EXECUTIVE DIGEST IMC’S DOROTHY BELSHAW RECEIVES 2021 TSNN OUTSTANDING SHOW PRO AWARD

International Market Centers (IMC) Chief Customer and Marketing Officer, Dorothy Belshaw, accepted the 2021 Outstanding Show Pro Award December 2, 2021, at the annual Trade Show News Network (TSNN) gala event. The award honored Belshaw for leading creation of IMC’s Together Safely COVID protocols, which were developed by combining extensive customer research with local and state guidelines and input from a top epidemiologist.

“Dorothy initiated and drove the research process that provided not only a deep understanding of customer needs during and after the pandemic, but also identification of implicit fears about returning to markets and mitigants that would be necessary to safely and successfully reunite the industry at our events,” said Bob Maricich, IMC CEO. “Dorothy’s recognition as a TSNN Outstanding Show Pro is well deserved, and I’m confident her talents will continue to benefit our industry moving forward.”

With Belshaw’s guidance, IMC and Stax – an experienced global strategy consulting firm – collaborated throughout 2020 to survey 180,000plus retailers and designers who had attended IMC’s markets in Atlanta, High Point and Las Vegas along with

6,000-plus IMC tenants and exhibitors. The research had four broad goals: assess the current retail climate for business operations, sourcing and consumer sales; understand how IMC and its vendors can best support the retail community; inform market planning through 2020 understanding safety concerns and travel sentiment; and explore utility of digital tools for sourcing and selling. The survey found that physical markets are critical for retailers across all categories.

Belshaw is a 30-plus-year veteran of the trade show industry. She joined IMC in 2012 as President of its fledgling Gift division ❖