Exhibit City News - November 2015 by Exhibit City News

I&D and Event Labor Series 2015 Parts 3 & 4 P. 40-73

NOVEMBER 2015 • VOL. 21 • ISSUE 6

CONVENTION CENTER ARCHITECTS LMN Architects in front of their model of the Washington State Convention Center addition

P. 34-37

Choosing an Event App P. 20 Confronting Lead Retrieval P. 32 Orange County CC Expansion P. 78 US $6 CAN $8

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EVENTS

20 YEARS

of People, Passion, and Projects HILL & PARTNERS IS CELEBRATING TWO DECADES OF CREATING SPACES AND PLACES COMPLETELY ABOUT THEIR CLIENTS’ BRANDS. Through the years, Hill & Partners has earned a reputation for exceptional strategic insight, strong account management and inspired design, producing Branded Environments with built-in client program support and services.

The company was founded in 1995 by Susan Hill and now CEO, Michael McMahon as a flexible approach to turnkey marketing solutions for trade shows and events. McMahon maintains that it is the people of Hill & Partners who are vital to the concept of the personalized experience that Hill and McMahon originally sought to create. “Years ago, I had imagined that it would be great to run a company that I, as an employee, would also love to work for. What I’ve learned is that in order to create an organization where people truly enjoy their work, you have to share your

values, then attract others who feel the same way. It’s not about telling people what they should value, but connecting with those who both share your values and an intent to be part of something amazing.” Branded Environments are a product of these shared values and the people involved in their creation. In fact, Our People Become Your People™ was unintentionally developed when one employee described how the people of Hill & Partners not only work with, but become an extension of client teams.

Through all of the changes, Hill & Partners remains constant in its commitment to people, both on the employee and on the client side. “Out of all these years, I am most proud of what I have learned from the great people I’ve met throughout the journey,” McMahon shares. “I genuinely appreciate each person for their influences both in the past and present, and I intend to continue to accept, support and be grateful for each one through whatever the future may bring.” For more information go to: www.hillpartners.com

“Out of all these years, I am most proud of what I have learned from the great people I’ve met throughout the journey.”

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I&D and Event Labor Series 2015 Parts 3 & 4 P. 40-73

NOVEMBER 2015 • VOL. 21 • ISSUE 6

Features 16

CONVENTION CENTER ARCHITECTS

IMEX America Becomes a ‘Green’ Experiential Environment

LMN Architects in front of their model of the Washington State Convention Center addition

P. 34-37

Inspiring sustainable practices

Choosing an Event App P. 20 Confronting Lead Retrieval P. 32

Orange County CC Expansion P. 78 EXHIBITCITYNEWS.COM

Emotional Profit

Left to right: Brian Tennyson, Mark Reddington, George Shaw & Rafael Vinoly-Menendez

Outreach initiatives

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY:

How to Hire Reliable Event Staff within 24 Hours

LMN Architects

I&D and Event Labor Series

Community-rated freelancers

28 What’s In It for Show Organizers Using Behavioral Analytics?

New event tech provider

I&D and Event Labor Series Part 3: Economics

5 Ways to Improve Your Tradeshow Marketing

I&D and Event Labor Series

Exhibitor lessons

Part 4: Trends

68-71 Corporate Profiles

Columns 12

As the Saw Turns Are You A Phubber?

The Green Piece Show Your True Colors: Display Green

Contributing Writers 24

Social Media Tips at Tradeshows By Cindy Perea

Get Social or Get Forgotten By Amadeus Finlay

Asia: Celebrate the Diversity

Candidates’ References are Important

Corporate Profiles

Employment Strategy Corner

In this issue 10 The Snapshot 97 Regional Show Calendar 104 Classified Ads 108 Service Guide 6 NOVEMBER 2015 Exhibit City News

By Kelli Steckbauer

Aluvision Brings Lightweight Solutions to Environments

Rendering of LACC courtesy of Populous; Hotel image courtesy of Hyatt Regency Orlando

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PUBLISHER’S WORDS

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

Greetings to readers everywhere! F

or all of us working in the tradeshow industry, convention centers can be likened to our home away from home. This November, ECN takes a look behind the scenes as these venues are built from the ground up or expanded to better serve the industry and boost a city’s economy. I hope you find Kristan Obeng’s feature on convention center architects as informative as I did! The evolution of facility design and other trends have influenced how architecture firms operate and what their client groups crave. So many interesting opinions and master plans are shaping convention centers all over the world! Additionally, be sure to see the Convention Center Spotlight: San Jose McEnery Convention Center. The facility has experienced much success after its 2013 renovation and expansion, which was designed by one of our featured architects. Tying things together from an international stand point is “Convention Centers – Economic Engines in the Asia Pacific” from International Association of Convention Centers (AIPC). To wrap up our convention center focus, see how the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando is preparing for future growth and how convention hotel initiatives are a win for all involved. Finally, enjoy the conclusion of our 2015 I&D and Event Labor Series. Thanks to Lesley Martin for all of her hard work! We at Exhibit City News are proud to highlight and go into greater detail about this often overlooked and underappreciated segment of our industry. Anyone who has worked on a show floor understands the unique environment these behind-thescenes heroes contribute to every day. Thanks for all the reader feedback since the last print issue. Many comments from our continuing online discussions have been incorporated into the content of this issue! Keep the feedback coming! Until next print edition…see you online!

Editorial ASSOCIATE EDITOR Kristan Obeng 702-309-8023 ext.103 krissyo@exhibitcitynews.com ART DIRECTOR Thomas Speak thomass@exhibitcitynews.com SPECIAL PROJECTS/RESEARCH Lesley Martin martinle925@gmail.com COLUMNISTS Haley Freeman Phillip H. Kemper Jim Obermeyer CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AIPC Crystal Chu Lawrence Coburn Amadeus Finlay Roger Lewis Stephan de Mulder Cindy Perea Kelli Steckbauer

Sales DIRECTOR OF SALES Kathy Anaya 702-309-8023 ext.105 kathya@exhibitcitynews.com BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Paul Churchill 702-309-8023 paulc@exhibitcitynews.com

Don Svehla | Publisher

CIRCULATION 702-309-8023 ext.100 kathya@exhibitcitynews.com

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The Silicon Valley Auto Show Fun Fact:

Team San Jose, the manager and operator of the convention center, partnered with non-profit Hunger at Home, local hotels and Levi Stadium to donate underutilized, perishable food to local shelters. Send in your Show Floor Snapshots to newsdesk@exhibitcitynews.com

ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2015 11

COLUMN As the Saw Turns

Are You A Phubber?

see them everymeeting? What message where. In restauare we sending to the rants. In bars. others at the table, or In church. At the to the leader of the doctor’s office. In meeting…my mesmeetings. On the sages on my phone By Jim Obermeyer show floor. Driving are more important down the highway. They’re than the people I am with everywhere, and they seem to right now? And what does it be multiplying at an alarming say about a behavior if it is rate. The question is, how do prevalent enough to have its we stop this before it gets out own word to describe it? of hand? Or do we? Or are we just over-react“Phubbing”: the act of snub- ing? Should we just get used bing someone by paying more to it? It’s a shift in interperattention to your smart phone sonal relationships brought on than the live person you’re by new innovations in comcurrently with. Phone snubmunications technology. It is bing. Phubbing. A new word the way people communicate for Webster’s dictionary. Per- now, constantly monitoring haps a not-so-new behavior both live conversations and we have all seen – and have virtual ones. Just get over it. most likely done ourselves. It is life as we know it…or will Is it seen as rude behavknow it in the future. ior to constantly be looking But what does it say about at your phone during dinour culture if we are starting ner conversation with your to hear stories about people friends? Or to regularly working to combat the behavglance down at your phone ior? On the radio just the othwhile you are attending a er morning I heard a conver-

12 NOVEMBER 2015 Exhibit City News

“Phubbing”: the act of snubbing someone by paying more attention to your smart phone than the live person you’re currently with. sation about a group of three couples that has a monthly dinner together. When they arrive at the restaurant, everyone puts their phone face-down in the middle of the table. The first one to reach for their phone during dinner buys the meal for everyone. I have seen pubs that declare Friday afternoons as a ‘no phones’ Happy Hour. Check your phone at the door. “Enjoy the conversation with those in the room”, they advertise. I have been to meetings where participants are asked to turn off phones and leave them in their briefcases for the duration of the meeting. Somewhere in the middle of all of this is probably a compromise position – a logical balance between always phubbing to the point of annoyance and being appropriate in maintaining communications with others. I think it just requires a little consideration of the situation. When I go in to do a client presentation, I always shut down my phone. When I am meeting a client or one of my sales team for lunch, I turn the sound off the phone and

leave it in my pocket. If I walk down the hall in my office to talk with a co-worker, I don’t carry my phone with me. But I do check it at breaks in the meetings, before and after the sessions and conversations. The reality is that in our business, where we may be tracking client show activity at multiple venues across the country, working with co-workers and suppliers in offices in other cities, or waiting for an important call from our spouse or kids, it is the fastest way for people to communicate with us, and for us to reach the people we need. We can’t afford to just shut down the phone for long periods and ignore all communication. Let’s just take a few minutes to consider the situation we’re currently in, the group of people we’re with, and balance the perception of the interruption with the need to stay in constant contact. Don’t be a phubber. See you on the show floor! Jim Obermeyer has been in the tradeshow industry over 30 years, both as a corporate trade show manager and exhibit house executive. He can be reached at jobermeyer903@gmail.com.

The Green Piece COLUMN

Show Your True Colors: Display Green

n a world where concerns emissions than manufacturabout global climate ing primary aluminum. change are reaching crisis proportions, being named by Bamboo the EPA as the No. 2 producer Bamboo can be harvested of waste behind construction every three to seven years is a little like being named without harming the planet. public enemy No. 1. Okay, Its fast growth rate means public enemy No. 2. that bamboo yields 15 In an effort to retimes more building move our photo from material over 30 wanted posters years than pine. Its everywhere and singular properties demonstrate good give it higher tensile citizenship, our strength than many By Haley Freeman industry has taken steel alloys. huge steps toward greenBamboo is also a lighting what has been a wasteful weight construction materibusiness model. al. You see this material in As eco-friendly policies tradeshow cabinetry, display and strategies are continualcomponents, furnishings ly refined, new products are and flooring. emerging that allow planners to significantly reduce their LED Lighting events’ carbon footprints We’ve seen LED lighting while taking nothing away arrays take over the tradefrom a show’s quality or aesshow floor. Here are a few thetic impact. reasons why: Here is a rundown of some Free of toxic chemicals, like of the eco materials that mercury, found in most conare changing the way we do ventional fluorescent bulbs. business: Most components are 100 percent recyclable. Consume Aluminum less energy – up to 90 percent Aluminum has become less and last 25 times longer a primary component of than traditional lighting. furnishings, banner stands and structural framing for Low VOC Products exhibits. It is lightweight, but Volatile Organic Compound provides structural integrity (VOC) are carbon-based chemand is easy to reconfigure. icals found in manufactured Since aluminum first made products and can evaporate its appearance in industrial at room temperature. Many production in 1880, 75 perbuilding materials traditionally cent of all material produced used in show construction are is still in use today. Recycling high in VOCs: carpets, adhethis metal requires 95 percent sives, composite wood, paints, less energy and produces 95 fabrics, inks, varnishes and percent fewer greenhouse gas vinyl flooring. VOC levels are

high in enclosed spaces with a high concentration of new materials. Health risks associated with VOCs include cancer, liver damage and kidney damage. Look for low-VOC and VOCfree options for printing of banners and promotional materials. Also, look for woods and metals made with low and zero-emission stain, paint and finishing products.

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Eco-Friendly Carpet

Whether it is simply reused or made from environmentally sustainable materials, like recycled PET plastic bottles, traditional carpets with high VOC emissions are becoming a thing of the past. We are showing our true colors by pioneering green solutions that will positively impact our planet for generations to come.

ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2015 13

COLUMN Employment Strategy Corner

Candidates’ References are Important Here Are Five Ways to Check Them out Properly

any people consider the whole system of reference checking highly suspect. Obviously that’s because references are furnished by job candidates, and no job candidate would ever furnish an un-favorable reference to be checked by a future employer. Thus, no references will give other than favorable references---and the true picture of the candidate’s character and job performance will not be revealed. This, thankfully, is not all together true. Careful probing can and does most

often bring out the truth. But the questioner must ask questions skillfully, and arrive at conclusions only after all the facts are carefully weighed. Here are 5 ways for you to check those references--to bring about useful answers based on truth: Get the Right References. Check to see how long each of the references has worked with your candidate. If you are speaking to people who have only known him or her for a short time, this could be a red flag. Ask your candidate

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for references with whom there’s a history. Also, make sure you’re given a well-rounded group: a manager, a customer, a peer and even a senior executive to whom the candidate may not have reported is a nice mix. Ask the Right Questions. There’s a great old saying, “Ask the right questions, and you’ll get the right answers.” Ask open-ended questions. Use phrases like “tell me a little about . .. “ or “on a scale of one to ten . . .” While there are some stock questions (how long did the candidate work for you, exact title, etc.), keep it conversational! One that we like to use is asking the reference to tell us about what was the most significant contribution that the candidate made to the organization. That’s a great one. We’ve gotten everything from they “kept the kitchen picked up all the time” to “executed the marketing strategy and were single-handedly responsible for the successful IPO of the company.” IMPORTANT: if you are speaking to a reference who has hired the candidate before, there’s only ONE “yes or no” question you should ask at the end of your conversation --- “Would you ever hire this candidate again?” Ask the question and then sit back and listen. Check Them Yourself. Many times we’re asked, “Who should check the references?” Answer: The person

By Philip H. Kemper

who has the most to gain --the hiring manager! While good companies make use of their HR department, the person who has the most to gain from these conversations is whomever that person will be working for. This is a golden opportunity to find out how the candidate works, his/ her motivations, management style, etc. I guarantee that this quick ten-minute conversation will be a gold mine for you --if you ask the right questions. Don’t pass it up! Get the Facts. The most lied about fact on resumes is education. Make sure you call the college or university listed and ask to verify a degree (schools are more than happy to do this). If there’s any discrepancy between what is on the paper and what the school verifies, straighten this out immediately with your candidate! You may have a problem. Don’t Be Afraid To Establish a Contingency. Remember, if you haven’t done the reference check and you want to make the offer, do it “contingent upon successful completion of references.” This way you won’t lose your candidate to a competitor and you leave yourself a loophole in case those references don’t check out! Philip Kemper is Founder/President of KemperAssociates, a 38-year-old Chicago-based national executive search firm. Contact Phil with questions or comments at kemperassociates.org or kemperassoc@hotmail.com.

@ExhibitCityNews

ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2015 15

SUSTAINABILITY

IMEX America Becomes a ‘Green’ Experiential Environment SHOW ORGANIZER RAISES AWARENESS OF SUSTAINABILITY AND CSR

As IMEX America has grown over the years, so has the IMEX Group’s sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. The organizer aims to lead by example, and this means ensuring it lives up to Convention Industry Council’s Accepted Practices EXchange (APEX) Standards and those set by ASTM International. “We are always looking to improve our performance year on year and take measurement very seriously using APEX/ASTM standards. For example, the MeetGreen Sustainability Report for IMEX America 2014 showed a 31 percent reduction on total waste from the previous year. Our use of locally sourced foods at the show increased by over 150 percent, and food waste decreased by 56 percent,” stated Carina Bauer, CEO, IMEX Group. When it comes to sustainability and CSR, actions speak much louder than words at IMEX America: The IMEX Group informs its participants with education, inspires them by being a trendsetter and leader, and enables them to experience and understand why sustainability and CSR is important and how they could practice it in their personal and professional lives. 16 NOVEMBER 2015 Exhibit City News

“We work hard to provide attendees with tangible, doable, hands-on information and experiences, practical tips and real world best practice ideas that can be easily brought back to the office and discussed, considered

IMEX Group launched its IMEX Green Team initiative, which encouraged buyers and exhibitors to reduce and raise awareness of CSR. Companies were encouraged to use green booth materials, reduce paper marketing

IMEX America participants volunteer at the Shade Tree shelter in Las Vegas

and implemented at future events and meetings,” said Bauer. “We certainly receive a lot of feedback from participants telling us that we have inspired them through the education and the initiatives to change the way they operate.” During IMEX America in Las Vegas from Oct. 13-15,

materials and make donations. Those who successfully completed the team tasks received a green badge ribbon to wear throughout the show. “We hope [participants] get inspired to think about and take steps to making their own meetings, events and conferences greener and to get involved in

CSR activities across multiple fronts—from recycling, catering and community efforts … to greener supplier and destination choices, and more sustainable design,” commented Bauer. Also, the organizer facilitated an in-show badge recycling program in support of two Las Vegas-based charities: The Shade Tree, a homeless shelter for women and children, and Opportunity Village, a provider of vocational training and employment to people with intellectual disabilities. “For every badge recycled, donations will be made,” Bauer added. As always, IMEX Group dedicated education to sustainability and CSR topics. These sessions took place at The Inspiration Hub on the show floor. Each year, MeetGreen, an independent sustainability consultant, measures the impact of IMEX America’s sustainability and CSR initiatives. The IMEX Group also measures its own progress by consistently monitoring feedback and participation levels in its initiatives. The organizer has noted that hundreds of people, from the venue to its partners and participants, get involved, but it will continue to strive to achieve more. In 2016, IMEX America will return from Oct. 18 – 20.

Photo courtesy of The IMEX Group

BY KRISTAN OBENG

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The BlueHive ‘Buzz Squad’ whole-heartedly supports autism awareness

Emotional Profit HOW BLUEHIVE REINVESTS IN PEOPLE AND COMMUNITY BY EXHIBIT CITY NEWS

There is an unfortunate tendency to view companies as cold, faceless organizations, and while the occasional Enron pops up its nasty head, the truth is that businesses are run by people affected by the world around them. Owners and CEOs are increasingly becoming aware of the value their people can bring to the greater community, and many have started investing in a concept of emotional profit. BlueHive Strategic Environments in Worcester, Mass. has been helping charitable organizations for several years, and recently 18 NOVEMBER 2015 Exhibit City News

upped its outreach initiatives by creating an in-house community group to do just that. The group has its roots in personal interest projects, with employees independently using the community power of the workplace to raise support for various organizations close to their hearts. These maverick acts of goodwill continued for many years, each program going in support of an organization completely different from the one before. Now, BlueHive’s employee-driven initiative specifically deals with community interests, as well as promot-

ing the company’s colorful persona in-house through team engagement programs. Beginning in earnest in late spring 2015, the group, known as the Buzz Squad, has worked with organizations such as the Worcester Youth Center, the Southeastern Brain Tumor Foundation and American Canine Assistance Program, as well as continuing existing support for the Worcester County Food Bank by planning a collection in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Other long-standing commitments will be taken forward, too, including the

#LightItUpBlue campaign for Autism Awareness, and Kisses 4 Kayla, a local charity established to raise money for histiocytosis research. “We aren’t doing this for pride or publicity,” explains team member and director of media and PR, Amadeus Finlay, “the purpose of this group is to reinvest in society, and in doing so lay the way for a stronger community, both locally as well the nation as a whole.” “The only reason we are making the Buzz Squad public knowledge,” adds Finlay, “is so we can bring to attention the great actions of the organizations we work with, and to invite others to contact us.” One such organization is American Canine Assistance Program (ACAP), a newly-formed Worcester nonprofit that trains service dogs for the disabled. Although excellent at the work they do – they have even taught a dog to operate a light switch – they had no experience in marketing, nor anyone able to commit the time to it. “It was at this point that we reached out to Amelia Berry at BlueHive, both a personal friend a professional renowned for creative ideas,” explains ACAP’s Patricia Dykas, “without hesitation, Amelia and the team at BlueHive produced a beautiful marketing board with eye-popping graphics.” “Now we can present our organization as a professional and polished group,” adds ACAP founder Brian Jennings, “first impressions are key and without support from local business such as BlueHive, we couldn’t never reach the volume we have in such a

Photo Courtesy of BlueHive

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

short period of time.” Meanwhile, BlueHive found their philanthropic efforts invested in supporting a charity race in Atlanta. Geri Shaffer, executive director of the Southeastern Brain Tumor Foundation, had contacted BlueHive in April in the hope of securing social media support for the event. Not only did the charity get the digital backup they had asked for, but BlueHive’s mascot Buzz put in a surprise appearance as a last minute runner. “Our constituents have been buzzing about the sweet success of our annual fundraiser Race For Research,” comments Shaffer, “BlueHive took our event to the another level, and helped us better connect with a community of people

Photo Courtesy of BlueHive

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whose brain tumor journey is like no other.” Unsurprisingly, there is a strong notion of society at BlueHive, not in any small part due to the company’s ethos of antipode-like corporation and inter-dependability. But a brand entity cannot be maintained if its concept is not supported in action, and so BlueHive has developed a robust sense of community within its four walls. Birthdays are celebrated once a month with a bulk lunchtime party, while trending business recognition events, such as National Manufacturing Day, are recognized with communal events (usually involving lots of food!) Bigger occasions are also celebrated, with

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Labor Day seeing local BBQ restaurant, SmokeStack, bring their wares to the BlueHive facility to fuel a day of music, games and competitions. “We’re striving to make the Hive the most buzzed place to work in New England,” explains Buzz Squad member and account manager Amanda Porcaro, “where employees, partners and neighbors are kept passionate, energized and valued.” Their efforts have even gone as far as adding further pizazz and color to a facility that already enjoys the unofficial reputation of, “the Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory of tradeshow design”, if such an upgrade could be possible. “Our facility is already one of the coolest offices in the area,”

explains director of account services, Jen Landry, “hopefully we can make it into one of the coolest in the country.” “By making our people as happy as possible, we can then share that energy with the rest of the community, as well as our clients,” continues Landry, “and that’s what this initiative is all about. BlueHive is an award-winning designer and producer of custom tradeshow exhibits, corporate interiors and branded environments. They also offer social media management and media services, helping build your brand in the digital sphere. For inquiries, contact media@blue-hive.com

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furniture rental | tradeshows | meetings | events @ExhibitCityNews

ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2015 19

MOBILE APPS

Five Things to Look for in an Event App BY LAWRENCE COBURN CEO AND CO-FOUNDER, DOUBLEDUTCH

Is it easy for you to use? Just because you are trying out a new technology, doesn’t mean it should be highly technical. One of the advantages of ditching the paper guide in favor of an app is the ability to make last-minute changes on the fly. Your keynote speaker’s plane is getting in late? No problem, shuffle the schedule around so that you can accommodate their new arrival time and hit the update button. The lines are too long for lunch and you need to open up a second door to the dining hall? Just send out a push notification letting people know where to go. Before signing the dotted line, make sure the app CMS (content management system) is easy to use. All of our customers use the same CMS, which they are able to access and update independently and instantly. With all the last minute stresses of pulling off an event, there is no need to add a finicky technology into the mix. Is it easy for your attendees to use? Once you build your app, the next step is getting your attendees to use it. You want 20 NOVEMBER 2015 Exhibit City News

your app to be as intuitive and user-friendly as possible to incentivize high adoption. Most of us have already developed fairly entrenched social habits; the second our minds start to wander we check our phones. This is why you want an app that is supremely engaging and going to play into those pre-existing tendencies - or as we like to call it, smartphone addition - so that instead of checking their email, attendees will check your event app. This transforms distraction into an opportunity to engage with your brand and content, giving them a mobile framework through which they can experience your event. Is it social? One of the main added values of an event app is its ability to create a closed social network for your event. Every DoubleDutch app has a built in activity feed, where users can post photos, status updates and questions, creating an online community to complement your event. This social network is what will incentivize attendees to actually use and engage with your app, giving you a bird’s-eye view into event activity as-it-happens. In addition to delighting attendees, this feature generates valuable data and insights about your event. Is it collecting the right data? One of the most exciting features of the latest generation of event apps is the ability to capture every tap, post and activity to provide actionable insights for event organizers. This allows you to monitor

engagement during and post event. Polls and surveys are great tools for gathering targeted feedback. Lead retrieval is a great way to keep track of important prospect information. An event app can be extremely powerful tool to measure your event success and provide a blueprint for future improvements. However, it’s crucial that the data you are capturing in your event app be in line with your metrics of success. Be sure to map out what these metrics before you start shopping for an app so that you can ensure they are being measured throughout your event. Is it presenting the data in an easy-to-understand way? Once you have mapped out what those metrics of success are, and you have ascertained that your app is measuring them, the next step is checking whether that information is being presented in a digestible way. Be sure to ask any potential app provider about how post-event and real-time data is presented to ensure that once you have the data, you are able to interpret it! We provide event organizers with a post-event engagement report, and they are able to download important data like survey results and lead reports. DoubleDutch provides a full-feature mobile app for events, conferences, and tradeshows. By leveraging a unique social framework, DoubleDutch engages attendees, delivers value to sponsors and generates actionable data for event organizers. Interested? Visit www.doubledutch.me.

Photo illustration by Thomas Speak

Congratulations! You have just received approval to use a mobile event application at your upcoming company conference. Beyond a budget, you haven’t a clue where to begin. Event apps have evolved into more than a digital agenda, but how do you discern between necessity and frivolity? Here are the five questions every organizer should ask:

Photo illustration by Thomas Speak

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ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2015 21

How to Book Reliable Event Staff within 24 Hours AN ON-DEMAND APP TO BOOK TALENT LAUNCHES BY KRISTAN OBENG

The brainchild of two executives from Victory Marketing, an experiential staffing agency for events and tradeshows, EventStaffr launched as a mobile marketplace for exhibitors to find and book booth staff, models and other talent within 24 hours. EventStaffr meets the needs of exhibit managers who are constantly on the road. If they’re in a new 22 NOVEMBER 2015 Exhibit City News

city for a tradeshow and the talent they hired didn’t show up, for example, then the on-demand talent workforce mobile app, created by Victory Marketing Founder Vinny Antonio and Director of Marketing Casey Ayars, could act as their back-up source to find a local replacement contractor. The mobile app can also be used as a primary source to

find temporary event staff. Simply enter the event time, dates, location, and the type of staff needed. Within 24 hours, exhibitors will have prescreened, community-rated candidates who are interested and available in working for a tradeshow. “Most 20 year olds don’t like picking up the phone. We can get ahold of contractors quickly with the app

to hold them accountable,” commented Antonio. Using Amazon’s product filters as an example, Ayars described how easily exhibitors can find the top contractors on EventStaffr. “Amazon gives you the highest rated product on the top of the page based on reviews. You will see that product before you see the lowest-rated products,” said Ayars. In the same vein, EventStaffr allows exhibitors to book welltrained freelance professionals rated by previous customers. “Customers rate [the contractor] after every event,” explained Antonio. He added that this practice ensures the best talent for customers and incents the “Staffrs” to do an amazing job so they get booked for more future gigs. “It’s a win-win for everyone.” Booking one or several contractors is often approved within 15 to 20 minutes. Customers pay for the service using a credit card. Ayars assured that pricing for the on-demand service is transparent and competitive. He said, “Customers get an instant estimate before ordering and hourly rates are clearly listed on the website. The days of shopping around and pricing out hourly rates with multiple agencies are over.” EventStaffr currently has over 1,000 thoroughly vetted event contractors and is available in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami and Orlando. “We cover a 60-mile radius from each of those markets. Anaheim is near Los Angeles. We can reach parts of Tampa and Fort Lauderdale,” Antonio said.

Photo illustration by Thomas Speak; Photos courtesy of Eventstaffr

MOBILE APPS

Photo illustration by Thomas Speak; Photos courtesy of Eventstaffr

Having contractors on the ground in major tradeshow markets is part of EventStaffr’s strategy to help their customers avoid booking and paying for internal employees’ airline travel and hotel stay. “We reduce the cost of service by at least 10 percent. When booking a booth model, typically there are agency fees and other fees that are 30 percent of the bill. With EventStaffr, it’s just a flat hourly rate,” Antonio said. When Antonio and Ayars, two childhood friends who became business partners, launched EventStaffr as a separate entity from Victory Marketing, they were confident they could provide customers

with the top freelance talent. Victory Marketing’s staffing database consists of more than 25,000 contractors, and from this pool the two partners chose what they called “the best-ofthe-best” in each launch city to participate in EventStaffr. They then held welcome events in key tradeshow cities and conducted video interviews to screen applicants and communicate the benefits of working with EventStaffr. “’Staffrs’ are paid very competitive wages directly to their bank accounts. The contractor doesn’t have to look through websites, such as Craigslist. Everyone who books a gig on EventStaffr is paid within a week,” stated Antonio. He

EventStaffr currently has over 1,000 thoroughly vetted event contractors and is available in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami and Orlando. added that payments from staffing agencies can take as long as 60-90 days. Sometime in 2016, EventStaffr will roll out across the U.S. to other major tradeshow destinations. Antonio, Ayars and the rest of their team are

continually researching and testing the effectiveness of the app and how it can be improved to better serve customers. The tradeshow industry moves rapidly, so EventStaffr’s leaders are designing the app to keep up.

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ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2015 23

SOCIAL MEDIA

Social Media at Tradeshows BY CINDY PEREA

Although tradeshows still drive results for many businesses, one of the biggest mistakes exhibitors make is that they don’t combine social media with their tradeshow strategy. Those in charge of social media have to be diligent, persistent, and innovative. It can be a difficult task at times but the benefits that businesses receive from having a social media plan is invaluable. It can help build brand recognition, expand your audience, and generate leads to increase sales. If you’re attending a tradeshow, here are a few helpful tips to keep in mind. Create your social media accounts. If you don’t already have business pages on the most popular social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+, you should set them up weeks before the tradeshow. You should start posting regularly so that you have content on your page by the time the tradeshow rolls around. If there is no content on your Facebook or Twitter, people will assume you aren’t using it and you aren’t up to speed with technology. There are other sites you can register with as well such as Pinterest, Instagram, and Stumbleupon. However, keep an eye on which platforms are working the best for you and focus on those. Don’t just sell to your audience. Although using social media might lead to sales, 24 NOVEMBER 2015 Exhibit City News

this should not be the only reason you have an account. To create a positive experience for your followers, focus on providing content that has value, rather than being a pushy salesperson. Post updates on your business, share exclusive photos, share interesting articles or even offer special discounts to your online community. Know the best times to post. We recommend that you test different dates and times to post so that you learn when you have the greatest impact. Through our own research, we have learned that posting around 9:00 a.m. and 4 p.m. will give us the best results and that on Thursday’s we have the most activity. This information will be useful when posting updates before and after the tradeshow. Don’t treat your business account like your personal account. Managing social media accounts can be tricky because you have to sound authentic, yet also sound professional. Find that middle ground that will allow

you to bring your personality into the position. However, be mindful about what you post. Although it is okay to post about your political views or religious views on your own accounts, you can’t assume that all of your customers have the same views (the same goes for “humor” where people find different subjects funny). Develop relationships & allies. Your social media will only help your business if there are people that are listening to what you’re saying. You’ll develop relationships and build allies by interacting with other users. For example, at the tradeshow, tweet at other business or speakers. If you tweet something and they retweet it, add them and send them a message. Make sure to use the designated hashtag to connect with others at the tradeshow and so that they are able to easily find your posts. Just remember to limit the number of hashtags you use- #UseHashtags #twoisokay #threeisfine #TooMany #HashtagOverload. Post pictures & videos. People are very visually driven and having

videos or pictures will make you stand out. Post picture of your display, your staff, goodies you’re giving out and products. However, you can also ask attendee’s to post their own pictures and videos. One idea is to start a competition where you ask attendee’s to take a selfie at your booth and whoever shares it, gets some swag. If you have a video camera, you can also ask for quick reviews from customers. You can use the videos and photos you collected as marketing materials later on. Make it fun! Competitions are a great way to grab attention of attendees, especially if there’s an incentive. For example, start a “favorite tweet competition” for the funniest or most clever tweet or post something like “The next 10 people to visit our booth will receive a prize.” It will create some buzz around your brand and it will create an image to attendees that you are fun and think outside the box. After the tradeshow, nurture your leads. Many people are not ready to purchase at the tradeshow and are simply gathering information. To create a positive impression, connect with people through LinkedIn or Google + (which are usually more professional social network sites). When you send out a follow up email, ask them to follow you on Facebook and Twitter for updates as well.

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SOCIAL MEDIA

Get Social or Get Forgotten WHY DIGITAL MEDIA IS THE FUTURE OF BUSINESS BY AMADEUS FINLAY

Recently, BlueHive soft-launched a media management division, in doing so completing the circle to become a one-touch branding firm never seen before in the industry. This revolutionary step in the world of tradeshow construction and marketing has cast the playing field wide open, allowing BlueHive to offer their clients another channel of brand promotion. The company’s director of media and public relations, Amadeus Finlay, explains the catalyst behind the new division, social media, as well as the reason why the current generation of young professionals are driving the change. 26 NOVEMBER 2015 Exhibit City News

There is no question about it; Millennials are taking over, and their ways are here to stay. Currently comprising of a third of the world’s population, by 2025 this group of highly social individuals will account for 75 percent of the work force, and with that prediction come the ideas of a new generation. Of course, it’s all been done before; the Baby Boomers taught us the ways of rebellion, while the Silent Generation flirted with Elvis and the beauty of the American Dream. But in Millennials we see something unique. While generations past enjoyed the ability to disconnect, the world we currently inhabit has broken down all the boundaries

of conversation, learning and, perhaps most significantly, business. At the heart of this change is technology, and one of the biggest drivers behind it all is the world’s biggest civic occasion; social media. Currently, 71 percent of the world’s businesses utilize social media, and that number is growing. 1.7 billion people engage with these various platforms on a daily basis, and of that number, approximately 80 percent prefer to engage with brands that have a Facebook page. Not convinced? Then try this tidbit on for size; cell phones are used as much to engage with social media as computers and tablets, and 25 percent of this population

cannot remember a time when they did not have a cell phone on their person. To put in simply, if your business fails to utilize the power of social media, your business is unable to reach a quarter of the world’s population at any time, and at any place. And that’s one powerful addition to a marketing arsenal that some organizations are simply failing to recognize. A staggering 29 percent of existing business remain disconnected from this endlessly fertile consumer body, and in doing so, completely miss the occasion to target a brave new world of highly engaged customers. And it’s not just Millennials they are missing either. If you’ll permit me yet another statistic, 79 percent of 30 to 50 year olds use social media on a regular basis, and the top end of that group sure as shooting weren’t born in the so-called Generations X and Y. Everyone is going online, and with it, they are reaping the benefits of the simple art of conversation. For that is all social media is; a good, old fashioned, chit-chat. Imagine, if you will, a party where one sixth of the world’s population is in attendance, and you have the opportunity to chat with every single one of them if you’d just go over and strike up a conversation. It really is that easy. Of course, there are those individuals and business who get by on a strong calendar of scheduled posts and in doing so, skirt around the party without actually making contacts. Their ideas are pumped into the ether without anyone to follow-up with a conversation. And that’s fine, but it misses the point of social me-

dia. One of the tricks in having a strong online presence is keeping up to date, whether on trends or, perhaps most importantly, in the conversations going on in your world. However, keeping up-todate is a very demanding past time. It requires you to be online 24/7, responding instantly to dialogue, whether encouraging a positive comment, or putting out a fire. Fail to stay on top, and your audience loses interest. Imagine the juxtaposition between a professional athlete and an eager fan who plays in a Sunday morning league. Both love what they do, or at least do it because they feel that they should, but only one dedicates their life to it. And if you fail

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to live in the world of social media, you will fail to garner the growth you seek. And therein lies the tricky part. Unless your business has somebody committed to the cause, you might as well have never bothered in the first place. To let you into a little company secret, when I was on my honeymoon in mid-July to early August 2015, BlueHive’s social media presence dropped by 17 percent across the board. Without a dedicated person or person to keeping the company’s social media presence alive and kicking, numbers of engagement steadily decrease. The most difficult part of all of this is the cost of maintaining such a presence. It is

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well documented that a social media manager is not a graduate job, in fact it is a position that requires an investment of up to $70,000 per year, and not everyone has that sort of money to hand. The solution is an agency. Agencies, as we all know, take on the responsibilities and public face of a brand, in doing so relieving some of the pressure on the host company. But the agency world is highly competitive, with each business vying to outdo the next with a clever idea. And this is where BlueHive comes in. Thinking completely around the box, this New England-based agency operates under the concept of marketing and managing brands

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from the physical to the digital, offering a one-touch service previously unheard of. Not only can a brand enjoy digital support, but can also extend that relationship into the world of trade shows and exhibits. Indeed, it is a twoway model, with BlueHive already seeing the tide come the other way as existing physical clients also become digital. In the current business environment, it pays to be connected. Not only do you keep current and on point in a rapidly shifting environment, but you enjoy being top of mind in a huge and ever increasing customer body. As we like to say here at BlueHive: If you’re not LinkedIn, you’re LinkedOut.

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ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2015 27

TRADESHOW MARKETING

What’s In It for Show Organizers Using Behavioral Analytics? NEW SERVICE PROVIDER EMERGES AS EVENT DATA ANALYTICS GAINS TRACTION BY KRISTAN OBENG

Using data analytics in the exhibit and event industry is still a relatively new practice, but the solutions the technology promises to show organizers and their customers has increased its visibility and brought to the forefront the companies delivering this service. Originally launched as a mobile app company seven years ago, Toronto-based Panvista Mobile entered the events space with its flagship behavioral analytics platform this past year. As the current industry landscape demonstrates, the company chose the right time to diversify its offerings. Last March, Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) released a study that illustrated how business-to-business organizers are using data analytics. Of the 307 executives surveyed and 12 exhibition organizers interviewed in fall 2014, 68 percent indicated they have used or planned to use data analytics within a year. Although the use of data analytics technology in the events space is in the beginning stages, this doesn’t mean the industry is a stranger to data collection. The most common methods used to gather data are through event registration, mobile apps, social media and lead management systems, according to an Exhibit Surveys white paper called “Event Analytics: Deriving Insights from Multiple Data Sources.” A problem that Exhibit Surveys noticed was that the data collected was confined to each of these technologies, not connected for the ability to analyze an overall tradeshow. Exhibit Surveys explained that relying on one data source can lead to incorrect conclusions. Instead, the research firm advised looking at multiple data streams or looking at data in new combinations. 28 NOVEMBER 2015 Exhibit City News

Panvista built its behavioral analytics platform to ensure show organizers can gather combinations of data from one source. According to company leaders, this information enables an organizer to demonstrate the value of its event. “Every year, show organizers face a deficit of activity from sponsors and exhibitors. The solution to reduce this deficit is giving organizers [the tools] to retain and attract exhibitors and sponsors,” stated Michael Younder, vice president of growth, Panvista Mobile. The platform can produce various re-

Panvista built its behavioral analytics platform to ensure show organizers can gather combinations of data from one source. ports generated from data collected from event registration systems and smart badges worn by attendees. Younder indicated that these reports could be sold to exhibitors and sponsors whose tradeshow participation is contingent upon the show organizer proving return on investment. “We can deliver information about foot traffic. A heat map can show where people with the job title of director had

the most activity on the show floor. Exhibitors and sponsors would pay for that information. You can see how many people that fit a certain profile are spending a given amount of time in a sponsored area, demo or taking in other types of content. Organizers can attract new exhibitors and sponsors with that intelligence, or plan better shows the next time. If you can attract 10 more exhibitors, that’s more revenue,” said Younder. He added that behavioral analytics can also help the show organizer cut costs, such as when the organizer unknowingly rents an unnecessary meeting space or ballroom. “Let’s say you rented room B but discovered that few people went into room B. When having the same show in the same venue next year, you could choose not to rent room B. This saves money,” Younder explained. “The show host may also think that they have to serve food at certain times, but heat maps can show that that most people left the area. If a show organizer pre-pays for 1,200 lunches and only 758 attendees came, this means the organizer overspent.” To set itself apart from companies offering expensive event analytics technology, such an RFID, Panvista started pricing for its platform at $2,500. “We want to light up the industry in a less expensive way,” said Younder. “We noticed an underserved space for analytics. We respect that the industry has been around a long time, but some event technology has been around for decades. Traditionally, this technology has included RFID and hand clickers, which can be limiting.” The Panvista platform tracks attendee activity on the show floor using smart-badges. A low-cost hardware,

smart badges are very small devices that use low-energy, battery-powered Bluetooth connections that communicate to message-storing sensors. These small sensors are designed to blend into their surroundings and can be strategically and swiftly placed throughout the show floor. According to Younder, not many sensors are needed when compared to other solution like RFID or Wi-Fi. During the registration process, attendees who have privacy concerns can decline having their activities analyzed. Therefore, these individuals can retain their anonymity while wandering the show floor. “I’ve been watching at registration: If they say they don’t want it, we don’t put a beacon on their badge. We’ve seen less than 5 percent say no,” said Younder. Attendees who opt in during registration become a provider of useful information for show organizers, exhibitors and sponsors. The “secret sauce” of the Panvista

Panvista produces reports generated from the data collected

platform is that it allows organizers to put attendee behavior in context for their customers while leveraging a variety of data. As organizers work to continually prove the value of their shows to their

customers, Panvista’s mission is to make this endeavor as prosperous and efficient for organizers as possible. To learn more about Panvista, visit PanvistaMobile.com

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ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2015 29

5 Ways to Improve Your Tradeshow Marketing BEST PRACTICES FOR AN EFFECTIVE EXPERIENTIAL ENVIRONMENT BY KRISTAN OBENG

Past exhibiting experiences have taught companies lifelong lessons they can impart to others and, most importantly, take to their next tradeshow. One of these key lessons is that it takes much planning with the right partner to implement an effective tradeshow marketing program that keeps attendees engaged. In 2013, SuccessFactors, a provider of cloud-based 30 NOVEMBER 2015 Exhibit City News

talent management software, brought out the big guns to generate leads at HR Tech Conference in Las Vegas. The company built excitement at its booth with performances by Cirque du Soleil acrobats, an autograph signing by baseball legend Reggie Jackson and a rock climbing wall. By the end of the show, SuccessFactors had generated 400 leads, but it had strived for more.

After SuccessFactors partnered with production and exhibit house Group Delphi in 2014 to improve its tradeshow marketing program, the company discovered why it hadn’t generated more leads in 2013. The booth activities were individually presented, rather than connected to the brand and theme of the exhibit. With this lesson learned, SuccessFactors returned to

the 2014 HR Tech Conference with a 40’ x 50’ experiential environment produced by Group Delphi. This time around, the company generated 739 leads and attracted 3,500 people. Not only did the 2014 exhibit tell a story, but also the attractions tied into SuccessFactors’ theme “Start anywhere. Go everywhere.” Group Delphi Director of Client Strategy Charlene Soelter knows first-hand how to design experiential environments that engage attendees and build booth traffic. As she did for SuccessFactors, Soelter offers best practices for exhibitors hoping to avoid making costly missteps in their tradeshow marketing campaign.

Photo courtesy of Group Delphi

TRADESHOW MARKETING

Photo courtesy of Group Delphi

Choose Creative Partners Early in the Year As it developed its new campaign for 2014, SuccessFactors sought the expertise of Group Delphi. This action proved beneficial for SuccessFactors, according to Soelter, because it prompted earlier communication and allowed Group Delphi to better understand the client’s needs. “The earlier you bring in a creative team, agency or exhibit house, the better. We looked at how the campaign could be rolled out into a 3D environment. Everything that developed after that was tied into the physical experience,” she stated. “Three dimensional environments have to be approached differently from an ad campaign.” She added that the collaborative process with SuccessFactors started with these encouraging phrases that drove results – “Let’s start early. Let’s define the theme. Let’s come up with a cohesive experience to tie all parts together.” Use a Consistent Theme Throughout the Show The theme of the booth should flow throughout the environment during the entire conference, not just one day, according to Soelter. Every 30 minutes, conference attendees witnessed the choreographed movements of Cirque du Soleil acrobats who used the SuccessFactors booth as their stage. The performances were seen live inside the booth and broadcast on a 30’ projection screen. “We started from a performer’s perspective as he is run@ExhibitCityNews

ning. There was a backdrop of trees behind him. At one point, he’s outside his home. The backdrop changes -- he’s in a big city and then he’s in outer space,” she explained. The changing backdrops reinforced how SuccessFactors’ software suite allows its users to “Start anywhere. Go everywhere.” Acrobats also dressed in costumes that correlated with a location. For example, one performer dressed like an alien, which complemented the space backdrop. Design for the Customer Experience The best experiential environments, according to Soelter, place the theme of the booth at the forefront, not how many demonstration stations the booth should have. “You need start with a theme, and the design needs to support the theme. This is relevant with a 10’ x 10’ or larger booth. It shows in the overall success when the design is based on the experience rather than the structure. The difference is also clear when walking into the space,” she explained. Meeting spaces and demonstration stations were designed around the central story at the SuccessFactors exhibit. These areas sparked conversations about the company’s software suite and customers’ success stories.

robat’s journey illustrated why this costume was meaningful to the experience. “When people work hard to pull an audience into an experience, they run the danger of being too whimsical. For SuccessFactors, we wanted a meaningful experience,” commented Soelter. Don’t Deviate from the Brand Companies should never move away from what makes them who they are when exhibiting at a tradeshow, advised Soelter. “Don’t deviate from the company’s primary marketing message. There is always a primary direction a company is going, and that message should

be there to show the company’s stability,” she explained. What companies should do, she added, is re-fresh their booth theme each year. Soelter said, “If you go to a tradeshow each year with the same theme, attendees think you don’t have anything new.” With the success of its 2014 environment, it’s no surprise SuccessFactors re-partnered with Group Delphi for the 2015 HR Tech Conference. Held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas last October, the conference again allowed SuccessFactors to gain useful advice and learn from Soelter and other Group Delphi strategists to continue improving the company’s tradeshow marketing program.

Avoid Being Too Whimsical An acrobat dressed like an alien could have come off as too whimsical to attendees at the SuccessFactors booth, but the theme and changing backdrops to reinforce the acExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2015 31

LEAD RETRIEVAL

Confronting the Lead Retrieval and CRM/MAT Conundrum BY ROGER LEWIS, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, ALLIANCE TECH

32 NOVEMBER 2015 Exhibit City News

by accelerating the sales process and automating tracking and reporting, all of which tie into tracking your ROI. CRM, MAT or Both? If your company has a CRM system like Salesforce or a MAT system like Eloqua, you can utilize them to help push your data into the system and enable your sales team to follow up on leads immediately. Many companies utilize both CRM and MAT systems, and the strategies can differ. Some organizations place low and medium qualified leads into a MAT system, so they can develop specific campaigns to nurture those leads, while keeping the top leads in a CRM system. Others place all leads in the MAT system,

Lead Qualification, Scoring and Nurturing Prioritizing what data will be moved to the CRM or MAT is an essential step. For example, many of us utilize data about demographics, current clients, targeted prospects, e-literature sent, and qualification surveys with BANT. (BANT is an acronym that stands for Budget, Authority, Need and Timeframe.) Clearly defining your leads will help identify lead quality. What do you define as a qualified marketing lead, and where will it be in the process? A graphic example is shown below. Segmenting the Population

Graphics Courtesy of Alliance Tech

Evaluating Your Current Process Before incorporating your lead infrastructure into a CRM/MAT system, consider thoroughly reviewing your current process. How do you prove ROI of your events? Do you know where tradeshows fit into your lead generation strategy? How are you collecting your leads and filtering them to sales? Do you know where your leads go and which ones become actual sales? Who gets credit for a lead or sale? Is your event credited as a first touch attribution to a sale? Once you’ve documented your current process, you can start to learn how utilizing a CRM/MAT can add value

Nurturing a lead is the process of developing the relationship so that when a lead is ready to buy, your prospects are familiar with your brand and products.

and when they become “A” or “B” leads, push them into the CRM system. These decisions are why your objectives and sales processes are so critical.

Graphic Courtesy of Alliance Tech

Exhibitors participate in tradeshows for many reasons, like creating awareness, building partnerships, getting face-to-face time with current customers, and seeing what the competition is doing. But any exhibitor will tell you that the primary reason for spending precious budget dollars to exhibit at tradeshows is to obtain quality leads that ultimately convert to sales. Do you know where your leads go during and after the show? Any lag in the amount of time it takes to get tradeshow leads to sales can affect ROI. Integrating leads into CRMs (Customer Relationship Management) and MATs (Marketing Automation Tools) makes it possible to better track and more quickly provide qualified lead feedback to your sales team.

Lead scoring is a methodology for ranking leads by level of interest, product fit, budget, authority and the timeframe to purchase. Some companies use “A, B, C” to rank leads. Others use “hot, warm, cold” and some develop a point system. The main purpose of scoring leads is to help the sales team follow up efficiently, so it’s important to get as much information as possible while talking to the lead face-to-face. Nurturing a lead is the process of developing the relationship so that when a lead is ready to buy, your prospects are familiar with your brand and products. CRM/MATs can automate much of the process, making it much more efficient.

Lead Nurturing

graphic below. This process can happen automatically in real-time as your leads are collected at your event, so your sales team receives them as they occur. No more “lead-lag”!

Graphics Courtesy of Alliance Tech

Graphic Courtesy of Alliance Tech

Finalizing the CRM/MAT Process After considering all of these components, you can now finalize your process flow, which may look something like the

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ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2015 33

CONVENTION CENTERS

Why Architects Have Become the Best Defensive Players for Cities CONVENTION CENTER DESIGN HELPS TRADESHOW DESTINATIONS COMPETE GLOBALLY BY KRISTAN OBENG

34 NOVEMBER 2015 Exhibit City News

Washington State CC rendering

years with a modus operandi that is completely their own. Architects also must think ahead. They are not psychics, but architects must analyze the yet untaken path of the convention industry and innovatively create designs that withstand the test of time. These master planners also must anticipate the challenges their partners will face on the construction site. “The biggest challenge is there’s never the perfect site, but there’s always the perfect operational diagram,” stated Tennyson. The requirements of designing a convention center is why only a few firms have successfully undertaken and were trusted with this unique specialty. This is the conven-

tion landscape for today’s architecture firms, and it has changed a lot over the years. Convention Centers of the Past Looking back at what was required for a convention center in the ‘80s or ‘90s, it’s quite different from the expectations of today. “They were designed to be facilities capable of being anything on any given day. They were anonymous and utilitarian. They were purpose-built spaces with no connection to their cities,” commented Michael Lockwood, principal, Populous. The owners of these purpose-built facilities desired to increase their exhibition space, so they did. When

Rendering courtesy of Populous

most facility owners will only entrust such a massive project to the most experienced architecture firms. During an RFP or design competition, most owners will often select or shortlist architecture firms from this small pool. After these firms, many of which have convention center divisions or facility experts, established themselves as leaders in design, it was difficult for newer companies to break into this market. The competition between architects is just as fierce as the bidding wars among major convention cities, but even more exclusive. On the other hand, the competition between architects has unarguably pushed them to enhance their capabilities. Not only are these architects master designers, but they have also become problem-solvers for the diverse client group they serve. Those within the client group have different demands, desires and expectations. How the architect attempts to satisfy them all can be challenging, but this is something they have been managing effectively for

Rendering courtesy of LMN Architects

In a global market where the stakes are high and the pressure from stakeholders is even higher, losing a major exhibition to a competitor could cost a city millions, or even billions, in economic impact. Before this nightmare manifests into a reality, the owners of aging convention centers take preventive measures. The swift actions taken by city governments or private entities that own public assembly venues include discovering the feasibility of a new build, renovation or expansion and rallying constituents and the client group. Sending out a Request for Proposal (RFP) to attract some of the world’s best architects is the next step in the process. Ironically, unlike the large number of convention centers dotting major international exhibition cities, there are only a small number of architecture firms that prolifically design convention centers, according to Brian Tennyson, principal at LMN Architects. He explained that convention centers are a huge undertaking financially and physically, and

completed, these venues were called “boxes with docks,” according to Brian Tennyson, principal, LMN Architects. Tennyson explained, “In the ‘80s and ‘90s, it was all about getting bigger exhibit halls, so convention centers grew rapidly.” Back then, circulation of the venue wasn’t emphasized as much as it is presently, so this led to inefficiencies. “In the early days, you often had to walk outside to get to components of the building. Nowadays, circulation is clear and coherent, and you can move a large volume of people around,” said Robert J. Svedberg, principal, tvsdesign. Most of the time, these facilities were built in less desirable locations on the edge of town, such as near railroad tracks, added Svedberg. A particularly memorable time for Washington State Convention Center (WSCC) recalled

They are not psychics, but architects must analyze the yet untaken path of the convention industry and innovatively create designs that withstand the test of time. Tennyson was when its owner decided against building the venue near the edge of the city. In the ‘80s, there were two opposing opinions about where WSCC should be built, according to Tennyson, on the edge of town or in downtown Seattle. Those favoring the edge of town site had the mindset of “If we build it, they will come.” But those against this idea said that a venue built in

downtown Seattle would be close to hotels, restaurants and attractions. “In Seattle, [WSCC] decided not to do a ‘box with docks’ on the edge of town. It was a big risk to hope hotels would develop around it. They built the venue downtown. Seattle did it right,” Tennyson said. “[WSCC] expanded across the street in 2000 because there was undeveloped land. Their

new expansion will include a separate building, so they can host multiple shows at once,” Tennyson explained. A company that is no longer in business handled WSCC’s ground-up design-build, added Tennyson. In 2014, it was announced that LMN Architects, GGN and SHoP would lead WSCC’s upcoming $1.4 billion expansion. Older convention centers were not badly designed, but they weren’t connected to the city in the way newly built or recently re-designed or expanded facilities are, stated Lockwood. “[Convention centers] have changed dramatically. It became about more than meeting in a city but also about celebrating a city,” Tennyson stated. “Fast Forward to how we design today and it’s about how the convention center interacts with the city.” Continued on p. 36

Los Angeles Convention Center rendering

Rendering courtesy of Populous

Rendering courtesy of LMN Architects

Client Groups Ever heard the idiom “too many cooks in the kitchen”? In terms of how an architecture firm interfaces with a convention center’s diverse client group, their opposite response is – the more the merrier! “What’s unique about working with convention centers are the multifaceted client types. We contract with the city entity responsible for building the venue. The city or operator sells the facility to meeting planners or exhibitioners. The exhibitioners have guests who come to their show. In typical architecture, you may only have one client,” stated Michael Lockwood, principal, Populous. To use another clichéd phrase, it really does “take a village” to design and build a convention center, and the voices of the stakeholders are @ExhibitCityNews

important to this process. Populous allows the client group to discuss how they believe a new venue or expansion should take shape at its ongoing “Imagine That” workshop, which launched 12 years ago to help the company conduct market research. “We facilitate the conversation [among the client group]. They have their own interests in the building and their own desires. They then come up

with a new vision of the facility,” said Lockwood. tvsdesign also starts the design and planning conversation with its client groups, usually by conducting a number of interviews, according to Robert J. Svedberg, principal at tvsdesign. “You get a common storyline for the most part: how people see the destination, how they want to engage in the city and what amenities they are attracted to. You then look at what makes sense economically and what doesn’t. You get that far before you concern yourself with the design,” Svedberg explained. He added that tvsdesign usually talks to all the “players” to figure out where the market will be in 10 to 15 years. This helps the firm design for the future. After the company designed Puerto Rico Convention Center, Svedberg said, the venue was five to 10 years ahead of its time. – Kristan Obeng ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2015 35

Design and construction teams give venue owners the tools to run multiple shows at once, better serve visitors and sell their facility to any organization in the world. mindset -- to connect the venue with one of its most popular and growing neighborhoods and increase exhibit space. Designing convention centers so that delegates can experience the city is a priority for Populous and tvsdesign too. Lockwood explained that

Upcoming Venues Convention center design trends seen in North America have also made their way to locales as far as Australia and the Arabian Peninsula. Two AEG Ogden-managed venues coming in 2016 were designed by firms that emphasized the importance of the destinations. International Convention Centre Sydney The design of the AU$1.1 billion ICC Sydney is a partnership between two architecture firms: the Australia-based office of HASSELL and Populous, which brought Australian and U.S. architects to the team. In 2011, Lendlease, a part of Darling Harbour Live – the group of companies bringing ICC

36 NOVEMBER 2015 Exhibit City News

event attendees arrive at the airport, take a taxi to the hotel and then head to the convention center, all without experiencing the destination. “Design has broadened to understand how the convention center fits into that experience,” Lockwood added.

“The building needs be designed for people to get out and be connected to the entertainment district. Attendees can leave [the venue] and still feel connected to the city.” Populous and HMC Architects won a design competition for the $350 million Los Ange-

les Convention Center (LACC) expansion because they successfully peeled back the things that made the venue appear too massive to its target audience, according to Lockwood. The design team’s renderings illustrates how LACC will be expanded into the LA Live District and demonstrates how they will showcase the city’s culture and heritage, and increase functionality. Likewise, Populous responded with problem-solving designs for the $325 million Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center expansion in San Antonio, Texas, and Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center expansion, which is part of a $187 million, five-year capital improvement plan. “I’ve been designing for 23 years. The industry has been changing more rapidly now than ever. The change 10 years ago was technology. Now the changes are driven by customers and their expectations,” stated Svedberg. When designing Music City Center, which opened in 2013

that met the local government’s requirements, such as delivering a world-class venue that surpassed the convention center that was previously onsite. This creation also needed to be larger than the old Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, but the design couldn’t eliminate public land in Darling Harbour at ICC Sydney rendering Sydney Harbour, which is a precinct visited by 27 million annually. Sydney to life, approached HASSELL as the “The urban and social importance lead architect long before the New South Wales of the precinct was a critical factor in the government sent out an RFP. HASSELL then development of the design. The scheme we brought on Populous because of its international proposed doubled the floor area that was convention center expertise. previously on site, so we had to be sure that we Together, the two firms delivered a design could achieve this and provide more publicly

OCEC rendering courtesy of OCEC

Convention Centers of the Future What’s consistently being emphasized in every ongoing new build, renovation and expansion presently is the need for connectivity, such as superior Internet services, and bridges or skyways to nearby hotels, entertainment districts and other city highlights; and flexibility, the ability to transform any space, host multiple events at once and cater to the needs of show organizers and attendees. “Meetings have shortened from four days to two. Corporate America has tightened their budgets. They are more discerning about the conferences they go to. When they go to an exhibition, they want value. The experience of the destination is the value,” explained Tennyson. LMN Architects helped visitors experience the Spokane River in Washington State as part of a $55 million expansion and renovation at the Spokane Convention Center, which was completed in February 2015. The addition includes floor-

to-ceiling window views and a sliding glass door that opens up to a river promenade. Kayakers paddling through the river will inspire delegates to give this activity a try. LMN designed the $125 million Greater Columbus Convention Center upgrade with a similar

Rendering courtesy of ICC Sydney

Continued from p. 35

Ningxia CC rendering courtesy of tvsdesign

CONVENTION CENTERS

Ningxia Conference Center rendering

Emerging Markets

OCEC rendering courtesy of OCEC

Rendering courtesy of ICC Sydney

Ningxia CC rendering courtesy of tvsdesign

Most architecture firms are diversified enterprises with convention center master planning and design as a percentage of their work. In North America especially, not many companies can survive by only designing convention centers. Since North America is a mature market like Europe, architects are usually hired for interior work and expansions as ground-up design-builds are rare. “There’s not a lot of need for additional square footage. There are certain markets that can expand. Some are the largest they’ll ever have to be. You’ll see expansions in the U.S. market that are primarily destination driven,” explained Robert J. Svedberg, principal, tvsdesign. Firms that see “convention centers as a large part of their DNA like tvsdesign,” said Svedberg, have expanded overseas to emerging markets, such as Asia. So far, the company has designed three of the top facilities in China. “Because China is a big country, everything scales up, including convention centers,” he said. tvsdesign has discovered that designing convention centers in China is much different than in North America. Most design work in China is won through competitions. The more dramatic looking the rendering, the more likely an architecture firm will win the design competition. Additionally, the facility built must look exactly like the rendering, commented Svedberg.

“The first convention centers built in China looked like European fair grounds. Those venues didn’t go over well. [China] wanted more internal circulation. We invented a new business model there by doing research on the market,” said Svedberg. tvsdesign’s architects have a better understanding of China’s market and culture. They realized that what works in North America or Europe may not work in China or other emerging markets, such as Africa and South America. – Kristan Obeng

in Nashville, Tenn., tvsdesign architects, according to Svedberg, asked themselves these important questions -- How do you have a building tell a story about the country music capital of the world? How do you make the venue part of the neighborhood and have it be authentic to the local population? The architects’ responses guided their design decisions. “In the end, the venue is

open to welcome the world. Not only does the design and construction of the venue aid in this warm welcome, but the management along with inhouse partners must provide what business travelers expect from a world-class convention center. This includes state-of-the art technology; superb catering; high-quality finishes, materials and furnishings and an experienced

functional and state of the art. It’s where the industry is going and what customers are expecting. It’s a huge success with numbers blowing out of the water,” stated Svedberg. tvsdesign has designed four of the top convention centers in North America, but it soon expanded to Asia, where it has designed three major facilities. After renderings become reality, convention center doors

accessible open space to provide a great outcome for the people of Sydney. It was the combination of the experience and skills of the HASSELL + Populous JV team that really worked well to achieve this balanced outcome,” explained the HASSELL design team. ICC Sydney will include 70 meeting rooms, four plenary theatres and 35,000 square meters of exhibition space. Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre WATG is a global architecture firm known mostly for its conference center designs at hotels, but it also has convention centers in its portfolio. The company’s work on the Royal Opera House and the Grand Mosque in Muscat, Oman, earned it an invitation to a design

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OCEC rendering

competition for the billion-dollar OCEC. After winning the competition, WATG architects asked themselves, “What’s symbolic to Oman?” and then proceeded to have an in-house design competition to challenge each other to produce the best results.

staff to ensure a high level of customer service. Design and construction teams give venue owners the tools to run multiple shows at once, better serve visitors and sell their facility to any organization in the world. Building or expanding a convention center is a large investment, but it’s also one that pays off and allows cities to compete for years to come.

“Being close to the airport, the building had to be low-rise, and yet iconic as well. Local references were very important to the design team. As the design developed, the auditorium became the “anchor” of the whole scheme, with its most visual component, the roof, inspired by the shape of Oman’s desert rose. The scheme is set within a public park. Retaining that feature of the local area was crucial for the team, and the intention was to have water activities and other facilities that could provide amenity for local residents, alongside the convention centre, business park and hotels that the site houses,” stated the WATG design team. OCEC will be home to a 3,200-seat theater, 14 meeting rooms and 22,000 square meters of exhibition space. – Kristan Obeng

ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2015 37

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PART 3: INTRODUCTION

PART 3: ECONOMICS

words by Lesley Martin | photos by Corey Johnson Trade shows are the most physical of marketing and sales initiatives. For every trade show, people gather from all over the world into one location to conduct business for a short timeframe. Wherever the trade show takes place, the visitors and their properties are subject to the region’s culture, language, laws, food and people. The host city enjoys a significant economic boost from the influx of new money poured into local restaurants, hotels and entertainment venues. Its success as a host depends on its infrastructure to handle these events, from the accessibility of the nearest airport to the availability of people to complete the practical work. A fleet is needed to create a miniature, functioning city in just a few days, then take it down, pack it up or haul it away. For every event, individuals are brought in to lay out the show, divvy up the booth spaces, move the properties, install the technology and rig the signage. All the properties must be created and moved across

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real space, then removed without leaving a trace. Trade shows in the U.S. are generally not tied to any convention center so generally the venue changes from year to year. The labor crews who install exhibits, however, remain right where they are. Because of strict union labor laws, it is not customary in the U.S. for trade show labor crews to travel to other states for trade show work. Their knowledge and skill is most useful near the venues and cities they know well, and that makes traveling to another country for installation work impractical. Sourcing from the local labor force is the best option. These are the people who know the venue well and have the resources to solve problems quickly when they arise. They also know and can adhere to the local rules and regulations. However, without the cross-pollination of people and their processes, the U.S. has business models that are starkly different from the rest of the world. In part 3 of the I&D series, we will explore I&D “Here & There” and the issues international exhibitors face when entering into unfamiliar territory.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS p. 42 BUSINESS VISITOR VISA p. 44 3 TIPS FOR INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITORS IN THE U.S.

p. 46 I&D: HOW IT’S DONE

ACROSS THE WORLD

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PART 3: ECONOMICS

Business Visitor Visa The model for labor crews in other countries is drastically different from the one used in the U.S. When foreign companies exhibit in the U.S., they are often frustrated by the labor laws and shocked by its expenses. In recent years, the dollar has become stronger and raised the cost of U.S. labor. At the same time, unions have lost their power in right-towork states that are important tradeshow locations. In these states, the exhibitor’s employees can work on their own exhibits if they pay $200 and provide a certificate of insurance. Now I&D labor providers are witnessing a troubling but legal trend among international exhibitors who provide their own labor crews from their home countries.

Business visitor visa

Since employees of exhibiting companies can work on their own tradeshow exhibits, international exhibitors are flying in labor crews from their home countries to set-up and dismantle their exhibits. This practice is most prevalent at large tradeshows like CES, where a crew of 50 or so laborers are needed for one exhibit. To be allowed to work, these crews claim to be employees of the exhibiting company. According to the Bureau of Consular Affairs, business visitor visas are given to “exposition or trade show employees of foreign exhibitors at international fairs” if they “will receive no salary or income from a U.S. based company/entity” and “will plan, assemble, disman-

tle, maintain, or be employed in connection with exhibits at international fairs or expositions.”1 Once the tradeshow closes, they return home as planned, and are compensated in their country’s currency. The monetary savings for international exhibiting companies are not known, but it is presumed that the compensation for these workers is significantly less than the $57/hour paid to the local teamster.

Unsustainable practice

Although the U.S. government blesses this practice as legal, it is not sustainable for the U.S. tradeshow industry. Foreign companies do not follow the same rules, regulations and practices as similar workers in the U.S. where labor companies are required to abide by the law, hold contracts with unions, pay state and federal taxes, and contribute to their workers’ healthcare benefits. The practice takes jobs from Americans who rely on tradeshow work for their livelihood. The fact is the tradeshow labor workforce is aging, and there is a need to develop and retain new talent. Because of its inconsistent workflow and the tough competition, tradeshow work is already unpredictable and this practice adds to its instability. If there are fewer job

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opportunities in the field, the industry will continue having difficulty attracting young people. Also the cities that host tradeshows are likely to receive a blow to the show’s anticipated economic boost to the local economy as thousands of dollars from wages and taxes are not transacted in the city. Furthermore the lack of safety regulations is alarming. In other countries, the venue may have no forklifts or other heavy equipment and structures may have height restrictions. Here, forklifts are zipping across the show floor as hundreds of workers assemble large and complex exhibits. When foreign installers work in the U.S., there is no process to confirm their skill, knowledge, or authenticity of certifications. Even if the workers are skilled carpenters, they are working in an unfamiliar venue in a country where nearly everyone only speaks English. What if there’s miscommunication during installation? Or how does one call a warning if a crate topples? If a poorly assembled exhibit that falls on another person, the event is not only tragic but also raises the issue of liability. And finally, flying a crew of 50 laborers 12,000 miles roundtrip significantly harms the environment. In The Green Edge, Tom Bowman wrote that “…flying creates more environmental damage than just about anything else that [tradeshow exhibitors] manage” (104). The Union of Concerned Scientists also stated that “…A single round-trip flight from Los

Angeles to New York emits around a ton of carbon dioxide per passenger – equal to the amount an average American SUV driver would be responsible for emitting in one month of average driving.” (45) Compared to hiring a local crew, the practice is ultimately costly, inefficient and harmful to the environment.

What’s the solution?

The practice is not sustainable

for the U.S. tradeshow industry, the city’s local economy, or the planet. Yet the practice is legal, and no tradeshow industry associations have publicly spoken-out against the practice. Currently, I&D service providers are educating foreign exhibitors on the benefits and efficiencies gained by hiring the local I&D crew. The local I&D crew knows the region’s rules and regulations, the show hall, US

units of measurement, and has the relationships and resources to solve problems quickly. International exhibitors need to understand that by hiring a quality I&D partner and working with them ahead of time, they can gain more efficiencies than this unsustainable practice. References: 1 “Business Travel to the United States.” U.S. Visas. March 1, 2014. Accessed September 30, 2015. http://travel. state.gov/content/dam/visas/BusinessVisa Purpose Listings March 2014 flier.pdf. 2 Bowman, Tom. The Green Edge. First ed. Signal Hill, CA: BGC, 2014. 45, 104

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PART 3: ECONOMICS

3 Tips for International Exhibitors in the U.S. All relationships are built on trust, but how do you know when to trust someone if you don’t understand their language, culture and processes? Cautionary tales of doing business in foreign countries are numerous, making business people naturally apprehensive when exhibiting internationally. The process of trade show exhibiting raises red flags to foreign exhibitors. In the U.S., the labor and material handling costs, which account for nearly 30 percent of the total exhibiting costs, are estimated but not confirmed until after the services are rendered, when other charges may be tacked-on to the original estimate. Additionally, there’s no consistency across trade shows – the rates and union rules vary across the country and even within the same city. Finally, the mandatory bill of lading asks for information that non-U.S. exhibitors are apprehensive about sharing with a stranger, information that may be considered invasive in their native culture. The business models are confusing and mistakes are costly, so it’s not surprising that many non-US exhibitors assume that they’re being cheated when they come to the U.S. This complexity makes it important for international exhibitors to partner with a top quality I&D company that can help them navigate union jurisdictions and the deadline jungle. Bruce Green and Mike Boone of Coastal International have years of

experience helping global companies exhibit in the U.S., so we asked them to give us their top three tips for international exhibitors who are partnering with an I&D service provider at U.S. trade shows.

1. Plan ahead for exhibit production and shipment

In other countries, the lead times for exhibit production and shipment are shorter and have fewer penalties. Because they are accustomed to the shorter lead times, ex-U.S. exhibitors will often call Green and Boone for quotes weeks before the trade show (about the time that domestic exhibitors’ booths are already produced and ready to ship). At this point, the foreign exhibitor has missed important deadlines and will incur costly overtime and rush charges, which sours them on the U.S. exhibiting process. But if the foreign exhibitor partners with an I&D service provider early in the process, they can meet important deadlines and save significantly. For example, exhibitors can save 25-33 percent on electricity just by ordering before the deadline. If foreign exhibitors are bring-

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ing their exhibits from their home countries, they must plan buffer time for the shipping as well as for U.S. customs. According to Boone, the customs process was easier before 9/11, but can now take several days or weeks, sometimes putting the exhibitor at risk for missing the tradeshow. If an exhibit is held-up or damaged in customs, the U.S. I&D partner can find a solution with local resources and relationships. Boone once had a foreign client whose booth was stuck in customs and was going to miss the trade show, but Boone was able to call upon his contacts to get an exhibit built quickly. Foreign exhibitors should also take into account the way they pack exhibits for international shipping. The drayage model has trained U.S. builders and labor crews to pack exhibits efficiently in sturdy crates, while other countries lack the drayage model and exhibitors often pack their properties in flimsy crates of low-quality plywood held together by staples. If the exhibit properties are damaged during transit or the customs process, their U.S. partner has the resources, relationships, tools, equipment and know-how to find a solution.

2. Plan ahead for better labor crews

A foreign exhibitor is accustomed to working with a multi-

skilled labor crew who are paid a set day rate and are motivated to install the exhibit as quickly as possible. In the U.S., the labor costs are variable based upon the rates and hours worked. Because of the union jurisdictions, laborers are often not mobile and the workforce is limited to the local labor pool. If the local labor supply cannot fulfill the work for a large trade show, unskilled temporary workers are hired but charge the same rate as a skilled laborer. Because the foreign exhibitor did not plan ahead, they are often stuck with the slow and unskilled laborers, paying the same rates as for skilled laborers and often having a less than optimal set-up.

The natural reaction from overseas exhibitors could be that they’re being cheated because they’re foreign. However, if they begin planning and working with an I&D partner months in advance, they would be better able to secure quality labor.

3. Choose a partner who has experience working with international clients

An I&D partner who has experience working with international clients will have the patience and know-how to answer common questions. Construction terms do not translate well, and language differences can create challenges during the installation. An I&D partner with international expe-

rience is more likely to interpret needs. Boone remembered an Italian client who insisted that “stucco” be available on the show floor, but he didn’t mean the durable material used for the exterior of homes. In Italy, “stucco” is the term for quick dry wall, or “spackle,” which does not translate into Italian. It’s important to hire a quality crew with the correct tools, ladders, cleaning materials, one that knows the venue, language, terminology, units of measurement, rules and regulations. When exhibitors coming to the U.S. from other countries plan ahead with a quality I&D partner, they increase their success rate and operate more efficiently.

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PART 3: ECONOMICS

I&D: HOW IT’S DONE ACROSS THE WORLD Although other countries can also boast large centers for fairs and expos, the installation and dismantle labor industry has always been distinctly American. See the differences here and there.

Organized labor

Here: Approximately 52% of convention halls in the U.S. have a union affiliation, which reserves the rights for union workers to provide certain services, such as electrical or rigging. In this vertical model, the labor services are provided by multiple suppliers; workers can be specialized or have a variety of skillsets. Unions lack a centralized body, which means the union rules, labor rates, processes and training are not standardized, nor are the labor crews are mobile. Laborers are paid by the hour and have different rates for straight time, overtime, holidays, weekends, and more. Sometimes a region does not have the labor supply to fulfill the work, and unskilled workers are hired, but at the same rate as a skilled laborer. There: Trade show unions do not exist in other countries, although Australia’s states have worker mobility restrictions. In Europe, I&D services are usually provided by the exhibit design builder and the same carpenters who produced the exhibit can also be its installers. In this horizontal model, the labor services are provided by one supplier, and I&D workers tend to be

multi-skilled and are able to assemble the booth, install the electrical equipment, AV, plumbing, and mount the graphics. Without union jurisdictions, the crews sometimes travel with the exhibit as well. These workers are paid a set day rate, regardless of what days they work, including weekends and holidays. As a result, they work to complete the exhibit as quickly as possible, which eliminates the costly overtime and weekend labor rates found in the U.S. A few other countries, like Japan, have defined working hours and also have overtime rates.

Material handling

Here: The U.S. has a unique model for material handling, or drayage, which is an exclusive service provided by the general contractor (GC) to coordinate properties at trade shows. All inbound shipments arrive at a marshalling yard, where the GC reviews the bill of lading, weighs the properties and charges based on weight multiplied by an established rate. The final cost is usually unknown until the service is complete. Although the process is designed for efficiency, the exhibitor must also plan for the process to prevent missed deadlines, special handling penalties—and budget crises. There: In most other countries, the material handling fees are included in the exhibit space price and suppliers can drive or dolly right-up to their booth space to handle and unload their exhibit properties. Without

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penalties for uncrated shipments, the show floor is likely to have loose materials everywhere. The suppliers remove the empty boxes themselves, but if needed, the convention centers can sometimes store them. In Italy, this storage service is negotiated on the show floor and paid for in cash. As GCs take their services abroad, the drayage model is now developing in other places around the world, but nowhere is it as ingrained as in the U.S.

Systems of measurement

Here: The U.S. customary units of length and area are the inch, foot, yard, mile etc. These units were mostly used in the British Commonwealth and the former British Empire, but have been largely supplanted by the metric system. I&D workers primarily understand the U.S. units of measurements and the metric system is not commonly used or understood by Americans. There: Metric systems of units have evolved since the adoption of the first well-defined system in France in 1795. During this evolution the use of these systems has spread throughout the world, first to non-English-speaking countries, and then to English speaking countries. It is important to work with the region’s design/builder to ensure accuracy.

Exhibit booths

Here: The U.S. has an extremely high standard for exhibit booths, which are large and complex. From

Worker health & safety

Here: The U.S. government does not have centralized healthcare for its people and is the only first world nation that does not require vacation days for its workers. For the trade show industry, there is no regulatory body (like OSHA) monitoring trade show safety. Companies and unions take actions to regulate themselves and protect their workers with health insurance and vacation days, but the lack of centralization creates inconsistencies and inefficiencies. Labor companies face challenges when managing crews across the country who have different levels of training, skill, and care for safety. There: The socialized European nations guarantee healthcare and vacations for their citizens, so there is no need for unionization of workers. Countries like Germany are extremely mindful of safety, particularly fire prevention. In Germany, all exhibit graphics must be fireproof, and the fire marshal may test your graphics with a lighter onsite. The same is true for many APAC countries, which also have regulations that have resulted from the frequency of earthquakes. Rules limit the height of exhibts and use of overhead signage to prevent objects falling on people during an earthquake. In Holland, installers must wear safety shoes and safety helmets for exhibit installations; similar requirements also exist in Canada.

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Lead times

Here: The large and complex exhibits found in the U.S. require longer production time than exhibits in other parts of the world. Because of the drayage process, exhibits must be shipped ahead of time so that they are ready for on-site installation. There: The exhibiting model in other countries allow a shorter lead time. Generally speaking, there is no drayage, and exhibits are delivered right to the space onsite. Less complicated exhibits are finished onsite by skilled labor crews. Yet in India, installers assume they have all night to complete an exhibit. Unless the exhibitor specifies when they want their exhibit completed, they may arrive to an exhibit with wet paint.

Estimating & pricing

Here: According to the E2MA, approximately 30% of the exhibitor’s total cost is unknown when the they contract the exhibit space in the U.S. Estimates can be determined, but labor and material handling are variable costs that are not finalized until the trade show ends. Americans do not usually haggle. There: In other countries, labor is paid by flat day rates and the drayage model generally doesn’t exist so the costs are upfront. In some cultures, haggling is a sign of respect. Reference: Kulchawik, Larry. Trade Shows From One Country To The Next. First ed. New York: Page Publishing, 2015. Print.

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its plush carpet to double-decker structure, an American exhibit is comparable to a permanent installation. American exhibitors consider custom exhibits as an investment, so they will try to use it for as long and as much as possible. It is common for the exhibit to be constructed beforehand for the exhibitor to walkthrough and approve the exhibit before the trade show. Forklifts and scaffolds are often required to move and assemble its properties. There: Many venues do not have the space nor the equipment to house the gigantic exhibits like those found in the U.S., therefore trade show exhibits in other countries are simpler, made of less permanent materials like plywood and needle punch carpet, and are often completed onsite. In the common practice known as “build and burn,” the stand is built onsite and discarded or recycled at the end of the show. The practice of “refurbishing” is uniquely American. Outside the U.S., exhibitors expect their suppliers to take responsibility for properly managing the exhibit. Unless the exhibitor requests changes to the design, refurbishing is not expected as a normal consequence of owning and maintaining an exhibit. In Japan, trade show exhibits have height restrictions as safety measures in case of an earthquake. Raised floors are not common in Japan, as it is associated with intruding into one’s house. In Germany, however, raised floors are common, as if a king invites another into his kingdom.

PART 4: INTRODUCTION

PART 4: TRENDS

words by Lesley Martin | photos by Corey Johnson For thousands of years, human beings have used their hands and a few tools to build structures. But now we live in a time where there are limited opportunities for traditional handwork – products are manufactured by machines, knowledge and processes can be transferred digitally, and careers skew towards cognitive-skills rather than motor-skills. In a world that’s simplified to the click of a mouse, there are few jobs that are hands-on in the same way as installing a tradeshow exhibit. From the feelings of touching the materials to handling powerful tools, the process of constructing a tradeshow exhibit is handson throughout the entire process. Although the physical exhibits properties are the tangible outputs, the tradeshow’s true product is the relationships that are built inside the exhibit walls. Our world is more connected than ever and we have the ability to meet digitally and connect with people we’ve never met, but nothing compares to the power of faceto-face interaction in real space and time.

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The timelessness of creating physical structures and fostering interpersonal relationships are the products that ground tradeshows, which is why its people are confident tradeshows will always stand the test of time. Yet to stay relevant, the industry must constantly evolve to meet the needs of its customers. The tradeshow industry is the pool into which all other industries flow, therefore it’s highly sensitive to external forces and is dependent upon the health of the businesses it serves. In part of the I&D series, we will examine trends affecting the tradeshow industry and the I&D supplier segment. From the buzz surrounding experiential marketing, to the private corporate events that are popping-up around large tradeshows, the trends are pointing towards positive growth for tradeshows and events and I&D experts interviewed for this series are optimistic for the future of face-to-face marketing. The industry is not likely to drive change, but more likely to be driven by change, therefore it seems to always be a little bit behind as they wait for new technology and customer demands to show them their next move. To be ready for this change, I&D companies must find and invest in talent that will be there to help them evolve. “Talent is a never-ending job, especially if you’re experi-

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TABLE OF CONTENTS encing growth,” said Rick Bellerjeau, general manager of Momentum Management. “…Our people are not numbers, but literally the company and our product.” Installers are stepping-up to add tech-tools to their tool belt, and must possess the attitude and smarts to learn new skills as technology continues to change. I&D companies are looking for workers who are not only good at carpentry, customer services project management, but also the willingness to evolve. In addition, he needs to be able to check is ego at the door. What kind of person is this? “Tradeshow I&D crew really are part superheroes. Imagine if Superman were called out on a Sunday, to come and save the day, because of some dire emergency that just had to be dealt with? What if he said ‘listen, I’m watching the game right now’ or ‘I’m off today.’ Not an option, right?” said Chris Griffin, CEO of TSCrew. “The same principle applies to that overworked yet totally committed exhibit lead man, who gets the call about ‘AV won’t work!’ or ‘this exhibit is facing the wrong way!’ or ‘you set up the wrong graphics on our booth!’ (Even though they are the only graphics that shipped in with the display). For that I&D lead man, it’s NOT an option to ignore the distress call. He suits up, calls his team of Avengers, and within the hour they respond. And they don’t leave...until the job is done.”

p. 50 POSITIVE TRENDS p. 54 PRIVATE CORPORATE EVENTS p. 56 AUDIOVISUAL TECHNOLOGY p. 58 TECH COMPANIES p. 60 ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

& COST OF RESOURCES 61 GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

p. p. 62 RE-EXAMINING DRAYAGE p. 64 ENGAGEMENT p. 66 SERIES CONCLUSION

& THANK YOUS

The goal of this I&D series was to dispel the myth that all labor is the same. In this final part, we can look back and forward to see that a good labor crew is made of problem solvers – not problem causers – who can be the superheroes to save the day on the show floor.

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I&D AND EVENT LABOR SERIES 2015

PART 4: TRENDS

Positive Trends for Tradeshows

Statistics from the 2015 CEIR Index Overview of Economy and Exhibition Industry show a positive outlook for the trade show industry. The U.S. dollar is stronger, job growth is steady, and exhibitors have increased their trade show participation: comparing 2014 with 2013, we see that exhibitors increased their budget spending on exhibit space by 29 percent and exhibit design, production and refurbishing by 23 percent.1 Another sign pointing to the health and confidence of trade shows is the $500 million improvement and expansion project at the Moscone Center. This convention center currently hosts more than 20 percent of the 16.9 million visitors to San Francisco, making it a main driver of business and tourism. As the convention landscape expands, this facility is operating at

capacity and expanding to keep its position as a top competitor among convention centers.2 Millennials are overtaking Baby Boomers as the workforce majority, and these digital natives still value face-to-face interactions: 98 percent of young professionals identified one or more aspects of attending trade shows that are of high value to them, and 93 percent say it is likely that

I&D AND EVENT LABOR SERIES 2015

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they will attend business-to-business exhibitions in the near-term future. However, they are young, idealistic, educated, and raising the bar on businesses across the board. The new consumer mindset, driven by technological advancements, demands immediacy, personalization and excellence.1

Customer experience drives it all

Customer experience (CX) is the interaction between an organization and a customer over the duration of their relationship and is measured by the individualâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experience during all points of contact: attraction, awareness, discovery, cultivation, advocacy, purchase and use of a service. If

companies are able to track the customer journey and use this knowledge to manage the customer experience at all touch points. Rather than driving fast sales, today’s brands use “storytelling” to “cultivate” or “nurture” relationships with customers. Companies committed to CX are managing each touchpoint with the customer, particularly live events, where the customer has a real time experience with the brand that accrues to whatever the customer’s perception of the brand prior to the show. Experiential marketing is the buzzword that “is loosely defined as messaging you can touch, feel or view in a physical space.”4 The biggest disadvantage of digital marketing is that it lacks lasting impact, while experi-

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ences create connections that stick in the person’s mind. And companies are recognizing the value and spending more on events and experiential marketing, according to the Event Marketing Institute’s EventTrack study The budgets for experiential marketing are growing faster for companies with more than $1 billion in total revenue4 The need for brand encounters is driving the face-to-face marketing landscape. References: 1 Highlights of Key Industry Trends Based on CEIR Research Prepared for ECEF 2015. (2015). Center for Exhibition Industry Research. 2 Moscone Center Expansion And Improvement Plans Unveiled. (2014, June 14). Retrieved October 7, 2015. 3 Manning, Harley; Bodine, Kerry (28 August 2012). “The 6 Disciplines Behind Consistently Great Customer Experiences”. Fast Company. Retrieved 7 May 2015. 4 Pathak, S. (2014, March 11). Just What Is Experiential Marketing, and How Can It Be Measured? AdAge.

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a company is able to deliver an experience that sets it apart in the eyes of its customers, it will increase the amount of spending with the company and inspire loyalty to its brand.3 “The whole project has to be a great ‘experience,’” said Rick Bellerjeau, General Manager at Momentum Management. “The ‘day job’ for all of us in I&D is the same. The booth needs to go up on time and on budget, then taken down carefully and shipped back to where it’s stored or on to the next show.” To improve the CX and meet consumer demands, marketing initiatives are now more strategic and sophisticated, heavily dependent on data. From the first badge scan to the point-of-sale, smart and progressive

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PART 4: TRENDS

Private Corporate Events off the Tradeshow Floor “Shows are growing with the economy, which remains the core of the industry for I&D,” said Rick Bellerjeau, General Manager at Momentum Management. “That said, more and more ‘private events’ are occurring. At times, these events are in conjunction with a large show.” For example, during CES, there are activities for attendees all over Las Vegas. Many companies are either holding shows of their own, such as Cisco LIVE, or meetings in their facilities, where they invite customers, vendors, and partners to view new technologies or products. Less than a decade ago, the typical corporate event was a hospitality meeting that centered on food, beverage and networking as its primary activities. Now, these private event set-ups have increased the demand for physical properties and digital components. “A majority of Skyline Sector 5’s business currently comes from creating experiences for our clients’ trade show needs. However, we are by no means limited to that,” said Frank Garcia, Director of Service & Operations at Skyline Sector 5. “We’ve created customer experiences at roadshows, in client lobbies and at corporate events.”

I&D AND EVENT LABOR SERIES 2015

Compared to a trade show, events are more multi-faceted and the need for quality labor is crucial. “A trade show is more controlled,” said Bellerjeau. Efficiencies are often gained at trade shows because the workers know the exhibit halls and there are multiple service providers onsite. However, private events are often held outside the convention center, taking place in outdoor venues, fairgrounds, golf courses, hotels, or remote locations, where Bellerjeau said “the number of things you can’t control is off the charts.” Additionally, the I&D supplier has the sole responsibility for coordinating all the workers, vendors, suppliers and equipment at the site. “At a trade show, the responsibility for set-up and dismantle is spread across more than five service providers,” said Scott Sokol, Vice President Business Development at Coastal International. “However, a corporate event won’t have electricians, riggers, and other exclusive union services on-hand. The I&D company is responsible for everything.” With these increased needs, workers are keeping busy, learning new skills, and deepening their value. “All of this points to healthy growth within the industry,” said Bellerjeau. “These events demonstrate the value of face to face interaction and engagement within the business community.”

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Increased Need for AV Technology PART 4: TRENDS

From hottest new gadgets on the show floor at CES, to the exhibitor whose budget is too tight for a luxury like audiovisual technology, the spectrum for technical services at trade shows is huge. However, I&D suppliers are experiencing increasing demands for tech services, especially audiovisual technology. “In recent years the need for I&D technicians to have some A/V capabilities has grown tremendously,” said Frank Garcia, Director of Service & Operations at Skyline Sector 5. “In more complex situations, like a 24 TV video wall, clients are hiring A/V companies to do the work. But we’ve come across plenty of situations where our clients depend on us to install their client owned A/V equipment that they themselves may not fully understand.” Although most labor companies partner with a tech vendor, they are also training crews on how to assist their tech vendors, from cord management to hook-up. “Sometimes the content is being perfected onsite, and it’s important to have a good I&D person to make sure the technician’s practical needs are cared for, and also that the content production is on-track and delivered.” For the I&D companies, they need to watch for and train workers on the latest technology. As discussed, the aging workforce is a huge challenge facing the I&D labor segment today. There’s a need for younger workforce, but millennials aren’t entering the trade show industry, nor are they staying, which creates an opportunity for young all-stars who are able to handle the practical work, as well as learn new technology. Walt McCreary is Coastal International’s Mid Atlantic Region Operations Manager and has been in the industry for 30 years. His son, Walt, Jr., grew-up in the I&D business with his dad, and is now a rising start with the magic combination of a college education, tech skills and connections.

Integration of digital technology & physical environments

In addition to A/V technology, the advancements in

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networked sensors are creating new class of applications that combine digital data with sensor readings to create smart environments. Thermostats, for example, can now be connected to WiFi and automatically adjust based on programmable data – whether that’s the time of day, or who is in proximity. For trade shows, proximity technology has many opportunities utilizing data from attendee profiles. Freeman reports on its blog that Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) like iBeacon is “… showing-up on the trade show floor to help attendees identify exhibitors who match their interest areas… this technology can provide ‘just in time’ suggestions about educational sessions and exhibitors -- and where to find them.”1 With deeper personalization capabilities than motion sensors, proximity technology communicates with data so that it can detect occupancy and preferences. The data can be gathered from smart wearables, another notable trend. In the near future, the standard trade show badges may be replaced with smart wearables that communicate with proximity technology in booths. Understandably, the advancement of this technology is slowed by only consumer hesitation. As marketers master the use of consumer data, consumers become uncomfortable with freely sharing their information. Their adoption will depend on whether consumers see value in the proximity technology and wearables provide.

Social media is a new frontier

Besides companies tweeting shots of their exhibits using the trade show hashtags, social media is powerful tool needs to be further implanted in the industry. Social media is the perfect digital communication medium for a trade show – both are fast, informal, conversational, and can pinpoint to a geographical location or event. Some companies effectively use it, but it is still an open frontier for the trade show industry. References: 1Engage Audiences With These 10 Technology Trends – Infographic. (2015, April 30). Retrieved October 8, 2015.

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PART 4: TRENDS

Tech Companies as Tradeshow Organizers Tech trade shows often spin off from one another to create their own show. Years ago, COMDEX was the largest tech trade show, which gave birth to CES, and then the gaming show E3. These conventions are organized by trade associations that put-on the trade show as its major revenue generator. But within the last decade, there’s a significant trend of large tech companies that break-off to hold their own events for their consumers. Microsoft’s Build, Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, HP’s HP World Tour, VMware’s VMworld, CISCO’s CISCOLive, and Salesforce’s Dreamforce are a few noteworthy examples. Modeled after a typical association trade show, these events are founded on education and networking with a list of keynote speakers, educational sessions, and an expo hall. The difference, however, is that these shows are heavily branded and commercialized. From the ses-

I&D AND EVENT LABOR SERIES 2015

sions to the partners exhibiting on the show floor, these events exist to promote the host’s products or services. Even the CEO – who is now more accessible to the public than ever – has become a sort of celebrity.1 So, what draws attendees to these self-promotional events? The entertainment, of course. Of these conventions, USA Today wrote that “few confabs seem to boast the almost dizzying scope of Dreamforce.” Naming a few of Dreamforce’s past speakers reads like an all-star cast: executive leaders like Marissa Meyer, Sheryl Sandberg, Satya Nadella, and Ariana Huffington; best-selling authors like Eckhart Tolle and Deepak Chopra; celebrities like Goldie Hawn, Jessica Alba and Neil Young; and former vice president Al Gore. Besides the list of accomplished speakers, Dreamforce features headliner bands as well: Green Day, Foo Fighters and The Killers have graced the stage. Organizing an event like Dreamforce has a hefty price tag, but the value is deep. “These large shows become a horizontal event, in which all attendees are customers and every dollar spent is going towards actual clients,”

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said Scott Sokol, Vice President Business Development at Coastal International. In Dreamforce’s educational sessions, attendees deepen their investment, knowledge and use of the robust Salesforce platform. Even on the trade show floor, the conversations revolve around Salesforce, as attendees only meet suppliers whose product is compatible with the $50 billion cloud software giant.2 “[The corporate organizers] don’t compete for exposure against other companies,” said Sokol. And Dreamforce’s success is off the charts. In 2003, 1300 individuals attended the first Dreamforce event. In 2012, this number had grown to 92,300. In 2015, downtown San Francisco ran out of hotel rooms to accommodate the 160,000 registered attendees. To solve this, Salesforce rented a cruise ship to provide rooms for over 1,100 guests. Docked in the San Francisco Bay, the ship was aptly named “Dreamboat.”3 References: 1Trade Show Exhibit Marketing Tips And Advice. (2015, June 16). Retrieved October 8, 2015. 2Dreamforce powers Salesforce’s market rise. (2015, September 14). USA Today. Retrieved October 8, 2015. 3Kim, E. (2015, September 15). Salesforce ran out of hotel rooms, so it rented this cruise ship for its big annual conference — and it looks amazing. Business Insider.

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PART 4: TRENDS

Environmental Concerns & the Rising Cost of Resources Trade shows are reputed to be the second biggest source of commercial waste in the United States.1 The wastefulness of the trade show industry and its harm to the environment is nothing new, but the talk that we should do something has turned to need – not only from a concern for the environment, animals and future of human beings, but from a business perspective as well. From 2000 to 2014, the prices of natural resources skyrocketed – metal up by 176 per cent, rubber by 350 per cent, and energy by 260 per cent.2 From 2004 to 2014, manufacturing costs rose from 2004 to 2014 in most of the top 25 exporting countries. Now, China, Taiwan and Russia have manufacturing costs similar to those in the United States.3 “The worldwide use of natural resources has accelerated - annual material extraction grew by a factor of eight through the twentieth century - causing severe environmental damage and depletion of natural resources,” said UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner. “Yet this dangerous explosion in demand is set to accelerate as a result of population growth and rising incomes.”2 Not only are the costs of materials increasing, but energy as well. Carbon dioxide is released from the com-

I&D AND EVENT LABOR SERIES 2015

bustion of fossil fuels, releasing “greenhouse gas” that is believed to buildup in the atmosphere and cause of the global warming.4 In 2011, Oracle OpenWorld found that the event produced 828 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions – equal to the impact of 174 cars driven for a year. Oracle OpenWorld has since changed its program to become the most sustainable conference in the world, but its statistics show the impact a conference has on the environment.5 As trade show organizers and exhibitors become increasingly environmentally conscious, they will choose carbon-conscious destinations and I&D companies will need to watch their key regions for changes in environmental laws, regulations and infrastructure upgrades. Although Los Angeles is America’s most polluted city6 ( http://time.com/3840001/most-polluted-cities-2015/), the state of California leads the way in aggressive energy regulation. Just recently in October 2015, Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill that will require California to generate 50% of its electricity from renewable sources such as solar and wind by 2030. The state’s top meeting location, San Francisco, has among the lowest emissions factors in the U.S. More than 100,000 rooms are within walking distance of the city’s meeting centers, reducing transportation costs tremendously.7 When the Moscone Center expansion project is completed, the center “will use less space per visitor than any major convention center in North America, save

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1990

Carl Birsa 1995

Randy Smith 1998

Bobby Carl 2001 more than five million gallons of water annually, generate clean energy with the largest rooftop solar installation in San Francisco and will seek LEED Platinum certification.”5 Another environmentally-friendly destination is the San Diego Convention Center, which was the first trade show facility to convert 100 percent to fluorescent lighting in its exhibit halls (reducing energy consumption by 44 percent).8 According to a study released in 2014 by the United Nations Environment Programme-hosted International Resource Panel (IRP), if developed nation consumption patterns and increases in population and prosperity continue, “humanity [is] on track to consume 140 billion tons of minerals, ores, fossil fuels and biomass per year by 2050... This is three times the levels of consumption in 2000, and most likely exceeds all existing available resources and the limits of the planet to absorb the impacts of extraction and use.”2 The costs are too much – what will you do to reduce consumption? References: Bowman, T. (2014). The Green Edge. BGC, Signal Hill, Ca. 176% Rise in Metal Prices, 260% Rise in Energy Prices Marks Era of Soaring Costs as Resources Decline. (2014, June 6). Retrieved October 8, 2015. 3 The Rising Cost of Manufacturing. (2015, August 5). The New York Times. Retrieved October 8, 2015, from http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/07/31/business/international/rising-cost-of-manufacturing.html. 4 Environmental Impact. (2015). Retrieved October 8, 2015. 5 Event Sustainability Report. (2015). Retrieved October 5, 2015. 6 McKinley, S. (2014, March 30). Six Ideas To Jumpstart Your Event’s Carbon Weight Loss Plan. Retrieved October 8, 2015. 7 Moscone Center Expansion And Improvement Plans Unveiled. (2014, June 14). Retrieved October 8, 2015. 8 San Diego Convention Center Earns Innovative Initiative Award. (2015, September 15). Retrieved October 8, 2015. 1

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Brad Knox 2004

John Colvin 2006

Denis Koziol 2011

Ken Broadbent Sal Cacciato 2013

Bob Firks 2014

Erik “Rik” Williams Pete Griffin Ron “Ronnie” Lusk I&D AND EVENT LABOR SERIES 2015

I&D AND EVENT LABOR SERIES 2015

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

PART 4: TRENDS

Re-examining the Drayage Model

The word “drayage” is defined as transporting goods a short distance via ground freight or the charge for such a transport. Historically, the term meant “to transport by a sideless cart,” or dray, pulled by dray horses to move goods short distances. In the trade show industry, “drayage” means moving exhibit properties to and from an exhibit space. From their contract with the show organizer, the general contractors (GC) have the exclusive responsibility for the material handling at the trade show. Before the show opens, the drayage crew receives shipments, unloads at show site, delivers to exhibit spaces, and removes and stores empty crates. When the show closes, the general contractor returns the empty crates and then loads the shipments on the carrier trucks. In the last decade, the number of drayage services has

I&D AND EVENT LABOR SERIES 2015

increased from four standard categories to as many as 24 categories based on multiple variables such as where shipments arrive, how materials are packed, and what deadlines are made or missed. Penalties are assessed for missed deadlines that incur overtime charges and loose materials not packed in crates. Amanda Helgemoe, CEO of NuVista, worked with an industry advocacy group to conduct research on the drayage model. After assembling data on trade show trends in major U.S. cities, Helgemoe found that the average total costs of material handling charges have increased by 259% over the last 10 years. The rates are disproportionate to actual time and materials, and drayage costs have risen to comprise 16% of the exhibitor’s total cost. But for a number of reasons, the costs defy intelligent budgeting and are not confirmed until the service is completed. The anticipation of these extra “surprise” costs drives exhibitors to downsize their exhibits, cancel trade show participation, hold their own proprietary off-

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REDUCE YOUR

LABOR EXPENSES

EXPAND YOUR NATIONAL REACH

Whether you set up one booth or an entire show, anywhere in the country, we can reduce your labor expenses. We help manage your administrative functions so you can focus on expanding your reach. site events, and choose lightweight displays. And when exhibitors aren’t fully engaged, trade shows suffer. “The solution is going to require action from the large exhibitors,” said Helgemoe. However, “exhibitors have left the show floor and are going to hotel venues, outdoor venues, and getting creative with roadshows,” as shown by large tech companies like Salesforce, VMware and Marketo. Although the drayage model is deeply ingrained in the U.S. trade show industry, there are alternative material handling business models that have been proven to function profitably and efficiently. Some trade shows use a model that charges drayage based upon the actual time and materials used and invoices reflect this transparency. Other shows, like The Pack Expo Show, charge a flat rate based on the exhibit space size, which is easy to track and bill. The dominant drayage model needs to change to help exhibitors fully participate in trade shows.

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The Practice of Enagagement words by Drew Powers PART 4: TRENDS

“Business and human endeavors are systems… we tend to focus on snapshots of isolated parts of the system. And wonder why our deepest problems never get solved.” - Peter Senge This past summer, in Boston, media and marketing guru, Jack Meyers. delivered a seminar at E2MA Red Diamond Congress, one of the exhibit and event industry’s premier networking conferences. Among the subjects he discussed in his seminar were how Starbucks is one of the world’s most powerful and recognized brands, and how Mary Kay is the sixth largest direct sales company in the world, even though neither company spends much on advertising. As Mr. Myers explained, a primary reason that Starbucks and Mary Kay are able to be the international business powers that they are, and yet spend little on advertising, is because they are both all stars in the practice of – and this was theme of his talk and of the conference – engagement.

Willwork, Inc. Exhibit & Event Services and the Practice of Engagement The term engagement – as a business term – is receiving considerable attention lately. It is a hot concept. Yet, for companies and organizations that have long been winning, engagement has long been more than a concept; it is not been ephemeral – for it has long been fundamental to the way these groups function. Without a focus on and commitment to engagement, Willwork, Inc. Exhibit Services would not have come close to the growth and success we have achieved. Willwork has been “doing” engagement since we launched more than 25 years ago, for as long as we have been operating. We understand fully the elements and substance of engagement. Engagement is holistic, and involves a constellation – a system – of human and organizational connectivity, in which all players and components are networked, in varying degrees of proximity and influence, with each other.

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Working and effective engagement confers value and competitive advantage throughout this constellation. Engagement focuses on strengthening and making more valuable the relationships between a company and its clients – and between a company and its vendors, industry and trade organizations, facility managers, and government. Engagement involves – and this is necessary for, and paramount to, optimum engagement – internal employee engagement. If employees aren’t engaged, not consulted and listened to, not encouraged to participate, not provided continuous professional development … and if they do not feel invested in the process, then the company for which they are employed will not win, and will not deliver winning products and services. Engagement is about listening, asking questions, responding – and caring about your job, and feeling that there is worth and importance in doing it. Engagement is about committing the resources and time to developing and making your organization the best, and making the best readily and easily available to everyone for whom and with whom you work. Engagement is smart business – and drives more profitable business.

The Bright Future of the Tradeshow and Event Industry

There is perhaps no better environment than the tradeshow and event environment for engagement to be effectively and productively employed – among and between companies and customers and potential customers? And, with engagement so important, and in that it will become only more important, the future of tradeshows and events is bright – as is the future of job opportunities and job openings for show and event planners. Get ready for busy times ahead. Drew Powers is Vice President of Sales for Willwork, Inc. Exhibit & Event Services. He has worked in the events industry for 40 years.

Exhibit City News

SERIES CONCLUSION

Series Conclusion Joe Toback, president of Local 510, is a world traveler and likens the transient nature of trade show work to the Tibetan artistic tradition of dul-tson-kyil-khor, or “mandala of colored powders,” in which millions of grains of sand are painstakingly laid into place on a flat platform over a period of days or weeks, only to be destroyed soon after completion. This spiritual practice teaches Buddhist monks to accept the impermanence of life. While a traditional painter hangs his artwork on a wall and a traditional builder points to the buildings he helped create, a Tibetan Buddhist monk brushes away the sand he paints, and a trade show laborer dismantles the structures he builds. Although their work is destroyed and they are unseen by the public at large, members of this niche industry are never bored. From its deep union roots to the fraternal bonds that are cemented on show floors across the country, I&D is unassumingly complicated, and this series is only a small sample of its paradoxical nature. As the series draws to a close, I have only admiration for the people of the installation & dismantle industry. In their line of work, they can’t say “no,” and they have learned from trial by fire that throwing a tantrum only makes the situation worse. From these experiences, they have developed a sincere, down-to-earth, get ‘er done attitude that’s contagious. Nearly all of them grew into their careers from experience rather than schooling, so they have a strong real-world understanding of their work and steady patience for teaching others. I’d like to give my sincere thanks

to the thoughtful and bighearted people who spared their time to contribute to this series. Thanks, and I look forward to the next adventure! – Lesley Martin

Shout Outs Pat Friedlander, Word-Up! Amanda Helgemoe, NuVista Laura Fee, Eagle Management Group Bruce Green, Coastal International Scott Sokol, Coastal International Mike Boone, Coastal International Rick Bellerjeau, Momentum Management Drew Powers, Willwork, Inc. Melinda Stewart, OnSite Exhibitor Service Danny Pace, Skyline Michael Mulry, On Location Joe Toback, Local 510 Owen Murphy, Local 510 Chris Griffin, TSCrew Justin Hersh, Group Delphi Sparky Sanford, Group Delphi Bob Reinecke, ABC Exhibits Alex Yim, GES

I&D AND EVENT LABOR SERIES 2015

Exhibit City News

MESSAGE FROM THE PUBLISHER There you have it! We have reached the end of the Exhibit City News 4-part series exploring event labor and installation and dismantle services. I hope our readers gained a new understanding and gratitude for the unsung men and women of the I&D supplier segment. In this economy of immediate and exemplary service, there are many more factors other than cost that weigh into the selection of labor crews. I&D labor is no longer a commodity because the service and skill have provided differentiation to its customers. Thank you to all of our series sponsors whose support helps drive our efforts to reverse the perception that labor is a commodity. Watch for the 2016 National Labor Rate Survey in our January 2016 print edition. Sponsored in its entirety by Employco USA, The Power to Compete. – Don Svehla

Celebrating 25 years of outstanding service to the event industry.

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CORPORATE PROFILE: I&D Series 2015

Whether that labor is for a private event, a tradeshow, a booth or permanent install, Willwork’s team members are the right team

The Willwork Difference

NGAGED EMPLOYEES. The team at Willwork is constantly working to strengthen and make our relationships more valuable with our clients, our vendors, industry and trade organizations, and venues and facilities. We do this by listening, asking questions and by being involved and invested in solutions. We do this by committing the time and resources to developing our organization and our employees to be the best. Some may ask why we work so hard. We know no other way. It is who we are. We are all driven to serve. We are all driven to be the best. We just can’t settle for being anything less. At Willwork, we provide consistently excellent, cross trained

68 NOVEMBER 2015 Exhibit City News

labor. Whether that labor is for a private event, a tradeshow, a booth or permanent install, Willwork’s team members are the right team for the job every time. Skilled in their respective trades, they are hand selected not only for their skills, but their passion for what they do and their outstanding customer service attitudes. We then train them in ENGAGEMENT at Willwork University. Willwork distinguishes itself by investing in its people. Many companies invest in their management by enrolling managers in classes, enabling them to become better professionals. Willwork has taken that one step further by establishing the industry’s first university providing training for show

floor personnel in the tradeshow industry. Required training for Willwork team members, Willwork University helps to maintain a workforce that is second to none. Events are about more than logistics and technical know-how. They are about people, so we make sure that our curriculum is focused just as much on customer service as it is on skills. As the quality control measure for our most important asset, our labor, Willwork University instills in its students a deep commitment to customer service. The role playing of real-life situations on the tradeshow floor imparts students with the ability to think on their feet, anticipate, and head off potential problems, and be creative

in developing solutions. Further, it instills in them the realization that treating everyone with courtesy and respect goes a long way. That’s one of the reasons that Willwork University students emerge from their formal training a cut above the rest. For Willwork’s clients, this means exceptional service, innovative thinking and quality products. It means having a trusted team to depend on for assistance with every aspect of an event. Willwork, Inc. Exhibit and Event Services provides labor, equipment and technology solutions for events, tradeshows and retail initiatives throughout the country. For more information, visit www.willworkinc.com or call 508-230-3170.

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Training Sets Chicago Regional Council Carpenters Apart

ith the economic recession thankfully becoming more of a distant memory and as the Chicagoland construction market has picked up steam, the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters (CRCC) has been one step ahead in preparation for current and projected growth. With each passing day the Carpenter Training Center is producing new and advanced skilled tradespeople who are ready, willing and able to meet not only construction industry labor demands, but the needs of the communities in which we all live. Here is why. The depth and breadth of training courses offered to members empowers them to seize a career and bring the requisite standard of excellence to Chicagoland projects and job sites. “In the 30-plus years that I’ve been in the trade show industry as a labor contractor, show organizer and association manager I have long known that our industry couldn’t exist without the service and support of a standby workforce to move our shows in and out of the nation’s convention centers,” said Executive Director Jim Wurm of the Exhibit & Event Marketers Association. “I’ve also been highly aware that one of the great challenges our industry has is the competency and levels of service excellence vary greatly from venue to venue and city to city. It is clear to me and to most experienced trade show professionals that the carpenters in Chicago are the cream of the crop. Their attitude, work ethic and skill sets clearly are the best in our business. The EAC members of the E2MA frequently tell me that their ability to serve their customers would be greatly enhanced, if all trade show locals were as professional and proficient as the Chicago 70 NOVEMBER 2015 Exhibit City News

carpenters.In my view the combination of a world class venue (McCormick Place) and the industry’s best workforce clearly make Chicago the top choice for our industry’s premier events.” “Our extensive training program and apprenticeship program are what sets union carpenters apart from nonunion carpenters,” said Regional Council Training Director Vince Sticca. “Our members have access to incredible training and continuing education that keeps their skills sharp and their minds equally sharp to be able to successfully operate and manage the latest technology and materials on project sites. There is no similar program or facility for nonunion carpenters.” Ultimately, it is the commitment and investment from the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters and President Frank Libby, the CRCC’s trustees and signatory contractors, and the school’s dedicated instructors and staff who form the bedrock of this program’s success for now and the future. To be a carpenter means to be identified with one of the oldest and most respected trades. While the public often thinks of a carpenter as a man or woman who focuses solely on working with wood, this is far from a complete definition. The Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters (CRCC) provides the construction, trade show and maintenance industries with productive, competitive, certified professionals to meet a broad range of societal needs and bring ease and efficiency to our everyday lives. The CRCC’s carpenters and millwrights possess the versatility and skill to build

critical transportation infrastructure (roads, bridges, rail, sea walls, deep tunnel projects and pump stations); construct both major residential and commercial projects from the concrete to the finished trim work, locks and closures; address the sustainability and energy market through Building Renewable Resource Projects sm; install and maintain machinery and equipment within industrial plants throughout our jurisdiction; erect Chicago’s high-rises and skylines to the region’s municipal buildings and service facilities; and much more. The CRCC puts its diverse skills to work across the Midwest on: houses, apartments and condos; skyscrapers, schools and office buildings; health care facilities, assisted living centers and houses of worship; bridges, railways, tunnels and highways; trade shows at McCormick Place, the Rosemont Convention Center, Navy Pier, hotels and conference centers; generators, electrical and wind turbines, nuclear power plants and refineries; floorcovering including carpet, wood and vinyl products; mill cabinet industry; charitable endeavors like home renovations for the needy and aid in times of community crises. The professional construction industry overall generally recognizes that skilled union tradespeople are more productive, effective and efficient than those who have not been union trained, translating to increased profitability for the firms that hire them. “I have been in the trade show industry for 33 years and have worked with every local labor force around the country” said Owner/President Steve Johnson of Renaissance Management. “In my opinion the Chicago Carpenters are the best of the best. Working in McCormick Place and in the greater Chicago area has always been a pleasure due to the tremendous attitude, work ethic and skill of these people. When I broke into the business in the early 80s we used to refer to our crew as “The lunch pail gang,” as they came to work every day ready to give a strong eight hours of work

for the pay they would receive. Recent changes in the work rules have enabled this group to offer higher levels of service and efficiency to exhibitors which allows Chicago to continue to attract the highest quality events in the nation.” In fact, a series of studies conducted by Steven G. Allen, professor of economics at North Carolina State University, supported this fact when it found that contractors that use organized labor are 35 to 50 percent more productive than those that don’t. While a small group of builders and developers within the construction industry like to claim that there are not enough skilled carpenters and tradespeople to go around, this claim is misleading and made at the expense of the working class, driving down worker wages, debilitating families and destabilizing communities. “An educated, productive, motivated workforce will more than counterbalance the higher labor costs associated with a union partnership,” explained Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters President/Executive Secretary-Treasurer Frank Libby. “The net effect is that a company that hires union labor can improve its bottom line and it can improve its employee productivity with less employee turnover. Employees who are paid a fair wage and have insurance benefits, access to continuing education and can retire with dignity are people who have chosen to make a career in this industry. The most qualified tradespeople tend to migrate toward the best benefits, seeking the highest level of security, job-site safety and wages.” “Within our partnership we can provide this at a cost that no firm can ever match on its own,” Libby continued. “Partnering with us allows companies to retain the most productive and efficient workforce, get the best value for their money, reduce health care and pension costs through hour multiemployer programs and reduce the incidence of job-site accidents (which, in turn, reduces worker compensation and liability insurance costs and minimizes Occupational Safety and Health Administration [OSHA] citations).“ The CRCC has the most efficient safety @ExhibitCityNews

program of any council in the brotherhood,” Libby added. “This safety program was founded in 1979 and has been designed to assist in protecting our members from sustaining job-site fatalities and injuries and also help our contractors to comply with state and federal OSHA standards. The standards to which CRCC members hold themselves to, not only keep them safe on the job site, but ensure that all structures are safe, as well. “Having worked with our clients in most, if not all, major convention centers across the United States my experience tells me that the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters has always been up to the task,” said John “Jack” Patronski, Executive Vice President-Industry Development, Global Experience Specialists. “Whether it is a top 10 exhibition or a smaller event in a hotel facility they understand how to get the job completed. With the more flexible “exhibitor rights” that were agreed to in the fall of 2011 the Carpenters have been very cooperative in making this labor legislation a success and allowing exhibitors to do work they wish to perform on their own. In addition I have had the opportunity to serve on the MPEA Management Labor Council with Business Representative Kevin McLaughlin, and he is very active in working to identify additional ways to improve customer service for both show organizers and exhibitors.” The CRCC recently launched the eXcellence in Training Recognition Award (XTRAsm) initiative, an incentive program designed to recognize and reward carpenters who take advantage of the training, continuing education and certification classes that are offered at Carpenter Training Centers. “I cannot emphasize enough the importance of skill training and certifications for our journey-people,” said CRCC President Frank Libby. “The awards of this program are symbolic of effort and commitment, but the true benefit will be realized

by the journeyperson on the job site, when he or she arrives for work and brings a new level of self-confidence to the project and added benefit to the employer,” Libby said. The CRCC has also partnered with select Chicago and suburban junior colleges on a program that recognizes and rewards apprentice training by granting college credit hours, enabling accredited carpenters to earn an associate’s degree and opening the door to higher education for many who felt that a college degree was time or cost prohibitive. Carpenter work is very physical and challenging,” Sticca continued. “You are generally working in the weather extremes of the Midwest, and you are often carrying heavy materials and working on scaffolds. Work also involves math, dexterity and hand-eye coordination. So you have to be willing and able to do all of that. “While students are with us at the training centers we make sure that they are well-rounded, well-educated and safe. When you are a carpenter, in order to advance your career you need to know how to do many things, from trim work to foundations to constructing interior systems using metal studs, so we teach all of that and more,” Sticca stated. “And we stress teamwork. Carpenters need to be able to work as part of a team. They also need to be able to use the latest technology and install the newest materials, so that is why we emphasize continuing education to our journeyperson members.” It is society as a whole that stands to win when proficiency, experience and productivity merge with commitment and desire. That defines the working class of the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters—A Positive Force in Building Communitiessm. For more information about the CRCC training programs, visit www.chicap.org or call 847-640-7373. ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2015 71

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Exhibit City News

INTERNATIONAL COLUMN The Venue Management Opinion

Convention Centers – Economic Engines in the Asia Pacific By AIPC

wo different perspectives on the role of convention centers in the Asia-Pacific region yield much the same response, further reinforcing the conclusion that centers everywhere in this area are recognized as key factors in the overall economic and professional development of their respective communities. According to Aloysius Arlando, CEO of Singapore EXPO Convention and Exhibition Center, such facilities are typically built by governments to stimulate the economy through hosting events that exchange knowledge, share experiences, support business networking and build business partnerships in that region. While significant tourism receipts result, centers also help to raise the brand profile of the destination as a business and/or tourism destination of choice, which can help to attract companies, think-tanks and professional bodies to establish a presence there. Arlando says that many cities recognize the rich value centers and events bring, and have developed plans to capture this. “The kinds of events that take place in major convention centers directly address economic and business priorities, as they are typically in industries that drive the economy and support the talent pool. In Singapore’s case, we attract events relating to key sectors, such as healthcare, oil and gas and aviation, as these are aligned with Singapore’s vision of a knowledge-based economy,” adds Arlando. Strong financial benefits and high spending delegates are key to measuring the economic impacts convention centers deliver to their host city, says Geoff Donaghy, CEO of the International Convention Center Sydney and Director Convention Centers for AEG Ogden. “However, they also provide the plat-

74 NOVEMBER 2015 Exhibit City News

form for much richer, more enduring benefits of business events to host cities, such as the development of business relationships and the innovation that stems from the networking and connections that occur. Industry investment and infrastructure development, knowledge transfer and social ventures are all benefits that convention centers and business

Aloysius Arlando, CEO of Singapore EXPO

events are able to deliver to their host communities,” says Donaghy. This in turn leads to many centers systematically and preferentially going after events that support this kind of development. “We target events in key industries and reach deep into these verticals by working closely with government agencies, companies, academia, trade and professional bodies to attract these to our center,” says Arlando. Donaghy agrees, adding “Securing events that are aligned with the economic strategies and priorities of government is critical, but this only represents part of the market venues need to pursue to achieve their economic targets.”

The result is a balanced approach that must manage a range of potential business in order to achieve multiple performance objectives.” While these broader values are generally recognized by local officials and the overall community, this appreciation must be translated into action says Arlando. “As centers are heavy investments, local or national governments must first see the value the centers bring both from the economic and community perspectives. They can then work together to attract relevant events to support efforts to grow the economy, based on an alignment within government agencies on how centers can support efforts to boost the economy.” Donaghy agrees. “We have seen significant progress over recent years for both government and the broader industry to understand the role of convention centers, and a great deal of advocacy work has been done by both convention centers and representative industry bodies such as AIPC to raise the profile of business events and their Beyond Tourism benefits to host cities. There have been a number of studies that underscore the range of intellectual, academic and financial benefits of an operational center to its host city, and these can be used to reinforce the need for an evolving view of what centers and their related business activities achieve”. The bottom line: Centers deliver much more than just tourism receipts - particularly to those destinations that know how to use them strategically in support of their overall development priorities. Geoff Donaghy is AIPC president, and Aloysius Arlando is AIPC vice president. For more information, contact marianne.de.raay@aipc.org or visit aipc.org

Where in the World INTERNATIONAL

Asia: Celebrate the Diversity

hen many people hear Asia, they think of the following countries: China, Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, North and South Korea, Malaysia and perhaps Vietnam. However, Asia actually encompasses much much more. Russia, The United Arab Emirates, Iran, Iraq, India, Israel, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Turkey and many other countries also make up the continent of Asia. Understanding this, I always hesitate when people ask me, “What can I expect when I exhibit in/travel to Asia?” How do you answer that question when there is such broad diversity in a single region? When you think of the countries in Asia, you see very different cultures, yet they are neighbors. Even when you compare China and Japan you have two diverse ways of life. The cost of items vastly differ, food – despite a few similarities – is geared toward unique palates and governmental structures are distinctive to say the least. Exhibiting in Asia provides just as many differences as the countries and cultures that comprise the region. Quality levels can vary, materials used are different, there is a broad range of pricing, and the way to interact and do business is dependent on the country. Below are a few things that may help you as you try and conquer all of Asia!

Common Items:

• Raised floors • Build and Burn custom exhibits are used.

• System structures are popular, with many cladded to look like a fully custom stand.

China:

• Be sure to check if hanging items are allowed. Many convention centers don’t have ways to suspend from the ceiling. Signs and rigging are often floor supported. • Fabric use is not prevalent, as it is more expensive and can get very dirty during build up. • Paint and wallpaper are popular finishes. • Double deck booths are common at larger shows.

Japan:

• Finishes are often done with wallpaper. • Double deck booths are fairly uncommon due to cost restraints. • Most halls facilitate hanging signs. Be aware, though some organizers will not allow it or it could be cost prohibitive. Double check the rules! • Fabric is used, but must be fire tested and certified by a Japanese fire marshal.

COLUMN

By: Kelli Steckbauer, MG Design Associates Inc.

because it can get dirty during build up. • Double decks are used at larger shows. • Many halls cannot support hanging signs, so these are rare. When they are allowed, only certain exhibitors may be granted rights to hang. Always check with the organizer.

United Arab Emirates:

• Hanging signs are allowed most of the time. • Paint is a common finish. • Double decks are utilized at larger shows. • While use of fabric is a possibility, just be advised a lot of building is done on-site like

other Asian locations and panels could get dirty. The dirt level is more comparable to what you might find in Europe, however, so just use your best discretion. As you can see from just the handful of countries addressed here, things vary from place to place. I always advise you to work closely with your exhibit partner to ensure everything is done within country (and exhibition center) standards and always read the rules and regulations. At the end of the day, don’t let the differences frustrate you. Embrace the diversity and you’ll have an amazing experience.

Trade Shows from One Country to the Next A new book written by past IFES & EDPA President

Larry Kulchawik

Russia:

• Paint is a common finish. • Double deck exhibits are common at larger shows. • Hanging items are allowed. • Fabric can be utilized – watch fire standards.

International trade shows requires a recalculation of thinking when exhibiting globally. This book provides A review of the venues, rules, regulations, exhibit styles, labor issues, and cultural differences for exhibiting in 45 countries.

India:

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

• Glossy paint is not common due to the dust and particles generated by set up, but a roller paint or laminate finish is common. • Fabric is also uncommon

Respect and understand what is different to avoid surprises and ensure exhibit success. Available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or direct through Exhibit City News.

www.LarryKulchawik.com

ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2015 75

INTERNATIONAL COLUMN

Expo Milan 2015: Engaging, Exciting & Emotional By Crystal Chu, Creative Director, Kingsmen Exhibits Pte Ltd

“F

eeding the planet, energy for life” - the theme of Expo Milan 2015. The latest instalment of the World Expo was an extravaganza of international architecture, technology and culinary specialties. Through captivating and interactive experiences, different countries showcased their commitment towards creating a sustainable future. In all, 145 countries participated in Expo Milan 2015, which included 53 national pavilions. These pavilions incorporated an impressive array of architectural projects and unique landscapes that represented different cultural identities. Together, the combination of stunning landscapes, engaging and exciting content kept visitors entertained from start to end. Engaging Amidst a vast sea of pavilions, the ones that had aesthetic appeal usually displayed unconventional and bold designs with distinctive architectural features. Taking center stage at the recent Expo Milan 2015 were pavilions that had strong conceptual components accentuated through their design. Take for instance; the unique design of the United Kingdom’s pavilion was inspired by the role of honeybees in contributing to the world’s ecosystem and food supply. Their design enabled visitors to “follow the dance of a bee”, drawing them into the “hive” – a honeycomb aluminium structure. Composed of 169,300 pieces of aluminium and steel enhanced with audio-visual devices, the exhibit replicated the activity within a bee colony. At dusk, the hive came alive! Through the illumination of LED lights embedded within the structure creating an illusion of bees surrounding its hive. While the World Expo plays host to beautifully designed pavilions, it is also 76 NOVEMBER 2015 Exhibit City News

essentially an enormous stage for designers to create a meaningful yet engaging experience. The interactive use of technology was widespread as designers tackled the challenge of creating a compelling environment for the discerning crowd. Conveying messages beyond the use of text, a combination of technology and hands-on experiences helped streamline information for visitors. True to the German’s tech-savvy reputation, its pavilion entitled “Field of Ideas”, cleverly integrated content into the architecture through cutting-edge technology. Leaflet-like sheets of cardboard named “seed boards” were distributed to visitors at the entrance. They served as an interactive guide while visitors toured the exhibit as still and moving images were projected on them at designated areas. Emotional Occasionally, the intended message of the expo was overwhelmed by striking architecture and advanced technology. At the end of the day, those that stood out were countries that interpreted the complex theme by creating experiences that left a lasting and impactful impression. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Austrian pavilions successfully captured the attention of visitors, as they focused on building emotional connections. While all eyes were on World Expo 2020 host UAE’s sand dune-inspired architecture, it was the short film that stole the limelight with its impactful message on how everyone can make a change in the world. “The Family Tree’’, a moving film, highlighted the importance of food safety and sustainability forthe future. It was an artistic and emotional representation which stirred visitors’ emotions as they gained insights into the natural and social landscape of UAE and its sustainability efforts.

Austria took visitors on an immersive experience as the pavilion was temporarily transformed into a dense forest filled with clouds of mist. Visitors were reminded of the importance of oxygen to the environment as they navigated through the multisensory forest that consisted of ‘smell stations’, ‘sound clouds’ and art installations. The elements within the exhibit were simple yet effective in providing a tangible demonstration of the right balance between urban life and nature. Exciting Aside from the primary purpose of educating the public on important issues, World Expos are great opportunities to bring people together. Brazil’s pavilion proved to be a crowd favourite as it interpreted the expo theme in a fun way – a giant playground. Designed with the idea of a network in mind, the huge elastic mesh that was suspended over a garden explored the combination of elements that are crucial to Brazil’s food production industry. The ‘’net’’ was also a fun way for visitors to sit and socialize. Joining Brazil in the fun, the Dutch team decided to defy the ‘’traditional’’ set-up and opted for a festival format instead. The open-aired area was a reflection of festivals in Holland that eventually evolved into a tradition. With its surprising take on real-life festivities, the Dutch pavilion was a refreshing experience that piqued the interest of many visitors. What’s next? As World Expos continue to be the platform for breakthrough innovation, many await in eager anticipation of what’s to come. With increased emphasis on sustainable pavilions, many countries will begin to direct resources towards the use of eco-friendly materials. Designers are also headed towards a simplistic approach to convey a powerful message while actively engaging audiences with different content illustrations. However, one thing is certain - every country will spare no efforts to showcase their strengths in design and technology in their bid to be a cut above the rest.

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New Developments in Orlando Boost Conventions By Kristan Obeng

Orange County Convention Center Prepares for Future Growth

s the second largest convention center in North America, the 7 million square-foot Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) has a lot going for it in terms of its infrastructure, proximity to major hotel brands and the surrounding attractions

78 NOVEMBER 2015 Exhibit City News

in Orlando, Fla. After opening in 1983 and five expansions later, the venue has grown to welcome more than 210 events across over 2.1 million square feet of exhibition space. Additionally, OCCC is one of the leading facilities that helped Orlando reclaim its

position as the No. 1 meetings destination from Chicago this year. Despite these successes, the venue’s leadership hasn’t become complacent and has already begun its sixth enhancement – the largest yet! In 2013, the local government, which owns and

operates OCCC, kicked off a $187 million, five-year capital improvement plan to transform the venue. By September 2015, OCCC operators had revealed a master plan that indicated the improvements started in 2013 would be the first phase of other additions coming to the venue over the next 20 years. At the heart of recent and current projects are not only re-purposed ballrooms and meeting spaces, but also a greater focus on connectivity – physically and digitally. Located in Orlando’s Convention Center Dis-

Photo courtesy of Orange County Convention Center

NATIONAL Southeast

Photo courtesy of Orange County Convention Center

trict on International Drive (I-Drive), a 6,500 acre entertainment and retail district, OCCC is connected via four pedestrian bridges to Hilton Orlando, Hyatt Regency Orlando, Rosen Centre and Rosen Plaza. By 2017, a fifth walkway bridge will connect the venue’s West Building to Hyatt Regency. OCCC already has a bridge in place from its North/South Building to the Hyatt Regency. Having direct access to neighboring hotels is important to OCCC officials, especially when setting up room blocks. “We can block 3,000 rooms @ExhibitCityNews

at close proximity and 10,000 to 15,000 further out. When the American Heart Association was in town with 30,000 people, we blocked 8,000 to 10,000 rooms,” commented Kathleen P. Canning, executive director, Orange County Convention Center. Along with in-house event telecommunications and technology services provider Smart City Networks, OCCC upgraded its wireless system to have more than 1,000 access points. This supports the large number of attendees using mobile devices while traversing in and out of the West or North/ South Buildings. OCCC has hosted many major tradeshows, such as the National Association of Home Builders, which brought more than 100,000 to Central Florida in 2009. “We also love corporate business. It’s a strong customer base that meets no matter what’s going on with the economy,” stated Canning. Much of the facility’s shows are booked years in advance, with NPE: The Plastics Show holding dates until 2027. This International Plastics Showcase takes three weeks to move in, averages four to five show days and attracts a crowd of over 60,000. Managing this heavy foot traffic has become a priority for OCCC, so the Orange County government brought in architectural firm Populous, which is tasked with improving the venue’s circulation and mobility, according to Canning. OCCC has come a long way from its humble beginnings. Originally sized at 150,000 square feet in 1983, the

renovations, OCCC is staying fresh in sync with new developments in the area, especially on I-Drive. A new entertainment complex opened this past year to feature a 400-foot observation wheel, Orlando Sea Life Aquarium and Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. Coming in 2016 is Mango’s Tropical Café restaurant and nightclub and the seven-story Hollywood Plaza Parking Facility, which will be home to a roof-top restaurant, retail and office spaces. By 2019, I-Square Hotel and Mall will house a 100,000 square-foot convention center, 500-seat performance center and 729 guestrooms. Entertainment and dining options will also be available inside the 27-story facility. There’s no doubt that Orlando is a top leisure destination. With so many new developments on the horizon, Orlando is positioned to remain a top meetings destination for years to come.

By 2017, a fifth walkway bridge will connect the venue’s West Building to Hyatt Regency.

facility mainly hosted civic events. With no luxury hotels and few attractions in sight, OCCC thrived after entering the convention business in 1989. This was complemented by the transformation of the area and the inclusion of I-Drive in 1992. As it did in the past with its five previous expansions and

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NATIONAL Southeast

One Winning Business Strategy, Two Orlando Hotels By Kristan Obeng

Hotel Experience? No, it’s the Orlando 3000 Experience

80 NOVEMBER 2015 Exhibit City News

Center on different sides of the Convention Center District in Orlando, Fla., are 15 minutes away from the airport. They are also within minutes of Orlando’s famed themed parks and the 6,500-acre International Drive, an entertainment and retail district. Although they have distinct identities and branding as well as similar and different in-house partners, Hilton and Hyatt are like-minded in their goal to give business travelers a memorable group or event experience in Orlando. Hilton Orlando From the moment groups descend from a bevy of buses and enter the 1417-room Hilton, they will see that the property’s

staff lives and breathes excelling at customer service. This is apparent in Hilton’s desire to eliminate long wait times. The hotel lobby is designed to checkin guests quickly. It features 12 check-in stations strategically spread out across the space. Some clients have used stop watches while Hilton’s front-end staff checked in groups within minutes after they arrived, according to Staci Sargis, senior sales manager, Hilton Orlando. Hilton also leverages technology. As of this past October, the HHonors app allows members to digitally check-in and pick their room at Hilton Orlando. Additionally that month, keyless entry was added to

Photo Courtesy of Hyatt Regency Orlando

Hilton Orlando provides a luxurious meeting stay

Photo Courtesy of Hilton Orlando

any convention center managers have emphasized providing a “hotel experience” to stay competitive and meet the needs of meeting planners who want to ensure their groups receive personalized attention. The originators of the hotel experience have also evolved to offer more than guestrooms. Hotels operating in major convention destinations have increased their meeting facilities, expanded their partnerships and focused on delivering a higher level of customer service. While convention centers and hotels are complementary and will often work together for the greater economic impact to their city, meetings will continue to mean business. To ensure they can bid and win this business and put additional heads in beds, hotel owners have had to innovate and think strategically. Two years ago, Hilton Orlando and Hyatt Regency Orlando united to attract groups under the moniker “Orlando 3000,” which represents the combined number of hotel rooms they offer. Between Hilton and Hyatt, meeting planners also have access to nearly 500,000 square feet of meeting space. Increased group and event activity has led to over 20,000 room nights accommodated between the hotels since 2014. The two hotels, attached to the 7 million square-foot Orange County Convention

Photo Courtesy of Hyatt Regency Orlando

Photo Courtesy of Hilton Orlando

the app for Hilton Orlando guests. Upon arrival, guests don’t need to show identification nor pick up a key. The Digital Key is transmitted via their smartphone. A wider rollout of keyless entry at all Hilton properties commences this November and should be complete by early 2016. “Everyone hates lines, and it’s the last thing [groups] want to see. We understand that,” stated Jay Stirewalt, director of front office, Hilton Orlando. During events, Hilton’s priority is to keep guests moving, not stalled. The property’s T-design ensures attendees can easily find where they need to go, according to Sargis. Additionally, the hotel has two elevator banks consisting of six each, so no one is constantly waiting to go up or down. Hilton also keeps its lobby level clear with the inclusion of a separate lower level to the spa, 24-hour fitness center and pool. This ensures leisure and business guests aren’t converging in one space. Already, Hilton’s 236,000 square feet of meeting space features various-sized meeting spaces, such as a ballrooms ranging from 55,000 square feet to 15,000. There’s also a 50,000 square-foot outdoor space. Come January 2016, the nearly 7-year-old hotel will add eight meeting rooms to further complement its recent soft renovations, which includes new furnishings and carpet. According to Hilton Orlando’s Director of Operations Mike Jueds, the need for 11,000 square feet of meeting rooms in close proximity to each other arose at the request of clients who indicated that the property’s current ballrooms were far apart. The property’s catering staff also takes requests and thinks creatively. Rather than a standard group sit-down at a restaurant, the Food & Beverage department is capable of transforming any space for functional or dining use. They @ExhibitCityNews

took a storage space at the back of the property and transformed into a live-action cooking and dining area. From its hotel and catering staff to its amenities and meeting spaces, no request seems to be too big or too small. The comfort of guests and clients seems to be what drives Hilton Orlando.

a chance to experience the destination when traveling for work. While walking from the front to the back half of the property, where 300,000 square feet of meeting space is located, guests are greeted to floor-to-ceiling views of lush, green Orlando scenery. They could also simply look up at glass ceilings and revel at the natural lighting coming into the meeting space. Interactive digital signage gives attendees the information they need about a meeting held in a 55,000 square-foot ballroom or directions to other large meeting spaces. Organizers can also work with the hotel’s event staff to customize this signage and their overall event signage strategy. The property’s largest event to date was when it hosted 4,000 Zumba instructors. Aiming higher, Hyatt’s event staff plans to go to London to bid on a 6,000-attendee event, according to Luke Miller, associate sales director, Hyatt Regency Orlando. After an event winds down for the night, Hyatt’s catering staff brings groups closer together by hosting family style dinners where each attendee takes part. This could include one person pouring the wine or another cutting the bread as an ice breaker. Work hard; play hard at the Hyatt Regency Orlando Originally the Peabody Hotel, Hyatt Regency Orlando the property was purchased by Hyatt The flagship property of a corporate Regency in 2013. Prior to this strategic hotel brand, the Hyatt Regency Orlando acquisition in 2010, the former owners is designed to cater to the needs of the spent $450 million on a renovation and business traveler. This means giving expansion. As part of the purchase, the them the tools to operate successfully. onsite B-Line Diner, filled with fresh “You can stay at any Hyatt, and the pastries each day, has become the hotel’s Wi-Fi is always complimentary,” stated highest-grossing restaurant. Megan Licata, APR, marketing manager, Business travelers have embraced the Hyatt Regency Orlando. Orlando 3000 hotel and meetings conThe hotel’s front half houses its 1641 cept. This is because Hilton Orlando and guestrooms. This is where guests can get Hyatt Regency Orlando have the capabilsettled or set up their laptop at their inities to host large groups in-house while room desk with easy-to-access wall outlets. continuing to provide the best hotel and Oftentimes, event attendees don’t get attendee experience. ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2015 81

CONVENTION CENTER SPOTLIGHT

EAT Strollers in downtown San Jose can stop for a bite of modern, Greek cuisine at Nemea Greek Taverna. Delicious dishes like grilled octopus, lamb chops or calamari have gained the restaurant a following, which drove it to No. 5 of nearly 1,800 San Jose restaurants on TripAdvisor. Diners eat family style. They are served by experienced wait staff and bartenders who are proficient at mixing a range of liquors. Nemea can be booked by groups or corporates for a private event or party to complement their main event at San Jose McEnery Convention Center, which is less than a mile away from the restaurant.

SLEEP

San Jose McEnery Convention Center

By Kristan Obeng

ore than a million visitors annually have graced the transformed halls of the 555,000 square-foot San Jose McEnery Convention Center. The Populous-designed venue completed a $130 million expansion in 2013. Since then, business has ballooned, especially because of the corporations representing Silicon Valley in California. “We had a number of tech companies hosting shows because they wanted a venue that could become an extension or representation of their brand,” said Ben Roschke, director of business development, Team San Jose. “The [venue’s] design was inspired by our location, such as the Santa Cruz Mountains. We also have indoor to outdoor space, such as a ballroom with a balcony.” The expansion brought needed flexibility. Because of this, San Jose McEnery Convention Center went from hosting 100 to 150 events a year. The facility also benefits from a $1.5 million technology investment, which included a Wi-Fi upgrade that corporate clients love, according to Roschke. Increasing event activity at San Jose McEnery Convention Center has activated downtown San Jose. Roschke said the area has become a vibrant, lively place filled with new high-rise apartments, bars, restaurants and attractions for tourists and locals.

82 NOVEMBER 2015 Exhibit City News

SCORE What’s a lot of work with no play? Stressful. The new Avaya Stadium, which is west of San Jose Airport, offers an opportunity for visitors to slow down and take in a soccer match. A privately funded venue, Avaya opened in February 2015 to provide an intimate sporting experience. With a seating capacity of 18,000, the European-inspired facility is part of a mixed-used development. Attendees can visit a large outdoor bar right next to the venue or try the craft beer offered at the stadium. Also nearby are food trucks, a picnic area and a recreational area for children.

Photo courtesy of Team San Jose

TRAVELER TIP:

The Center and its surroundings are connected by public transportation including Light Rail, Caltrain and free Downtown shuttle.

San Jose Marriott, which is interconnected with the convention center, underwent millions in upgrades over the last few years to continually attract its target audience – event professionals and millennial business travelers. In 2013, the hotel spent $2 million to renovate 21,000 square feet of meeting space. By October 2015, the venue had paid an additional $10.5 million to renovate its interior, such as 510 guestrooms and suites. The property also invested in mobile technology millennials can’t live out. This includes a dedicated router for each guestroom to support up to six devices; an in-room entertainment system, with apps like Netflix; and a mobile check-in and -out app.

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ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2015 83

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

People on the Move

reeman and its sister company Freeman XP announced a few staff changes. Freeman promoted employees Richard Maranville and Michelle Johnson to senior-level positions while Freeman XP named Richard Toscano as vice president of special events. The Willwork family of companies too expanded: Willwork appointed Brandon Gillespie as assistant city manager in Northern California. Teamwork Event Specialists brought on Christopher Casconi as vice president, national sales. Finally, 4 Productions hired Mark Duffy as director of operations and Christopher McMahon as project manager. Momentum Management added staff on the East Coast. It hired Justin Tursellino as Orlando city manager and Bill Foster as a New York City area manager. 84 NOVEMBER 2015 Exhibit City News

From left to right: Michelle Johnson, Chris Casconi, Richard Maranville and Bill Foster

By Exhibit City News

Also beefing up its team was Sho-Link, which hired Nancy Virene as national project manager and Kirk Kraus as New Orleans city manager. A convention, tradeshow and meetings industry veteran, Neil Mullanaphy stepped into the role of director for American Traffic Safety Services Association. In addition to serving as executive vice president, strategy & MarketWorks at GES, David Saef joined BPA Worldwide’s board of directors. Organizational changes at Dimension Design shifted Founder Mike Rogers to CEO. Additionally, Chad McNeal now serves as president and chief innovation officer, and Jim Winter is chief operating officer. A Clark County Commissioner, Susan Brager, was sworn in as the newest

member of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority’s (LVCVA) Board of Directors. She replaces Commissioner Tom Collins. An exhibit design professional joined Hill & Partners. Bemidji State University graduate Trevor Beniak will be responsible for the design of Branded Environments. BlueHive Strategic Environments appointed Kris Maguire as CAD engineer/detailer. Maguire will operate out of the company’s Portsmouth, N.H. location. Ben Hermsen was promoted to manager, digital engagement at MG Design. Company leaders rewarded Hermsen because of his strong ability to help clients build their digital tradeshow footprint and engagement with custom digital content.

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ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2015 85

CORPORATE PROFILE: Special Advertising Section

Aluvision Brings Lightweight Solutions to Environments

By Stephan De Mulder

ow to achieve maximum efficiency in tradeshow environments? That is the question that every tradeshow exhibit company, no matter how big or small, faces once a project has been sold. The design has been approved and now it’s time to figure out how to bring it alive. To achieve maximum efficiency on the realization of a project, many different factors need to be taken into account. One of the key factors is what materials will be used. Over the past decade, more and more tradeshow companies turned to aluminum systems and extrusions, leaving behind the heavy, less versatile custom wall panels as much as possible. One of the fastest growing exhibit system developers and suppliers worldwide is Aluvision: Its success lies in the wide-range of well-engineered, high-quality and lightweight solutions it offers. Not only does the Aluvision frame system help save on drayage and labor, the frames are also easily reusable without having the additional time and cost to refurbish the wooden panels after every show. Aluvision has always been a leader in bringing innovative solutions to the tradeshow and event industry. Besides the wellknown preassembled frames with holes, Aluvision offers over

86 NOVEMBER 2015 Exhibit City News

silicon edge fabric graphics. But the greatest innovation about this extrusion is without a doubt the Quickfix connector: a patented bracket that is completely tool free, which guarantees a fast and easy setup, just by using your thumbs.

The patented Quickfix bracket allows for a 100% tool free frame assembly

40 different extrusions for a very wide range of applications: straight and curved walls, SEG fabric displays, light boxes, hanging signs, counters, desks and many more. One of its most recent additions is the Omni-55+. This extrusion is primarily meant to build wall frames, and there-

fore, it has been engineered to match the same 55mm / 2.14” depth as all existing wall frames such as the Basic-55 and the Omni-55 frames. The Omni-55+ extrusion allows for 1/8” hard panels (sintra, dibond,…) that are mounted to the frames by means of velcro as well as

The Omni-55+ extrusion thus offers the possibility to exhibit companies to either stock preassembled frames or just full length of the Omni55+ extrusion and assemble the frames as they wish. No matter what option they go for, the key feature of the Aluvision system remains: to guarantee maximum efficiency by offering ‘fool-proof’ and high-quality products and solutions. Stephan De Mulder is the Senior Account Director for Aluvision. For more information, visit www.Aluvision.com or contact info@aluvision.com.

ALUVISION TO OPEN MANUFACTURING FACILITY IN DULUTH, GA Two years after starting its first sales office in Atlanta, GA, Aluvision proudly announces the opening of its first manufacturing facility in the United States. Given the fast growing demand and success of the Aluvision product on the North American market, starting manufacturing the products locally was the next logical step for this dynamic company. Aluvision has been a leader in developing innovative modular solutions for the trade show exhibit and event industry for the past 12 years. Stephan De Mulder, Senior Account Director at Aluvision Inc. says: “The ingenuity and simplicity of the Aluvision system is key to its success. The combination of light weight and ‘fool proof’ set up makes it the perfect solution for any exhibit company’s purchase and rental projects. The clean and well-finished Aluvision products create the custom look that all end customers dream of, even with tight budgets. With a very wide range of fabric, backlit fabric, LED lighting and hanging sign solutions, Aluvision is also far more than a ‘wall frame system’ only.” The 30,000 ft² facility will bring greater efficiencies resulting in higher production capacities and shortened lead times. Aluvision’s new plant will be located in Duluth, GA and it is to be fully operational by the beginning of 2016. The new offices will also include a large showroom, allowing existing and potential customers to experience the wide range of custom modular products that Aluvision offers.

Company officials say: “We have always been very committed to the US market and we look forward to further expand our capabilities here. We would like to thank all of our customers for their continued confidence and for giving us the opportunity to continue to grow and be part of their success. ”

About Aluvision Founded in 2003, Aluvision has quickly become a renowned event and trade show industry supplier worldwide. It offers a very wide range of building solutions based on light weight, aluminum frames: straight or curved hard panel walls, fabric and backlit fabric structures, hanging signs, freestanding displays and many more.

For further information, visit www.aluvision.com

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ASSOCIATIONS

2016 RDC to co-locate with Engagement World

xhibit & Event Marketers Association’s (E2MA) 2016 Red Diamond Congress will be part of Engagement World, from April 25-28, 2016 at Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld. E2MA and Enterprise Engagement Alliance (EEA) launched Engagement World. It is designed to help organizations in business profit from enterprise engagement, which many experts believe will rival advertising in scale. The co-located event will include education and exhibit programs:

• The E2MA Red Diamond Conference: Best practices in face-toface marketing and communications. • Engagement University: Key strategies and tactics for ROI-based enterprise engagement plans. • The Engagement Expo: Features exhibitors and presentations by engagement associations and solution providers. • The Rewards and Recognition Expo: Suppliers and brands in the rewards and recognition business

and an interactive education program on trends and best practices. Enterprise engagement focuses on achieving organizational goals by fostering the proactive involvement of the people critical to organization success. It integrates leadership coaching, surveys assessment, digital face-to-face, learning, innovation, rewards and recognition, and analytics, and others that are siloed in many organizations. “The growth of digital information and social media has only increased the need for face-to-face engagement,” said Jim Wurm, executive director, E2MA. “We believe that the emerging field of engagement creates perhaps the biggest

growth opportunity for the meetings and events business since the advent of commercial jet aircraft. When companies need to engage people, it almost always boils down to face to face experiences.” Registrants to both E2MA Red Diamond and Engagement U. will be able to attend conference sessions at either conference. Both will involve associations in key areas of engagement sharing best practices, as well as presentations and exhibits at the co-located Engagement Expo and the Rewards and Recognition Expo. E2MA is a content development organization for corporate marketers, and their suppliers, in the face-to-face marketing medium.

Recognizing and celebrating the exhibit & event industry’s workers through our “Good Works” programs. In case you were unable to join us at THE RANDY. Imagine that picture perfect fall day in Atlanta. On a beautiful course we see 180 golfers from our industry gather to play golf and visit with old friends. And most importantly contribute to one of the most recognized moments in our industry’s calendar year, The Randy Smith Memorial Golf Classic. (aka, “THE RANDY ” ) In addition too our golfers dressed in their finest to play a spirited round of golf, there were over 40 volunteers. Each deserving of a special thanks as they worked hard behind the links to support the golfers and ensure a flawless execution of the event, even if some of the participants did not exactly have as flawless of a round of golf. In the end supported in part by a $50,000 donation from the foundation the Randy continues its good works, this year recognizing nine recipients as this edition of ECN goes to press. Upcoming opportunities to get involved! Silent Auction at ACCESS 2015 Call for donations for this year’s Not so Silent Auction are now open. Thank you in advance for helping the cause and supporting the EDPA Foundation. Questions? For more information, contact Melissa at mnemitz@edpa.com or 203-8998491.

90 NOVEMBER 2015 Exhibit City News

Recognizing those that give. Bill Haney, Chairman Derse Exhibits Co-Chair, EDPAF

The Holidays are fast approaching. Many of us are preparing for preparing for ACCESS. The busy fall show season is just winding down. There is a lot to think about and any number of things to distract us from pausing, just for a moment to reflect on how lucky we are to be in a business where the most tenacious of competitors are also likely among our best of friends. We are happy to report that our Grantor program now includes 43 Industry companies. With the second of our first three year pledge cycle our Grantor program has now delivered over $ 240,000 towards the Foundation’s efforts. I’d like to ask that while at ACCESS each one of us make the effort to personally thank our Grantors for making so much of what we do possible. Hope to see all of you in Red Rock. If you would like to become a part of this industry-wide effort please reach out to us by contacting:

EDPA Foundation Headquarters 10 Norden Place | Norwalk, CT 06855 Attn: Melissa Nemitz ( mnemitz@edpa.com ) 203-852-5698

THE INDUSTRY’S BIGGEST CHARITY EVENT Volunteers surround recipients Marietta Schoenherz and Logan Martin

Our 21stAnnual RSMGC was an Outstanding Success! For those who did not have the opportunity to donate, it’s not too late. Please visit RSMGC.org for more details.

THANK YOU SPONSORS & MANY VOLUNTEERS! CORPORATE SPONSORS

3D Exhibits Brown Bag Graphics Coastal International Czarnowski E2MA/EDPA Atlanta Chapters E2MA/EDPA Boston Chapters E2MA/EDPA Chicago Chapters E2MA/EDPA Las Vegas Chapters EDPA Foundation Grantors MC2 PRG Videocraft Productions EDPA Foundaton

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ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2015 95

Trade Show Calendar US CENTRAL

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

Show The Running Event - IRRA USAF Aircraft Structural Integerity Program Southern Association of Colleges NAPE Expo Denver Houston Oilfield Expo Topeka Farm Show Dakota Farm Show Dallas Safari Club St. Louis Gift Show American Football Coaches Association NorthEast Nebraska Farm & Equipment Show Western & English Sales Market Clinical Nutrition Week SSPC - The Society for Protective Coatings Southwest Pool & Spa Show Commercial Construction & Renovation Summit Rocky Mountain Dental Convention Kansas Ground Water Association The Western - Western Nursery & Landscape Association Missouri Veterinary Medical Association Texas Osteopathic Medical Association Texas Association of School Administrators Radio Wireless Week Houston Auto Show SIA Snow Show - Snow Sports Trade Show Saint Louis Auto Show Texas Society of Association Executives TETA TheatreFest Texas Computer Education Association - TCEA

Start 12/1 12/1 12/5 12/9 12/9 1/5 1/5 1/7 1/10 1/10 1/13 1/15 1/16 1/18 1/20 1/20 1/21 1/21 1/21 1/22 1/22 1/24 1/24 1/27 1/28 1/28 1/28 1/28 2/1

View Complete Calendar Online

End 12/4 12/3 12/8 12/10 12/10 1/7 1/7 1/10 1/11 1/12 1/14 1/19 1/19 1/21 1/23 1/22 1/23 1/22 1/22 1/24 1/24 1/27 1/27 1/31 1/31 1/31 1/28 1/31 2/5

All Information is Subject to Change*

Venue Austin CC Hyatt Regency George R. Brown CC Colorado CC George R. Brown CC Not Available USD Dakotadome Kay Bailey Hutchison CC St. Charles CC Henry B. Gonzalez CC Chuck M. Pohlman Ag Complex Not Available Austin CC Henry B. Gonzalez CC Henry B. Gonzalez CC Marriott Riverwalk Colorado CC Ramada Conference Center Crown Center Exhibit Hall Tan-Tar-A Resort Omni Dallas Park West Austin CC Not Available NRG Center Colorado CC America’s Center Austin CC Dallas Hyatt Austin CC

City Austin San Antonio Houston Denver Houston Topeka Vermillion Dallas St. Louis San Antonio Norfolk Denver Austin San Antonio San Antonio San Antonio Denver Hutchinson Kansas City Osage Beach Dallas Austin Austin Houston Denver St. Louis Austin Dallas Austion

St TX TX TX CO TX KS SD TX MO TX NE CO TX TX TX TX CO KS MO MO TX TX TX TX CO MO TX TX TX

Att 600 400

Exh Nsf 250 23K 29 2900

16K

877 164K

35K 25K 30K

300 55K 280 65K

Industry Sporting Goods & Rec. Aerospace & Aviation Education Energy Petroleum, Oil & Plastics Agriculture & Farming Agriculture & Farming

6.6K 3000 12K 1800 3100

100 183 45K 125 1.1K 200K 50 35K 190

Gifts Sporting Goods & Rec. Agriculture & Farming Apparel Medical & Healthcare Building & Construction

8700

250 50K

3200

450 45K

300 4500 500

50 400 45K

19K

459 334K

Dental Water Landscape & Garden Veterinary Medical & Healthcare Education Radio, TV & Cable Automotive & Trucking Sporting Goods & Rec.

845

Exhibition & Meeting Ind.

Exhibit City News’ best-read section!

10.3K 469 100K

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ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2015 97

Trade Show Calendar US MIDWEST

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

Show Recreational Vehicle Industry Association Dental Implant Conference Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market Expo Performance Racing Industry Show Asphalt Pavement Association of Indiana Holiday Showcase The Midwest Clinic - International Band & Orchestra Northern Illinois Farm Show - IDEAg Indiana Green Expo Michigan Agri-Business Association Winter Convention Northwestern Building Products Expo Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association Fort Wayne Farm Show Northern Green Expo Chicago Boat, RV & Strictly Sail Show Ohio Produce Growers & Marketers Association Illinois Fertilizer & Chemical Association Indiana Horticultural Congress and Trade Show Michigan Townships Association Conference and Expo Minnesota Pork Congress Chicago Travel & Adventure Show North America Pizza & Ice Cream Show Wisconsin Lumber Dealers Convention Illinois Association of Parks Districts Ohio Music Education Association Power Show Ohio Windy City Gift Show Ohio Parks & Recreation Association Association of Teacher Educators Annual Meeting

Start 12/1 12/3 12/8 12/10 12/10 12/15 12/16 1/6 1/6 1/11 1/11 1/11 1/12 1/13 1/14 1/18 1/19 1/19 1/19 1/19 1/23 1/24 1/25 1/28 1/28 1/28 1/30 1/31 2/12

End 12/3 12/5 12/10 12/12 12/11 12/15 12/19 1/7 1/8 1/13 1/12 1/13 1/14 1/15 1/18 1/20 1/21 1/21 1/22 1/20 1/24 1/25 1/25 1/30 1/30 1/30 2/2 2/3 2/16

Venue Kentucky Expo Center Sheraton Chicago DeVos Place Indiana CC Not Available Hyatt Regency Chicago McCormick Place NIU Convocation Center Indiana CC Lansing Center DoubleTree by Hilton Greater Columbus CC Allen County War Mem. Col. Minneapolis CC McCormick Place Kalahari Resort & CC Peoria Civic Center Wyndham Indianapolis West Detroit Marriott Ren. Center Minneapolis CC Donald E. Stephens CC Not Available Kalahari Resort & CC Hyatt Regency Chicago Duke Energy Center Ohio Expo Center Donald E. Stephens CC Kalahari CC Hilton Chicago

All Information is Subject to Change*

City Louisville Chicago Grand Rapids Indianapolis Indianapolis Chicago Chicago Dekalb Indianapolis Lansing Bloomington Columbus Ft. Wayne Minneapolis Chicago Sandusky Peoria Indianapolis Detroit Minneapolis Rosemont Columbus Wisconsin Dells Chicago Cincinnati Columbus Rosemont Sandusky Chicago

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

Att 7658 1500 4000 45k 500 2300 8000

Exh 299 90 380 970 50 661 350 270

Nsf 727k 11k 75k 274k 5000 28k 45k 39k

Industry Recreational Vehicles Dental Agriculture & Farming Automotive & Trucking Building & Construction Exhibition & Meeting Ind. Art, Music, Culture Agriculture & Farming

900 2000 11k 37k

100 115 617 410

23k 13k 125k 105k

54k

297

1200

95 59

Agriculture & Farming Building & Construction Agriculture & Farming Agriculture & Farming Landscape & Garden Boats Agriculture & Farming Agriculture & Farming

13k 5300

20k 260 45k

Travel Industry Food & Beverage

9000 30k

325 200 30k 250 150k

Education Agriculture & Farming

1,200 20

35k 7100

Sporting Goods & Rec. 2,000 Education

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

Exhibit City News, of Course!

Sign up for a years subscription to get six stunning, full-color issues of ECN and recieve our Special 20th Anniversary book and free stuff to wear proudly! GO TO EXHIBITCITYNEWS.COM/SUBSCRIBE OR CALL 702.309.8023 SUB FORM ON P. 83

98 NOVEMBER 2015 Exhibit City News

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

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

US NORTHEAST Show New England Grows! American Epilepsy Society Massachusetts Conference for Women PostGraduate Assembly in Anesthesiology Archery Trade Association Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show Association of American Law Schools New York National Boat Show American Library Association - Midwinter Meeting New York Times Travel Show American Bus Marketplace National Soccer Coaches Association of America New England International Auto Show Playtime New York Association of Performing Arts Presenters Annual Retailâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s BIG Show Massachusetts Municipal Association New Hampshire Farm & Forest Exposition New York Podiatric Clinical Conference Motorsports New England Water Environment Association Texworld USA MRket The Pool & Spa Show Kentucky Landscape Industries Spring Training & Showplace Yankee Dental Congress Baltimore Boat Show Philadelphia International Auto Show CASE-NAIS Independent Schools Conference

All Information is Subject to Change*

Start 12/2 12/4 12/10 12/11 1/5 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/8 1/8 1/9 1/13 1/14 1/14 1/15 1/17 1/22 1/22 1/22 1/22 1/24 1/24 1/24 1/26 1/27 1/27 1/28 1/30 1/31

End 12/4 12/8 12/10 12/15 1/7 1/8 1/9 1/10 1/12 1/10 1/12 1/17 1/18 1/16 1/19 1/20 1/23 1/23 1/24 1/24 1/27 1/26 1/26 1/28 1/28 1/31 1/31 2/7 2/2

Venue Boston CC Pennsylvania CC Boston CC Marriott Marquis Kentucky Expo Center Baltimore CC New York Hilton Midtown Javits Center Not Available Javits Center Not Available Not Available Boston CC Metropolitan Pavilion New York Hilton Midtown Javits Center Hynes CC Radison Hotel Marriott Marquis Philadelphia Expo Center Boston Marriott Copley Place Not Available Javits Center Atlantic City CC Ramada Plaza Louisville Boston Convention CC Baltimore CC Not Available New York Marriott Marquis

City Boston Philadelphia Boston New York Louisville Baltimore New York New York Boston New York Louisville Baltimore Boston New York New York New York Boston Manchester New York Philadelphia Boston New York New York Atlantic City Louisville Boston Baltimore Philadelphia New York

St MA PA MA NY KY MD NY NY MA NY KY MD MA NY NY NY MA NH NY PA MA NY NY NJ KY MA MD PA NY

Att 13k 5000 10k 3700 7301 10k 3500 80k 11k 20k 3300 10k

3500 35k

Exh 525 82 250 105 513 972

Nsf 120k 17k

Industry Landscape & Garden Medical & Healthcare

13k 181k 300k

400 450 500 252 270 50 110 400 575 200 153

263k 95k 80k

Medical & Healthcare Sporting Goods & Rec. Landscape & Garden Education Boats Libraries Travel Industry Transportation Sporting Goods & Rec. Automotive & Trucking Apparel Art, Music, Culture Stores & Store Fittings Government Agriculture & Farming Medical & Healthcare Automotive & Trucking Water Textiles Apparel Building & Construction Landscape & Garden Dental Boats Automotive & Trucking Education

430k 30k 220k

2000 20k 3187

147 18k

11k 4000 28k 25k 250k

430 100k 460 91k 219 161k

Fife

Williston

NEW YORK Bronx Carlin

Trenton Chicago

ILLINOIS

San Francisco

Richmond San Jose

Hobbs

Lake Charles

@ExhibitCityNews

ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2015 99

Trade Show Calendar US NORTHWEST

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

Show BIOMED Device San Jose American Economic Association Archaeological Institute of America Joint Mathmatics Meetings San Francisco International Gift Fair Winter Fancy Foods Show DesignCon Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium Cleantech Forum San Francisco Unified Wine & Grape Symposium Northwest Agricultural Show Portland International Auto Show Seattle International Boat Show InnSpire Conference & Trade Show Spokane Ag Expo Western Assoc. of Chamber Executives - W.A.C.E. Annual Conf. Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers Annual Meeting & Trade Show Meeting Planners Int’l Annual Conference California Association for Music Education - CMEA Photonics West & BiOS National Sports Forum Conference Association of Academic Psychiatrists California League of Food Processors Expo - CLFP CannaCon Northwest Aviation Conference & Trade Show - WAA SPIE Advanced Lithography California’s Coalition for Adequate School Housing National Association of Independent Schools RSA Conference

Start 12/2 1/3 1/6 1/6 1/8 1/17 1/19 1/21 1/25 1/26 1/26 1/28 1/29 1/31 2/2 2/3 2/9 2/10 2/11 2/13 2/14 2/15 2/17 2/18 2/20 2/21 2/22 2/24 2/29

End 12/3 1/5 1/9 1/9 1/11 1/19 1/21 1/23 1/27 1/28 1/28 1/31 2/6 2/2 2/4 2/5 2/11 2/10 2/14 2/18 2/16 2/20 2/18 2/20 2/21 2/25 2/24 2/26 3/4

Venue San Jose CC Hilton San Francisco Not Available Washington State CC Not Available Moscone Center Santa Clara CC Not Available Not Available Sacramento CC Not Available Not Available CenturyLink Field Monterey Marriott Spokane CC San Fran. Airport Marriott Three Rivers CC Moscone Center San Jose CC Moscone Center Hilton Portland & Exe.Tower Hyatt Regency Sacramento CC Not Available Wash. St. Fair Events Center San Jose CC Sacramento CC Not Available Moscone Center

All Information is Subject to Change*

City San Jose San Francisco San Francisco Seattle San Francisco San Francisco Santa Clara San Francisco San Francisco Sacramento Portland Portland Seattle Monterey Spokane San Francisco Kennewick San Francisco San Jose San Francisco Portland Sacramento Sacramento Seattle Puyallup San Jose Sacramento San Francisco San Francisco

St CA CA CA WA CA CA CA CA CA CA OR OR WA CA WA CA WA CA CA CA OR CA CA WA WA CA CA CA CA

Att 3014

Exh Nsf 406 49K

2700 6600 14K 28K 6000

7000 70 17K 900 127K 1.1K 206K 135

11K 15K

500 160K 200

77K

600 306K

6000

250

2500 3000 20K

100 10K 1.3K 116K

1900

200

12K 4000

350 65K 100 16K

4000 16K

386 98K

Industry Medical & Healthcare Financial & Legal Science Education Gifts Food & Beverage Electrical & Electronics Medical & Healthcare Manufacturing Food & Beverage Agriculture & Farming Automotive & Trucking Boats Agriculture & Farming Government Agriculture & Farming Exhibition & Meeting Ind. Education Medical & Healthcare Sporting Goods & Rec. Medical & Healthcare Food & Beverage Aerospace & Aviation Printing Housing Education Security

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) 100 NOVEMBER 2015 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 International Work Boat Show American Society of Hematology American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Baton Rouge Jewelry & General Merchandise Show The ASI Show! American Baseball Coaches Association Transportation Research Board The Special Event Florida RV SuperShow FenceTech Surf Expo Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market Atlanta Boat Show Jewelers International Showcase North American Veterinary Conference National Association of TV Program Executives Fire-Rescue East Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition Wisconsin State Education Convention Washington Auto Show American Correctional Association Winter Conference - ACA New Orleans Gift & Jewelry Show International Air-Conditioning, Heating & Refrigerating International Production & Processing Expo Hotel Motel Restaurant Supply Show of the SE PGA Merchandise Show National Pavement Exposition Traffic Expo - ATSSA Assistive Technology Industry Association - Orlando - ATIA

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

All Information is Subject to Change*

Start 12/1 12/5 12/6 12/11 1/4 1/7 1/10 1/12 1/12 1/12 1/14 1/14 1/14 1/16 1/16 1/19 1/20 1/20 1/20 1/22 1/22 1/22 1/25 1/26 1/26 1/27 1/27 1/31 2/2

End 12/3 12/8 12/10 12/13 1/6 1/10 1/14 1/14 1/17 1/15 1/16 1/18 1/17 1/18 1/20 1/21 1/23 1/22 1/22 1/31 1/27 1/25 1/27 1/28 1/28 1/29 1/30 2/2 2/6

Venue Morial CC Orange County CC Morial CC Baton Rouge River Center Orange County CC Gaylord Opryland Walter E. Washington CC Orange County CC Florida State Fairgrounds Not Available Not Available Not Available Georgia World Congress Center Not Available Not Available Fontainebleau Resort Not Available Broward County CC Wisconsin Center Not Available Morial CC Not Available Orange County CC Georgia World Congress Center Not Available Orange County CC Charlotte CC Not Available Caribe Royale Resort & CC

@ExhibitCityNews

City New Orleans Orlando New Orleans Baton Rouge Orlando Nashville Washington Orlando Tampa Nashville Orlando Atlanta Atlanta Miami Orlando Miami Daytona Beach Ft. Lauderdale Milwaukee Washington New Orleans New Orleans Orlando Atlanta Myrtle Beach Orlando Charlotte New Orleans Orlando

St LA FL LA LA FL TN DC FL FL TN FL GA GA FL FL FL FL FL WI DC LA LA FL GA SC FL NC LA FL

Att 15k 21k 22k 16k 9252 3350 12k 9k 63k 6500 27k 95k 24k 10k 16k 7000 6000 8500 2109 950k 5000 20k 61k 30k 22k 42k 2400 3000 2,600

Exh 1k 272 350 300 790 325 360 355 365 1k 1.5k 170 600 650 380 250 500 287 125 400 300 2k 1.3k 500 913 145 200 120

Nsf 218k 116k 135k 50k 110k 43k

Industry Boats Medical & Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Jewelry Advertising & Marketing Sporting Goods & Rec. Transportation 160k Exhibition & Meeting Ind. 785k Recreational Vehicles 115k Building & Construction 250k Sporting Goods & Rec. 1.2M Gifts 300k Boats 110k Jewelry 278k Veterinary 113k Radio, TV & Cable 125k Fire & Fire Protection Agriculture & Farming 52k 38k Education 551k Automotive & Trucking 175k Police 60k Jewelry 427k Building & Construction 490k Food & Beverage 50k Hotels & Resorts 332k Sporting Goods & Rec. Building & Construction 40k Government 12.5k Technology

KEEP CALM AND TWEET ON Join the conversation

@ExhibitCityNews ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2015 101

Trade Show Calendar US SOUTHWEST

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

Show CVC West International Council of Air Shows Annual Conv Coal-Gen POWER-GEN International American Society for Cell Biology Ground Water Expo International CES Outdoor Retailer Winter Market Craft & Hobby Association Plant and Animal Genome Conference The PPAI Expo Affiliate Summit West The International Surface Event The International Buildersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Show Kitchen/Bath Industry Show & Conference SHOT SHOW AVN Adult Entertainment Expo NAMM International Music Market Hawaii Dental Association Imprinted Sportswear Long Beach - ISS Society of Thoracic Surgeons - STS Society for Laboratory Automation & Screening Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week Vacuum Dealers Trade Association JOGS Gem Show Vacuum Dealers Trade Association California Gift Show - Winter National Association of Conservation Districts International Salon & Spa Expo

Start 12/3 12/6 12/8 12/8 12/12 12/15 1/6 1/7 1/7 1/9 1/10 1/10 1/19 1/19 1/19 1/19 1/20 1/21 1/21 1/22 1/23 1/23 1/25 1/28 1/28 1/28 1/30 1/30 1/30

End 12/6 12/9 12/10 12/10 12/16 12/17 1/9 1/10 1/12 1/13 1/14 1/12 1/21 1/21 1/21 1/22 1/23 1/24 1/22 1/24 1/27 1/27 1/28 1/30 2/8 1/30 2/2 2/3 2/1

Venue San Diego CC Rio Hotel Las Vegas CC Las Vegas CC San Diego CC Las Vegas CC Las Vegas CC Salt Palace CC Anaheim CC Town and Country Resort & CC Mandalay Bay Paris Las Vegas Mandalay Bay Las Vegas CC Las Vegas CC Sands Expo Hard Rock Hotel Anaheim CC Hawaii CC Long Beach CC Phoenix CC San Diego CC The Mirage Las Vegas CC Tucson Expo Center Las Vegas CC Los Angeles CC Grand Sierra Resort & Casino Not Available

All Information is Subject to Change*

City San Diego Las Vegas Las Vegas Las Vegas San Diego Las Vegas Las Vegas Salt Lake City Anaheim San Diego Las Vegas Las Vegas Las Vegas Las Vegas Las Vegas Las Vegas Las Vegas Anaheim Honolulu Long Beach Phoenix San Diego Las Vegas Las Vegas Tucson Las Vegas Los Angeles Reno Long Beach

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

ATT 4000 1500 2880 21.6K 6000 5000 156K 32.7K 8959 2800 18.4K 3000 38.5K 49.7K 37K 62K 30K 73.4K 2000 16.5K 2600 4695 2000 3500 37K 3500 20K 950 32.2K

EXH 200 325 208 1.3K 350 325 3.2K 877 444 130 1.3K 200 639 1K 566 1.6K 400 1.4K 100 335 130 325 230 200 400 200 850 30 327

Fife

NSF 23K 26K 30.8K 38.2K 50K 69K 2.2M 389K 158K 11K 319K 20K 311K 413K 307K 634K 100K 516K 8000 89K 47K

Industry Veterinary Aerospace & Aviation Energy Energy Medical & Healthcare Water Electrical & Electronics Apparel Toys & Hobbies Science Advertising & Marketing Advertising & Marketing Building & Construction Building & Construction Building & Construction Sporting Goods & Rec. Entertainment Art, Music, Culture Dental Apparel Medical & Healthcare Science Building & Construction Housewares Jewelry Housewares Gifts Government Beauty & Healthcare

100K 53K 53K 3000 124K

Williston

NEW YORK Bronx Carlin

Trenton Chicago

ILLINOIS

San Francisco

Richmond San Jose

Hobbs

Lake Charles

102 NOVEMBER 2015 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

CANADA Show Construct Canada/PM Expo/Concrete/Home Builder Solar Canada The National Franchise & Business Opportunities Show Canadian International Turfgrass Conference Landscape Ontario Congress Truck Loggers Association Annual Coastal Forestry Conv. Montreal International Auto Show Kitchen Bath & Renovation Show - KBR Western Retail Lumber Association Prairie Showcase - WRLA Human Resource Professionals Association of Ontario - HRPA Canadian Society of Association Executives CANNEXUS National Career Development Conference CSHP Professional Practice Conference Canadian Gift & Tableware Association Spring - CGTA Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association - SUMA The Franchise Show - CFA Pharmacy U Canadian International AutoShow - CIAS TED CONFERENCE Canadian Association of Agri-Retailers - CAAR The Franchise Show - CFA Alberta Gift Show - Winter Ag Expo Buildex, Construct & Design Northwest Esthetic and Spa Trade Show CITA Showcase

All Information is Subject to Change*

Start 12/2 12/7 1/9 1/11 1/12 1/13 1/15 1/15 1/20 1/20 1/21 1/25 1/30 1/31 1/31 2/6 2/6 2/12 2/15 2/16 2/20 2/21 2/24 2/24 2/28 2/28

End 12/4 12/8 1/10 1/15 1/14 1/15 1/24 1/17 1/22 1/22 1/21 1/27 2/3 2/4 2/3 2/7 2/6 2/21 2/19 2/18 2/21 2/24 2/26 2/25 2/29 3/1

Venue Metro Toronto CC Metro Toronto CC Metro Toronto CC Metro Toronto CC Toronto CC Westin Bayshore Not Available RBC CC BMO Centre Metro Toronto CC Not Available Not Available Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel Not Available Not Available Stampede Park International Centre Metro Toronto CC Not Available TCU Place Not Available Not Available Exhibition Park Vancouver CC Not Available Not Available

City Toronto Toronto Toronto Toronto Toronto Vancouver Montreal Winnipeg Calgary Toronto Ottawa Ottawa Toronto Toronto Regina Calgary Toronto Toronto Vancouver Saskatoon Toronto Edmonton Lethbridge Vancouver Vancouver Toronto

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

Att 35k 3000 5000 1800 13k 2000 206k 15k 2800 4500 800 1100 22k 1800

300k 1200 1000 4000 16k 23k 14k 4015

Exh 700 200 150 75 600 60

Nsf 110k 35k 19k 22k

33.5k 265 61k 230

75 23k 1.1k 165 35.5k

300 500k 36 80 740 190k 330 57.5k 352

Industry Building & Construction Renewable Energy Business Sporting Goods & Rec. Landscape & Garden Forest Products Automotive & Trucking Building & Construction Building & Construction Business Education Pharmaceuticals Gifts Government Business Pharmaceuticals Automotive & Trucking Agriculture & Farming Business Gifts Agriculture & Farming Building & Construction Beauty & Healthcare CITA

*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.

Making YOU Stand Out exposystems.com

1.800.263.3976

E x poS y s tem s is a L eading Modular S y s tem s Manuf ac tur er

Continued on p.98

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ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2015 103

Classifieds

Project/Production Manager DESCRIPTION/JOB SUMMARY As Project/Production Manager, you will be responsible for managing the production process including the development and management of the budget from project inception through project closure. You will also be responsible for ensuring that the project is produced on time and within budget while achieving the creative objectives of the proposal, meeting Hargrove’s financial objectives and maintaining Hargrove’s quality standards. Additionally, you will participate in the structured project team approach consisting of sales, design, engineering and production.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES • Identify the costs of producing the job, develop the budgets and submit costs to sales for job pricing. Involve necessary departments (production, graphics, project management, and design) in determining the appropriate costs. Review all adjustments to the project design with sales and the designer to make sure that the job remains cost effective while maintaining the quality standards of the company, the objectives of the client and the integrity of the proposal and design. Manage costs to ensure budget goals are met while achieving the client’s expectations. • Analyze the creative proposal to establish fabrication and production techniques based on design objectives and budgetary constraints in conjunction with the production staff and the project designer. Involve project management as necessary during this stage to ensure what is fabricated can be effectively installed. • Work with the CAD engineering department

to ensure all necessary CAD drawings are correct, complete and properly distributed to the correct departments. • Produce and distribute to appropriate departments all orders relating to the fabrication of custom scenic elements. • Work with fabrication during the production process and periodically review the status of work to maintain proposal, design and budgetary objectives. • Convey information to the fabrication department to process purchase orders for fabrication subcontractors and specialty materials called out in either the estimate or the design. • Performs other duties as assigned and deemed necessary under the direction of the Department Supervisor. • Occasional travel as needed.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE • 10+ years’ experience in exhibits or special event, production or project management. • Experience in fabrication of trade show exhibits, permanent display installations or scenery. • Experience with exhibit systems such as Agam or Octonorm • Ability to read and understand technical drawings. • Demonstrate a working knowledge of current codes, production procedures and materials and installation methods unique to our business units. • Excellent working knowledge of windows based computer systems and software including Microsoft Office, AutoCAD (or Vectorworks). Experience with estimating and project management software a plus. Send Resumes to humanresources@hargroveinc.com

Trade Show Shipping / Account Executive WORK FROM ANYWHERE! National Exhibit Transportation company is seeking high energy individuals to generate new business. We have been in business for over 25 years. Our core competency is in trade show shipping services. We are interested in hiring experienced sales reps with a background in trade show shipping sales. Work from home office fully connected to our corporate office. Strong telemarketing skills needed. Competitive salary and commission program. Please send resume in confidence to jimh@elitexpo.com

104 NOVEMBER 2015 Exhibit City News

Director of Design and Graphic Services – Fern Exposition & Events Fern Exposition and Events Services is a leading national service contractor serving more than 1,100 expositions and events held annually throughout the US and Canada for more than 100 years. Fern is seeking a talented designer with management experience to join the team. This position will manage and coordinate all design services enterprise-wide including workflow management, quality standards, SOP development and creative development. Fern is looking for a candidate with a minimum of 5 years experience as a designer preferably in the trade show industry as well as at least 2 years management experience. A bachelor’s degree in a design related field is preferred. Candidate must have excellent skills in AutoCAD, 3D StudioMax, and Adobe Creative Cloud. Please email Neil McMullin, VP of Shared Services, with a resume if interested at nmcmullin@fernexpo.com

Classifieds

Outside Sales Account Representative Orbus, a leading and highly successful manufacturer and trade distributor of products and services to the tradeshow and display industries selling Business to Business headquartered in Illinois, is seeking an Outside Sales Account Representative. We are looking for a “hunter” that is driven, self-motivated, goal-oriented, and willing to receive guidance and direction, as you will be the primary link to our current and prospective clients on the west coast.

personality. This is a tremendous opportunity for the right candidate who is willing to work hard and put in the effort. Travel is over 50%

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS OF THIS POSITION ARE:

You will be responsible for maintaining, prospecting and calling on businesses within your territory. You will be in the business of meeting owners and decision makers and introducing them to our tradeshow/display products and services. You will be part of a Team Environment and play a part in the Sales Team Success. Your main focus will be selling our services/products to tradeshow/display businesses and assist them in identifying product strengths and weaknesses and then recommend ways to eliminate those problems by offering our services and products to increase sales growth.

• 3+yrs outside sales experience, intangible product sale success a plus • Positive, high energy sales-oriented personality • Must have experience in prospecting, cold calling, then qualify prospects and motivating them to purchase from you • Highest degree of honesty, integrity and professionalism • Ability to accomplish monthly, quarterly sales targets and goals independently • Excellent presentation, communication and interpersonal skills • Ability to manage multiple projects with tight deadlines • Consistent attention to detail and strong organizational skills • Keen desire to learn, improve and succeed • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Our sales professionals are responsible for helping our clients increase their exhibit/display presence in the tradeshow industry. If you are a hungry, resilient, organized, sales quota buster and a risk-taker who has the ability and desire to be a successful sales person, then we want to hear from you. We are looking for self starters with a high energy

We have been on an aggressive growth path and are continuing to look to expand our Field Sales coverage throughout the US market. Compensation will be commensurate with experience, plus a comprehensive health and benefits package. Please include salary requirements when applying online or mail your resume to Orbus Inc. 9033 Murphy Rd., Woodridge, IL 60517.

Exhibitrac is Hiring Exhibitrac needs new show guides for database, and will pay $10 - $20 per accepted guide. If you are an industry supplier, exhibitor, union or other employee who regularly attends or works at shows in major convention cities such as Las Vegas, Chicago, Boston, Orlando etc. Please contact us for details: klandrum@exhibitrac.com or call 702-824-9651 ext. 700

@ExhibitCityNews

Post Your Classified Here! Talent seekers have come to the right source. Place your classified ad with ECN in print and online today! Our six print issues a year complement our online website, giving your classified ad maximum exposure. Grab the attention of the most sought-after, seasoned event professionals who regularly read ECN. Ask about our Guaranteed Results Program for all your staffing needs. To place a classified ad, contact Kathy Anaya:

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

ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2015 105

Talen with ment Grab als w for a

Classifieds ARE YOU A SALES MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL WHO THRIVES ON EXCEEDING SALES GOALS AS WELL AS MANAGING, MENTORING AND COACHING A SALES TEAM? If so, BA Exhibits is looking for a Director of Sales – Trade Show Exhibits and Graphics who will be responsible for achieving sales/financial goals that include building business opportunities and market share, retaining and increasing customer base and expanding sales opportunities to realize substantial growth in revenue and business base. You will also be responsible for hiring, mentoring, and motivating a team of sales professionals; developing and implementing sales plans; managing the sales process; strategizing approaches to sales proposals; creating bidding opportunities; cultivating industry contacts and client relationships to maximize business opportunities and to ensure top performance by sales professionals. The successful candidate will also have experience developing and implementing sales administration processes and systems to ensure a proactive sales environment and efficient sales prospecting.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES • Drive sales and financial goals established for the sales team • Develop and manage the sales processes to include: • Develop and maintain sales forecasts • Develop system to identify sales oppor-

tunities and manage target prospects • Develop and manage lead distribution and tracking systems • Develop and implement sales plans and budgets in conjunction with the ownership • Develop one year and three year strategic plans and goals; specific activities and action plans/road map for one year plan. • Establish business/client targets and develop strategic plans to achieve targets. • Create sales processes and procedures and manage the proposal process • Manage participation in trade shows and event to drive sales • Recruit, select, train, manage and motivate sales professionals. Make appropriate sales assignments and develop/manage individual sales goals and plans. • With ownership, develop marketing plans/activities to support sales plans and goals – i.e. mailings to Salesforce database; unique selling positioning, sales proposals and templates, industry marketing events, advertisements and editorial coverage in industry publications, etc.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE • Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Communications or related degree from an accredited university. • Three (3) to Five (5)+ years experience working in a sales role in the trade show, audio visual or event industry • Two (2) years of prior management

experience • Proficient in the Microsoft Office Suite of products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) as well as HYPERLINK “http://Salesforce.com” Salesforce.com • Detail-oriented, possessing exceptional organizational skills • Must be willing to work both independently and participate as a team player for achieving departmental and company goals • Must have ability to multi-task and work in a fast-paced environment, competently handling demanding deadlines • Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to effectively interface with clients • Excellent written and verbal communications skills • Ability to analyze and interpret general business contracts, as well as proficiently write reports, proposals, and other business correspondence • Resourcefulness and possess innovative problem-solving and decision-making skills. • Experience managing budgets, the ability to participate in budget meetings and the ability to discuss and communicate changes that impact the bottom line for the client and BAE. • Strong leadership skills, work ethic, and possessing an enthusiastic and positive attitude • Previous consistent sales volume required of 750K or more annually Competitive Wage and benefits offered

Stevens Exhibits EXPERIENCED EXHIBIT & SERVICES ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Want to Get Fired Up? Tired of the same old same? Need a new outlook? Need to exhibit your talents? Hate your boss? Bored with your current condition? Think you are too old to get hired? Think again! We love “SEASONED” professionals to bring experience and good old fashioned “know how” to our organization. Negotiable compensation 106 NOVEMBER 2015 Exhibit City News

packages and great benefits offered. We also hire AE’s with at least 5 years exhibit sales experience. We are a 48 year old, family owned company and we are looking for some new family members. Located in Chicago, IL just minutes from McCormick Place. Interested applicants should email their resumes to juliem@stevensexhibits.com

Classifieds

Atlanta, Georgia TRADE SHOW DISPLAY PROJECT MANAGER Moose Exhibits, a full service, trade show and events exhibit house located in Norcross, Georgia, has an immediate opening for an Trade Show Display Project Manager. Our ideal candidate will have a min of 3 yrs. experience in project managing trade show exhibit fabrication for purchase and rental and be familiar with most major domestic venues and their union regulations. Qualifications include the ability to manage a project in all facets from concept to completion. The ideal candidate should be organized, exhibit strong leadership and team management traits, possess excellent communication skills - both verbal and written - as well as being adept in customer service. With our busy schedule, the candidate should be able to manage multiple projects simultaneously and must be proficient in Word and Excel. The ability to review CAD and various graphics and AV file formats is a definite plus.

has an immediate opening for an Trade Show Warehouse Manager to join our growing team. Our ideal candidate will have a minimum of 3 years’ experience in managing personnel dedicated to the fabrication of exhibit properties for purchase and rental, the overall organization and maintenance of the warehouse inventory and to direct the pull, prep, assembly and pack of exhibit componentry within budgeted cost and timeframe limits.

Eagle Management Group, a national labor management company, is seeking talented sales professionals to join our team as full-time Account Executives. Working remotely, this position entails new business development & outside sales of our skilled labor services for tradeshows/conventions, permanent, private events & retail installations.

QUALIFICATIONS: Qualifications include the ability to dictate and manage a schedule, outlining the flow of projects from concept to completion and all phases in between. The ideal candidate should be organized, exhibit strong leadership and team management traits, possess excellent communication skills - both verbal and written - as well as being adept in the interpretation of working drawings and the use of various work order, cost and time management modules.

TRADE SHOW WAREHOUSE MANAGER

With our busy schedule, the candidate should be able to manage multiple projects simultaneously and must be proficient in Word and Excel. This job may require the candidate to work weekends and engage in limited travel.

Moose Exhibits, a full service, trade show and events exhibit house located in Norcross, Georgia,

Please send your resume and salary requirements to: Lydia@mooseexhibits.com

@ExhibitCityNews

Eagle Management Group, Inc. Sales Position

• Minimum 3 years sales/tradeshow industry experience. • Bachelor’s Degree a plus. • Ability to problem solve & make presentations. • Possess strong communication & interpersonal skills. • Independent & team worker. • Travel required. Please send resume in confidence to info@eaglemg.com www.eaglemg.com

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

ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2015 107

Industry Service Guide

Photographika

Photographika, Inc. is a Las Vegas based Corporate Event Photography & Video Production Company. Established by a 15 year Corporate Event Photographer Sammy Vassilev and Iva Vassilev with experience in wide range of corporate event photography and video production in Europe and USA, Photographika, Inc. specializes in Corporate Event Photography and Video. Photographika, Inc. provides general event coverage, awards, green screen, on-site printing, booth photography, general sessions, keynote speakers, red carpets, step & repeat, expo, convention, sales meetings, private corporate events photography and video. Our video production services range from general event coverage & video production to LIVE event LIVE web or TV broadcasts.

Consulting

Exhibits

Trade Shows from One Country to the Next A new book written by past IFES & EDPA PresidentLarry Kulchawik Trade Shows from One Country to the Next... A guide to recalculating your thinking when marketing in multiple countries â&#x20AC;&#x153;Trade Shows from One Country to the Nextâ&#x20AC;? delves into international marketing, with a focus specifically on global trade show differences and distinctions. Rather than concentrate on details about marketing per se, this book focuses on the needed adjustments-mental, physically and otherwise-when marketing a product/service through tradeshows from one country to the next. Although dedicated to trade show exhibit architecture and behavior, much of the information contained in this book also speaks to effective communication skills required when spending a week or less marketing a product in a foreign country. After forty-three years in the international trade show arena, the author shares his thoughts and the comments obtained from world-wide experts in the countries outlined. No one person or company is the expert everywhere in the world. There is no right way or wrong way-there is only a different way. This book will appeal to not only exhibit managers, show organizers, venues, and exhibit suppliers, but to those who market anything on a global scale. Effective communication is key! $17.95

International trade show marketing requires a recalculation of thinking when exhibiting globally. This book points out the country differences for exhibiting abroad. A review of the venues, rules, regulations, exhibit styles, labor issues, and cultural differences for exhibiting in 45 countries. Whether you are organizing an international trade show or working it, your awareness of cultural differences can make or break your success at global trade shows.

There is no right way, there is no wrong way, there is only a different way. Respect and understand what is different to avoid surprises and ensure exhibit success. Available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or direct through Exhibit City News. www.larrykulchawik.com

Exhibits

108 NOVEMBER 2015 Exhibit City News

Exhibits & Events

Industry Service Guide Freelance Design Services • Design Consultants on-site design service available

YOR Design Group Our Mission: to create trade show exhibits and environments that convey your brands cohesive image. Freelance Design, Design Consultations, On-Site Services, Over 20 years experience in local and national markets. Got Design? We Got YORS!’ www.YorDesignGroup.com

10 YEARS STRONG established 2005

Contact Dean Pappas 20+ Years Exhibit Design Experience

1-708-598-8100 www.yordesigngroup.com

YOR Design Group World Headquarters • Burbank, IL

Exhibit Production

Exhibit Software

Upstate NY

Montpelier, VT

Concord, NH

Boston, MA Worcester, MA Springﬁeld, MA

Hartford, CT

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

Providence, RI

Event Management

Fabrication

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

@ExhibitCityNews

ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2015 109

Industry Service Guide

Corey Johnson Photography

Corey Johnson Photography is a Las Vegas based company that specializes in a wide variety of event coverage. This includes photojournalistic event, corporate event, head shots, group/team photos, keynote speakers, awards, trade show, exposition, convention, booth, architectural, publication photography, and so much more. Corey Johnson Photography stands out from the competition by not only capturing your vision, but providing creative solutions and developing the comprehensive experience that your event needs.

exhibit and event experience photography

10% OFF

www.cjphotog.com

ECN10

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

PROMO CODE

For booking information, call 218-209-1466, or visit www.CJPhotoG.com

Furniture

Graphics

Hardward/Supplies

Hotel

110 NOVEMBER 2015 Exhibit City News

Industry Service Guide

Main Place Lighting Main Place Lighting offers diverse lighting solutions, distributing for major Lighting Manufacturers. We specialize in L.E.D. lighting, including but not limited to, under counter, over head, arm lights and custom lighting solutions.We are also proud to be the West Coast Distributor of ShowBatteryâ&#x201E;˘. Bringing an Industry first: Fully contained, Rechargeable Battery Units for LED Lighting.

Logistics

Security

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

Tradeshow List

Your Category Here

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

@ExhibitCityNews

ExhibitCityNews.com NOVEMBER 2015 111

ADVERTISER INDEX

Advertiser Index A-Z 253 Inc. 38

Hill & Partners 4, 5, 13

4 Productions 65

Joeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s NY Pizza 93

Ahern Rentals 102

King & I 93

Aluvision 116

Kingsmen 115

Angles on Design 19

Larry Kulchawik Consulting 75

beMatrix 2

Mala Restaurant 93

Brumark 21

Main Place Lighting 27

Champion Logistics 95

Momentum Management 3, 57

Charlie Palmer 89

Nolan Advisory 83

Coastal International 92

Nuvista 59

Color Reflections 9

Octanorm USA 31

Corp-Events 52, 94

On Location 43

Corporate Communications 73, 94

OnSite Exhibitor Service 45, 85

CORT 17

Orbus 7

D.E. McNabb 113

Panvista 29

Duo Displays 15

Prism Lighting 77

Eagle Management 55

Randy Smith Memorial 91

EDPA Foundation 90

Renaissance Management 67

Eggworks 39

RES 12

Employco 14, 63

Show Services 55

Expolinc 95

Skyline Displays 53

Exposures 39

SRS Fabrication 21

Exposystems 103

Step 1 Dezigns 88

Fresh Wata 96

Storage West 85

Group Delphi 114

Super Bright LED 33

Grupo Omega 25

Swisstrax 15

Highmark TechSystems 23

Willwork Inc. 69

FOR ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES Contact sales: 702-309-8023 ext. 105 sales@exhibitcitynews.com 112 NOVEMBER 2015 Exhibit City News

D. E. McNabb Co. Flooring Providing You Flooring For Over 60 Years!

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Trade show exhibits

Permanent installs

Display lighting

Aluvision Inc. > 1620 Satellite Boulevard, Suite C

Free standing displays

Hanging signs

LED modules

Customer support

> Duluth > GA 30005 > T: (646) 736 7317 > info@aluvision.com > www.aluvision.com