from Indiana University and a BS in Business from Miami of Ohio. Dan serves on the Executive Board Continued on p. 34

ANNIVERSARY

Far left, the Tel-A-Story Junior, a desk top slide viewer offered to industrial and com mercial sales departments by Hamilton Displays in the early 1950s. At left, Hamilton Displays acquires Dimensional Designs in 1991. Pictured from left to right: Joel Coleman, COO at Hamilton; Ron Jackson, owner of Dimensional Designs; and Dan Cantor, CEO at Hamilton Displays.

Continued from p. 32 of the Experiential Designers & Producers Association. While the trade show exhibit business has always been an area of expertise for the company, throughout its history there have been a variety of divisions launched based on the needs at the time. Hamilton Airport Advertising Company provided design and production of display advertising at Indianapolis International Airport for many years. In the early 1950’s, the company promoted a variety of point-of-sale displays, including the Tel-A-Story Junior, a desk-top slide viewer offered to industrial and commercial sales departments. A shoe-box sized metal container opened from the top, a small viewing screen popped up, and photo slides were loaded into the box and then projected onto the screen. At two other times during its history, the company operated separate divisions for the interiors and retail fixtures business. While still doing work in this segment, it is no longer a separate division. Hamilton Expo Support Services provided labor and show management for trade shows and events at the Indianapolis Convention Center. And for

a number of years, Hamilton Graphics operated as a separate provider for graphic design and production. But at the end of the day, the trade show and event business has remained at the core of the company’s capabilities. Over the course of Hamilton’s history, the company has operated sales offices and a production and warehouse facility in a variety of other US cities, all while maintaining headquarters operations in Indianapolis. From 1987 – 1998, a sales office in Louisville, Kentucky served clients in that region, including Valvoline, Pyroil, Teledyne and Federal Express. A sales office that started in St. Louis, Missouri in 1990 was expanded to include production and warehousing in 1997 and grew to serve some of the region’s most prestigious companies. The 1998 debut of the Budweiser Brewhouse exhibit launched a long relationship with Anheuser-Busch. Other key accounts in the St. Louis office included Ralston Purina (now Nestle Purina), Graybar Electric, and Computerized Medical Systems. The St. Louis division was sold in 2000.

34 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

In 2010, a sales office opened in Denver, Colorado, serving clients such as Baxter Healthcare, Firehouse Subs, Caris, and Miraca Life Sciences. September 2015 marked the official launch of Hamilton’s Chicago sales and design studio. A staff of sales, design and project management experts are based in an office suite in the suburb of Downers Grove, serving clients in the Chicagoland area and beyond. Back in 1997, the company name was changed from Hamilton Displays to Hamilton Exhibits, and in 2007 new branding and a new logo were launched to effectively brand Hamilton and represent the company’s broad range of capabilities. While the company has changed much over the years, the culture has remained consistent; that of a family business. The Hamilton brothers and Dan Cantor have been successful at creating an environment where client care and employee satisfaction remain top priorities. And the spirit of giving back to the community remains strong. A variety of local charities have benefitted from this philosophy over the years, how-

ever, one of the key elements today is the annual Hamilton Hugs campaign, held during the Christmas holiday. Employees donate both time and gifts to benefit less fortunate children and families in the community. That spirit of giving back also extends to the trade show industry. In addition to Dan’s involvement on their Board of Directors, a number of Hamilton senior leaders have been involved in the EDPA, EDPA Foundation, Randy Smith Memorial Golf Classic and their local chapters. As for the next 70 years, the path is relatively clear: remain the family-oriented company that serves its clients and its employees, look for new opportunities while responding to the consistent change in the trade show and event industry and the economy, and prepare for the next generation of leaders. Exactly as Renzie Hamilton would have done it. Hamilton brings 70 years’ experience in everything about exhibit solutions: concept, design, fabrication, logistics, project management, and more. We create brand experiences that engage consumers through sight, sound, touch, curiosity, and imagination.

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

Each of Orbus’ high-quality exhibit and display graphics are finished by hand by the company’s skilled sewing team; rows of dedicated tables are key for expert finishing.

Demystifying Exorbitant Material Handling Rates The Truth Behind it

Pp. 38-39

The JLG Booth at ConExpo 2017 Really Wowed The Crowd!

Pp. 40-42

The Hunter Heritage Hallway

Adcraft’s Custom Fabrication and Installation

Pp. 44-46

Orbus’ Two-Day Boot Camp Training Leads to Business Building

Pp. 48-51

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DEMYSTIFYING EXORBITANT MATERIAL HANDLING RATES And The Truth Behind it By Lesley Martin Irrational Costs

How would you explain to your boss that moving your company’s booth properties several hundred feet cost more than shipping it from overseas? That’s the kind of conversation one exhibitor had after shipping a booth from Singapore to Chicago. The voyage across the Pacific Ocean to California, plus the freight from California to Chicago, cost the company $12,000. Unloading that same shipment from the dock to the booth space within the facility, however, cost $17,000. “Costs like these are impossible to rationalize and don’t make sense to anyone, which makes it hard for exhibitors to validate the cost of participation,” said Jim Wurm, executive director of the Exhibitor Appointed Contractor Association.

Misconceptions About Material Handling Rates

Material handling, also known as “drayage,” describes moving exhibit properties to and from an exhibit space. Somehow, moving the booth from point A to point B accounts for an average of 16% of the exhibitor’s total trade show exhibiting spend. Rationalizing the material handling rates hinges on misconceptions. The common myth is that the published rates and costs are reflective of what the union worker gets paid. “Exhibitors believe that the high price is because of the unions, but that’s false. They’re just performing the work and the two-man forklift crew 38 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

that delivers the freight in Chicago is getting an hourly rate,” said Wurm. Union labor rates are negotiated in collective bargaining agreements every 3-5 years. The increase in rates is transparent, published, and on track with the consumer price index. “Union workers do not receive the published rates, they receive the negotiated rates from the collective bargaining agreements. The negotiated rates are considerably less than the published rates,” said Ken Viscovich, recently retired representative of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters. Yet the myth stems from complaints filed with the show organizers by exhibitors who received an exorbitant bill for material handling. The show organizer goes back to the general contractor, and the three parties have a meeting. “Usually the person that’s not in the room gets blamed. Who’s not in the room? The union representative,” said Wurm.

The Truth Behind Material Handling Rates

The show organizer hires the GC to handle the physical set-up of the trade show. The GC coordinates the decoration and logistics of the event at the facility and provides services for exhibitors. In the contractual agreement between the show organizer and GC, the GC reserves exclusive rights to some of the services. Typically, these services include the use of a forklift, sign rigging, electrical installation, and material handling. When exhibitors sign a contract

reserving the booth space, the general contractor’s show kit, which includes the material handling rates, is not published. By signing a contract blindly, exhibitors don’t have a chance to negotiate the rates, which is determined by the GC per agreement with the show organizer. In addition, the GC might add a number of categories for material handling. Shows can have up to 24 different material handling categories based on the location of shipment arrivals, how the materials are packed, and what deadlines are made or missed. Penalties include missed deadlines, incurring overtime charges, and shipping loose materials not stored in crates.

Downward Spiral

Trade show exhibiting can be a company’s highest single-cost line item in their marketing budget, and exhibit marketers must prove the value of every dollar spent. When a significant chunk of exhibiting costs is eaten up by material handling, budgeting is almost impossible, since the rates aren’t published when the contract to exhibit is signed. And if the rates increase, the exhibitor is certainly not guaranteed more marketing value. For those reasons, exhibitors might reduce the size of booth space or decline to attend the show altogether. And when exhibitors reduce their participation, attendees have less to reason to attend the show, sending everything into a downward spiral. The National Hardware Show was once one of the five largest trade shows in the

GSC Rate Increases vs. CPI Index vs. Union increases 169.2%

26.65% Drayage (crated direct to show)

24.33% Drayage (2009 low to 2015 high)

GC labor rate ST

GC labor rate OT

30.13%

20.71%

GC labor rate DT

GC labor cost

10.45% Consumer Price Index

% Change Increase from 2009-2015

United States. From its peak of 1.26 million square feet in 1999, the McCormick Place show shrunk to approximately 460,000 square feet in 2003. Showing research that the increasing cost of exhibiting led to the show’s decline in attendance, the show’s sponsor, the American Hardware Manufacturers Association filed a lawsuit against the show owner, Reed Exhibitions. In the lawsuit, the AHMA alleged that Reed received kickbacks from the show’s GC. Also, the AHMA claimed Reed received some free goods and services from the GC and allowed the GC to bypass costs to exhibitors in breach of its contract with the AHMA.1

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34.49%

* Source: 2009 and 2013 TS Week Reports for general labor cost and drayage per CWT crated direct to show. * Source: Local Union Contract * GC averages from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and Las Vegas. These costs are for all contractors whether GC or EAC.

Ultimately, exhibitors have to take action for a change to occur. Amanda Helgemoe, founder and President of Nuvista and board member of the Experiential Designers & Producers Association (EDPA), is dedicated to addressing industry-wide issues and concerns. For several years, Helgemoe has worked with other industry leaders to collect independent research on material handling rates. Now,

she uses her findings to teach a CTSM required course at ExhibitorLive! and has spoken at events for HCEA, E2MA, and EDPA. “We need to coach exhibitors to have a voice. That’s the only way the situation will change,” said Helgemoe. Below are possible actions exhibitors, show organizers, and the industry can take: • Before signing the booth contract, exhibitors can work with a lawyer to add language entrusting that the space contract will be signed in good faith for fair pricing once the rates are published. If the rates are not fair, the exhibitor and lawyer have the grounds to take further action. • While the overages are happening, the exhibitor can try to hold the parties responsible and work with the GC and show organizer on-site. • After the show, progressive associations will have a formal exhibitor advisory committee meeting after the show, during which exhibitors can provide feedback to the show organizers on their experience at the show. • Show organizers and the GC can offer

alternatives to the material handling rates. Some tactics proven to work within the industry include: incorporate material handling into the fee for booth space; let show organizers provide material handling as an inhouse service; eliminate overtime and special handling fees and incorporate a blended rate; charge per trip or based on time and materials. For more information, useful data, and coaching on how to address the issue of material handling, industry folk and exhibitors are encouraged to reach-out to the EDPA, EACA, and Nuvista.

REFERENCES Sachdev, A. (2003, January 03). Trade show feud in court. Retrieved August 15, 2017, from http://articles. chicagotribune.com/2004-01-03/ business/0401030151_1_americanhardware-manufacturers-associationahma-national-hardware-show

ExhibitCityNews.com September/October 2017 39

SHOP to SHOWFLOOR I&D and Event Labor

JLG BOOTH AT CONEXPO 2017 Really Wowed The Crowd! By Jeanne Brei

40 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

ast March, attendees at ConExpo in Las Vegas, the construction industry’s international tradeshow, couldn’t stop talking about the extraordinary outdoor JLG booth and its interactive displays at the show’s brand-new Tech Pavilion. From the 103’x 64’ building wrap near the event, to

the outdoor 10’ x 20’ digital billboard displaying original motion graphics, scale model augmented reality exhibit and live action virtual reality experience, to the World’s Tallest Selfie Stick on the world’s largest articulating boom lift and multiple virtual reality (VR) training stations, the two-story booth and it’s

20 products “in the yard” wowed the crowds. And there was still MORE! An outdoor, touch-responsive interactive kiosk with computer graphics (CG) animation, several new products including a custom concept vehicle showcasing a new self-leveling technology and even daily YouTube video blogs. The JLG booth went BIG! Explains Jennifer Stiansen, director of marketing (Americas) at JLG, “We wanted to deliver an exceptional exhibitor experience while telling the full equipment lifecycle JLG story, reinforcing our position as the access equipment industry leader. Our aim was to deliver the message that JLG offers more than innovative products and technology. We offer a comprehensive portfolio of aftermarket services covering parts, product support and training to be a single source supplier to our customers from the day they purchase a machine to the day they trade it in for a new model or retire it from their fleet.” JLG set out to leverage the ConExpo theme of “Imagine What’s Next” and to cement its position as an access equipment innovation leader. This meant creating an immersive experience within the exhibit with their longtime ConExpo partners Godfrey, which specializes in B2B branding, digital marketing and integrated communications, and Dimensional Communications, which has provided exhibit design, construction, installation & dismantle and technology integration for them for the last 13 years, as well as Joyce & Associates Nevada.

For ConExpo 2017, the designers said they started with a creative concept around the idea of being disruptive and changing expectations. They used high tech, clean looking exhibits as inspiration for the design. There was complete creative freedom except for the requirement that they adhere to the brand standards and established color palette to reinforce the JLG brand. According to Ken Jerome, Dimensional Communications’ executive vice president/chief creative officer, “When it came to developing a truly disruptive marketing aesthetic, the team at Godfrey set the bar high with their concept of a non-linear (fractal) design theme. Translating that into a build-able architectural solution capable of withstanding the elements was our opportunity to do something rarely done in a tradeshow setting.” Steve Wietzke, managing director at Dimensional Communications, oversaw the production team for JLG and said that the production time frame was six weeks to build that impressive booth. JLG used virtual and augmented reality in two areas of the booth to demonstrate advanced operator training capabilities, along with a next generation transparent computer display to showcase future technological developments the industry can expect to see on its aerial work platforms (AWPs) and telescopic handlers. And the company engaged users by providing them with a fun opportunity to pose for the world’s tallest selfie stick mounted on its 1500AJP. Daring ConExpo attendees

could walk away with a keepsake image of themselves in the basket of a JLG boom lift. “ConExpo 2017 was a huge success for us, and we couldn’t have done it without our long-term partners, including Godfrey, Dimensional Communications and Joyce & Associates Nevada,” says Nikki Martin, marketing specialist at JLG. “We have been attending ConExpo for many years, and I think the reason that this year was so successful is because we all collaborated to reach our objective in an engaging way–-to show our customers that JLG is not just about machines, but that we are at the forefront of innovation and technology.” Stiansen adds, “This exhibit was truly a team effort, utilizing our long-standing relationship with Godfrey, Joyce & Associates Nevada and Dimensional Communications to pull together the JLG Story. Once the design was presented, we all worked tirelessly to ensure the show was a success. We heard nothing but praise for our exhibit from show attendees, editors and our staff. The outcome was well worth the effort.”

By The Numbers Booth Description:

Outside the booth in addition to 20 products “in the yard”: • A 103’x 64’ building wrap near the event framed JLG as “Designed for Every Dimension” with graphics foreshadowing the booth design aesthetic. • An outdoor 10’x20’ digital billboard displayed original motion graphics, CG animations and live action videos to bring visitors into the booth. Its multi-faceted structure made the perfect staging ground for the JLG story of multi-faceted innovation. • A large aftermarket display walked booth attendees through JLG’s robust aftermarket story. • The tessellated booth architecture was custom-designed and concept-driven. • An outdoor, touch-responsive interactive kiosk used CG animations of simulated typical work scenarios to demonstrate new safety and operational enhancements. • The World’s Tallest Selfie Continued on p. 42

ExhibitCityNews.com September/October 2017 41

SHOP to SHOWFLOOR I&D and Event Labor

PROJECT CREDITS Continued from p. 41 Stick attracted visitors and fueled social sharing. By attaching a camera to the world’s largest articulating boom lift, JLG took self-portraits to a whole new level. • A custom concept vehicle display showcased a new self-leveling technology and required a unique presentation to highlight this feature.

Inside the booth:

• A large multi-screen reception display • A multi-user virtual reality theater gave a live action 360-degree introduction to the latest safety innovations from JLG. Although

visitors were not allowed to operate equipment at the show, this let them experience the technology first-hand. • A “Worksite of the Future” display space showcased 3D printed models of a futuristic construction site, enhanced with augmented realty animation that appeared on two large (12’x7’) video walls. The user-activated AR presentation (animations that showed three lift and access concept vehicles utilizing technology innovations to get work done safely and efficiently) helped visitors imagine how JLG sees the future of the industry.

42 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

• A scale model concept vehicle was displayed behind a next generation transparent computer display. The monitor behaved like a futuristic window, overlaying motion graphics and video to demonstrate use cases for the future product. • Multiple virtual reality training stations used boom lift platforms and allowed visitors to try a sample training VR training exercise. These stations were networked together to allow participants to interact with each other and the instructor. • Daily YouTube video blogs offered a running review of what was happening at the JLG booth.

Client Team: JLG Industries, Inc. Ideation and Creative Direction: Godfrey Exhibit Design and Construction: Dimensional Communications Exhibit Installation and Dismantle: Sho-Link, LLC Multimedia and Technology: Godfrey/JLG Engineering Technology Integrations: Dimensional Communications Project Management: Joyce & Associates Nevada

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SHOP to SHOWFLOOR I&D and Event Labor

THE HUNTER HERITAGE HALLWAY Custom Fabrication and Installation by Adcraft By Tim Sitek

walk down a 150-foot long hallway at the global headquarters of Hunter Engineering reveals the history of the company. The Hunter Heritage Hallway uses dramatic murals to spotlight the company’s more than nine decades in business since its founding in 1946. The floor-to-ceiling photo montages, along with timelines that highlight milestones, were fabricated and installed by Adcraft Inc. The St. Louis-based company has been designing and fabricating custom exhibits for trade shows, corporate exhibit showrooms, lobby displays and museums since 1933. Adcraft began working with Hunter on the project in Spring 2015. It first produced a test section, a montage of black-and-white images from the company’s archives. Hunter executives were so impressed that they gave the go ahead to trace the compa-

ny’s roots to today, while also looking to the future. The corporate exhibit presented a number of challenges for the Adcraft team, which also has done corporate lobby exhibits for companies such as MasterCard and museum work including a special exhibit at the National Museum of Funeral History on “Celebrating the Lives and Deaths of the Popes.” With thousands of photos, negatives and digital files to comb through, it was no simple exercise. Eric Ramsey, a product manager with Hunter Engineering, sifted through the archives and organized the images by years. He then sent the images out for scans. Adcraft had to ensure that all finished images met the client’s quality expectations while also looking at how it fit into each decade’s historical presentation. “We required that all of the images be at least 150 dpi at final size,” says Dan Blanton, president and

44 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

third-generation family member to run Adcraft. “We had to work with Eric on several images particularly from the company’s earlier years that just couldn’t be enlarged. Some we simply changed out for another image and some we were able to increase the resolution to make the image work.” Every decade included period photos on top and bottom

panels. Each panel was then created as a montage of images that covered 58 inches tall by 88 to 118 inches wide, the latter depending on the spacing between columns in the hallway. Every photo was strategically placed to make sure no part of the image cut off parts of equipment or a person. White margins between the black-and-white photos

A photo in the 1960s exhibit came from Buzz Aldrin, a close friend of Lee Hunter, the company’s founder.

A soffit was built to provide fluorescent lighting to accentuate the murals that trace Hunter Engineering’s history by decades. LED lighting behind the milestone ribbon further illuminates the top and bottom portions of the 10-foot high exhibit.

created the montage while also obscuring any seams. Adcraft supplied prototypes of every section for review. Hunter used 3D models to review and make any needed corrections before Adcraft made prints of the mural sections. The images for the top and bottom murals were printed on a Canon ImageProGraf Series printer using Sihl Super-

Sorb microporous paper and 5 mil textured UV over laminate to protect the murals from fading under the lighting and from possible water damage. The murals were then mounted to 6 mil Sintra. The Sintra panels were then laminated to one-inch wooden cleated (butterfly) frames to attach to the wall. In all, more than 400 photos form the montages

that are used to show the company’s history by decades. Photos include Hunter Engineering’s products and personnel manufacturing its diagnostic and service equipment built for keeping cars and trucks on the road. There are also some historic shots. A photo in the 1960s exhibit came from Buzz Aldrin, a close friend of Lee Hunter, the company’s founder. It shows

the moon lander and Earth in the background. A handwritten note from Aldrin includes two arrows that say “me” pointing to the land rover and another small arrow toward the Earth that reads “you”. The image also carries Aldrin’s message to Hunter: “Lee’s an engineering buddy who didn’t need M.I.T. With profound respect. — Buzz Aldrin.” A timeline also runs between the top and bottom panels to highlight major milestones by year in the company’s history. To differentiate from the black-andwhite murals, color images are primarily used in the milestone ribbon, along with brief descriptive copy. The red vinyl ribbon is made with Avery MPI 1005 EZ RS and laminated with Avery DOL 1380, similar to the vinyl used in car manufacturing. Printing was done on a MamiContinued on p. 46

ExhibitCityNews.com September/October 2017 45

SHOP to SHOWFLOOR I&D and Event Labor Continued from p. 45 ki CJV30 – 160, a four-color, wide-format printer. Test prints were done (including laminating) to ensure color match to meet Hunter’s expectations. Once approved, final prints were done and allowed to cure before laminating. The laminated prints were then cut down to the approximate size for installation. Installation of the timeline presented several challenges. “First, to achieve the desired look, prints had to be in one piece rather than paneled,” Blanton says. “The prints ranged in width from 15 feet to almost 20 feet. Next, the design included a white stripe that went the length of the prints. When we installed the timeline, we needed to ensure that the stripe remained straight throughout each section and also that the placement was the same on each section.” After all, this installation occurred in a hallway that once was part of a manufacturing plant built in 1965 and later converted into office space in the mid-2000s as Hunter expanded. To ensure alignment, Adcraft laid each section face up on saw horses. Prints were rolled out onto the section and measured for placement, with registration marks made on the vinyl and section. A small section ranging between 3-4 inches was cut out of the middle of the backing and removed. Each print was then aligned to the registration marks and checked to make sure the stripe was straight. The vinyl was then squeegeed to the section to hold its placement. The backing was then removed from one of the

Pictured above, Adcraft’s team works on installing the north wall of the Hunter Heritage Hallway. At left, Adcraft places the vinyl material on the milestone ribbon that runs the length of both sides of the Heritage Hunter Hallway. The red vinyl ribbon is made with Avery MPI 1005 EZ RS and laminated with Avery DOL 1380, similar to the vinyl used in car manufacturing. Printing was done on a Mamiki CJV30160, a four-color, wide-format printer.

remaining halves and gentled laid to ensure the vinyl was not stretched so it prevented any distortion. The print was then squeegeed down so the adhesive would adhere to the section. Adcraft then repeated the process for the other half and then trimmed off excess vinyl. Additionally, the vinyl wrap can be replaced as Hunter achieves new milestones with each passing year during the current decade and future years Adcraft minimized disruption by installing sections during off-peak hours. Each of the 13 sections took approximately 3-4 hours per section to install. The hallway also required Adcraft to come up with some creative ideas. As a former

46 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

manufacturing facility, the hallway had large support beams. Adcraft fabricated and installed plywood covered with a rich wood veneer to hide the support columns. The entire ceiling was redone with a soffit and fluorescent lighting added to illuminate the wall murals. LED lighting in the middle ribbon timeline further accentuates the panels above and below the ribbon. There’s even a cleverly designed bump-out panel with hidden hinges to allow easy access to an existing electrical panel. Nearly a year in the making, the exhibit was finished just hours before the company’s annual sales meeting last year.

More than 600 employees walked down the 150-foot hallway, stopping oftentimes to even see themselves in a photo or two. And it now serves as a red-carpet treatment for visiting customers and business partners, who get immersed in the company’s rich heritage. Adcraft and Hunter also made sure the company’s story continues to be told. While the company has been in business for nine decades, the hallway has 13 sections between the various support beams that now are covered. Consequently, four of the sections currently feature the company’s three manufacturing and assembly plants in the United States and a global map of its locations and distributors. These sections allow for at least four more decades of history. After that, yet another adjoining hallway provides another backdrop for scores of years.

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SHOP to SHOWFLOOR I&D and Event Labor

ORBUS’ TWO-DAY BOOT CAMP TRAINING Leads to Business Building

48 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

rbus Exhibit & Display Group’s Boot Camp exhibit and display training sessions are ideal for tradeshow industry veterans and rookies. Offered each spring, fall and winter, Orbus’ no cost, all-encompassing display product, graphic and sales focused training sessions take place at the company’s headquarters in Woodridge, IL. Boot Camp training is balanced with classroom style learning, hands-on display assembly sessions and education-

al tours. Participants connect with Orbus’ field sales representatives and their dedicated sales representatives throughout, helping to strengthen relationships and confidence selling displays with Orbus being an extension of their own sales team and company. Classroom-style sessions take place in Orbus’ hightech training room, which can accommodate up to 50 guests comfortably. Attendees also take part in hands-on training sessions held in the

Orbus’ Boot Camps accommodate up to 50 dealer partners of all industry experience levels for a two-day training ideal for increasing confidence in selling displays with Orbus. Picture taken at Orbus’ May 2017 Boot Camp.

company’s extensive product showroom, and behind-thescenes in the manufacturing/ production spaces.

Why Attend?

Boot Camp has proven to be an essential experience for dealer partners, including those new to selling displays and industry veterans looking to expand their knowledge of Orbus’ constantly evolving new product, graphic and marketing tool box offering. The sessions, which provide a comprehensive overview of

all aspects of portable, fabric structure, modular and custom exhibit offerings and production capabilities, are offered at no cost to dealer partners. “We are starting to expand our client base in a new field. I was extremely impressed with the fact that so much goes on under one roof!” said Stacy McReynolds of PROCAM Photo & Video. “As we enter into this new area, I now know that we have a great support team to help step us through the process. I left feeing moti-

vated and confident.” “The hands-on boot camp showed me the varying degree of ease with which Orbus’ products could be installed,” said Jason Charneia of Plum Grove Printers, Inc. “It was great to meet much of the staff, and this event is something that would interest anyone, even those with years of experience.” The foundational knowledge of Orbus’ products, services and processes covered at Boot Camp provides participants with the necessary skills to

increase their display sales – portable to custom. Post-event surveys indicate the success of these training events – after a recent event in April 2017, 100% of attendees rated their experience as “great” or “the best”, and 70% indicated that they had increased their Orbus knowledge tenfold. The confidence boost experienced after a successful training leads many attendees to encourage coworkers or employees to attend future Continued on p. 50

ExhibitCityNews.com September/October 2017 49

SHOP to SHOWFLOOR I&D and Event Labor Continued from p. 49 sessions to continue to spread the knowledge.

The Experience

Boot Camp attendees are encouraged to wear casual clothing and comfortable shoes for good reason! The handson experience begins when small groups take a tour of Orbus’ expansive 350,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility and office space, which includes a dedicated custom exhibit setup area, wood and metal fabrication workshops, extensive printing and finishing spaces and storage spaces for customer exhibits and product inventory. As all of Orbus’ capabilities are under one roof, the walking tour reinforces to dealers that Orbus is the best and only one-stop-shop for all exhibit and display solutions. After the tour, attendees jump into education sessions focused on portable displays and marketing, which educates about the extensive sales and marketing resources at their fingertips and how to use At top, Orbus’ expert sales team members host small groups of Boot Camp attendees in the product showroom and throughout the facility for closer looks at many of the company’s product lines. Middle left, classroom-style education sessions focused on portable displays, marketing, custom exhibits and graphic capa bilities are held in the company’s training room, educating attendees about the extensive resources at their fingertips. Middle right, during Boot Camp, attendees have the opportunity to get hands-on experience assembling a number of Orbus’ product lines, including Vector Frame modular exhibits. At bottom, during small group rotations, attendees are able to interact with Orbus’ sales team, asking questions and learning about the wide range of products available in each product line.

50 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

and implement them. The first day of training brings a rotation of valuable hands-on training sessions hosted by expert members of Orbus’ sales team, focused on banner stands, table throws, collapsible displays, Formulate® fabric structures and more. These sessions explain how quickly and easily the company’s portable and modular exhibits assemble, and impress attendees with the wide range of products available in each line. To conclude, attendees are treated to a well-deserved dinner and participate in a Jeopardy-style question and answer experience, where they are quizzed on key points from that day’s hands-on training stations that reinforce the volume of information shared. Prizes (and bragging rights!) are awarded for correct answers. The second day is a deeper dive into Orbus’ custom modular and fabric structure capabilities, and is focused on increasing dealers’ under-

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GRAPHICS CAPABILITIES

ORBUS NEAR DOUBLES GRAPHIC PRINT CAPABILITIES

Orbus Exhibit & Display Group recently added new print equipment, nearly doubling the company’s display graphic printing capability.

Orbus Exhibit & Display Group has made several recent enhancements and additions to its state-of-the-art printing equipment, increasing the capability of the company’s Woodridge, IL and Las Vegas, NV facilities to print a stunning 26,000 sq. ft. of display graphics per hour. New equipment added to the company’s arsenal includes a 340 Reggiani Renoir capable of printing 8,000 sq. ft. / hour and EFI’s FabriVu 340, which can print up to 3,000 sq. ft. / hour, allowing Orbus to offer increased benefits to dealer partners. The addition of the new, high-speed printers increases Orbus’ capacity, allowing the company to complete large quantity, fast turn time projects for customers continuously. The new hightech printers feature superior dpi (dots per inch) output, and continue to allow Orbus to set the bar for print quality in the industry. Quality graphics are produced at high resolutions across over 23 substrates. Increased sq. ft. / hour output capabilities with the additions of the new equipment has led to the reduction in turn times on many of Orbus’ key product lines and will continue to do so over time. Orbus’ printing process continues to be G7 Master Print Certified, indicating the high-quality, consistent display graphics produced across all of the company’s 15 state-of-the-art dyesublimated fabric and UV roll-to-roll and flatbed printers.

standing of the custom exhibit fabrication process. Attendees travel along the journey of a custom exhibit project and learn about the exhibit design, detailing, exhibit and graphics production and manufacturing process.

To mark their accomplishment as having completed the Boot Camp, attendees receive a certificate officiating their successful completion of training, which they are encouraged to proudly display in their offices.

Orbus’ next Boot Camp training sessions take place December 7-8, 2017, and in Q2 2018. If you are interested in attending, please contact Kate Kincaid, kate@ orbus.com for registration information.

ExhibitCityNews.com September/October 2017 51

AIPC

Interview with Aloysius Arlando, AIPC President What do you think are the biggest issues facing convention centres today? How to trend-set and trail blaze in today’s digital economy. It’s not about embracing digitalisation for digitalisation’s sake, but about what does digitalisation mean for a centre or do we want digitalisation to do for a centre. To drive revenues? For better customer experience? So, this transformation process needs to start with a firm vision and strategy – which is premised on how the centre brings value to its shareholders and the destination it is in. It also depends on the courage and commitment to drive the change without losing sight of the end game. What do you think are some of the best opportunities available to centres right now? Centres are striving earnestly to adopt appropriate digital transformation initiatives that can help engage customers and grow the business. Digital transformation is not just about adopting new technologies. It is also about getting the right digital talents to support and be integrated into the organisation. Which regions are growing the fastest, and why? There are opportunities emerging in various parts of the world be they in the EU, Latin America and Africa; as progressive economies continue

to pursue sustainable economic development goals. Companies and associations are more compelled to take a market/ region-centric approach in order to exploit such market/region-based opportunities to further their business development goal; and expand networks or membership base. Given a company’s or an association’s capacity, trade-offs will need to be made insofar as to which market or region they strategize to be active in. But the regional opportunities the world over will not be a zero-sum game. What do you think is most important about an organization like AIPC in helping centres deal with industry issues like these? AIPC prides herself as being an authoritative source for convention centres all over the world in deepening their understanding of the changing needs of the market today; wide access to over 900 industry professional who can provide rich insights on markets and operational excellence matters; and the strong ability for members to work hand in hand to confront these changes together; and emerge as a stronger player in their respective local destinations. How should centres compete for business today? By being adaptable, by listening to your customers, by being brave, by focusing on the end game and by being visionary.

52 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

Not to look backwards (legacy etc.), not even by looking around the competition but look beyond it as the only way to revolutionise is to trail blaze, walking into the unchartered but with the belief that every potential failure is a stepping stone to success. What would you attribute Singapore’s success to? Adopting a pro-business stance; partnership with relevant public and private sector players in the industry; focusing on the visitor experience and expectation rather than physical assets; and a highly-skilled and hospitable MICE workforce. How do you think members can take best advantage of what industry organizations offer? Being true to what we always believe in – that the most significant and meaningful business interaction occurs during face to face meetings and informal networking platforms. Industry organizations that use professionally-based social media like LinkedIn and through which subject-based or other specific communities are established, provides a good complement to face-to-face platforms, for knowledge exchange and growing networks. What would you most like to see members do as far as supporting their association? To take advantage of the

valuable programme offerings by AIPC by actively participating and contributing their experiences. These programmes have been carefully developed out of interactions with industry and economic leaders; clients’ feedback and members’ survey findings. We continue to encourage our members to surface clients’ and shareholders’ expectation; and share their innovative practices and business learnings so that through the associations various platforms, members gain new and relevant knowledge that will go a long way in helping to grow their business. What do you hope to accomplish during your term as President? For members: That every member derives value through their participation in AIPC and tapping on the collective wisdom of the association. I plan to better understand from members in the different regions, what are the issues, challenges and opportunities they are facing so that we update or devise programmes that meet their collective needs. In addition to his role as AIPC President, Aloysius Arlando is the Chief Executive Officer of SingEx Holdings, which comprises several entities focusing on the MICE business; including the management of the Singapore EXPO Convention and Exhibition Centre.

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Exhibition Industry Performance SOUTH AFRICA LOOKING TO CLOSE GAP BY AMBER JOHNSON

The South African exhibition industry has been considered an emerging force in the global trade show and event marketplace for decades. But political unrest in the country and discord within the industry itself have hampered efforts at growth and left show organizers frustrated by slow-moving progress compared to the gains found in exhibitions elsewhere in the world. Since apartheid was abolished in the early 1990s, South Africa has increasingly found a position in the world’s business market, in recent years counted among the top 35 business destinations and the top 10 long-haul destinations in the world by the International Congress and Convention Association. But in the results of a recent study, 52 percent of the show organizers surveyed say they expect a decrease in business during the second half of 2017, and 35 percent say they will experience a reduction in income greater than 10 percent for the year overall. The research was conducted by UFI, the global association for the exhibition industry, and it generally found optimism

among organizers across the globe. But while up to 62 percent of show officials in some countries expect profits to increase by more than 10 percent this year, just 15 percent of those surveyed in South Africa felt the same. Professional associations in the country are working to improve the exhibition landscape, though disagreement among industry leaders prompted a dozen companies to split off from the Exhibition and Event Association of Southern Africa (EXSA) – South Africa’s oldest exhibition association – and form a new organization tailored specifically for the interests of show organizers. Called the Association of African Event Organizers (AAXO), the group went live in 2016 with a mission statement that promised to run training programs to enhance the outcome of shows, engage with government officials for the betterment of the industry, and provide a mediation system for disputes that was fair and sensitive. In early statements over the split, the groups seemed at odds with each other, with AAXO chairwoman Carol Weaving quoted saying, “The

54 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

decision to break away from EXSA has been an ongoing debate among organizers for a number of years. EXSA is very supplier-led, and we feel that they are not serving the best interest of the organizers.” Weaving went on to say that EXSA was introspective, slow, and focused on internal issues and drivers, however she added that the newly formed association would seek to work with EXSA on industry issues. Then-EXSA general manager Sue Gannon rebutted Weaving’s assertions, saying that the organization was not slow and counted every member as equally important. EXSA also launched a training program in 2016 that it says will improve skill levels of exhibition professionals serving in a variety of roles in the industry, and it maintains an active lobbying effort with government officials, the organization’s website says. But Gannon, too, said the organizations would collaborate where possible in the future. Among its first research efforts, AAXO conducted a state-of-the-industry study that measured jobs creation and economic impact of the exhibition industry on the South African economy. Using a benchmark of the year 2006, researchers found a mixed bag of results when measuring the size of the industry. Overall, the number of large-scale exhibitions increased from 120 in 2006 to 180 in 2015, and the number of exhibitors increased from 26,000 to 36,700. The number of visitors fell over that period, however, from 3.7 million in 2006 to 2.9 million nine years later. Officials

blame the drop in visitors to the loss of several large events, but they say visitor spending still accounts for a $687 million (U.S.) bump to the South African economy. The industry reportedly sustains 152,000 jobs, including the hospitality positions required to host visitors. The research report notes that the exhibition industry in South Africa seems to be gravitating to more niche trade shows rather than broad, multi-purpose events, and that it is attracting more international visitors and exhibitors than it did in years past. Also, the economy has a thriving industry of minor shows that, while not attracting international notice, are an important piece of the trade show puzzle, the study shows. Among the challenges noted by researchers are need for better integration of experiential content and technology in shows, the need for organizer and exhibitor training in order to maximize the trade show experience, and the need for more venues to create more event space and more competitive pricing. Officials say the research is a starting point for conversations with government officials about the needs of the exhibition industry and its importance to the country’s economy. In a recent interview with MBB Media, a trade show consultant company, Weaving said that overall, South Africa has the right ingredients to be an exhibition destination, including more than 100 modern venues, exciting tourism opportunities, and a business culture receptive to growth.

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INTERNATIONAL

US Organizers Meet Global Venues AMERICAN SHOW ORGANIZERS EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH INTERNATIONALLY BY LARRY KULCHAWIK, AUTHOR, TRADE SHOWS FROM ONE COUNTRY TO THE NEXT

In 2012, I conducted a survey with international exhibit suppliers from around the world. The findings were presented at the EDPA ACCESS meeting that year. In 2012, the US marketplace was now beginning to take more seriously the idea of doing exhibits outside of North America. The rest of the world has been doing this for years. A small percentage of the largest US exhibit supplier companies were already doing so due to their customer requests to help them consolidate their marketing efforts and better control their message across the globe. With so many North American trade shows taking place, and plenty of business to keep an American exhibit company and show organizers busy, why consider working internationally and take greater risks? Kind of a dumb attitude, but it was true. Few US exhibit companies were as aggressive about international before 2005. They were busy enough without it. Those that did are now leading the pack. Today in North America, companies are more willing than ever to explore international opportunities to

What percentage of your trade show exhibit business services do you do for clients outside of your country/region? The Response from Seven World Regions:

Europe – 26%

Middle East – 67%

Asia – 26%

South America – 27%

Australia – 26%

Africa – 15%

North America – 5% Why so small a percentage for USA?

grow their business. As a result, American show organizers and exhibit suppliers are more aggressive than ever to respond this new and pressing need. My guess is that the percentage of exhibit work outside of the US in 2017 has increased to 12%. Still behind other countries, but on the rise. Trade Show Executive and co-founders Steve Sind (Global Event Strategies), and Cherif Moujabber (Creative Expos & Conferences) collectively recognized this need and created the Global Direct event to address this new and pressing need to help US show organizers to meet and engage with expo venues from around

56 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

the world. The event was then organized and the group created the focus of the Agenda for the 2 1/2 day meeting in Lake Las Vegas-July 12-14, 2017. Rather than traveling the globe for site inspections and discussions, why not create an event that allows organizers to meet multiple venue managers from around the globe in three days? “At Trade Show Executive, we believe in building bridges in our expo communities through sharing information that impacts our industry. There is no better time than now for US organizers to expand their brands into global markets.As we saw at

the Global Direct event,there are many world- class venues willing to partner with U.S. organizers and help them access new audiences to build their brand in foreign markets. From our perspective, this event was a win-win.” says Gabrielle Weiss-Publisher & Editor/Trade Show Executive. The three day sessions with show organizers and global venues were organized like clockwork. This group of high level executives had little time to focus on the insignificant. Each session was chock filled with valuable topics to provide food for thought when planning their global strategies. Between presentation sessions, the venues presented their facilities to small groups, and one on one meetings were conducted to really get to know and meet key contacts for new growth. Global Direct opened with Stephen Miller-PhD economist from UNLV. Stephen discussed the changing political climates and new global growth areas in the world for business in the next five years. Day two opened with moderator Jason McGraw/InfoComm and a distinguished panel of experienced show Continued on p. 58

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ExhibitCityNews.com September/October 2017 57

INTERNATIONAL

Continued from p. 56 organizers who addressed the question: What is the right business model when organizing an event overseas? This session was followed by myself, moderator Larry Kulchawik who addressed the topic: How can show organizers prepare their exhibitors for successful participation when exhibiting abroad? The panel consisted of global exhibit managers who shared their first hand experiences when planning shows abroad. Don Schmid-global director/ Pfizer and president of HCEA shared his successes and failures when planning for an international event. Gail Hernandez-global director for Cambridge Technology-Novanta, shared her thinking on how to select and prepare her exhibiting staff for engaging with visitors at international events. She also shared her views on how show organizers could help to prepare their international exhibitors for success. Ron Burchett-CEO RE Rogers, shared his thoughts on best practices for shipping exhibit freight and client equipment abroad to international events. RE Rogers is a world leader in international trade show freight and is the official contractor for many shows around the world. A last discussion group focused on security at world convention events. This is a hot topic of concern in our industry these days. The session was led by Mark Herrera- director of education for IAVM and past member of Homeland Security Office in the US. It was interesting

Emerging markets in Asia

to note the different points of view regarding this serious topic. To date, the US has not had any major violent disruptions (other than picketing) at US trade show facilities. Most venues and organizers are working together behind the scenes to take preventative measures given the volatile world we now live in. When there is a bombing anywhere it creates major concerns about attending a trade show in any given world city. “The threats and preventive actions at convention events in the UK are taken very seriously at the NEC. NEC and the organizers work together to take preventive measures to be on the look out for suspicious people. Dogs are often used smell for bombs and arms at entrance gates.

58 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

A major concern is ‘lone wolf’ suspects that can go unnoticed. Badging for entry helps greatly to better identify this who enter the venue/event” commented Richard Mann, director of Business Development, the NEC/ UK. “Attendees at Chinese exhibitions are excellent to accept a long queue for security entry to a show. Guns are not common but knives are. Security to prevent bombing is not a major concern, but steps are taken to identify suspicious people,” says Micheal Kruppe, GM Shanghai International Expo Centre. “Security measures are taken at Expo Guadalajra in Mexico, but major disruptions to date have been minimal. Precautions are created between the organiz-

ers and the Centre for each show,” remarked Juan Gabriel Tamez, director General, Expo Guadalajara. Overall, Global Direct created an atmosphere of open communication between world venues and US exposition organizers. They need each other to succeed. The event provided a stronger connection between US organizers and International venues when deciding to take a trade show international. In the end, the cost investment and success of the exhibitors at international events is of the greatest concern when deciding to expand US trade show events abroad. Bravo to Global Direct for pulling this together and jump start the growth of US international opportunities abroad.

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Join Exhibit City News for our November/December edition. This special section will highlight the infrastructure of builders in the tradeshow industry. We will be looking at upcoming tradeshows in all three locations and we will also include restaurants and attractions in the surrounding areas. Have a presence in this special section to help brand your company and drive more business your way.

60 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

TRADESHOW/EVENT SOLUTIONS

ALUVISION: CONTINUOUS INNOVATION PAVES THE WAY TO SUCCESS Aluvision has been known as the leading developer and supplier of the modular wall frame system ‘with holes’. However, the company also differentiated itself for the past 15 years by continuously developing new products and improving existing ones. Now, the Atlanta based company offers a very wide variety of tradeshow and event solutions.

Aluvision: Continuous Innovation Paves the Way to Success

Recognition for the company’s innovative approach Aluvision and high-quality products has been knowncame as a early on in the year, with ‘The best leading developer and supplier of theof large modular booths’ prize at thesystem Euroshop in wall frame ‘withfair holes’. Düsseldorf, Germany and two awards at However, the company also differentiatthe last ExhibitorLive show in Las Veed itself for the past 15 years by continugas: one for the ‘Best Fabric Exhibit’ ously developing new products and imas well as the distinguished ‘People’s proving existing ones. Now,has the always Atlanta Choice Award’. “Innovation based company offers a very wide variety been a driving force in Aluvision’s developof tradeshow and event solutions. ment. We constantly monitor and anticipate Recognition for the company’s the market’s wants and needs and we innovacater tiveneeds approach and high-quality products to those as efficiently as possible”, came early on in theAluvision’s year, with ‘The best says Stephan De Mulder, Senior of Director. large booths’ prize at the Euroshop fair Omni-55 and Omni-55+ Account solution for non-standard sizeddeor in Düsseldorf, Germany and two awards A perfect One of the company’s most acclaimed Each year, and around the show Duluth area, custom angledhas frames. “We’ve madesystem. a clear at theinlast ExhibitorLive in Las velopments been the Omni-55+ the Duluth chooses the as distinction between the in permanently Vegas:Award one forProgram the ‘Best Fabric Exhibit’ The Omni-55+ profile combinationassemwith best local businesses. The program focuses Omni-55 frames Quickfix and frames that can be well as the distinguished ‘People’s Choice bled specially developed corner brackon companies that have demonstrated their taken apart and put back together with the Award’. “Innovation has always been a ets allows for a quick, easy and completely ability to use various marketing methods to Omni-55+. Both systems are 100% compatdriving force in Aluvision’s development. tool-free frame assembly and disassembly. grow their business. This recognition is a ible” says Jan Dumont, product manager at We constantly monitor and anticipate the A perfect solution for non-standard sized result of great dedication and team efforts Aluvision. “The Omni-55+ allows companies market’siswants needs anda we cater or custom angled frames. “We’ve made a and Aluvision now and proud to be part of to even stock 20’ sticks of extrusion and creto those needs as efficiently as possible”, distinction between the permanently an exclusive group of businesses that have ateclear whatever frame size they want. Thanks says Stephan De Mulder, Aluvision’s assembled Omni-55 frames and frames that achieved this selection. to the hinged version of our Quickfix brackSenior Account Director. can be taken apart and put back together et, making custom angles has never been Each year, in and around the Duluth with the Omni-55+. Both systems are 100% Omni-55 and Omni-55+ easier.” Duluth Award Program chooses compatible” says Jan Dumont, product One ofarea, the the company’s most acclaimed dethe best businesses. The program manager at Aluvision. “The Omni-55+ velopments haslocal been the Omni-55+ system. floor system focuses onprofile companies that have demonallowsraised companies to even stock 20’ sticks The Omni-55+ in combination with STEP strated their ability to use various mar- Although of extrusion and create whateverwall frame size Aluvision’s Omni-55 frames specially developed Quickfix corner brackketing growand their business. canthey Thanks the hinged of alsowant. be used as atoceiling and version floor soluets allows formethods a quick,toeasy completely This recognition is a and result of great ded- tion, ouritQuickfix making custom has itsbracket, limitations: not only angles is the tool-free frame assembly disassembly. ication and team efforts and Aluvision has never been easier.” is now proud to be a part of an exclusive 60 Sept/Oct 2017 Exhibit City News group of businesses that have achieved STEP raised floor system this selection. Although Aluvision’s Omni-55 wall @ExhibitCityNews

amount of weight that the floor can support very limited, it be is also mostand efficient frames can also usednot as athe ceiling way solution, to build larger floors. That floor it hasraised its limitations: notis why Aluvision developed the STEP sysonly is the amount of weight thatflooring the tem: a smart system based on 40”x40” alufloor can support very limited, it is also minum frames that only requires half of the not the most efficient way to build larger amount of frames thanks to the checkered raised floors. That is why Aluvision layout. The height can be adjusted between developed theitSTEP system: aof up to 4 and 5” and has aflooring weight capacity smart system based on 40”x40” 2200 lbs per frame. Adjustable alufeet that are minum frames thatfrom onlythe requires half base easily accessible top, ramps, ofboards the amount of frames thanks to and frames that are easytheto stack checkered layout. The height can be make it a very complete solution. adjusted between 4 and 5” and it has a weight of up to 2200 lbs per Madecapacity in USA frame. Adjustable feet that are easily Since January 2016, Aluvision stocks and accessible from the top, ramps, base manufactures the complete line in its Duboards and plant. frames Besides that are easy to stack luth, GA housing the US make it a very complete solution. HQ and production facility, the location in Georgia also offers a large rental inventory of doors, connectors and acMade in frames, USA cessories. “We realized that thestocks demand for Since January 2016, Aluvision rental exhibits is quickly growing. and manufactures the complete lineTherefore in its we wanted to offer our customers Duluth, GA plant. Besides housing thethe USpossibility to also rent our wall frames,” says HQ and production facility, the locaStephan De Mulder. “This rental solution tion in Georgia also offers a large rental has proven to be a great and we are inventory of frames, doors,success connectors rapidly growing our inventory to meet the and accessories. “We realized that the dedemand.” mand for rental exhibits is quickly growing. wanted to offer our ForTherefore more we information please visit customers the possibility to also rent our www.aluvision.com wall frames,” says Stephan De Mulder. “This rental solution has proven to be a great success and we are rapidly growing our inventory to meet the demand.” For more information please visit www.aluvision.com. ExhibitCityNews.com September/October 2017 61

EXHIBIT CITY PUZZLER

A Custom Crossword by Gail Beckman CustomCrosswords.com 2

7 11

19 25

26 29

38 41

50 55

60 63

67 71

63. (see 8 across) 64. Mistakes 68. That guy 69. Something that can get inflated 71. Short for part number 72. Silver symbol

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31 15

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32. Posts used to support signage or other elevated objects 33. Paid notice 36. They identify expo areas (2 wds) 37. Audio - ______ 40. You may need to retain a general one 43. Letter after el 44. Border charge 47. You can start with a clean one 51. Em follower 52. Opposite NE 55. Fro’s partner 58. Already there 60. Short for Chief Executive Officer 61. Detailed exhibit plan: _____ drawing 62. Certain entrance

W R

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62 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

DOWN 1. Suspended panel used as a decoration or sign 2. TV nickname: Boob ____ 3. Hectoliter, for short 4. Bark sharply 5. Document establishing terms between shipper and transportation company (3 wds) 6. ER worker, perhaps 7. Completed by an exhibitor requesting handling of materials: _______ form 8. Type of play? 9. Expo, for long 10. Public Relations, shortened 13. Country of ours (abbr) 14. Outer, as frames 17. Repurchase agreement, for short 21. Certain land mass 23. Precedes Capitan or Dorado 25. Short for tool shed or top secret 27. Brown from the sun 29. In town 30. Fabricate

1. Type of personnel 3. An exhibit consisting of aluminum extrusion, tension fabric graphics, and custom components 8. Word before 35 across or 63 down 10. Not decorated 11. Short for rent-to-own 12. Identifier of an exhibitor’s floor space: Booth ______ 15. Short for plate or place 16. Blanket follower 18. No smoking, shortened 19. Used to be prefix 20. Lithium symbol 22. Rating site 24. Have lunch 26. Certain government service 28. Outer protection 31. A red one is a warning 32. 18-wheeler, for short 34. Return on Investment initials 35. (see 8 across) 36. Acquisition for services prior to install: _______ order 38. Symbol for actinon 39. California capital, familiarly 41. Associate of Arts, for short 42. Particular bonus 45. Not happening; it’s a ___-___ 46. Vends 48. 12th letter of the Greek alphabet 49. Short for credit note 50. Eyeglasses part 53. ID info 54. Initials for when people are due to show up 56. International term referring to the aisle

57. Individual Retirement Account, shortened 59. Between fa and la 60. Paint applications 62. Let go of 65. Courtyard or pen (abbr) 66. Gender 67. Dimmer switch 70. Artificial intelligence, shortened 71. Pittsburgh state (abbr) 73. Make work with abnormal parts 74. Decorative covering around tables and risers 75. Ashtray stand

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ExhibitCityNews.com September/October 2017 63

The Central States When it comes to the most industry news in the Central States, look no further

than Texas, where Founder, Chairman and CEO of The Expo Group, Ray Pekowski, recently announced that he has just published his first book, Lessons of an Entrepreneur. The book, published through Outskirts Press, is available from major retailers. “In the book I share stories about being an entrepreneur, taking risks and growing the corporate culture at The Expo Group,” Pekowski says.

CONCERTS CONVENTIONS DINING ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT SHOPPING SPORTING EVENTS

64 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

“It’s a short read, a collection of stories, and I’m hoping people learn something that will help them in their own lives and careers.” The Expo Group is a trusted exposition, exhibits and events partner that invests in clients to help them grow attendee, sponsorship and exhibits revenue by creating compelling experiences from ideas to design to execution to results. The company has headquarters near Dallas with offices in Atlanta, Boston, Orlando, Las Vegas, Chicago, Austin/San Antonio and Washington D.C. Pekowski became an entrepreneur in the 1980s and has grown The Expo Group over the past 26 years into a powerhouse of innovation that excels in personalized service for events and exhibitions clientele. Stories about taking risks, overcoming adversity and building a positive corporate culture are shared in Lessons of an Entrepreneur. Also based in Texas – Dallas, that is, The Center for Exhibition Industry

Research has recently announced the release of Part Three: Exhibitor In-booth Tactics – Methods Used to Evaluate Outcomes, the third report in its newest series on attendee floor engagement. CEIR serves to advance the growth, awareness and value of exhibitions and other face-to-face marketing events by producing and delivering knowledge-based research tools that enable stakeholder organizations to enhance their ability to meet current and emerging customer needs, improve their business performance and strengthen their competitive position. This report finds that 94 percent of exhibitors use attendee engagement tactics to impact their overall important objectives for exhibiting. Results indicate that integrating attendee engagement tactics is effective in impacting outcomes for the better. According to study results, the most important objectives for exhibitors are: sales lead generation; brand awareness efforts; and relationship management activities. The full report inventories use of attendee engagement tactics to help influence 17 specific exhibitor outcomes with effectiveness scores for each and quantifies the percentage of exhibitors that engage in different evaluation activities that assess the outcome of attendee engagement tactics. It identifies top-ranked important objectives for exhibiting, most popular attendee engagement tactics used that aim to influence specific outcomes to achieve exhibitor goals, and effectiveness scores for each.

Photo by Thomas McConnell

REGIONAL FOCUS Central

Photo by Thomas McConnell

The Trade Group a full-service, award-winning provider of products and services for trade shows, corporate events and retail environments in Carrollton, Texas, recently partnered with architectural structures innovator AirClad to distribute its contemporary, semi-permanent pop-up systems in the U.S. Along with the XPO structures (large entertainment and exposition buildings from 20’x16’x10’ up to 33’x65’x20’ standard), one of the flagship products is the Snoozy, an 8’x8’ sleeping pod that accommodates up to four people. As with all of the structures in the AirClad line, the Snoozy is constructed of sturdy, aluminum supports and has

been carefully engineered for speed, stability and safety. A double layer of vinyl covers the aluminum supports and an internal AirCell system is used to inflate the walls. The Snoozy sleeping pods come standard with USB ports, LED lighting, Wi-Fi, shelving and two single beds. Snoozys can also be equipped with many other options, while the Snoozy features a clean, contemporary design, that look is just a starting point. All four sides and the top can be customized with brand messaging and colors. Three-person teams can typically set up a Snoozy in 15 minutes. Snoozys also pack down flat and can be stacked eight high and four deep. That

means you can easily fit 32 Snoozys in one truckload. In more Texas news, a new vision for the Austin Convention Center (pictured on p. 64) was recently announced by a coalition of community leaders in support of expanding the ACC. The coalition is backed by a diverse group of Austinites representing all areas of the city and a variety of industries, including arts and music, technology, and business, among others, who support the expansion of the convention center, thereby continuing to generate more jobs for all Austin residents. The coalition is led by a steering committee including former Austin Mayor Lee Cooke, Ted Siff, Mary Guerrero-Mc-

Donald, John Bernardoni, Ali Khataw, Girard Kinney, Karen Quintos and John Howard. Current demand for meeting and exhibit space in downtown Austin vastly exceeds the supply. The Austin Convention Center is forced to turn down nearly one-half of the requests for future bookings due to a lack of space or availability. Convention center expansion serves as an economic engine for the city. Without the travel, convention and tourism industry, Travis County residents would have to pay an additional $1,080 per household in state and local taxes to maintain current levels of service. In 2015, the Continued on p. 66

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REGIONAL FOCUS Central Continued from p. 65 greater Austin MSA welcomed 24.1 million visitors who contributed to $7 billion in economic impact and 124,000 jobs to their leisure and hospitality workforce. Now, in some non-Texas news, Nimlok St. Louis, owned and operated by Xtreme Exhibits, Inc., is proud to serve the Midwest now as the only locally-owned, nationally branded distributorship with a physical presence in the St. Louis marketplace. Opened in March of 2001 and later approached by Nimlok – a leading manufacturer of portable, modular and custom exhibits – to become a branded Nimlok distributor, Nimlok St. Louis/Xtreme Exhibits was built on the prem-

ise of being a business partner rather than a service provider. Instead of following a traditional corporate structure as seen with many exhibit and display solutions providers, Nimlok St. Louis operates lean, with only highly-experienced staff working directly with clients. Along with Brad Blanton, who has over 40 years of experience offering trade show exhibit solutions, his brother Andy Blanton and sons, David Blanton and Brent Blanton, serve as principals and account executives at Nimlok St. Louis. As a result, all Nimlok St. Louis clients deal directly with experienced third or fourth generation exhibit professionals who offer levels of expertise and guidance that are unmatched in the St. Louis market.

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Since becoming Nimlok St. Louis in 2014, the company has consistently been a leader among other branded distributorships nationwide, being one of ten nationwide distributors to receive Nimlok’s Annual Distributor award in 2016. Precision Castparts Corporation recently made their debut at an annual shareholder meeting in Omaha, Nebraska. (Their booth was also voted “Best in Show.”) PCC fabricates numerous metal components and structures for the aerospace industry and other markets. Since their product offerings are extremely diverse, they would need to rely on highly detailed and accurate displays to convey their message, so they challenged PacMin Studio to deliver an unforgettable experience… one that needed to be created within an aggressive time frame of less than four months. They envisioned two large cutaway models paired with a striking CGI video–all to be ready to debut in late April 2016. The 1/8 scale aircraft cabin sectional cutaway presented a broad overview of PCC’s structural fabrication capabilities. It accompanied a six-foot engine cutaway which highlighted their precision engineered turbine components. More than 125 individual parts were grown or machined for both cutaway models. The PacMin team also custom designed a lit steel base for each cutaway model. Miniature spotlights on the base could be positioned to draw attention without overpowering the models. For the finishing touch, PacMin Studio partner

BlueSky CGI produced a digital “fly through” video to complement the two models. The video seamlessly tied together all components of the booth. In great respect and gratitude to our Congressional Medal of Honor recipients and their brave acts of courage, internationally known artist Don Woodard has created a relief wood sculpture titled, “Acts of Valor.” This work of art will be signed by each of the recipients in attendance at the 2017 Medal of Honor Convention, and will be auctioned as a fund raiser during the convention, September 12-16, in Pueblo, Colorado. Woodard is a representational artist with a unique ability to create by hand, very detailed, Relief Wood Sculptures and 3-Dimensional Paintings of scenes, landscapes, people and wildlife. The scenes represented in “Acts of Valor” depict various acts taken by members of our military, for which they were awarded the Medal of Honor. These acts were selected after reviewing numerous recipient citations, and although no one person’s actions were chosen, acts that had some similarity by several recipients are represented. “Acts of Valor” was unveiled to the general public in Denver in January, and after looking at the work-ofart, a number of people were brought to tears. Many veterans were very impressed and thanked Mr. Woodard for creating this relief wood sculpture. Woodard has expressed that it was an honor to do so, and it is the most detailed relief wood sculpture that he has created, taking more than 180 hours to complete.

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CONVENTION CENTER SPOTLIGHT

EAT With more than 200 places to dine that are close to the Javits Center and with such a wide variety of choices, this will be difficult. One might start with Clyde Frazier’s Wine and Dine, the perfect spot if you’re a sport’s fan since they have 56 large-screen televisions, so you won’t miss anything. Enjoy ample choices from steak and fish to a simple sandwich. With a great atmosphere, you can’t go wrong whether it’s a dinner for two or a group of guys just to watch a game. Then after that night out, if you have a hankering for something sweet, visit the Herb-n Peach Sweetery. But if you’re just looking for a great breakfast and a cup of coffee, the Rustic Table is also only a few short steps from the center.

SLEEP

Javits Convention Center

he Javits Center opened in 1986 in New York City and is located on Eleventh Avenue between 34th and 40th streets. When the center opened, it replaced the New York Coliseum as the city’s major convention facility, which at the time was demolished to make way for what is now the Time Warner Center. With more than 760,000 square feet of exhibition space and hosting in excess of 175 events a year, this 15-story facility of steel and glass is simply breathtaking. Make sure to take a tour of their 7-acre green roof that serves as a wildlife habitat which over the course of a year absorbs 6.8 million gallons of water from storms. You will enjoy 17 different species of birds and 5 different species of bats, plus there 68 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

By Kathy Anaya

are more than 300,000 honeybees in this beautiful sanctuary. There are 102 first-class meeting rooms, a 4-acre marshaling area, 50 covered loading docks with three drive-in ramps for each floor and a diverse workforce of experts that speak 20 different languages that can meet anyone’s needs. The Javit Center offers full-service catering and provides a wide range of menus and items that cater to your taste and budget. In fact, the Javits Center is one of the first convention centers in the United States to offer online catering, which can be delivered right to your exhibits or offices. From simple snacktimes to elegant main courses, the facility can host any type of event, whether it’s a tradeshow or wedding.

The hotels that surround the Javits Center seem to be very affordable for the budget. They all offer the same amenities and run from $95.00 to $135.00 a night. Some of the most popular choices include Warwick New York, Four Points by Sheraton Manhattan, 36 Hudson Hotel or the Magnuson Convention Center Hotel. These are all four and five star hotels.

PLAY A must-see is the National 9/11 Memorial & Museum, a tribute to those who lost their lives on that fateful moment in history. Proven to be a moving experience, it is located at 180 Greenwich Street, World Trade Center. On the lighter side would be visiting the Adirondack Mountains, a favorite for hikers with countless trails and mountains throughout its 6 million acres. If you’re travelling with the children, stop at the Bronx Zoo, which attracts more than 2 million visitors a year.

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TRANSPORTATION

The Experience Transportation Agency OF FRIENDSHIP AND PARTNERSHIP - PUTTING THE PASSION BACK INTO TRANSPORTATION ECN INTERVIEW BY ARTHUR BLOBERGER

ECN: Thank you, Steve Moroney and Chad Taylor for chatting with us about your new Experience Transport Agency – ETA, double entendre, I’m sure that wasn’t by accident. Chad Taylor: By design, by Chad Taylor. Funny, the state wasn’t going to let us have the name because it was too close to the industry so they almost didn’t let us have it. But then they figured out they couldn’t really block it, so we got it. ECN: So let’s start with you, Chad. Tell us, what’s your background, what brought you to Las Vegas, how long have you been here, etc.? CT: I’m a California kid, born in northern California—Yreka (in the Redding, Calif., area). My father was in the resort industry, worked on the marina, on houseboats, that sort of thing. He ended up moving out here to Lake Mead, working on Callville Bay - Cottonwood Cove on Lake Mojave - so when I was 16, I came out here to visit him on my first visit to Las Vegas and stayed here for the summer. @ExhibitCityNews

Went back and finished high school and after high school, I came back out to work for him at Lake Mead at Callville Bay Marina. That was in 1996. So, I worked out there for about a year and a half on the marina—we rebuilt Echo Bay, and then I worked my way into town. Then I had a friend who had just bought a limo and asked if I wanted to drive for him. So I said, “Absolutely!” I was 20 years old and I started driving the limo for him in town—it was the first 31-foot stretched white Hummer limousine that Las Vegas had ever seen. I wasn’t quite old enough to be out on the club scene yet but that’s where I was. I did that for a while and truly enjoyed it. I had a blast delivering a Vegas style experience to people coming into town. Did that for about a year and a half and then I took a break from the nightlife industry and got into printing and marketing. ECN: When did you meet Steve? CT: Steve and I met each about six years ago. Tony Hsieh from Zappo’s is a friend

of mine and I do a lot of print marketing for Zappo’s. I printed and produced all their events from 2005-2015. Being in the event production business, the creative side of it, for ten years, transportation was always a problem. I wanted to go back and fix it and make it better because I understand it. Came across Steve who wanted to get into transportation more—he was a driver for Tony, so I actually met him on Tony’s bus and we started planning. After about three years of talking about it, we finally decided to hunker down and throw some money at it, put some more time and energy into it and we did. After applying for the license, it took us two years to actually get approved by the Nevada Transportation Authority (which governs limo licenses for the state of Nev.). We were licensed on February 10, 2017. ECN: Congratulations again. Let’s backtrack here and get Steve in. Same questions what’s your background, what brought you to Las Vegas, how long have you been here, etc.? Steve Moroney: Canadi-

an-born, San Diego-raised, got bit by the music bug. Against my parents’ will, I moved to Los Angeles and played in various rock bands. I started touring the country and fell in love with buses as an entertainer riding behind the curtain, so to speak. We lost our record deal in 1997, but I was really passionate about learning how to drive coaches. So the guy that we were renting buses from, I kinda BS’d him and said that I had a bus license and he started letting me drive buses locally without a license. I kinda figured it out in the seat and it went real well so I went and got my license and started doing entertainer tours. I pulled a lot of entertainers throughout North America and then - I had moved to Iowa at the time, right before I started driving for Tony [Hseish, Zappo’s CEO]. We collided through mutual friend in Los Angeles, he made me a good offer, so I moved out here and sold my bus—actually he bought my bus from me a year and a half later - I’ve been driving six and a half years for him. Continued on p. 72

ExhibitCityNews.com September/October 2017 71

REGIONAL FOCUS Continued from p. 71 Chad and I collided through a Zappo’s event… ECN: Chad said you met on a bus. SM: Yes, the bus was at one of Tony’s events and we were introduced on the bus. It’s a funny thing back on our timeline, when he was a young guy working for the limousine company with that big Hummer, we were both on the same job together with Dennis Rodman. I was pulling Dennis Rodman for eight days out in California on an NWO wrestling thing—I saw Karl Malone and him. Chad had him during the weekend, I just brought him out after the event from Newport, Calif.,

and I dropped him off at the Hard Rock and Chad had him all weekend. CT: I picked him up at the Hard Rock and had him and Carmen Electra in the car with me. So, I saw his bus and he saw my car but we never met and this is 15 years before we actually met. We were just 100 feet away from each other. ECN: Amazing. But when you finally did meet, what kind of rapport did you have with each other? CT: You can tell good energy when you meet somebody. You can tell when somebody is a good person or not and when I met him, he was a

72 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

good person. Having Steve as a business partner is amazing because he allows me to be with my family. So that’s one of the important pieces of this partnership as well. Because my family is the most important. I get to go home and be a dad every night and he picks up the slack. I’ve been married for almost 20 years with two kids. And Steve’s a bachelor who’s looking (if you want to put that in the story). ECN: So you started talking right away about business ideas? CT: Yes, the goal is not to just come in and be a limo company. We said, okay, we’re going to do this, let’s do it different than anybody else. So, how do we do that? Let’s do brand immersion—everybody wants an experience—it’s the new, hot word these days. Look through anything. Experience, experience, experience– it’s how the person felt. So, with the event stuff that I was planning, I said, why don’t we have the event—instead of transportation getting you to the event, what if the event started when you got on the transportation and it became part of the event? So, that your experience would start sooner and you’d remember that instead of it just being a car or bus that got you to and from. And that’s really where we got the ETA concept from–Experience Transport Agency–we can get you to and from but we’d rather put together some type of experience for your guest. And that’s where we’re going with it.

ECN: All right, tell us about this customized experience for your guests inside your Mercedes Sprinters. CT: The limo style vehicle is almost done – it’s had its day, and the new generation wants something more interactive, more comfortable, more user-friendly. And the limo doesn’t fit that–but these vehicles you can stand up inside of them, play video games on the TVs, have LED window panels, it fits better. The experience for us is—you call us and you have an event. And your message that you’re trying to send with this event is—we will take and brand the interior and exterior of the vehicle, along with the music, the video messaging and whatever takeaways you need. So, when that vehicle shows up, it represents your company’s message and what you want to deliver, not ETA. SM: It’s not about us. CT: ETA is just the delivery system of your brand. And that’s how we differ from most. So, our pricing is in line with everybody else’s but we make a separate margin because we put more effort into the branding elements of it and do that all in house. So when your vehicle shows up, it has your logo on it, instead of being some other guy’s limo, it’s your logo—and that has an effect on people. ECN: So, that’s the business-to-business end of it. And you do the customizing with pillows, carpets….

SM: Pillows, carpets, tchotchkes, mints, uniforms, cups, roll-out rugs, you name it, any branding element you want… ECN: How much/percentage of your business is B2B now as opposed to private usage clients who just want to drive around in the pretty black, shiny thing? SM: Most of it! CT: About 70-80 percent. Typical of the street business is an $80-120 ride and they’ll do two to five of those a night in a typical limo setting. Our business is $5,000-$10,000/ weekend for a company to have two to three vehicles at their disposal to move their

people with their message and keep everything coherent and cohesive. The Las Vegas Valley is now a $1 billion/ year business in transportation. And there are three families that have 70 percent of that business. Now, with Uber and Lyft, there are three families and two companies that have 90 percent of that business. That leaves the other 10 percent for the other limo companies to chase the scraps. But we have a lot of ideas that are outside of transportation. They have to do with advertising and transportation just happens to be the delivery method. ECN: So, obviously, your vehicles are the way to go for

the Millennials and the older generations, too, for comfort and safety. Tell me about the safety… CT: Our maintenance programs–every day those vehicles are checked through. Whereas Uber and Lyft, those vehicles are not checked. The driver can be high, drunk, hung over, driven too many hours and you’re putting your life into his hands for a couple of bucks. Ours: state, county, federal, drug-tested, overly-insured ($5 million policies), overly compliant— we don’t mess around with safety. You get into our cars, you’re safe. ECN: Although a new compa-

ny, you’ve already started to give back to the community. CT: One of the programs that we’re doing is working with senior living communities in Anthem and Summerlin to try and get people down to dinner more. So, we have six and eight passenger vehicles that we’re utilizing for this service. It’s something I see growing in the near future. The older generation doesn’t really want to use Uber or Lyft because they don’t trust it—which I can understand. Two, they usually want to go with another group or two, which also makes it cost-effective. And that way you can get into Vegas and back Continued on p. 74

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REGIONAL FOCUS Continued from p. 73 out of Vegas and home safely without having to worry about driving or driving at night. That’s what we’re being told–“we can’t drive at night.” So, if a bunch of couples get together and say, “Let’s go out and see a dinner and a show” and it’s like $20/person for transportation and we can go out for a dinner and a show in this beautiful vehicle. ECN: Plus, you’ve been providing free rides for Opportunity Village? CT: It’s whenever people sign up. We offer free transportation to and from your business to Opportunity Village for up to 14 people who want to go and expe-

rience and take the tour that Marty Wood provides at Opportunity Village. So, if your company wants to do a team building—I truly believe it’s life-changing when you go and experience that—it’s humbling, it’s great team building, it reminds you when you wake up in the morning that life is good no matter what. There are a lot of people who have a lot more struggles than we do, so ETA offers that as a free service to any company that wants to go experience that. I also have Mentor Empire, which is a clothing line— sales for social impact. So, I sell clothing—hats, T-shirts— and I use that money to pull kids off the streets, pay for

detox, get them in a rehab facility, get them back with their families if they have them, find them work, schedule some goals, and put them in motion to become productive members of society. ECN: Kudos. How fast do you see the company growing? Are you jumping on it or are you taking it conservatively? What are your immediate plans? SM: We’ve been going heavy on the growth pattern but you have to pull back the reins. Working with Chad is tough to keep up with because he’s always going. CT: I want to see 50 Sprinters in the first five years—

that would be the ultimate goal for me. Because once you get to 10 or 15, now it’s compounding. You need a fleet to grow in this town. When tradeshows and conventions bring in 150,000+ people, some of those groups are 2,000-3,000 people per group and when you get called by a company to move a group of 2-3,000 people, a few Sprinters isn’t going to cut it. So, if you want to be able to take on this city, you have to grow. So, we’d like to see 50 within 5 years. SM: Go big or go home. For more on Experience Transportation Agency, please visit www.ETARIDES.com.

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CORPORATE PROFILE

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to believe nine years ago, she actually just stuck her foot in as a volunteer, as many do. At first she was reluctant at the thought of visiting people who may die within six months or a year.” But within that same week, they put her on payroll and she got so involved in the burden and her desire to help was so great that she went on to get a doctorate in chaplain and a Masters in substance abuse/

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76 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

recovery. Having done prison ministry for 27 years prior, part of her heart is still there and Gregory is still trying to start a church service in a prison ministry in Nevada. But that’s another story for another time. She actually works for a couple of different hospice companies, although Nevada Hospice Care is really the one she raves about. “Our patients come in and they look very dire, but once we start caring for them, they live a lot longer than the doctor assumed and we assumed because they came on in bad condition, says Gregory. But they’re living a lot longer because we’re taking such good care of them. We’re palliative care; we’re not curative – so, our job is not to cure anything, it’s to keep the patient comfortable and take them off the meds that they don’t need to be on. Because a lot of times with the elderly, they just like to dope them up and keep them quiet.” Yes, you read that right. A lot of people in hospice need get stuck with unnecessary medications and it’s a detriment instead of an advantage. She adds, “Once we start taking them off their meds – well, not off all their meds, we leave them on the necessary meds (and we actually pay for those) but we take them off a lot of unnecessary meds and their health begins to get a little better. It’s amazing.” According to Gregory, the clinical director is looking at all the meds and they’ll say, “They don’t need this – they’ve been taking this for 30 years and this symptom is no longer here – why are they still taking this?” But the family usually just keeps giving it to them “just in

case” or the doctor will keep giving it to them. When a lot of those meds are discontinued, it can be like a new lease on life. Patients clearly begin thinking a little better, eating a little better, and their overall health can become noticeably better. Of course, you must meet a certain criteria to qualify for Nevada Hospice, and patients are aware of that when they sign up, but often, most of the time, in fact, it’s because they said, “Hey, I’m just done with the doctor thing – I’m tired of all the poking and prodding.” And so, when they’re at that point, now they’re ready for hospice. But unlike days passed, a large percentage of their clientele no longer goes into hospice expecting to pass away. “That is the old rumor – you get on hospice when you’re ready to die,” states Gergory. “That’s not true anymore. Medicare has relaxed their criteria a little bit – you don’t have to be dying to be put on hospice. We have people with COPD who live three to four years. Another less known fact is that we’re talking mostly out-patient care here. Nevada Hospice goes to where the patient is: group homes, their home, facilities – wherever they’re at, the care is continued. They do have two of their own facilities – Memory Care, for Alzheimers/dementia – for those who can’t function on their own outside of that. Patients can actually live with Parkinson’s for 10 or 20 years. The only caveat is they just can’t be receiving aggressive treatment for what they’re on hospice for. “We have a social worker who can help you sign up for Medicaid or Medicare and we can get you on our services

so you’re not paying out of pocket,” explains the chaplain. We don’t charge anybody – if we have to place you in a group home or assisted living – that’s between you and them and they’ll talk to you about cost and most of the time, the social security checks go directly to the group home depending on how much you get. So we have a social worker that can help you with Medicaid, Medicare, Meals-on-Wheels, any kind of services like that. Among other services Nevada Hospice provides are supplying whatever meds are needed according to their diagnosis and paying for those. If you need a shower chair, wheelchair, walker, hospital bed – Nevada Hospice pays

for all of those – but not electric scooters. However, you do get a certified nursing assistant one to five times a week, you get a nurse every week, you get a social worker any time you need it, you get a chaplain any time you need it, and you get a lot of attention and you could even get a volunteer, not to mention music therapy, massage, aromatherapy, and pet therapy (but, sorry, the volunteers are not housekeepers. They’re not there to change them in their living habits; they’re there to help them in what may be their last stages of life.) “We take very good care of our patients,” boasts Gregory. “I’ve worked for several different companies and this one is by far the best. There’s a hus-

band and wife who own the company, Tony and Jennifer Farminelli – they work in the office, they work right alongside everybody. They’re in the office most of the time. Some companies you might never even meet the owner – no, they’re in there working right along with everybody else. How he started this company – his dad was on hospice and he did not like how it went. He knew nothing about hospice – he worked for NASA. The guy is just way above. Now he has everything laid out – and we’re going to have our own facility on Tenaya and Azuri. They own the corner property and they’re ready to break ground. It’s going to be a 100-bed facility so our office will move over there, it’s going

to be huge – it’s going to have an indoor theatre, restaurant, you name it, it’s going to be top of the line.” Nevada Hospice actually cares about their patients from their heart. They’ve even taken on patients for free, no insurance, and paid. For Chaplain Debbie Gregory, this is truly a calling. “It’s almost a guilt because I’m getting paid for something that I love to do and I feel like it is my ministry as a chaplain but I’m getting paid to do it,” she affirms. “I have to be careful because I’m considering it a blessing on my part, so I don’t want to feel too guilty because God put me in that position but he put me in a position that lets me do my ministry plus get paid to do it.”

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

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please contact: Amanda Helgemoe ahelgemoe@nuvistaonline.com ExhibitCityNews.com September/October 2017 77

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

People on the Move

&D service company ShoLink Incorporated has named Rob West (right) as senior director of field operations, responsible for the development and implementation of Sho-Link’s show floor service standards, monitoring the financial performance of the cities, and oversees training initiatives for the Sho-Link safety program. West is also responsible for all direct city management for Sho-Link and reports directly to Sho-Link President Scott Rudel. “With Rob’s experience as a city manager, he is very in tune with the dynamics and challenges of daily operations. His commitment to strong leadership will strengthen our company,” states Rudel. Also, Sho-Link Orlando is proud to announce its new City Manager, Michael Burlile. Burlile started his career in I&D in 1998 with Czarnowski in Las Vegas. He worked for Exposition Productions for more than a decade. Burlile’s experience also includes the position of city manager and then regional manager for one of Sho-Link’s affiliates. His connections made while working in Las Vegas introduced him to Sho-Link and the rest is history. Burlile stated, “I am excited to be a part of the Sho-Link team and strongly believe in the core values of the Sho-Link vision.” Plus, Sho-Link Dallas is proud to announce its new City Manager, John Britton. Although a relative newcomer to the tradeshow industry, he brings decades of operations experience in IT and telecommunications. His career has included being a director, responsible for managing operations across multiple centers and states. Originally from Toronto, Britton has lived in Texas for more 78 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

By Exhibit City News

than twenty years, has worked at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas and has experience with other large events, including the local PGA golf tournament. “I will focus on developing a solid team in an effort to deliver a quality product and increase everyone’s bottom line,” stated Britton. Highmark TechSystems President Debbie Parrott has announced some exciting organizational promotions. “Highmark has not only been able to attract strong new talent, but we have also seen our people grow and take ownership of increasingly larger responsibilities,” she said. “With that in mind, I am happy to announce Matt Andrews has been promoted to head of sales at our company. Previously responsible for the Western United States, Matt has shown a remarkable work ethic and discipline in making certain that our projects and collaborations run flawlessly. His positive attitude always reassures our customers. Recently he completed the Sales Management Program at the University of Chicago—and he’s ready to take charge of our national sales effort. “In addition,” continues Parrott, Jennifer Lehrman, (left) who joined us two years ago as sales and marketing coordinator, has been promoted to oversee inside sales and account management. Jennifer’s incredible insight and organizational skills make her a natural ‘connector.’ Having managed a range of events and strategic relationships throughout her professional career, Jennifer is keenly attentive to customer service as well as the importance and nuances of

communication. No matter what task she is given, she excels at it. Jennifer embodies our internal mantra, ‘make it happen.’ Nimlok Michigan is proud to announce the expansion of its team, welcoming three new team members in Q1 2017, including Leo Carr, print production operator. Carr is an experienced print production operator within the grand format printing industry and will work to streamline print production in Nimlok Michigan’s Detroit office. Also, Kathryn Donati (left), project manager, brings with her 14 years of experience in the grand format graphics printing and events industries and will work closely with the Detroit sales team to coordinate the production and delivery of trade show exhibit and display solutions. Plus, Karen Gibson, receptionist, is an experienced receptionist and will manage all company inquiries from Nimlok Michigan’s Grand Rapids office. “This is an exciting time for our company as we continue to grow and expand,” said Tim Benton, CEO of Nimlok Michigan. “We have a tremendously dedicated team who have made our growth possible, and we look forward to better serving our clients all across the state of Michigan.” Nimlok Chicago is proud to announce it has added Alyssa Issler (below left), exhibit designer, to its growing team of exhibit and display professionals. With a background in concept development, 3D Modeling and manufacturing in the consumer goods and housewares industry, Issler joins the creative exhibit design team at Nimlok Chicago to translate client ideas and needs into effective and stylish exhibit and display solutions. Issler graduated from Southern Illinois University Carbondale with a BFA in industrial design and a marketing minor. Continued on p. 80

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE Continued from p. 78 Flooring specialist Brumark is pleased to announce the promotion of James Zacharias from national director client experience to VP of sales. In his new role, Zacharias will lead Brumark’s nationwide team of client experience managers and account managers and direct customer service initiatives. Zacharias has 20 years of experience in the exhibits and events industry. Prior to joining the company in 2006, he was in sales and business development and was a C130 Crew Chief in the USAF. “James’s complete commitment to the success of his clients and our company is apparent in all that he does, and this promotion is well deserved,” says David Walens, president of Brumark. GES is pleased to announce the addition of Kristin Sedlacek (above right) as regional manager of sales support based in GES’ Chicago client care center. Sedlacek brings more than 15 years of business development and design experience. Before joining GES, Sedlacek served as a director at FreemanX and worked at Derse Exhibits. Sedlacek has also coordinated trade show needs including design, estimating, proposal, and post-sale process/construction schedule. “GES is known for its passionate and talented team of design and marketing professionals who are committed to client service and results,” said Sedlacek. “I’m honored to be part of the GES team.” Two talented students have been awarded mg’s 2017 Exhibit Design Excellence Scholarship, which was created in honor of its Founder Michael Grivas Sr., a talented designer, industrious entrepreneur and industry visionary. mg proudly recognizes 2017 undergraduate level scholarship recipient Nicholas Lommen, a senior at Bemidji State University, and 2017 graduate level scholarship recipient Qi (Viki) Zheng, a graduate student at the New York Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). As part of the scholarship selection process, students submit projects from their design portfolio as well as writ80 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

ing a brief essay on the skills they believe are most important for being a successful designer. Applicants must also meet academic requirements and demonstrate their involvement in the exhibit industry. mg is also pleased to announce that Eric Osborne has joined mg’s project management team, reporting to Director, Production, Tim Stefaniak. Osborne has been producing 3D structures and displays for the past 25 years, most recently running his own firm. Osborne began his career in the mold-making department of an exhibit firm and is excited to again be focused on custom exhibits for trade shows and events. “Eric has been constructing 3D structures his entire career,” said Stefaniak. “His expertise and precision will help ensure that our clients’ branded environments leave the shop floor and arrive on the show floor beautifully and on time.” mg is also pleased to announce that Nick Gaudio (below left) has joined the mg team as a senior account manager based in Pleasant Prairie. A trade show veteran, Gaudio has been involved in nearly every major trade show and event in Chicago during his 18-year industry tenure. Gaudio started his exhibit career as a trade show representative acting as a liaison and coordinator between exhibiting clients and show services. For more than seven years, he was a transportation representative handling third party logistics, installation and dismantle for his clients. Reporting to Marci Banks, Gaudio is now tasked with managing several large mg clients in different industries. Convention Data Services has named Sharon Keane (right) as the company’s new sales and exhibitor services manager. Keane brings to this new role more than 20 years of management experience in operations, sales, customer support and IT. In her new role, she will lead the

account management and exhibitor services team with a special focus on creating partnerships with the company’s show management clients. “I am confident she will guide and help our team continue to work with our clients to understand their needs and provide solutions to drive event attendance and increase exhibitor ROI,” says David Lawton, executive vice president of sales, CDS. Labor and management service provider On Location has hired industry veteran Kris Fox (left) as account executive and regional manager. With more than 20-years’ experience, Fox will take on this dual role supporting client relationships and acting as a primary liaison between sales and field operations in Wisconsin and the surrounding areas. He will also be responsible for new business development. Prior to joining On Location, Fox owned and operated Exhibit Management Solutions, LLC, a Wisconsin-based trade show service company he founded in 1999. Fox started his career with Skyline Displays, where he developed operational standards for the company’s distributor network turnkey asset management program. On Location has also hired Susan Hartley as an Account Executive in the Southeastern Region. Experienced in account management, relationship building and sales force training, her primary responsibilities will focus on new business development, customer acquisition and fostering mutually beneficial relationships. Hartley will be based out of the Atlanta region and joins On Location after a decade with Under One Roof Trade Show Services, a full service trade show solutions company based in Georgia. Most recently the manager of training and sales development, she also held positions as sales manager and account manager over the years, successfully exceeding sales goals and maintaining a client retention rate of more than 95 percent.

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

DINING

Celebrity Chef Robert Irvine Opens First Las Vegas Restaurant Public House Inside Tropicana Redefines LV Dining

kitchen design, private dining room and views of The Strip. The new restaurant offers a range of comfort food options inspired by Chef Irvine’s culinary travels from around the world - all in a pub-like atmosphere. Highlights include fork and knife burger (Vermont sharp cheddar fondue, mushrooms, onions, smoked bacon, brioche roll); chicken fried duck confit (maple and sherry vinegar, braised kale and chard, buttery sriracha sauce); stone fired shepherds pie (ground lamb, onion, English peas, mashed potato crust); English banoffee pie (banana, toffee, espresso ice cream); and mason jar apple pie (5-year aged cheddar, vanilla ice cream), to name a few. “Opening a restaurant in Las Vegas has been a longtime dream of mine and being inside the iconic Tropicana Las Vegas makes Public House that much more extraordinary,” said Chef Irvine. “With this restaurant, I am excited to share my travels through food and beverage, and presenting guests with good food and a great experience, all at a reasonable price. Public House is all about offering something for everyone.” Robert Irvine’s Public House, located on the casino floor of Tropicana Las Vegas, is open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Reservations can be made by calling (702) 739-2307. For more information, please visit www.troplv.com.

Photo by Erik Kabik Photography

Tropicana Las Vegas has officially opened its highly anticipated restaurant in partnership with Celebrity Chef Robert Irvine – Robert Irvine’s Public House. The renowned chef and TV personality celebrated opening day in true Robert Irvine fashion by descending upon Las Vegas Boulevard with a three-vehicle military-inspired convoy. Chef Irvine topped himself by making

his grand entrance by arriving via helicopter, where he landed on the Northeast entrance of the iconic property, just off the famed Las Vegas Strip. Chef Irvine was accompanied by Medal of Honor recipient, Hershel W. Williams, as well as his wife, Gail Kim, and VP and General Manager at Tropicana Las Vegas, Aaron Rosenthal. Upon arrival, Chef Irvine was welcomed by 30 active-duty military, Tropicana team members and property executives, and together they commenced the celebration with an official ribbon-cutting affair, complete with a brick wall-inspired ice sculpture, which Chef Irvine knocked down with a sledge hammer – for a one-ofa-kind opening celebration. The military guests were then treated to a first taste of the all-new restaurant hosted by Chef Irvine himself in honor of its opening day. “After much anticipation, we are thrilled to finally welcome Robert Irvine’s Public House to Tropicana Las Vegas,” said Rosenthal. “Chef Irvine will truly redefine the dining experience on property, and we are excited to embark on a new culinary journey here at Tropicana Las Vegas – allowing our guests to enjoy the property as a premier destination on The Strip.” Boasting nearly 9,000 square feet, the restaurant features a 275-seat dining room complete with a wraparound bar, open

82 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

Photo by Erik Kabik Photography

ENTERTAINMENT

Presto Chango! Magician Seth Grabel Shifts Gears from Stage Shows to Trade Shows By Samanta Arjune

Having both parents as entertainers, Seth Grabel was destined for the bright lights of Sin City from a very early age. In fact, he got his first taste of magic when he was 11-years old, after his father, also a magician, showed him a couple of parlor tricks. (His mother was a belly-dancer.) But it wasn’t until Grabel went to college and met other magicians that he decided he wanted to be a magician. During that time, he spent endless hours dedicated to learning, practicing and perfecting his magical arts skills, making sure every last detail of the performance was perfected, from the lighting to the makeup to the flawless elements of his wardrobe. Among the biggest highlights in Grabel’s early career were his appearances on NBC’s America’s Got Talent. Overwhelm@ExhibitCityNews

ingly a fan favorite, he received very high praise from all the judges with his acrobatic illusion act, especially Howie Mandel. “It was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had and I would definitely do it all over again,” he says. “The show was a wonderful platform to have been a part of since it allows you to entertain on a much larger scale. Sometimes you just have to take a chance. I learned so much.” The man behind the magic is also a very smart businessman who’s built his business on corporate marketing and the branding of various company products, tying them together with magic and sales. As Grabel says, he likes people and brands, and he can create magic with brands. These days, his main focus is trade shows and conventions, a completely different audience than he originally expected to entertain. Show attendees are usually there for a particular reason or product, while businesses continue to pursue him for his talent of turning magic into product-branding. Many corporations have flown Seth around the

world to perform at their private events. “The audiences attending my shows are there because they want to be there,” he says, claiming to be the glue that bonds everything together. “And it’s a nice breakup of the monotony of the long business day.” But Grabel considers himself an entertainer first and a magician second. You can tell by the glint in his eye that he loves performing and captivating an audience, and that his main goal remains connecting with the crowds. And while his clever magic never ceases to bring amazement and wonder, he still prides himself in his art, working diligently on new tricks and looking for new ideas that will change the world of magic. There is always so much more to do and learn, and he is always thinking and planning ahead. Married on the CBS telecast of the Grammy Awards in 2014, Grabel and his wife, Tammy (the former owner of Las Vegas Woman magazine), and beautiful young daughter, Grace, have made Las Vegas their home base. ExhibitCityNews.com September/October 2017 83

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

ATTRACTIONS

Dr. Seuss Sights in San Diego Happiness – and the Silliness of Dr. Seuss – Are Calling Dr. Seuss (aka Theodor Seuss Geisel), a popular American icon and masterful author and illustrator of children’s books, once lived in San Diego’s tony seaside community of La Jolla where his fantastical world and beloved characters came to life for readers of all ages. At his home and studio high atop Mt. Soledad, Dr. Seuss wrote and illustrated two of his most famous works, The Cat in The Hat (1957) and McElligots’s Pool (1947), as well as 40 other well-known titles under the Dr. Seuss name. From whimsical trees to colorful gallery collections, the following are some sensational Seuss sights, attractions and activities

for visitors to discover around San Diego. The Geisel library offers a self-guided tour, featuring playful Seuss sculptures, the Special Collections Room and Seuss Room. Visitors can pose in front of an Instagram-worthy, life-size bronze statue of Dr. Seuss, prominently situated on the west side of the Geisel Library, outside on the third-level forum. An original sculpture by artist Lark Grey Dimond-Cates, the statue depicts Dr. Seuss sitting at his desk with a 7 ½ foot Cat in the Hat, Dr. Seuss’ alter ego, looking over his shoulder. The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss at Legends Gallery in La Jolla offers guests a rare glimpse at the sophisticated, technically accomplished and often unrestrained side of Dr. Seuss’ talent. Chronicling almost seven decades of work Dr. Seuss created for his own personal pleasure, this relatively unknown collection includes whimsical paintings, illustrations and wonderfully weird sculptures of animals from his

Unorthodox Taxidermy collection. From Nov. 4–Dec. 24, visitors can join the Whos down in Whoville for some caroling and holiday magic during the spectacular musical production of Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! at the Old Globe, as well as explore a wintery Whoville in the Globe’s main plaza complete with a giant Christmas tree surrounded by happy Whos. For more information, visit the San Diego Tourism Authority’s website at www.sandiego.org.

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84 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

LODGING

Triple Creek Ranch Again Named in Top 10 Hotels Montana Fun for Adults and Children 16- years and Older Triple Creek Ranch, the Relais & Châteaux mountain hideaway in Darby, Montana’s Bitterroot Mountain range of the Rockies, has once again been named among the top 10 hotels in the world in the annual Travel + Leisure World›s Best Awards 2017. The property also ranked high among The Top Resort Hotels in the Continental United States and The Best Resort Hotels in the West. The prestigious recognition from Travel +Leisure comes at an exciting moment for the Ranch, as next year marks 25 years of ownership by Craig

@ExhibitCityNews

and Barbara Barrett, who have always treasured, conserved and improved this national gem. Of the 25 private cabins, the most recent addition is Riverside, which began welcoming guests earlier this year. This spacious two-bedroom private home set on the banks of the West Fork of the Bitterroot River has panoramic water views thanks to floor- to-ceiling windows. From October 26 - 30, Triple Creek Ranch will host “Autumn Birding in the Bitterroot with Greg Miller.” Montana is home to more than 400 bird species and the Bitterroot Valley is a designated “birding hotspot” by the Audubon Society. It’s the ideal setting for day outings with the

legendary birder, who was profiled in the book and movie, The Big Year. The Ranch is also an Orvis-endorsed fly fishing lodge. Rates start at $1,050 per couple, per night, based on double occupancy and includes a private log cabin, all meals, house wines, spirits and beers, and a range of outdoor activities including horseback riding, fly fishing, cooking classes, skijoring and more. For more information visit www.triplecreekranch.com.

ExhibitCityNews.com September/October 2017 85

Trade Show Calendar CANADA

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

Show The National Franchise & Business Opportunities Show The Profile Show Oil Sands Trade Show & Conference Security Canada Atlantic - CANASA Canadian Health Food Association - Expo East - CHFA Canadian Society for Vascular Surgery - CSVS Canadian Healthcare Engineering Society - CHES National Pet Industry Trade Show IEEE Petroleum and Chemical Industry Technical Conference The National Franchise & Business Opportunities Show The Canadian Coffee & Tea Show Canadian Society of Transplantation - CST CanWest - Horticulture Trade Show Interior Design West - IDSWest The National Franchise & Business Opportunities Show The Convenience U CARWACS Show International Association of Forensic Nurses Annual - IAFN Orthopaedic Trauma Association - OTA IMATS - International Make-up Artists Trade Show CanWest Veterinary Conference Canadian Wireless Trade Show

Start 09/09 09/10 09/12 09/13 09/14 09/15 09/17 09/17 09/18 09/23 09/24 09/26 09/27 09/28 09/30 10/03 10/11 10/11 10/14 10/14 10/17

End 09/10 09/13 09/13 09/13 09/17 09/16 09/19 09/18 09/20 09/24 09/25 09/29 09/28 10/01 10/01 10/04 10/14 10/14 10/15 10/17 10/18

CC International Centre Toronto Congress Centre Suncor Community Centre Holiday Inn Harbourview Toronto Congress Centre Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel Scotiabank CC International Centre Telus CC Telus CC Toronto Congress Centre Halifax CC TRADEX Vancouver CC Edmonton Expo Centre BMO Centre at Stampede Park Fairmont Royal York Vancouver CC Vancouver CC Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel The International Centre

All Information Is Subject to Change*

City Toronto Toronto Ft. McMurray Halifax Toronto Banff Niagra Falls Mississauga Calgary Calgary Toronto Halifax Abbotsford Vancouver Edmonton Calgary Toronto Vancouver Vancouver Banff Toronto

St ON ON AB NS ON AB ON ON AB AB ON NS BC BC AB AB ON BC BC AB ON

Att 5000 2969 5700 200 3800

Exh 150 198 400 40 800

300 1811

160 230

1500 1300

60 135

4000 20K 1600

265 300 50

600 1400

41 60

2500

150

Nsf 21000 69700 85000 5800 73000

Industry Business Apparel Petroleum, Oil & Plastics Security Food & Beverage Medical & Healthcare 15000 Medical & Healthcare 40800 Petroleum, Oil & Plastics 22500 Business Food & Beverage Medical & Healthcare 45000 Home Furn. & Int. Design Home Furn. & Int. Design 20000 Business Stores & Store Fittings 3280 Medical & Healthcare 25000 Medical & Healthcare Beauty & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Communications

*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.

86 September/October 2017 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 CENTRAL Show American Association for State & Local History - AASLH Bridal Shows, Inc. Industry Summit - F&I and Showroom International Pump Users Symposium & Turbomachinery Symposium - TurboLab American Academy of Family Physicians - AAFP FMX Obesity Medicine Association - Overcoming Obesity Conference Southwest Dental Conference Airports Council International - North America - ACI-NA Healthcare Facilities Symposium & Expo DUG Midcontinent - Developing Unconventional Gas Southwest Veterinary Symposium - SWVS Imprinted Sportswear Fort Worth - ISS Society of Exploration Geophysicists - SEG Channel Partners Evolution American Society for Industrial Security - ASIS Fall Toy Preview - TIA Texas Association of School Boards - TASB SPE Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition - ATCE American Nurses Credentialing Center National Magnet Conference - ANCC Oklahoma Oil & Gas Expo American Association for Laboratory Animal Science - AALAS Association for Operations Management - APICS Association of Air Medical Services - AMTC BreakBulk Transportation Conference & Exhibition SecureWorld Expo Council on Social Work Education - Annual Meeting - CSWE International City/County Management Association - ICMA FinCon - Financial Content Expo Society of Women Engineers - SWE

All Information Is Subject to Change*

Start 09/06 09/10 09/11 09/12 09/12 09/13 09/14 09/17 09/18 09/19 09/21 09/22 09/24 09/25 09/25 10/03 10/06 10/09 10/11 10/12 10/15 10/15 10/16 10/17 10/18 10/19 10/22 10/25 10/26

View Complete Calendar Online

End 09/09 09/10 09/14 09/14 09/16 09/17 09/16 09/20 09/20 09/21 09/24 09/24 09/29 09/28 09/28 10/05 10/08 10/11 10/13 10/12 10/19 10/17 10/18 10/19 10/19 10/22 10/25 10/28 10/28

Venue AT&T Exe. Edu.and Conf. Center Plano Centre Gaylord Texan George R. Brown CC Henry B. Gonzalez CC JW Marriott San Antonio H.C. Kay Bailey Hutchison CC Ft. Worth CC Austin CC Cox Business Center Henry B. Gonzalez CC Ft. Worth CC George R. Brown CC Austin CC Kay Bailey Hutchison CC Dallas Market Center Kay Bailey Hutchison CC Henry B. Gonzalez CC George R. Brown CC Oklahoma State Fair Park

City Austin Plano Dallas Houston San Antonio San Antonio Dallas Ft. Worth Austin Oklahoma City San Antonio Ft. Worth Houston Austin Dallas Dallas Dallas San Antonio Houston Oklahoma City Austin San Antonio Fort Worth CC Ft. Worth George R. Brown CC Houston Plano Centre Plano Sheraton Dallas Hotel Dallas Henry B. Gonzalez CC San Antonio Sheraton Dallas Hotel Dallas Austin

St TX TX TX TX TX TX TX TX TX OK TX TX TX TX TX TX TX TX TX OK TX TX TX TX TX TX TX TX TX

Att 800

Exh 50

1300 5500 10.9K 600 11K 1750 2008

80 360 359 50 335 129 190

225 5300 240 6488 370 2500 100 18.3K 708 2637 292 8000 400 7500 300 7797 276 3600 4500 250 2500 150 2330 120 5000 300 500 50 2600 3510 200 1259 65 7000

Nsf 4000

Industry Associations Apparel 19000 Financial & Legal 48300 Petroleum, Oil & Plastics 58500 Medical & Healthcare 5000 Medical & Healthcare 42000 Medical & Healthcare 21800 Aerospace & Aviation 19000 Medical & Healthcare Petroleum, Oil & Plastics 42600 Medical & Healthcare 49100 Apparel 123K Energy 15000 Communications 228K Security 94144 Toys and Hobbies 60000 Education 93000 Petroleum, Oil & Plastics 44700 Medical & Healthcare Energy 25000 Science 59000 Plant Eng. & Operations 60000 Aerospace & Aviation Transportation 10000 Security Government 27500CityGovernment Exhibit News’ best-read section! 20001 Financial & Legal Engineering

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 September/October 2017 87

Trade Show Calendar US MIDWEST

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

Show American Society for Clinical Pathology - ASCP American Academy of Otolaryngology - OTO Expo PRINT EXPO - GASC Illinois Health Care Association Annual Convention - IHCA BusCon SecureWorld Expo American Academy of Pediatrics - AAP Railway Interchange - AREMA/REMSA/RSSI/RSI Process Expo - FPSA Illinois Municipal League National Safety Council - NSC Association of Rotational Molders International HIDA Steamlining Healthcare Conference Weftec - Water Environment Federation World Dairy Expo American Association of Respiratory Care - AARC Club Industry American Society for Dermatologic Surgery - ASDS Chicago Marathon Health Fitness Expo Illinois Library Association Annual Conference - ILA Midwest Booksellers Association - MBA American Academy of Optometry Society of Urologic Nurses & Associates Conference - SUNA Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Show NACS Show - National Association of Convenience Stores Minnesota Educator Academy - MEA The ASSEMBLY Show National FFA Convention - Future Farmers of America American Institute of Chemical Engineers Annual - AIChE

88 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

Start 09/06 09/10 09/10 09/11 09/11 09/13 09/16 09/17 09/19 09/21 09/23 09/26 09/26 10/02 10/03 10/04 10/04 10/05 10/06 10/10 10/11 10/11 10/13 10/17 10/17 10/19 10/24 10/25 10/29

End 09/08 09/13 09/14 09/14 09/13 09/14 09/19 09/20 09/22 09/23 09/29 09/28 09/28 10/04 10/07 10/07 10/06 10/08 10/07 10/12 10/13 10/14 10/16 10/18 10/20 10/20 10/26 10/28 11/03

Venue Hyatt Regency McCormick Place McCormick Place Peoria Civic Center Indiana CC Ford Motor Conf. & Event Center McCormick Place Indiana CC McCormick Place Hilton Chicago Indiana CC Donald E. Stephens CC Hyatt Regency Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hare McCormick Place Alliant Energy Center Indiana CC Hilton Chicago Hyatt Regency Chicago McCormick Place Tinley Park CC The Westin McCormick Place Hilton Chicago Suburban Collection Showplace McCormick Place St. Paul RiverCentre Donald E. Stephens CC Indiana CC Minneapolis CC

All Information Is Subject to Change*

City Chicago Chicago Chicago Peoria Indianapolis Detroit Chicago Indianapolis Chicago Chicago Indianapolis Rosemont Chicago Chicago Madison Indianapolis Chicago Chicago Chicago Tinley Park Lombard Chicago Chicago Novi Chicago St. Paul Rosemont Indianapolis Minneapolis

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

Att 1200 5500 24.7K 2500 1785 525 10K 10K 20K 3500 13K 2000 3500 17K 71.8K 6000 4000 900

Exh 300 491 215 132 55 360

3.4K 160 895 150 300 981 863 100 250 120 200 1500 175 1100 125 5600 168 500 100 5500 225 24.1K 1.2K 10K 300 3000 60K 4000 100

Nsf 6200 71000 301K 22200 56390 5500 65500 100K 16000 176K 20000 40000 297K 561K 24000 36500 10000 20000 15000 29500 20000 30000 381K 33000 40000 130K 10000

Industry Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Printing Medical & Healthcare Transportation Security Medical & Healthcare Railroads Food & Beverage Government Medical & Healthcare Manufacturing Medical & Healthcare Water Food & Beverage Medical & Healthcare Sporting Goods & Rec. Medical & Healthcare Sporting Goods & Rec. Libraries Publishing Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Hotels & Resorts Stores & Store Fittings Education Manufacturing Agriculture & Farming Chemical

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 American Academy of Periodontology - AAP New England Produce Council Produce & Floral Expo Federal Identity Forum & Exposition (FedID 17) CONSTRUCT Natural Products Expo East National Association for College Admission Counseling - NACAC Pri-Med East Design-2-Part Show International Construction & Utility Equipment Expo - ICUEE National Science Teachers Association - NSTA American Osteopathic Assoc. - AOA - Osteopathic Medical Conf. & Expo - OMED THE FOLIO:SHOW Atlantic Coast Veterinary Conference - ACVC Association of the US Army Annual Meeting - AUSA New York State School Boards Association - NYSSBA International Foodservice Distributors Association - IFDA OptiFab - SPIE Audio Engineering Society Convention - AES National Association of Broadcasters - NAB New York Green Industry and Equipment Expo - GIE+Expo International Association of Chiefs of Police - IACP MILCOM - AFCEA PDN Photoplus International Conference + Expo National Association of Housing & Redevelopment - NAHRO JA New York Special Delivery - Jewelry American College of Emergency Physicians - ACEP Orgill Dealer Market Fall Kentucky Medical Association Annual Meeting - KYMA The Louisville Gift Show

All Information Is Subject to Change*

Start 09/09 09/12 09/12 09/13 09/13 09/14 09/14 09/27 10/03 10/05 10/07 10/09 10/09 10/09 10/12 10/15 10/16 10/18 10/18 10/18 10/21 10/23 10/26 10/27 10/29 10/29 08/24 08/25 08/27

End 09/12 09/13 09/14 09/16 09/16 09/16 09/17 09/28 10/05 10/07 10/10 10/11 10/12 10/11 10/14 10/17 10/19 10/21 10/19 10/20 10/24 10/25 10/28 10/29 10/31 11/01 08/26 08/27 08/28

Venue Boston Conv. & Expo Center Boston Conv. & Expo Center Walter E. Washington CC Rhode Island CC Baltimore CC Boston Conv. & Expo Center Hynes CC Royal Plaza Trade Center Kentucky Exposition Center Baltimore CC Pennsylvania CC New York Hilton Midtown Atlantic City CC Walter E. Washington CC Conf. Center at Lake Placid Gaylord National Rochester CC Javits Center Javits Center Kentucky Expo Center Pennsylvania CC Baltimore CC Javits Center David L. Lawrence CC Javits Center Walter E. Washington CC Boston Conv. & Expo Center Hyatt Regency Paroquet Conf. Center

City Boston Boston Washington Providence Baltimore Boston Boston Marlborough Louisville Baltimore Philadelphia New York Atlantic City Washington Lake Placid Washington Rochester New York New York Louisville Philadelphia Baltimore New York Pittsburgh New York Washington Boston Louisville Louisville

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

Att 2500 750 3000 3500 21.6K 5000 5000 1400 16.6K 3000 10.5K 800 2000 29.1K 5000 1200 1700 16K 15.4K 18K 14.2K 5170 17.8K 1500 4496 7550 20K 1500 2100

Exh 150 230 150 244 1.1K 200 215 150 801 150 180 100 156 682 170 154 165 311 362 615 783 266 221 100 274 414 1K 90 100

Nsf Industry 35000 Medical & Healthcare Food & Beverage Communications 35300 Real Estate 154K Food & Beverage 50000 Education 65600 Medical & Healthcare 15000 Manufacturing 1.1M Building & Construction 30000 Education 39600 Medical & Healthcare 8500 Exhibition & Meeting Ind. 16900 Medical & Healthcare 330K Military Education 30200 Food Proc. & Distribution 17500 Manufacturing 34000 Electrical & Electronics 63011 Communications 706K Building & Construction 172K Fire & Fire Protection 43900 Military 78985 Printing 13400 Real Estate 54655 Jewelry 89000 Medic 500K Building & Construction 9000 Medical & Healthcare 20000 Gifts

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

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ExhibitCityNews.com September/October 2017 89

Trade Show Calendar US NORTHWEST

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

Show American Society for Surgery of the Hand - ASSH American Association of Nurse Anesthetists - AANA American Society for Histocompatibility & Immunogenetics - ASHI GSMA Mobile World Congress Americas PCB Design Conference West League of California Cities Annual Conference & Expo American Society for Healthcare Human Resources - ASHHRA National Rural Water Association - NRWA - WaterPro Northwest Human Resource Management Association - NHRMA JavaOne Oracle OpenWorld Drone World Expo SecureWorld Expo National Electrical Contractors Association - NECA NALMCO - interNational Association of Lighting Management Federation of Analytical Chemistry & Spectroscopy - FACSS SciX American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons - AAOMS Coffee Fest INCOMPAS Show Utah Education Association Convention - UEA San Francisco Cash & Carry Show Sacramento International Auto Show Geological Society of America Annual Meeting & Expo - GSA Diversity & Inclusion Conference & Exposition - SHRM Internet Librarian IT/Dev Connections ARM Techcon - ARM Technology Conference American Society for Surgery of the Hand - ASSH American Association of Nurse Anesthetists - AANA

Start 09/07 09/08 09/11 09/12 09/12 09/13 09/16 09/18 09/25 10/01 10/01 10/03 10/05 10/07 10/08 10/08 10/09 10/13 10/15 10/19 10/20 10/20 10/22 10/23 10/23 10/23 10/24 09/07 09/08

End 09/09 09/12 09/15 09/14 09/14 09/15 09/19 09/20 09/27 10/05 10/05 10/04 10/05 10/10 10/11 10/13 10/14 10/15 10/18 10/20 10/22 10/22 10/25 10/25 10/25 10/26 10/26 09/09 09/12

Venue Moscone Center Washington State CC Hilton S.F. Union Square Moscone Center Santa Clara CC Sacramento CC Washington State CC Grand Sierra Resort The Riverhouse

City San Francisco Seattle San Francisco San Francisco Santa Clara Sacramento Seattle Reno Bend San Francisco San Francisco San Jose CC San Jose Santa Clara CC Santa Clara Washington State CC Seattle Harrahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Resort S. California San Diego Grand Sierra Resort Reno San Francisco Moscone Center Oregon CC Portland San Francisco Marriott Marquis South Towne Expo Center Sandy San Mateo County Event Center San Mateo CalExpo Sacramento Washington State CC Seattle San Francisco Hyatt Regency S.F. Monterey Marriott Monterey Hilton Union Square San Francisco Santa Clara CC Santa Clara San Francisco Moscone Center Washington State CC Seattle

All Information Is Subject to Change*

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

Att 3500 2400 900 40K

Exh 130 200 43 1.1K

Nsf 25000 20000 5200 298K

1900 2200

150 20000 130 28000 15000

500 10K 250

60 6000 300 55000 40

5000 8000 2500 8000 3600

200 400 115 200 200

54200 41500 15000 20000

168

4500 3500 2400

150 7500 130 25000 200 20000

Industry Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Communications Engineering Government Medical & Healthcare Water Business Computers & Apps Computers & Apps Aerospace & Aviation Security Electrical & Electronics Electrical & Electronics Chemical Medical & Healthcare Food & Beverage Telecommunications Education Gifts Automotive & Trucking Science Business Computers & Apps Computers & Apps Government Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare

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) 90 September/October 2017 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 Show Surf Expo Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show - FRA - PMQâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pizza Show CAMX - Composites and Advanced Materials Expo Glassbuild America The Landscape Show - FNGLA Americas Food & Beverage Trade Show & Conference - IFE Industrial Fabrics Assoc. International - IFAI Expo Americas National Recreation & Park Association - NRPA Print Solutions Conference & Expo - PSDA Direct Marketing Association - DMA Jewelers International Showcase - JIS iMAPS - International Symposium on Microelectronics Specialty Graphic Imaging Association - SGIA Travel Industry Exchange National Community Pharmacists Association - NCPA Association of Records Managers & Administrators - ARMA American Society of Human Genetics - ASHG Firehouse Expo Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition American Dental Association - ADA Produce Marketing Association - Fresh Summit - PMA International Jewelry Fair/General Merchandise Show Premier Birmingham - Beauty Show Medtrade SOUTH-TEC - SME Louisiana Gulf Coast Oil Exposition - LAGCOE Remodeling Show & DeckExpo Florida Recreation and Park Association - FRPA HR Florida - Human Resources

All Information Is Subject to Change*

Start 09/07 09/10 09/11 09/12 09/14 09/25 09/26 09/26 10/04 10/08 10/08 10/10 10/10 10/12 10/14 10/15 10/17 10/17 10/17 10/19 10/19 10/20 10/22 10/23 10/24 10/24 10/25 08/28 08/28

End 09/09 09/12 09/14 09/14 09/16 09/26 09/29 09/28 10/06 10/11 10/11 10/12 10/12 10/14 10/18 10/17 10/21 10/21 10/19 10/23 10/21 10/23 10/23 10/25 10/26 10/26 10/2 08/31 08/30

Venue Orange County CC Orange County CC Orange County CC Georgia World Congress Center Orange County CC Miami Beach CC Morial CC Morial CC Sheraton New Orleans Morial CC Miami Beach CC Raleigh CC Morial CC Sheraton New Orleans Gaylord Palms Orlando World Center Marriott

City Orlando Orlando Orlando Atlanta Orlando Miami New Orleans New Orleans New Orleans New Orleans Miami Raleigh New Orleans New Orleans Orlando Orlando Orlando Music City Center Nashville Spence Field Moultrie Georgia World Congress Center Atlanta Morial CC New Orleans Morial CC New Orleans B. Jefferson Conv. Complex Birmingham Georgia World Congress Center Atlanta TD CC Greenville Cajundome Lafayette Orange County CC Orlando Omni at Champions Gate Orlando Hilton Bonnet Creek Resort Orlando

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

Att 27K 15K 8500 7634 7000 6284 5488 8000 1227 8500 11.6K 2500 22.8K 3000 3000 2500 6500 13.1K 80K 35.1K 21.1K 18.7K 11.5K 3281 4219 14K 8500 1000 1500

Exh 1K 600 500 364 450 306 409 385 200 352 550 200 541 294 231 200 200 347 1.2K 379 673 442 202 350 439 400 650 200

Nsf 250K 90000 40200 112K 75500 44000 103K 200K 23000 59250 95000 25000 203K 70000 36700 100K 20000 90400 117K 88900 252K 101K 50658 85509 71700

Industry Sporting Goods & Rec. Hotels & Resorts Manufacturing Building & Construction Agriculture & Farming Food & Beverage Textiles Sporting Goods & Rec. Printing Advertising & Marketing Jewelry Electrical & Electronics Printing Travel Industry Medical & Healthcare Business Science Fire & Fire Protection Agriculture & Farming Medical & Healthcare Food & Beverage Jewelry Beauty & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Manufacturing Petroleum, Oil & Plastics 105K Building & Construction 18000 Sporting Goods & Rec. Business

KEEP CALM Question: Where Can You Find Industry Features, Maps, Insider Information, Shop Talk And Free Stuff? Answer: Exhibit City News, of course!

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ExhibitCityNews.com September/October 2017 91

Trade Show Calendar US SOUTHWEST

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

Show CEDIA - Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association Solar Power International - SPI ISSA/Interclean - North America Westec - SME International Vision Expo West Interbike - Bicycle Industry Exhibition BICSI Fall Conference & Exhibition Tactical Operations Conference & Vendor Show American Society for Radiation Oncology - ASTRO Shop.org Annual Summit SupplySide West Pack Expo Las Vegas G2E - Global Gaming Expo American Association of Blood Banks - AABB Annual Meeting American Health Information Management Assn - AHIMA

Start 09/05 09/10 09/11 09/12 09/13 09/20 09/24 09/24 09/24 09/25 09/25 09/25 10/03 10/07 10/07

End 09/09 09/13 09/14 09/14 09/16 09/22 09/28 09/29 09/27 09/27 09/29 09/27 10/05 10/10 10/11

Venue San Diego CC Mandalay Bay Las Vegas CC Los Angeles CC Sands Expo Mandalay Bay Mandalay Bay Sheraton Grand San Diego CC Los Angeles CC Mandalay Bay Las Vegas CC Sands Expo San Diego CC Los Angeles CC

City San Diego Las Vegas Las Vegas Los Angeles Las Vegas Las Vegas Las Vegas Phoenix San Diego Los Angeles Las Vegas Las Vegas Las Vegas San Diego Los Angeles

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

Att 16.9K 19.8K 15.9K 7466 16.1K 24.2K 3800 1200 7427 2365 10.6K 28.6K 24.1K 6500 4000

IMEX America National Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition - NBAA American Health Care Association - AHCA Home Care & Hospice Expo - NAHC Association for Financial Professionals - AFP EMS World Expo ISPA - International Spa Association Conference & Expo National Industrial Fastener & Mill Supply Expo ABC Kids Expo Metalcon International American Society of Landscape Architects - ASLA International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering - ISPE AAPEX - Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo SEMA Show

10/10 10/10 10/15 10/15 10/15 10/16 10/16 10/17 10/17 10/18 10/20 10/29 10/31 10/31

10/12 10/12 10/18 10/17 10/18 10/20 10/18 10/19 10/19 10/20 10/23 11/01 11/02 11/03

Sands Expo Las Vegas CC Mandalay Bay Long Beach CC San Diego CC Las Vegas CC

Las Vegas Las Vegas Las Vegas Long Beach San Diego Las Vegas Las Vegas Las Vegas CC Las Vegas Las Vegas CC Las Vegas Las Vegas CC Las Vegas Los Angeles CC Los Angeles Marriott Marquis S.D. San Diego Sands Expo Las Vegas Las Vegas CC Las Vegas

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

4500 25.1K 2500 2500 6500 10K

Exh 457 850 623 412 451 810 220 207 202 305 1.1K 2K 408 200 225

1.8K 1.1K 354 300 250 450 220 2044 634 12.5K 761 5525 300 5000 450 2500 280 175K 2.2K 135K 2.2K

Nsf 376K 285K 263K 98350 179K 320K 28000 38000 115K 53500 186K 843K 260K 55300 60000

Industry Electrical & Electronics Renewable Energy Laundry & Dry Cleaning Manufacturing Medical & Healthcare Sporting Goods & Rec. Electrical & Electronics Police Medical & Healthcare Food & Beverage Packaging & Logistics Gaming & Entertainment Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare

140K Aerospace & Aviation 1M 63480 Medical & Healthcare Medical & Healthcare Financial & Legal 120K Fire & Fire Protection Beauty & Healthcare 82900 Building & Construction 323K Apparel 70200 Metalworking 86000 Building & Construction 13000 Medical & Healthcare 501K Automotive & Trucking 998K Automotive & Trucking

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

Color Printing • Rack cards • Brochures • Booklets • Everything else 92 September/October 2017 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

INDUSTRY SERVICE GUIDE Where to Find Professional Services, Products and Supplies â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a Companion Directory to our www.ExhibitCityNews.com/Service-Guide

A Harmony Nails Aadvantaged Displays BWC Visual Technologies CDS CEP Champion Logistics Changzhou Gaochuang Products Collazo Expo Services Corporate Communications Corporate Events CoStar Exhibits Equip, Inc.

98 97 94 98 95 97 99 95 94 95 96 99

Exhibitrac Direct Marketing Expoquardo Exhibitions FWR Horizon Print Solutions JasperWorks Exhibits KB Lines King Size LED Displays KKOM Larry Kulchwik Consulting Last Minute Venues Nevada Hospice Care Ommy Expositions

99 95 96 98 96 97 97 95 94 99 97 96

On Location Plastic Man, Inc. Skye Agency Total Tree Removal Tradeshow Leads to Sales Tradeshow Transportation Services TWI Group Vore.com William Daniels YOR Design

97 94 95 99 99 98 98 98 94 96

For Service Guide information and rates, call Kathy Anaya at 702-309-8023, ext. 105. Inclusive categories are available for all your company advertising needs. ExhibitCityNews.com September/October 2017 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.

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94 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

INDUSTRY SERVICE GUIDE Event Staffing & Talent

Exhibit Production

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Exhibits

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@ExhibitCityNews

ExhibitCityNews.com September/October 2017 95

INDUSTRY SERVICE GUIDE

JasperWorks Exhibits 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 donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have an office in Salt Lake City, give us a call. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll put the pieces together for you!

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96 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

INDUSTRY SERVICE GUIDE Graphics

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941-758-8444 866-239-8056

Visit us online for more of our products & services

AadvantageDisplays.com

Labor & Management

Lighting

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.

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

@ExhibitCityNews

ExhibitCityNews.com September/October 2017 97

INDUSTRY SERVICE GUIDE Logistics

Logistics

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IN THE LAS VEGAS DESERT

www.vore.com 855.GET.VORE Printing

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Attention Exhibit and Event Companies Local Service for Trade Shows and Events In: Washington D.C. - Baltimore - Atlantic City Philly - NYC - Hartford - Boston All in same-day driving distance from us.

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We Can Provide You A Local Presence 98 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

• 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

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ExhibitCityNews.com September/October 2017 99

Classifieds

Seeking a Senior 3D Exhibit Designer Elevation, a full service design and marketing firm, is seeking an enthusiastic Senior 3D Exhibit Designer. The ideal candidate will be passionate and motivated, and eager to foster a creative and inspiring team-based work environment. This is a salaried position with an impressive benefits package, and does require some travel.

REQUIREMENTS & RESPONSIBILITIES: • 6+ years of relevant design experience • Bachelor’s Degree or higher in Design or a related field • Possess an understanding of exhibits as a marketing, educational, and experiential communication tool • Detail oriented, highly organized, able to prioritize tasks, and able to work under pressure with multiple deadlines • Compelling in person presenter able to effectively communicate and explain design solutions • Excellent analytical and problem solving skills

• Proficient in 3D visualization tools, especially 3DS Max/ Form Z/Adobe Creative Suite applications • Lead design assignments conceptual through project completion • Develop hand drawn sketches, black and white line drawings, computer generated color renderings, and presentation packages to communicate concepts to clients • Create and provide estimating drawings to communicate component dimensions, substrates, and amounts needed to the estimating team • Create and provide control drawings to communicate component dimensions and detail information needed to the CAD team Interested candidates should submit their resume and portfolio to Dana Esposito, Creative Director at despositio@elevation3d.com

Exhibit / Audio Visual Sales Account Manager We are looking for a motivated Sales Account Manager in the Exhibit or Audio Visual industry based out of the Las Vegas market. Working in convention centers, hotel ballrooms, meeting venues and corporate locations across North America since 1995, CCR Solutions is at the forefront of providing the latest technology to our customers wherever they may hold events. CCR is all about teamwork both internally and externally with a family culture filled with experienced people who enjoy what they do.

THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES MUST HAVE: • Minimum 2 years’ experience in the Las Vegas live event industry. • Established sales relationships and opportunities. • Ability to contribute within a positive environment. • Excellent verbal and written communication skills. • Ability to work flex-time and irregular hours. • Can travel across North America or wherever your events take you. • This position pays a salary + commission, benefits and 401K. Please send your resume via email to Jobs@ccrsolutions.com and we thank all applicants for their interest in joining the CCR team; however, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

100 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

National Trade Show & Event Labor provider seeking Dallas, TX Manager National I&D labor provider is seeking a talented and experienced professional for the position of city manager for the Dallas, TX area. Candidates should be motivated self-starters and possess good communication skills in dealing with exhibitors, clients, crew members, general contractors, and show management. Responsibilities include but are not limited to labor calls, pre-show planning, on site show management, hands on abilities. Office duties involve receiving orders, payroll, invoicing and submitting post show reports. Knowledge of Microsoft Office and smart phone usage (i.e. sending pictures via text, email) is required. If you are interested in joining this leading organization and possess the desire to succeed, please forward your resume to Blindbox1235@exhibitcitynews.com.

Classifieds

Seeking an Enthusiastic, Commissioned Account Executive J&J Motor Service is a full-service transportation company offering specialized freight services and time-definite pick-ups and deliveries to the trade show industry. With more than 90 years of industry experience, we are the original trade show carrier. J&J Motor Service has an outstanding reputation and a team that stands above the rest with our professional experience and focus on customer service. Family owned and operated, we offer competitive rates and guarantee our work. Our terminal and 125,000 square foot warehouse are centrally located at 2338 South Indiana Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. Just steps from McCormick Place we are located in the heart of Chicago’s event and trade show industry but travel throughout the country and Canada exceeding the expectations of our clients. We are seeking an enthusiastic, commissioned Account Executive whose overall role it will be to solicit, maintain, grow and manage new accounts. Specific primary responsibilities will be to define and achieve sales goals; develop and implement the complete sales process including, but not limited to, prospecting, lead development, preparation of the proposal. Make constant and persuasive cold calls to potential clients. Secondary responsibilities vary per our needs internally, and the requirements of our customers. This position will require an understanding and familiarity with the transportation of high value freight for trade shows, conventions and special events and various types of freight equipment; An ability to work in a high pressured, fast paced environment; Experience in consultative, high value selling and sales process. Excellent organization, planning and scheduling skills; Excellent communication, interpersonal, customer relations and analytical skills; Excellent customer service skills and effective sales strategies. We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package, including rewarding sales commissions, a 401K plan, a pension and profit sharing plan, employer paid health, dental and life insurance. Please email resume, references and salary history to Joe Florence at joe.florence@jjmotor.com. All inquiries kept confidential.

@ExhibitCityNews

Seeking a Talented, Enthusiastic Commissioned Sales Person J&J Exhibitors Service is a full service trade show, exhibit and special events contractor. We are a WBE certified; family owned and operated company with over 80 years of experience in the industry. Our corporate offices have been centrally located at 2338 South Indiana Avenue in Chicago, Illinois for over 90 years. Just steps from McCormick Place we are located in the heart of Chicago’s event and trade show industry but travel throughout the country exceeding the expectations of our clients. We are seeking a talented, enthusiastic commissioned sales person to offer full service solutions to show organizers, associations, and corporations.

GENERAL DUTIES: • Solicit, maintain and grow new and existing accounts through cold calls, networking, and referrals • Implement the sales process ‐ prospecting/lead development, proposal process and client presentations • Participate in applicable industry, networking and social events; Define and achieve sales goals • Manage the overall production process.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: • Up to two (2) years of industry related sales experience with proven sales results and success in managing multiple accounts • Understanding and familiarity with trade shows, conventions and special events • Ability to work in a high pressured, fast‐paced environment • Experience in consultative, high value selling and sales processes • Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook • Excellent organization, planning and scheduling skills • Excellent communication, interpersonal, customer relations and analytical skill • Excellent customer service skills. We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package, including rewarding sales commissions, a 401K plan, a pension and profit sharing plan and employer paid health, dental and life insurance benefits. Please email resume, references and salary history to Colleen Becker at colleen@jjexhibitors.com. All inquiries handled with the strictest of confidence and professionalism. ExhibitCityNews.com September/October 2017 101

Classifieds

Seeking a Talented and Enthusiastic Audio Visual Account Executive J&J Exhibitors Service is a full service trade show, exhibit and special events contractor. We are a WBE certified; family owned and operated company with over 90 years of experience in the industry. Our corporate offices and 125,000 square foot warehouse are centrally located at 2338 South Indiana Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. Just steps from McCormick Place, we are located in the heart of Chicago’s event and trade show industry but travel throughout the country exceeding the expectations of our clients. From general sessions that “wow” to break out rooms that run smoothly our audio visual team delivers digital services, audio visual technology and the equipment and team that effectively engage attendees. We are seeking a talented and enthusiastic Audio Visual Account Executive. The Audio Visual Account Executive is responsible for selling J&J Exhibitor Services as the audio visual technology vendor of choice for national Association, Tradeshow and Convention technical programs. The Account Executive will work in conjunction with J&J’s Director of Event Technology and all operations team members to produce flawless events. This position requires highly effective communication and interpersonal skills. The successful candidate needs to possess an excellent understanding of audio and video equipment used within the tradeshow and events industry; have a verifiable record of selling audio visual programs of various size and scope, proven leadership skills and experience in all audio-visual disciplines.

RESPONSIBILITIES: • Define and achieve sales goals; • Develop and implement the complete sales process including, but not limited to, prospecting, lead development, preparation of the proposal and client presentation; 102 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

• Join and attend industry association networking and social events and trade show meetings to promote services; • Visit local convention facilities to gain an understanding of the facility and familiarity with the Account Managers and decision makers; • Make constant and persuasive cold calls to potential clients; • Represent the company on a national and local level including entertaining clients; • Shepherd audio visual proposals from the request for quote through completion; • Work with the J&J team to determine the specific equipment specifications; • Work with J&J’s ownership to manage contractual compliance with host venues/clients/partners; • Manage job costs to ensure the successful on-time and on-budget implementation of each project; • Review invoices versus budgets to determine variances and investigate unexplained variances; • Extensive Travel.

QUALIFICATIONS: • 5+ years of verifiable sales experience in the Convention, Association and Tradeshow Audio Visual Industry; • 5+ years of verifiable field experience in the Convention, Association and Tradeshow Audio Visual Industry; • Strong written and oral communications skills; • Detail oriented. We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package, including rewarding sales commissions, a 401K plan, a pension and profit sharing plan, employer paid health, dental and life insurance. Please email resume, references and salary history to Colleen Becker at colleen@jjexhibitors.com. All inquiries kept confidential.

READY TO RUN THE CITY?

A successful trade show labor service company is looking for a qualified city manager to take over its existing operation. This city manager will be required to manage the day to day operation for trade show labor in our Las Vegas location. We seek a city manager who has the experience and capabilities to oversee all aspects of the operation. In this role, the individual will manage the set up and take down of trade show structures and booths, while exceeding customer expectations.

THE INDIVIDUAL WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FOLLOWING: • Manage, organize, build, recruit, hire and train individuals who can work on crews for the purposes of installing trade show exhibits and retail displays • Coordinate and schedule labor force • Organize all aspects of setting up multiple client exhibits at the various facilities throughout Las Vegas • Communicate with management and staff daily to update operational reports and project information regarding events in Las Vegas • All administrative duties including time tickets, billing reports, participate in all union activity and all on-site show floor activity

REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS POSITION: • Related Trade Show Experience • Excellent communication, leadership and management skills • Attention to detail and strong organizational skills • Effectively multi-task in a fast pace environment with a variety of projects, suppliers and unions • A positive attitude and desire to assist teams when necessary • Willing to work long hours when required • Knowledge of desktop/lap top computers, internet, email, fax, etc. • A passion to exceed customer expectations • Desire an opportunity to manage and grow an existing company, known for its customer centric focus Send resume and salary requirement to Maxyourcareeer@gmail.com

Classifieds

Environments Designer Derse, a face-to-face experiential marketing company that specializes in the design, fabrication, and program management for trade shows, business environments and events is seeking an experienced Environments Designer for its Dallas, TX location. If you have lots of crazy ideas and no outlet for them, come join us. We’ll help each other in realizing those dreams! Come and be part of a fun, creative environment with a team-oriented atmosphere. This position directly reports to Creative Director and is responsible for leading mid-sized projects.

RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

Associate Environments Designer Derse, a face-to-face experiential marketing company that specializes in the design, fabrication, and program management for trade shows, business environments and events is seeking an experienced Associate Environments Designer for its Pittsburgh, PA location. If you have lots of crazy ideas and no outlet for them, come join us. We’ll help each other in realizing those dreams! Come and be part of a fun, creative environment with a team-oriented atmosphere. This position directly reports to Creative Director and is responsible for leading smaller scale projects (less than $200k).

• Work with Creative Director in providing creative and technical development on large projects. • Provide design visual communications for creative solutions. • Project lead and manage design work on assigned accounts. • Prepare for, attend, and drive the creative portion of the proposal presentation to the client. • Maintain integrity of creative through entire project process (estimating, detailing and shop construction). • Maintain working knowledge and skills of current palette of computer hardware/software used by the Derse team. • Participate in client/prospect department tours. • Keep abreast of industry trends, attend trade shows, industry conventions/seminars and read/subscribe to design related publications.

RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

QUALIFICATIONS INCLUDE:

• Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree. • Minimum of 5-8 years of experience in designing tradeshow • exhibits, environments and events. • Advanced experience in 3D Studio Max. • Strong presentation, organization & communication skills required.

• Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree. • Minimum of 2-4 years of experience in designing tradeshow exhibits, environments and events. • Advanced experience in 3D Studio Max. • Strong presentation, organization & communication skills required.

Want to be part of creative team and a leader in the industry? Please submit your resumes to www.derse.com/careers EOE - M/F/V/D

Graphic Production Manager Acer Exhibits & Events, a successful exhibit design and fabrication company located in the greater Baltimore area, is currently seeking an experienced Graphic Production Manager to oversee a very fast paced graphics production department. The ideal candidate will develop and maintain the graphic production schedule, oversee all department administration and make sure timelines @ExhibitCityNews

• Work with Creative Director in providing creative and technical development maintenance and smaller NBD scoped projects. • Provide design visual communications for creative solutions. • Maintain integrity of creative through entire project process (estimating, detailing and shop construction). • Maintain working knowledge and skills of current palette of computer hardware/software used by the Derse team. • Participate in client/prospect department tours. • Keep abreast of industry trends, attend trade shows, industry conventions/seminars and read/subscribe to design related publications.

are met. Applicant must possess excellent managerial, leadership and communication skills. Ideal candidate will have five years of experience and a positive team attitude is a must. Graphic design experience is a plus. Only qualified candidates will be considered. Please submit resume with salary requirements in Word or PDF format to llegarda@acerexhibits.com ExhibitCityNews.com September/October 2017 103

Classifieds

Equity Partner Wanted Project Manager - Designer - Detailer - Estimator Progressive, rapidly growing, Chicago-based Display and Tradeshow company is expanding our team! We are in search of an experienced, energetic Production Manager.

IF YOU: • Are a team player with strong communication skills • HaveLES-logo_final-MDG-0731 a minimum of155•years experience with/without tagline in the tradeshow industry • Have a minimum of 5 years experience in estimating and CAD or equivalent detailing capabilities • Are experienced with 3D Modeling • Have a desire to be an integral part of a very fast-paced, rapidly growing organization • Looking to be part of a company where you can REALLY make a difference! If you answered YES!, then WE are what YOU are looking for - and YOU are who WE are looking for! Competitive benefit package and 401K. Salary based on experience. Please send your cover letter and resume to: ricko@lakeshoreexhibits.com and larryz@lakeshoreexhibits.com. No phone calls, please.

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 104 September/October 2017 Exhibit City News

Well established exhibit builder, centrally located, with a CNC based shop and a large storage warehouse, is looking for an equity partner to grow into full ownership. Company has steady clientele, no debt and quality employees. Email blindbox1234@ exhibitcitynews.com

FGI has clients interested in buying tradeshow companies in all specialties, sizes and geographic locations. Additionally, we offer a free assessment of your tradeshow company with no obligation. Find out what your company is worth. Carol Fountain, President, 216-952-0745, cfountain@ fountaingroupintl.com

To place a classified ad, contact Kathy Anaya:

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

or works at shows in major convention cities such as Las Vegas, Chicago, Boston, Orlando, etc. Please contact us for details: klandrum@exhibitrac.com or call 702-824-9651 ext. 700

3D Exhibit Designer Acer Exhibits & Events, LLC, located north of Baltimore, Maryland, close to Delaware, South East Pennsylvania and South Jersey, is currently seeking an Exhibit Designer to join our talented team of individuals who design and fabricate exhibits for a very diverse client base.

QUALIFIED APPLICANTS SHOULD POSSESS THE FOLLOWING: • Minimum of three years exhibit design experience with an exhibit house • Excellent communication skills, able to present creative concepts • Ability to work under pressure • Knowledge of 3D modeling and rendering software, Form Z and Adobe Creative Suite • Knowledge of current design trends • Creativity * Inspiration * Motivation * Enthusiasm * Dedication We provide a competitive salary plus bonus, a full benefit package including medical, dental, disability and 401k plan. If you are excited and inspired by design challenges, ideas, and solutions and want to work in a creative environment with others who share your enthusiasm, please forward your resume and portfolio via PDF or Word format with expected salary range to LLegarda@acerexhibits.com

Advertiser Index 4 Productions 33 Access EDPA 55 Aluvision 47/108 Angles on Design 75 beMatrix 2 Brumark 65 Camden Tradeshow 29 Champion Logistics 57 Charlie Palmer 81 Cobo Center 57 Color Reflections 35 Corporate Communications 67 Corporate Events 85 Cort 9 D.E. McNabb 5 EDPA Foundation 77 Employco 15

@ExhibitCityNews

Experience Transport Agency 84 FWR 106 Highmark 69 Hill & Partners 51 Horizon Print Solution 92 Imperial Security 27 Inside Track 60 Joe’s New York Pizza 82 Labor Inc. 86 Main Place Lighting 75 Momentum Management 3 NewGen Business Solutions 73 Nolan Advisory 47 NuVista 43 Oasis Medical Cannabis 76 Octanorm, USA, Inc. 66 Onsite Services 63

Orbus 13 Patriot Exhibits 4 Prism Tradeshow Lighting 17 Randy Smith Memorial Golf 59 Rosemont – RES 64 SG Productions 79 ShoAids 72 Sho-Link 67 showNets, LLC 53 Step 1 Dezigns 74 Storage West 69 Sunset Transportation 7 Super Bright LED 107 Tradetec 63 Willwork 19

ExhibitCityNews.com September/October 2017 105

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