Exhibit City News – Jul/Aug/Sept 2026

INVESTING IN THE FUTURE: TECHNOLOGY, WELLNESS, AND STRATEGY.

Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 • VOL. 32 • ISSUE 3

PEOPLE ARE POWER AI IN HUMAN RESOURCES pg.20

"WELLNESSFIRST" WORKFORCE pg.30

DEFINING THE CAREER ROADMAP pg.40

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Atlanta | Las Vegas Kortrijk, BE (HQ)

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Modularity Meets Scale at CONEXPO Camso partnered with One Stop Expo for their 30x50 booth at this year’s CONEXPO/CON-AGG. The result: a bold, double-deck exhibit that combined open accessibility with high-impact design.

One Stop Expo is well versed in creating hybrid custom-rental exhibits that stand out on a crowded show floor. A perfect reflection of the strength and durability of Camso’s products, Aluvision’s sustainable, modular solutions were chosen by One Stop Expo to bring Camso’s brand to life: Flexdeck - Aluvision’s Double-Deck Solution Hi-LED P2.5 Tiles Omni-55 Frames Constru & T-Bright Corner LED Lines Poly-124 Bright+ Lightboxes Basic-55 Glass Frames & Door

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Article inside this issue!

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

INVESTING IN THE FUTURE: TECHNOLOGY, WELLNESS, AND STRATEGY.

On our cover: The Wilson Family of Employco. Pictured Left to Right: Ashton, Scott, Griffen, Rob, and Spencer. Photography by Ryan Jackson, Jackson Shoots Pictures.

8 .................. Publisher’s Corner 10 ...........Letter from the Editor 14 ................... Airport Snapshot 42 .......................... HR Spotlight 44 .......................... CC Snapshot 64 ...........................Nashville CC 78 ............. New Orleans 5 in 15 82 ................ Tradeshow History 90 .............. People on the Move 92 ......................... In Memoriam 94 ............ Tradeshow Round-up 101 ................. Advertiser Index

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Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 • VOL. 32 • ISSUE 3

PEOPLE ARE POWER AI IN HUMAN RESOURCES pg.20

"WELLNESSFIRST" WORKFORCE pg.30

DEFINING THE CAREER ROADMAP pg.40

DAILY UPDATES AT EXHIBITCITYNEWS.COM

Columns

49-53

26

Business Beacon

Shop to Showfloor Section I&D and Event Labor

38

50

The Global View

WOW Booth #1

40

Whirlpool by InterGlobal Exhibits at KBIS 2026

311: Event Support

52

58

WOW Booth #2

From the Floor Up

Apple Rock at ExhibitorLIVE 2026

86

54

The Tradeshow Times

ExhibitorLIVE

88

As the Saw Turns

Feature Stories

Departments

56

54

Tradeshows and Beyond

62

Corporate Profile

16

Aluvision x OSE

20

Hi vs. AI

Cover Story AI in Human Resources

66

68

Corporate Profile

22

NetSuite Next and Claude

24

2026 National Electrical Code

30

Corporate Profile

Let’s Talk About Burnout Should HR be Outsourced?

WellnessFirst Workforce

34

Rethinking HR

36

Day in the Life

46

Betting on Las Vegas

6 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

70 74

KTSV

76

Corporate Profile Backstage Boss

80

The Numbers Don’t Lie

84

Advocacy

E V E R Y Y E A R…

…IS OUR YEAR • Custom Event Activation • General Services Contractor • Professional I&D Labor • Custom Rental Exhibits • Graphic Design & Production

EVENT ACTIVATION

PUBLISHER’S CORNER PUBLISHER & FOUNDER Donald V. Svehla Jr. (702) 272-0182 DonS@exhibitcitynews.com MANAGING EDITOR Marlena Sullivan digitaleditor@exhibitcitynews.com

Built to Hold Up

T

his industry has never been short on pressure.

Deadlines move fast. Details change late. People get pulled in different directions. One show closes while another one is already loading in. That has always been part of the job. We adjust. We solve. We keep moving.

But it takes more than hustle to keep a company strong.

That comes through in this issue. HR, payroll, benefits, training, management, mentorship, and career paths are not very flashy. Nobody takes a picture of a clean payroll process or a manager who handled a tough conversation the right way. But when those things are missing, everybody feels it.

In our cover story, Employco’s 30year run is a good reminder of that. A company built around payroll, workers’ compensation, union reporting, and HR support may not sound like the most glamorous part of the business, but it is exactly the kind of work that keeps other companies moving. The same is true across the issue. Whether we are talking about workplace culture, career roadmaps, staffing, advocacy, or AI, the question keeps coming back to the same place: are we giving people what they need to do the job well?

The floor runs better when people know what they are doing and know who to go to. Teams work better when expectations are clear. Young people stay longer when they can see a future.

Experienced people stay engaged when they know what they have learned still matters.

8 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

That may sound simple... but simple does not mean easy.

Technology is part of the conversation, too. AI can help. So can better systems and better tools. But this is still a people business. A computer can organize information. It cannot calm down a client, read a room, or teach someone what to do when the plan changes.

We also have to be honest about the next generation. We cannot keep saying we need new people and then make it hard for them to grow. They need guidance. They need responsibility. They need someone willing to show them the ropes and then let them use what they learned.

There is a lot to be proud of in the save. Everyone in this business has a story about the thing that almost went wrong and somehow got fixed. Those stories are part of who we are.

But maybe we should also be proud when the save is not needed. When the team is ready. When the systems work.

When the right person is in the right place and the job gets done the way it should.

The floor will always test us. That part won’t change.

What matters is whether we are built to hold up when it does.

See you out there.

DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL & EDITORIAL OPERATIONS Mark Hebert MarkH@exhibitcitynews.com EDITORIAL ADVISOR Lisa Abrams LisaA@exhibitcitynews.com ART DIRECTOR Thomas Speak TomS@exhibitcitynews.com NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Taunya Mitchell TaunyaM@exhibitcitynews.com SOCIAL MEDIA EXECUTIVE Ashley Sou ashley@soandcogroup.com COLUMNISTS Pat Alacqua, Paco Collazo, Jane Gentry, Liz Lathan, Bob McGlincy, Jim Obermeyer CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Deborah Cox Pat Friedlander Tommy Goodwin Mitch Hefter Han Leenhouts Sam Ogren Bree Patterson Jessica Sibila Melissa Skipworth Steve Terry STAFF WRITERS Lisa Abrams Debbie Hall Ray Smith Kerstan Szczepanski ADDITIONAL PROOFREADERS Kerstan Szczepanski

Don Svehla, Publisher/Founder Questions? Suggestions? Comments about our content? We love feedback and hearing from you! Send me an email at dons@exhibitcitynews.com

Vol. 32, issue 3, copyright 2026 by EXHIBIT CITY NEWS, published four times a year by Mr. Tradeshow Communications, LLC, 1675 E. Desert Inn Rd., Las Vegas, NV 89169. Editorial views presented within this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher and no liability is inherent. To subscribe, go to ExhibitCityNews.com or call (702) 272-0182. Reproduction/reuse of this material may only be permitted with expressed permission of Exhibit City News. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to location listed above.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Book Highlight

ELEVATING EVENTS FROM LOGISTICS TO DESIGNED CHANGE

The People Behind the People

H

uman resources is not usually the loudest part of the tradeshow industry. It does not have the flash of a booth reveal, the pressure of a show floor deadline, or the adrenaline of a major sale.

But when it is missing, everyone feels it.

Every company knows what it looks like when the work gets done. The booth is built. The client is happy. The invoices go out. The next show is already on the calendar. From the outside, the system looks like it is working.

But what happens when the work gets done at the expense of the people doing it?

What happens when there is no clear roadmap for employees, no real support for burnout, no one helping with conflict before it becomes a crisis, and no structure in place when workers start slipping through the cracks? A company can have the best sales team, the strongest designs, and the most reliable builders, but if the people behind the work are not supported, the entire operation eventually feels it.

We often joke that the tradeshow industry is invisible, but who are the invisible people within our own companies?

Human resources and back-office teams support the people who keep companies running. They may not always be the most visible part of the business, but their work touches almost every part of it. From payroll and benefits to employee support, hiring, retention, workplace culture, and difficult conversations, human resources (HR) helps keep the workflow steady and sustainable.

HR is far more than paperwork. It is far

10 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

more than conflict management or accessibility accommodations. At its best, it helps companies see employees as people before they become problems to solve. It gives workers a place to turn, leaders a better way to lead, and businesses a stronger foundation to grow from.

In this issue, we examine whether human resources should be outsourced (pg. 24), the need for a roadmap for workers (pg. 40), and how burnout affects business (pg. 22). We look at leading human resources conferences in the country (pg. 20) and a community staple that has been with us for 30 years (pg.

16). We also cover mental wellness (pg. 30), business management (pg. 26), and what HR really is (pg. 34).

From Las Vegas developments (pg. 46) to D.C. (pg. 84), and across all aspects of the tradeshow industry, it is important to remember our roots. We are a united front as long as we work together. But working together requires more than shared deadlines and full show floors. It requires a structure that keeps people seen, supported, and able to do their best work.

We are powered by people. We always have been.

Marlena Sullivan, Editor Questions? Suggestions? Comments about our content? We love feedback and hearing from you! Send me an email at digitaleditor@exhibitcitynews.com

by Mark Hebert

The Chief Event Officer’s Playbook

by Sasha Frieze

The events industry does not need another reminder that events matter. It needs a better way to explain why they matter to the people who fund them.

In The Chief Event Officer’s Playbook: How to Create Transformational Events, Sasha Frieze gives event professionals that language. Her book is not about logistics, budgeting, venue contracts, or croissant counts. As Frieze puts it, “No one gets promoted for knowing how many croissants to order.”

It is about a harder question: what is this gathering supposed to change?

Frieze is not asking readers to decorate an event with purpose.

She is asking them to build purpose into the event from the start. Frieze’s sharpest point is that events are designed journeys. The best ones do not merely fill time or deliver information. They give participants a story to enter and a change to take home.

She pushes the industry past “Was it good?” toward the harder question: “What changed, and can you prove it?”

Visually

Brands

2026 QUARTER 2 RECAP by Mark Hebert

EXSYS AWARDS SET FOR JULY 28 CEREMONY IN CHICAGO The Experiential Design Authority (TEDA) announced finalists for the 2026 ExSys Awards, which will be held July 28 at Moss Inc. headquarters in Franklin Park, Illinois. The competition received more than 200 entries, a 54 percent increase over its inaugural year. Exhibit City News (ECN) will host the ceremony, which will recognize system-based and experiential exhibit design, People’s Choice winners, student designers, and this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.

JAVITS CENTER MARKS 40 YEARS WITH NEW BRAND IDENTITY The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center introduced a new brand identity as part of its 40th anniversary celebration. The rebrand includes the “Javits on the Hudson” campaign, reflecting the venue’s evolution into a waterfront destination for conventions, cultural events, and public gatherings. Operated by the New this landscape, the convention York Convention Center OperatingWithin Corporation (NYCCOC), center finds its place—an architectural the Manhattan facility said the updated its homageidentity to the city’shighlights spirit. architecture, sustainability efforts, and role in New York City’s economic and civic landscape.

ACQUISITIONS Apollo Funds announced plans to acquire and combine Emerald and Questex, creating a business-to-business events platform of about 160 events in a deal valued at $1.5 billion. Marketplace Events acquired the Travel & Adventure Shows, adding 10 consumer travel shows to its North American portfolio. Nth Degree added global brand storytelling agency INVNT, combining INVNT with Nth Degree Events under the INVNT name. Pinnacle acquired Connecticut-based experiential agency INNOV8, expanding its Northeast presence.

Exploring acquired experience design studio NeoPangea, strengthening its immersive media and fabrication capabilities. Align Exhibits acquired Tampa-based Suncoast Displays, while LVE acquired Innovative Expo, establishing a dedicated West Coast branch and expanding regional support capabilities.

12 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

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L.A. CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION TARGETS 2029 The Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC) is moving ahead with a $2.6 billion expansion and modernization project designed to create 750,575 square feet of contiguous exhibit space by spring 2029. The plan includes a new hall bridging Pico Boulevard, a 98,000-square-foot multipurpose space, and the Skynode atrium. Construction will pause during the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, while the venue remains open throughout the project.

by Mark Hebert Q3 2026 LOAD-IN

AI PLAYS SELECTIVE ROLE IN HUMAN RESOURCES

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping human resources, from hiring and workforce analysis to employee engagement and retention. Industry conferences such as HR Tech and SHRM continue to spotlight AI-driven recruiting, analytics, and workforce planning tools. HR leaders say the technology can improve efficiency and decision-making, but human judgment, empathy, and workplace culture remain critical in managing talent and longterm employee development.

Read more: pg.20

WELLNESS FIRST WORKFORCE Experiential marketing agencies are rethinking workplace culture as younger professionals enter the industry with new expectations around growth, flexibility, and wellness. Industry leaders say retention now depends on manageable workloads, mentorship, transparent leadership, and clear career pathways. The conversation also includes how teams use artificial intelligence responsibly while balancing creativity, collaboration, and longterm employee well-being in a deadline-driven business. Read more: pg.30

DEFINING THE CAREER ROADMAP Event industry professionals are calling for clearer career paths, stronger mentorship, and better support systems as burnout and retention challenges continue across the workforce.

Industry leaders say many young professionals enter events eager to grow but face unclear expectations and limited infrastructure for advancement. The conversation also highlights the need for professional development, peer communities, and workplace cultures that treat employees as long-term investments rather than short-term labor. Read more: pg.40 @EXHIBITCITYNEWS

ExhibitCityNews.com Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 13

Photo courtesy of MNAA

AIRPORT SNAPSHOT by Kerstan Szczepanski

Nashville International Airport Airport Code: BNA Location: One Terminal Drive, Nashville, Tennessee Date Opened: June 12, 1937. Named Berry Field in 1939. It was named the Nashville International Airport in 1988.

Size: It is 4,555 acres. There are four runways, the longest of which is 11,000 feet. One terminal with five concourses housing 53 gates.

Transportation: Nashville’s WeGo Route 18 bus connects the airport to the city’s downtown. Highway I-40 provides access by car, with taxi and rideshare services at the terminal.

On-site facilities: Hilton BNA is at the airport. There’s free WiFi, plenty of shopping and dining, and, in true Nashville tradition, live music pre-security and at a number of dining venues within. There are children’s play areas, and five minute suites, with work desk, TV, and daybed.

Photo courtesy of MNAA

Fun Fact 1: BNA is Tennessee’s largest airport by far, with annual passenger numbers (nearly 26 million in 2025) greater than all other Tennessee airports combined.

Fun Fact 2: BNA accommodates several international nonstop flights, including London, Dublin, Vancouver, and Reykjavik.

Website: www.flynashville.com ExhibitCityNews.com Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 15

COVER STORY

EMPLOYCO AT 30: NAVIGATING CHANGE, BUILDING STABILITY As Employco marks its 30-year milestone, its origins, growth, and the moments that shaped it come into focus

BY MARK HEBERT

E

mployco was established in 1996 by Bob Wilson along with his two sons, Rob and Scott Wilson. They had a clear, three-prong focus: helping companies reduce workers’ compensation premiums; streamlining payroll processing; and addressing human resource issues.

At the time, most companies lacked their own human resources departments.

Those responsibilities were usually assigned to someone in accounting or operations who did not have the time or training to handle them adequately.

Employco took on that responsibility.

Thirty years later, the company grew from a startup with sales of just $5,000 in 1996, to one that generated more than $550 million in 2025, and has expanded from its Chicago roots to a national presence spanning all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Along the way, Employco established a defining role in the tradeshow industry, where payroll, workers’ compensation, union fringe reporting, and multi-state compliance requirements created challenges many contractors were eager to simplify.

BUILDING THE FOUNDATION During its inaugural year, the company concentrated on developing internal 16 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

processes and convincing businesses to entrust their essential administrative tasks to a newly established organization. Employco’s early clients included restaurants, a hardware store, and two tradeshow companies: Continental Exhibits and USA Displays.

From the beginning, Employco tried to set itself apart by asking clients what their biggest headaches were and then developing services around those needs.

Employco set itself apart early by offering union fringe reporting in addition to standard payroll and tax services, something its competitors did not provide.

That decision proved significant.

SHIFT TO THE SHOW FLOOR Although tradeshow work was not part of Employco’s original business plan, it quickly became central to the company’s growth. A major turning point came when Employco handled payroll and workers’ compensation for the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) in 1998, and again in 2000. This put Employco on the map and legitimized its credentials.

The increased visibility helped establish Employco as a go-to resource in a niche where the complexities of oper-

ating across multiple cities and states, each having different payroll tax requirements, unique insurance complexities, and local union requirements were overwhelming for most general contractors and I&D companies.

Employco structured its model around helping clients navigate those demands more seamlessly. Prior to that, companies often had to coordinate with multiple insurance agents to add coverage

BUILT BY FAMILY. POWER BY PEOPLE. The Wilson Family From Left to Right: Ashton, Scott, Rob, Griffen, Spencer

in new states, open numerous state unemployment accounts, and work with local unions on collective bargaining agreements—often concurrently across multiple locations. By assuming more of these administrative burdens, Employco enabled clients to operate more efficiently from city to city, and state to state.

The company also leaned into union work at a time when many competitors shied away from it. From the begin@EXHIBITCITYNEWS

ning, Employco has maintained strong relationships with unions, grounded in a deep understanding of the industry, union dynamics, and fringe benefits. In turn, unions have come to recognize that companies working with Employco will not encounter any issues with payroll or fringe obligations.

That trust and flexibility became part of the company’s identity. Employco accommodated payroll reports from its

clients in a variety of formats—email, fax, website upload, or even photos of timesheets from their phones. Not having to adapt their data format to a new payroll system was a huge benefit because it substantially simplified reporting for them. In an industry built around live deadlines and shifting logistics, that willingness to work around client realities became part of the company’s service model.

ExhibitCityNews.com Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 17

COVER STORY

ADAPTING TO DISRUPTION Over the past 30 years, Employco has navigated three major external events that fundamentally reshaped the business: 9/11, the 2009 recession, and the COVID-19 Pandemic—each forcing adaptation and, ultimately, strengthening the company’s long-term trajectory.

In the aftermath of September 11th, the tradeshow industry—then a core driver of Employco’s business—slowed dramatically. With a significant portion of its clients tied to that sector, the impact was immediate and meaningful. The experience exposed a concentration risk that would later inform a more deliberate strategy around diversification and resilience.

The 2009 recession brought a broader and more prolonged challenge, with layoffs and business closures affecting nearly every industry. At the time, approximately 75 percent of Employco’s business was still tied to tradeshows, intensifying the impact. In response, leadership made a strategic decision to expand beyond that sector, gradually moving into janitorial and hospitality. This shift did not happen overnight, but over time it proved pivotal, broadening the company’s client base and creating a more balanced, sustainable business model.

The COVID-19 pandemic presented the most sudden and severe disruption.

In the first 45 days alone, Employco’s clients laid off more than 7,000 employees, and company revenue declined by approximately $85 million from 2019 to 2020. Rather than focusing solely on its own recovery, Employco prioritized the survival of its clients, providing guidance on the Paycheck Protection Program, HR support, and practical, real-time advice, all at no charge. The company did not lay off any employees or reduce salaries during this period, aside from reductions among ownership. By positioning itself as a steady, trusted resource during a time of uncertainty, Employco deepened client relationships and reinforced its reputation. By 2021, the company had not only recovered, but achieved a record year of growth.

18 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

STRENGTHENING FROM WITHIN These periods of disruption reinforced something equally important inside the company: the value of stability, culture, and a strong internal team.

While Employco was helping clients navigate uncertainty, it was also strengthening its own foundation, ensuring that knowledge, processes, and service standards could scale alongside growth.

As the business expanded, leadership recognized the need for greater consistency across increasingly customized client work. The addition of a dedicated training manager marked a turning point. What had once been more intuitive and experience-driven evolved into a structured system, complete with detailed manuals, tutorials, and client-specific process outlines. This investment ensured that institutional knowledge was not only preserved, but actively trans-

ferred, creating a more disciplined and reliable operation.

Leadership continuity has also played a meaningful role in shaping the company’s long-term direction. When Griffen Wilson joined the business full-time in 2019, it signaled the arrival of the next generation and a continued commitment to evolution. Having literally grown up around the business, even spending time on the show floor as a young child, he brings both historical perspective and a forward-looking mindset, positioning the company for its next phase.

Employco is quick with their responses, and even when you throw them a curveball question, they get back to you within a few hours. They are reliable and honest.”

– Rob West, Sho-Link –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Employco has been a supporter of the Exhibitor Appointed Contractors Association (EACA) since we started. They sponsor our events and answer all our questions. We love Employco, and we’re very grateful for all that they do for us.”

– Jim Wurm, Exhibitor Appointed Contractors Association –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– When you join Employco, whether it’s as an employee or as a client, they truly care like you’re family. They enable you to grow and help you through the rough patches of life and business cycles.”

– Thomas Dungan, Skylight Lending –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– They are amazing with their customer service whether that is being there to answer the phone or to answer questions by email when problems may arise.”

– Bill Atkins, Nuvista –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Even though I’m an entrepreneur, when I stumbled upon something new, and I have a quandary, I reach out for a second opinion. My relationship with Employco is based around a professional mentorship, where I utilize not only their services but their expertise and guidance to succeed.”

– Jamie Cruz, Vargas Group –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Employco is close-knit, and that’s really important. It’s often difficult for such a large company, and big player in the industry, to feel as quick, tailored, and personal. Specifically, the insurance side of it brings a lot to our company, and our relationship with Employco just makes sense for us.”

– Michael Klein, Airoom Architects, Builders, and Remodelers

WHAT EVOLVES AND WHAT ENDURES Despite decades of change across technology, regulation, and labor administration, some elements of the business remain strikingly consistent. The work on the show floor still reflects the same core demands, even as pay structures and rules have evolved. That continuity has reinforced a simple but enduring operating philosophy: listen closely, solve problems directly, and build solutions around the realities clients face every day. @EXHIBITCITYNEWS

As Employco celebrates 30 years in business, that philosophy is not just a reflection of its past—it is a clear signal of how it intends to move forward.

Founded in 1996, Employco provides payroll processing, human resources support, workers’ compensation management, and employee benefits administration to businesses across the country. The company says it now operates in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. For more info, visit www.employco.com.

ExhibitCityNews.com Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 19

TECHNOLOGY

AI Plays Selective Role in Human Resources

BY RAY SMITH

The bosses in human resources refer to it as “workforce analysis,” a highly refined, yet often capricious method of deciding who to hire, how much to invest in furthering their career, and when it’s time to say goodbye and good luck.

A lot of factors figure into the process, and is increasingly driven by artificial intelligence (AI). AI is highlighted at nearly every human resource technology conference taking place around the nation and the world.

The rise of AI is fundamentally transforming HR workforce analytics, according to a report from Everest Group. These systems are evolving from historical reporting to intelligent systems that provide HR leaders with answers that arrive in context, without complex queries or dependency on analysts.

Workforce analysis is basically how HR understands its broader data, explains Kate Achille of the Devon Group, which represents HR Tech, a major conference coming to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas in October.

“You might see it as one click out from people analytics—the larger labor view,” Achille says. “It sees the workforce as a system rather than as individuals, as people analytics does.”

Unquestionably, AI has climbed to the forefront of human resource departments, shaping organizational strategies, creating opportunities to elevate talent management, fostering employee growth.

The task for HR managers goes beyond development of a skilled workforce. In today’s constantly evolving job market, companies must “engage” their employees. Advancements in AI have provided recruiters with helpful tools in achieving such goals.

20 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

Emerging Technologies It’s impossible to encapsulate all of the ways technology is redefining the human resources industry. Unleash America 2026, held at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas in March, explored themes along those lines. » AI and workforce innovation. Examining how artificial intelligence is transforming talent acquisition, performance management and workforce planning. » Data-driven people strategies. Building analytics and insights that help HR and finance executives make informed decisions. » Employee experience and culture. Developing strategies for engagement, belonging and leadership alignment that drive productivity and retention. » Learning and skills acceleration. Addressing new skills, better skills and internal mobility to prepare for emerging business and technology needs. » Future workforce design. Exploring hybrid work, flexible employment models, and the integration of contingent talent to create adaptive organizations.

Talent Search Finding the right talent is fundamental for any company’s success. That elusive search has been revolutionized with “predictive analytics,” AI technology that identifies and screens applicants with unprecedented efficiency in helping determine the best fit for the job.

The tradeshow industry is a “niche” industry with a specialized workforce, notes Dana Little, manager of HR, safety and administration for ACER Exhibits and Events in Havre de Grace, Md. She finds it more advantageous to attend job fairs than HR conferences.

“It’s a challenge because of the way we conduct business,” Little tells Exhibit City News in a telephone interview.

“It really requires people to be in the

office, not remote. A lot of people want to be remote.”

With fewer than 50 employees, ACER uses online sources such as Indeed and LinkedIn, depending on the position. If it’s management, Little will try LinkedIn. If it’s a shop or warehouse person, she’ll go with Indeed. The problem with LinkedIn, she interjects, is getting bombarded by recruiters.

She sometimes turns to a recruiting service to fill specialty positions such as designers.

Before the internet, job seekers filled out application forms, sent inquiry letters, and made telephone calls, angling for a personal interview. Search options were limited. Now they apply online, through career page portals. HR spends less time reviewing resumes and taking calls.

“I really like Indeed,” Little says.

“They’ve come a long way. They’ve got addresses. I can message them through Indeed. I can schedule interviews.”

Companies kept employee files in bulky storage cabinets. They contained personal information, Social Security numbers, performance reviews, and insurance policies. Those files are now encrypted in software that can be accessed with a click

you can solve just one HR challenge, close a compliance gap, gain insight on how to attract the best candidates from a dynamic talent pool, or improve employee retention, it’s worth the investment.

Achille, spokeswoman for HR Tech, cites a report from George LaRocque of WorkTech, who chairs the Investor Experience at HR Tech. He calculates that global investment in HR technologies reached $1.9 billion across 58 deals in the first quarter of 2026, a 54 percent increase from the same quarter last year.

There’s a direct connection between LaRocque’s Investor Experience and other portions of the conference such as the HR executive strategy summit and networking opportunities, and the sharing of knowledge and ultimately the flow of deals.

“With massive investment in the industry in recent years, events like HR Tech give the financial community a chance to join the conversation and shape what’s next,” says Achille. of the mouse, saving paper and time.

“I still keep applications and resumes,” Little says. “It’s what you’re required to do by law. I keep those electronically.

They usually come in as a PDF. We have all the particular job titles, and I have a folder for each one of those.”

Conference Value The $2,600 registration fee to attend SHRM26, organized by the Society for Human Resource Management and slated for June 15-19 in Orlando, Florida, can be a tough sell to the bottom-line people in accounting. Then you add travel and accommodation expenses.

More than 25,000 industry leaders will convene at SHRM26. Along with cutting-edge technology, tools and services on display at SHRM Expo, the conference offers some 375 educational sessions diving into the latest strategies and innovations reshaping the workplace.

SHRM suggests identifying two or three sessions directly related to your company’s top priorities, presenting them to your manager, and writing a summary that can be shared with others when you return. If @EXHIBITCITYNEWS

Balanced Approach AI is only part of managing human resources. The true impact comes from pairing artificial intelligence with the “experience, judgment, and empathy that only human intelligence provides,” according to a research report from SHRM. “HR leadership is critical in harnessing both technological advancements and human understanding—ensuring that new tools serve people, reinforce core values, and strengthen culture.”

This balanced approach empowers organizations to drive operational efficiency, maintain compliance and inspire ongoing innovation to support sustained success, the SHRM report states.

HR managers are seeing a trend in employees who expect “reciprocity” for driving a company’s success. They want responsible use of technology, recognition of their humanity and support through their stages of life. Regulators are setting down rules on how AI influences employment, establishing a framework with clear expectations regarding fairness and transparency in AI-driven hiring.

The true impact comes from pairing artificial intelligence with... human intelligence...”

Overcoming Disruption AI is the biggest disruption to hit the workforce in a generation. Finance can automate numbers; operations can automate processes. HR places people at the center.

That’s a completely different challenge.

At HR Tech, the conversation moves forward with the theme, “From Change to Transformation,” reflecting the shift from navigating constant disruption to delivering lasting business impact through strategy, technology and execution.

Achille promotes HR Tech as an industry leader for “innovation in the space,” offering immersive learning and an expo floor featuring the Pitchfest competition, AI Playground, and Startup Pavilion.

“This year’s attendees can expect to learn about new solutions that make it possible to screen resumes for AI, detect fraud, and deepfakes, and prevent candidate swapping,” she describes.

Employee “engagement” scores are sinking, and nobody seems to know what to do about it. HR Tech looks at how to design a “holistic” employee journey that brings together well-being, purpose, personalization and performance. The goal, according to Achille, is to support stronger engagement both during the job search and post-hire; and to promote stronger internal mobility and retention via AI coaching for leadership development.

We understand that AI cannot entirely replace the human aspect, but it’s definitely changing the game. By all accounts, companies that synchronize AI with their strategy, culture, and governance will lead the way in HR management.

ExhibitCityNews.com Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 21

MENTAL HEALTH

Let’s talk about Burnout Protecting the flame

by Sam Ogren

I

sit on my porch in the warming spring air. Birdsong wafts on a gentle breeze, trailing off into the lengthening rays of sunset above me. It’s April in New England; winter has barely broken, but this evening, summer feels just around the corner. The change goes so fast once it starts. The world is becoming green and bright again. We’ll be lighting our grills soon, stacking buns and plates onto overloaded arms, celebrating graduations and holidays. Long, busy days lie ahead— like our industry, as the days warm up, so do our schedules of show after show after show. And while we eat and play and celebrate jobs well done, we can’t forget the coals in the grill that are smoldering away. They can be rekindled, sparked back into life with care and a breath to burn again, or they can go dark and cold… or worse.

Let’s talk about burnout.

We’ve seen burnout in our colleagues, maybe felt it ourselves: too much stress, too many tasks, too much of everything piling on until it’s just too much ‘too much.’ We tend to think in binaries—hot and cold, sick and well, productive and idle—but human behavior and our psyche are rarely so simple. Burnout doesn’t happen all at once. It’s usually not an explosion; it’s mostly a cooling on the way to cold. There are signs along the way, like fewer “good morning” greetings and less engagement beyond the required tasks. There’s detachment and heavier sighs, a resignation to the work rather than excitement for it. There are signs we can catch early, signs that tell us that 22 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

a little change, like rearranging the coals or the seating chart, could bring in some fresh air and reignite the flame.

But sometimes you don’t plan for the change. Someone knocks over the grill, and embers fly everywhere. Danger. Fire.

It’s the worst-case scenario. Now there are outbursts, conflicts, missed deadlines, and accusations. Nothing tears through a company like a negative rumor, or worse, an unfortunate truth. The fire may go out, but the burn scars remain—charred grass, melted chairs, singed hair, and broken trust—until we tend to it.

Recovering from a fire is complex. So is recovering from burnout. Healing burn scars on skin or across a landscape takes time, patience, pain, and work. Healing from burnout in a person or a company is much the same. We cannot focus only on the blackened aftermath or the cost of recovery. Those are obvious before the smoke has cleared. We also need to address the environmental hazards or institutional failures that allowed the first spark to grow into danger.

Smokey Bear didn’t say, “Only YOU can clean up the charred wreckage of a forest fire.” He calls on us to prevent fires. By addressing our shortcomings and establishing internal structures and processes that support success rather than merely fending off failure, we can build teams that collaborate more, operate more efficiently, and experience less stress.

We can prevent burnout by keeping the creative fires lit and protected from wind, rain, or an errant football.

Then, we can let them cook.

SPEAKING OF FIRE

Before matches (invented c. 1826), before lighters (c. 1662), and even before civilization itself (c. 4,000 BCE), humans managed fire. Evidence of hominids controlling fire dates back more than 1.5 million years, with burnt bones and tools found in ancient hearths. Controlling fire was essential to our early life and evolution—cooking food, clearing fields, and protection from predators and the elements alike—and it separated us from the rest of the animal kingdom. Early hominids wrapped leather and tinder around a spark and carried it across continental migrations, coaxed it back to flame with a puff from their lungs.

Before bow drills or striking flints created fire on demand, the spark they carried in that bundle was literal life. Burnout meant something far more serious, far more fatal. Today, we don’t have sabre-tooth tigers waiting in the darkness, and winter storms are easily managed with an electric blanket and microwaved soup. The ember, wrapped safely and tucked away, is no longer essential to our survival. Heat and light are at our fingertips with Zippos, Bics, and a plug in the wall.

We have a new spark to care for—the creative and caring spark of humanity within each one of us. We carry it in our hearts, and it grows each time we open it and give it breath, making it glow. It combines with others’ sparks and grows into the fires around which our greatest stories and the finest meals are shared.

The physical flame is essential to human history. This creative flame is essential to our humanity. Never let it burn out.

THE DON AND MIKE SHOW AIRS ON FRIDAYS (BI-WEEKLY) Key insights from industry veterans Tradeshow News Association News Listen to experts from across the industry on topics that matter to you!

"It's more important than ever to amplify the value of face-to-face interaction at tradeshows and conferences as we look ahead to 2025."

- Mike Morrison Join the conversation and make sure to check us out weekly: DonandMikeReunion.com

Exhibits Inc.

@EXHIBITCITYNEWS

ExhibitCityNews.com Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 23

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Should HR Be Outsourced?

by Debbie Hall

C

ompanies can rapidly change team size based on a given event cycle, and human resources (HR) is a critical component to that process.

The HR function may be hiring temp workers for a large expo while maintaining all necessary HR compliance, whether in a single jurisdiction or across multiple jurisdictions.

“At its core, HR exists to protect the business, support the people and make the organization actually work,” says Tara Furiani, CEO, Keynote Speaker, Author and Host at Not the HR Lady. “That includes hiring, onboarding, performance management, employee relations, compliance, compensation, benefits, training, culture, investigations, documentation and leadership support. Today’s HR function is not just administrative.

It is operational and strategic.

Recognizing HR’s strategic role can inspire business leaders and HR professionals to prioritize effective HR practices for long-term success.”

Therefore, HR faces Tara Furiani significant pressure to remain agile, accurate, and cost-effective. Against this backdrop, many organizations in the exhibitions and events sector are evaluating whether to outsource HR functions to specialized firms or keep them in-house.

“Outsourcing HR means a company hires an outside firm, consultant, or provider to handle some or all HR responsibilities instead of building everything internally,” says Eric Kingsley, Partner, Kingsley Szamet Employment Lawyers. “That can include payroll, benefits administration, handbook creation, compliance support, recruiting, inves24 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

tigations, employee relations guidance, training, termination support, performance management processes, and, sometimes, a full-outsourced HR leader or a fractional CHRO. In some cases, it is transactional. In the best cases, it is strategic and long-term.”

For businesses facing changing labor needs, a third-party provider can provide access to existing infrastructure and compliance knowledge, as well as processes that help reduce administrative tasks. These can make HR outsourcing feel like a strategic opportunity Keith Landberg, that reassures industry COO at ExpoCCI managers about operational efficiency and risk mitigation.

According to Furiani, a 10-person company does not need the same HR structure as a 500-person company because industry-specific needs influence HR requirements. A creative agency does not have the same risk profile as a healthcare organization, a manufacturer, or a government-funded nonprofit. Highly regulated industries often require greater expertise and tighter compliance processes. Budgets matter, but so does the type of organization.

Some smaller companies outsource because they cannot afford a full internal team. Some larger companies outsource specific functions because it is more efficient or specialized.

Outsourcing can be cost-effective, fast to implement, and useful, but external partners may lack insight into the company’s culture. Recognizing this helps HR managers feel more prepared to balance external support with internal understanding.

For an industry reliant on both relationships and brands, losing control over hiring practices and employee engagement can lead to a disconnect. External HR providers are often unfamiliar with the

company’s culture, how the client expects to be served, or what is needed for live events—this may affect everything from the quality of booth staff to how quickly they can respond in a high-pressure onsite environment. Recognizing these risks can help industry managers to operate cautiously and make informed decisions.

In-house HR has the advantage of maintaining greater control over an organization’s events calendar. Additionally, HR departments tend to be more effective at creating a consistent, cohesive company culture, developing targeted training programs for employees, and maintaining relationships with a stable pool of suppliers. As a result, in-house HR also tends to be able to react to last-minute events, such as sudden staffing needs or schedule changes, far more readily than someone from an outside vendor can, ensuring smoother execution during tradeshows and conventions.

A hybrid HR model offers flexibility.

It combines internal ownership with outside expertise, empowering companies to adapt their HR support as they expand. In-house HR models offer control. And outsourcing HR provides cost-effective options and outside expertise. The right question to ask is at what level of HR expertise and coverage the company needs.

Regardless of how HR functions are handled, whether they are outsourced or operated internally, a strategic and dedicated approach to HR is essential.

Tradeshows and conventions are relying on people—skilled, qualified and flexible people who represent their brands on the floor and behind the scenes. Companies that view HR as part of their core operations, not just a back-office function, will be more successful at delivering seamless experiences, keeping their workforce safe, and remaining competitive in an industry that demands precision and performance.

Y E A RS -

-4

O

BUSINESS BEACON

What You’re Protecting Is Capping How You Lead

BY PAT ALACQUA AND JANE GENTRY

Most leaders think they are stuck because of strategy, people, or execution. What actually slows them down is harder to see. It shows up in where they step in, what they hold onto, and what they avoid. Here are three things leaders quietly protect, and how those protections end up capping how they lead as their business grows.

YOU KNOW WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN. SO WHY ISN’T IT MOVING? You know what needs to happen. You have known for a while. The decision.

The shift. The conversation. None of it is new, and it is still not moving forward.

You step in. You stay in the work longer than you should. Sit in meetings you do not need to be in. Review things your team already handled. You ask for one more pass, even when you already know what you are going to say.

Or you wait.

You hold a decision a little longer. You tell yourself you just need one more piece of information, one more conversation, one more look at it.

This is not about capability. You have already proven you can do the work. That is not the issue. It is not about effort either. If anything, you are more involved than ever, more present, more engaged, more in it.

Something is not shifting, even though you know it should. There is a gap between what you know needs to happen and what you are actually doing.

Most leaders try to solve that gap with better planning, clearer communication, or more focus. That is not where it starts.

Something else is getting in the way, and it is not what most people think.

THE HIDDEN FACTOR: WHAT YOU’RE PROTECTING? There are things you are protecting.

You are not calling them out. Most of the time, you are not even calling them out to yourself.

They show up every day in where you step in, in what you hold onto, and in what you avoid. Over time, they begin to shape your decisions. They shape what you push forward, what you delay, and what you leave alone even when you know it needs to change.

26 Jul/Aug/Sept 2025 Exhibit City News

You do not think of it this way because it does not feel like fear or self-protection. It feels like being responsible.

It feels like making sure things do not break. It feels like keeping people aligned. Underneath all of that, there is something you are protecting.

Those protections are quietly capping how far you can go.

That is the cost. It is not just that you stay too involved. You quietly train the business to keep depending on you.

The harder question underneath all of it is this: if you are not the one delivering it, where does your value come from?

You stay involved. You stay in it longer than you should. Stepping back does not just change the work. It changes how you see yourself, and that is what you are protecting.

CONTROL: WHEN EVERYTHING STILL RUNS THROUGH YOU

IDENTITY: WHEN YOUR VALUE IS TIED TO DOING One place this shows up is in how you see yourself.

When you built your confidence, it came from doing the work. Being the one who could step in, figure it out, and get it done.

That is how you learned. How you proved yourself. That is how you became valuable. When something matters, you still go there. You jump in. You stay involved.

Deep down, you still trust your hands more than the machine you are trying to build.

That is where this starts to break.

The role has changed. What the business needs from you has changed. Your sense of value does not always change with it. You are not just supposed to do the work anymore. You need to build the people, the thinking, and the consistency that let the work happen without you. When you keep stepping in, you pull it back to you, even if you do not mean to.

Over time, your team adjusts. They wait longer. They check with you sooner. Work is brought to you half-finished because they assume you will want your fingerprints on it anyway.

They stop making full decisions and start bringing partial recommendations. They do not own things all the way through because they know you may take it back anyway. @EXHIBITCITYNEWS

Another place this shows up is in control.

Control does not always look like control. A lot of the time, it looks like being responsible, keeping an eye on things, and making sure nothing gets missed.

When the business is smaller, that can work. In some cases, it is exactly why things worked. You caught problems early. You kept things from slipping. You protected the outcome.

As the business grows, that same instinct starts to work against you.

There are more people, more handoffs, more moving parts, and more decisions being made without you standing right there. That is where control gets tested.

It is not because you want power. It is because you do not want things going wrong on your watch.

You stay in the loop on everything. You want visibility into every important decision. You ask to be copied. You want one more check-in before something moves.

You become the place things run through before they are allowed to keep going.

Again, it does not feel controlling.

It feels careful. It feels smart. It feels like leadership.

Over time, the cost starts to show.

Decisions slow down. People wait. They

stop using their judgment all the way through because they know it still has to come back to you.

That is the cost.

The business is not moving on the strength of its people. It is moving on the speed of your attention.

That is the trap.

What once looked like protecting the business turns into the very thing that keeps the business dependent on you.

Underneath all of it is the same tension.

If you loosen your grip, what happens that you cannot control?

That is what you are protecting.

VALIDATION: WHEN YOU DON’T SAY IT ALL THE WAY Then there is validation.

Not everything you hold back is about the work. Some of it is about how it lands. You know the conversation that needs to happen. You know what needs to be said and what needs to change.

You soften it. You leave room. You say it halfway.

You tell yourself you are being thoughtful. You do not want to come down too hard. You do not want to damage the relationship. You do not want to become the person they now see differently.

You ease into it and circle it. You let things sit longer than they should. What you call patience is often protection. What you are protecting is how you are seen.

Once you say it clearly, once you draw the line, and once you make the call without softening it, you do not control how it lands.

You do not control who thinks you were too hard, too blunt, or too much. You adjust.

You hold back just enough. You leave space for interpretation. You give people room to hear what they want to hear.

Over time, the cost shows up.

ExhibitCityNews.com Jul/Aug/Sept 2025 27

BUSINESS BEACON

Teams start operating off tone, guesses, and partial clarity. Different people walk away with different understandings of what was actually decided. Priorities are not clear. Standards move. People are not sure where they stand.

Cleanup shows up later in missed expectations, in rework, in follow-up conversations that should not have been necessary, and in things that should have been handled but were not.

It is not because people do not care. It is because you did not say it all the way.

That is the trade. You protect how you are seen, and the business absorbs the cost.

That is what you are protecting.

WHY THIS GETS MISSED AS YOU GROW This is why leaders miss it for so long.

When you are the one doing the work, these patterns do not hurt the same way.

In fact, some of them help. Being tied closely to the work helps you move fast.

Staying on top of everything helps you catch problems early. Reading people well helps you manage relationships and keep things from blowing up.

That is why this gets hard to see.

The same patterns that helped you build the business start creating drag once the business gets bigger.

They show up in the work coming back to you too often, in decisions stacking up around you, in people waiting for your read before they fully move, and in conversations that feel clear to you but land differently across the team.

From the outside, it can look like a people problem. Or a communication problem. Or a sign that the company just needs better managers. Sometimes those things are true.

There are also times when the deeper issue is that the business has grown and the leader has not fully let go of the way they had to lead when everything depended on them directly.

That is the shift that usually goes unnamed.

The business has grown. The role has changed. What leadership now requires from you has changed. Some part of you 28 Jul/Aug/Sept 2025 Exhibit City News

is still trying to lead from the place that made you successful before.

You see it when a founder keeps solving things at the point of impact instead of building the conditions that keep the same problem from coming back.

You see it when the leader says they want ownership of outcomes, and the team has learned that real ownership never fully leaves the leader’s desk.

You see it when people get better at reading the founder than at reading the business.

It is not that you do not know what to do next. You are still holding onto what made you effective at the last level. If you do not see that, you keep trying to solve the next-level problem with the last-level version of yourself.

That is where leaders get stuck. It isn’t that they cannot grow. Something in them has not let go.

THE REAL FEAR ISN’T THE DECISION This is also why fear gets misunderstood.

Most people think fear shows up around the decision. The hard call. The change. The conversation. That is usually not the real fear. The real fear is what that decision takes from you.

WHAT THIS REALLY COSTS YOU

» If you stop stepping in, you lose the version of you who could always fix it.

» If you loosen control, you risk something going wrong without you catching it.

» If you say it all the way, you lose control over

Watch this short video summary. struggle because the next move costs them something internally.

The transition is hard. It is not because the business outgrew their skill. It is because the role now asks them to release something they have leaned on for a long time. That is what fear is doing here. It is not stopping the decision. It is protecting what the decision threatens.

THE QUESTION YOU CAN’T AVOID The question is not whether you know what needs to happen. You do.

The question is what you are still protecting.

Where are you staying in the work longer than you need to? Where are things still running through you that should not be? Where are you softening something that needs to be said all the way?

It isn’t that you do not know. Letting go of it costs you something.

It costs you how you see yourself. How much control you feel. How you are seen by others.

If those protections stay in place, they quietly set the ceiling on how you lead.

You do not lack the ability to grow.

Something in you still has not let go.

how you’re seen.

» That’s the real trade.

That is the fear. Not the decision itself.

What the decision forces you to give up.

It forces you to give up the version of value you have trusted, the version of control that made you feel safe, and the version of approval that let you stay connected. That is why this is harder than it looks.

From the outside, it can look like a leadership issue, a discipline issue, or a communication issue. Underneath it, it is a letting-go issue.

Most leaders do not struggle because they cannot see the next move. They

Pat Alacqua and Jane Gentry work with founders, CEOs, and leadership teams to help them get the right work done by the right people at the right time as their businesses grow.

If you saw yourself in this story, you probably already know where it is showing up inside your business. The question is whether you are going to address it now or keep managing around it.

If you want a sounding board or thought partner to explore it further, reach out. There is no formal pitch here... just a direct conversation about what might be in the way.

Pat Alacqua – Pat@PatAlacqua.com Jane Gentry – Jane@JaneGentry.com

MENTAL HEALTH

“WellnessFirst” Workforce REIMAGINING WORKPLACE CULTURE IN EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING AGENCIES

BY DEBORAH COX, MARKETING CONSULTANT AND BREE PATTERSON, MARKETING CONTENT MANAGER, AT EXHIBITUS

When fresh talent enters the experiential marketing world, they bring energy and expectations. Today’s entrants arrive informed, confident, and ready to contribute. They’ve researched the industry, can sell their transferable skills, and see the steadiness of live events as a compelling alternative to trendier adjacent fields. Many come from theatrical design, creative technology, and engineering.

All drawn by the chance to build experiences. For leaders, the takeaway is clear: a wellness-supportive culture that empowers growth and creative contribution isn’t a perk; it’s a competitive advantage.

Developing a “WellnessFirst” workforce in experiential marketing requires rethinking how people are supported and sustained across the full arc of their careers. Wellness is not limited to physical benefits or momentary perks. It includes manageable workloads, physical safety, mental wellbeing, resource allocation, and leadership practices that acknowledge the intensity of event and exhibition cycles and the importance of recovery between them. For teams operating under high pressure and tight deadlines, how work is paced, credited, and com30 Jul/Aug/Sept 2025 Exhibit City News

municated matters as much as the work itself.

A “WellnessFirst” approach also broadens how talent is defined. By welcoming professionals from hospitality, retail, theater, architecture, and film production, experiential organizations strengthen performance through diverse perspectives and transferable skills. This cross-industry integration expands the talent pipeline while elevating the quality of both creative and operational outcomes.

Sustaining this workforce requires clear growth pathways, mentorship, transparent communication, and flexible leadership that adapts to project phases and individual needs.

Establishing thoughtful AI guardrails further protects creative integrity, aligning speed with accountability. Together, these practices signal a commitment to longterm relationships, ensuring teams feel valued not just for showday execution, but for their ongoing contribution to the success of their agency.

The current cohort of young workers is direct about what they want: feedback, faster paths to impact, and permission to challenge the status quo.

Historically, younger professionals “earned the mic” over

time. Now they expect a seat at the table from day one and when they see no path up, they disengage. Wellness here is more than just healthcare and 401ks; it’s about growth, visibility, and momentum. When organizations channel ambition into structured pathways, they protect engagement by reducing burnout that comes from spinning wheels without progress. Wellness-minded teams respond by clarifying priorities, pacing work, and normalizing cross-functional learning without glorifying overextension.

For creative roles, collaboration is critical and requires a variety of skills. Today’s design packages span craft and code, aesthetics and engineering. In addition, today’s designers are expected to sell, speak marketing, and integrate technical considerations.

AI is another inflection point.

Digital natives often default to “I’ll put it in AI,” while seasoned pros weigh originality

and longterm implications. The healthiest cultures don’t position this as a generational rift.

Instead, they set standards: when to ideate with AI, when craftsmanship is nonnegotiable, and how to protect client integrity. Guardrails reduce stress, align expectations, and keep the focus on quality outcomes instead of tool debates.

TRADITIONAL MANAGEMENT SKILLS STILL COUNT The evolution of workplace culture in no way suggests that traditional management skills are obsolete—they are foundational to successful business execution. The following skills are among those that leaders must maintain for a successful work environment but at times tweak delivery to ensure they are effective across generations.

Definitive goals and objectives – It is leadership’s primary responsibility to

translate the vision of the company’s success into actionable goals and aligning a team’s daily work assignments with strategic objectives. Without direction, competing priorities cannot be managed effectively no matter the work experience.

Clear communication and direction — Young employees value transparency but still need guidance, direction and to be reminded of how their work contributes to the company’s overall goals and success.

Accountability — Holding employees accountable for results has always been a primary duty of managers. If discussions of accountability are objective, promptly addressed and tied to the company’s growth, a manager will foster an environment where high standards are consistently understood and met.

Feedback — Providing regular one-on-one feedback and constructive performance discussions is a classic management responsibility, even more valuable today with younger employees that demand more feedback than prior generations.

Conflict management — Avoidance is not leadership.

Addressing and mediating disagreements professionally will help maintain respectful team dynamics. This skill is essential, especially in diverse, multi-generational, and often remote teams.

Decision-making — While a collaborative environment is valued, leadership still must lead. This means understanding which decisions belong to upper manager and making timely decisions about how to move forward and ultimately taking @EXHIBITCITYNEWS

responsibility for the outcome.

This is especially critical during periods of uncertainty. The entire workforce, no matter the generation or tenure of employees, must trust that the company leaders will not avoid authority when it is needed.

CROSS-INDUSTRY TALENT, ELEVATED OUTCOMES Experiential marketing has always been multidisciplinary, but the talent pipeline is widening. Hospitality and retail pros bring a customer-first mindset and detail orientation. Theater, architecture, film production, and product design infuse lighting, spatial storytelling, and systems thinking that raise the bar for attendee experience. The result is a fresh perspective on sustainability and digital integration that can lead to more efficient workflows. Teams thrive when diverse experience is valued and leveraged, allowing people to feel seen as valuable resources with depth.

Some skills remain nonnegotiable, regardless of generation or role: crisp communication, strong administration, deadline discipline, and a default to team over silo. In creative work, 3D skills matter and AI fluency helps but only when balanced with human judgment around safety, engineering, and architectural constraints. Clear expectations reduce anxiety and prevent last-mile scrambles that erode morale.

DIGITAL FLUENCY WITHOUT DIGITAL EXHAUSTION Market expectations are moving as fast as the workforce. Customers want answers sooner and execution

quicker, the by product of the always-on digital lifestyle. Internal communications mirror this evolution. Instant messaging keeps pace with a deadlinedriven world, but it can blur boundaries. “WellnessFirst” teams define responsiveness windows and protect deepwork time. The healthiest companies hire rising talent while supporting veterans through tech adoption, being sure to honor craft while making change navigable.

Digital natives champion new platforms and experiment freely. Inclusion and flexible policies are table stakes for relevance and retention.

Diversity across roles is the expectation including women in craft roles, such as carpentry, once considered uncommon.

Measurement culture is rising alongside creative risk-taking, with impact reporting extending beyond ROI to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)—how companies treat people and planet.

LEADERSHIP, GROWTH, AND RETENTION BY DESIGN Transparent leadership builds trust, especially for early-career professionals who want to understand the “why” behind decisions. Implementing town halls, executive roundtables, flexibility, and intuitive performance reviews signals respect for employees and their varied work styles and life stages. Formal career pathways, internal mentorship, and succession planning turn ambition into a roadmap.

Moving professional development online underscores a tech-forward culture. As personal branding rises, titles and

prestige are factors in recruiting. Making social-shareable growth moments matter to incoming talent. We are seeing more strategy-oriented leadership roles and expanded middle management develop in the industry. To stay attractive across sectors, organizations need a culture employees rave about publicly and experience positively day to day.

Wellness includes positive culture, leadership attitudes and most importantly how workloads are planned. Being proactive about how work is paced and rewarded, including fair compensation for weekend or overtime work, safeguards employees from burnout and aids morale.

The next generation already knows flexibility, digital presence, and high visibility drive both brand relevance and growth. This thinking extends to career sustainability.

When performance reviews ask “Do you have what you need?” they are more than paperwork. They become a workplace wellness practice that elevates organizations and celebrates wins. Creating an environment that fosters collaboration is flexible when possible, and nontoxic by design builds a workplace that retains talent year over year.

A PRACTICAL WELLNESS PLAYBOOK FOR EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING TEAMS Design flexible lanes. Encourage cross-functional contribution while specifying decision rights and focus areas per phase. This preserves creative momentum without creating “always responsible for everything” fatigue.

ExhibitCityNews.com Jul/Aug/Sept 2025 31

MENTAL HEALTH

Codify AI guardrails. Define approved use cases, attribution norms, and quality checks so teams can move fast and honor originality and client integrity.

Make growth visible. Publish career pathways, pair mentors, and review progress quarterly. Ambition without a map turns into churn.

Protect energy with comms norms. Use instant messaging intentionally (quiet hours, status tags, escalation rules) to sustain responsiveness without erasing recovery time.

Recognize early and often. Celebrate cross-disciplinary wins and operational excellence, not just showday heroics. Tie recognition to values like client care, safety, and teamwork.

Plan for crunch ethically. When timelines compress, align resources, approve overtime in advance, and compensate fairly. Wellness is policy, not platitude.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS What is workforce wellness in the experiential marketing industry?

Workforce wellness in the experiential marketing industry goes beyond physical health benefits. It encompasses psychological safety, career visibility, fair workload distribution, and a culture that values people across all career stages. For experiential marketing teams, who often operate under intense deadlines and on-site pressures, wellness is also about how work is paced and recognized between shows, not just during them.

32 Jul/Aug/Sept 2025 Exhibit City News

Strategy

Action

Benefit

Design Flexible Lanes

Define decision rights and focus areas per project phase

Prevents “always on for everything” fatigue

Codify AI Guardrails

Define approved use cases, attribution norms, and quality checks

Make Growth Visible

Publish career pathways, pair mentors, and review progress quarterly

Channels ambition productively; reduces churn

Protect Energy with Comms Norms

Use instant messaging intentionally; quiet hours, status tags, escalation rules

Sustains responsiveness without erasing recovery time

Recognize Early and Often

Celebrate cross-disciplinary wins and operational excellence, not just show-day heroics

Ties recognition to values: client care, safety, teamwork

Plan for Crunch Ethically

Approve overtime in advance and compensate fairly when timelines compress

Proves wellness is policy, not platitude

How does cross-industry talent improve experiential marketing team performance?

Professionals from hospitality, retail, theater, architecture, and film production bring transferable skills that elevate the attendee experience and introduce fresh operational efficiencies.

Skills like customer-first thinking, spatial storytelling, and systems design are cross functional reaches that aid incoming talent. When experiential marketing organizations actively recruit and integrate cross-industry talent, they widen the talent pipeline and raise the performance ceiling for the whole team.

What are AI guardrails and why do experiential marketing creative teams need them?

AI guardrails are organiza-

tional standards that define when and how AI tools can be used in creative workflows including approved use cases, attribution norms, and quality checkpoints. For experiential marketing creative teams this equals balancing speed with originality and client integrity. Guardrails reduce internal debate, align generational expectations, and support AI adoption rather than undermining craft and accountability.

How can experiential marketing companies improve employee retention?

Experiential marketing companies improve retention by making growth visible, recognizing contributions beyond showday heroics, and modeling flexible leadership that respects life outside of work. Succes-

Reduces tool debates and aligns team expectations

sion planning, transparent communication, published career paths, mentorship programs, regular checkins, and fair overtime policies signal that the organization values long-term workforce stability.

What does flexible leadership look like for experiential marketing teams?

Flexible leadership for experiential marketing teams means adapting management style to the project phase and the individual’s needs. It includes defining clear decision rights during crunch periods, protecting recovery time between shows, supporting hybrid or remote work where feasible, and hosting transparent forums where team members understand the business direction and feel safe asking questions.

HUMAN RESOURCES

Rethinking HR

Accountability, Culture, and the Post-Pandemic Reset By Pat Friedlander

W

hat do people think HR is?” asked Tom Gardner, SVP, Human Resources (HR), at Access TCA. “Do they think we’re cops, the fun police, the folks who hire and fire people?

There are also a lot of things people think we should do but that we shouldn’t do.”

At its core, HR’s role is one of support: guiding managers on policies, legal frameworks, and best practices. HR does not—and should not—perform managerial tasks such as employee discipline, performance conversations, or compensation decisions. Those responsibilities belong to managers. HR supports that process; it doesn’t replace it.

“We participate in the interview process and in job postings,” says Gardner. “We might handle the technical posting and ensure it’s legal, but it’s up to the managers to review the resumes and decide if they think the candidate is a good fit.

I don’t know everything they’re looking for. What 10 or 25 things do the managers want the person to do? I can’t come up with those off the top of my head because I don’t know what they are. The manager must participate in the process.”

The Hiring and Retention Landscape Even with boundaries being redrawn, HR’s to-do list remains extensive. Challenges in hiring, employee retention, and the need for better candidate evaluation remain major issues. He says, “We can tell you if someone can legally work in the United States, or we can tell them about their health insurance. Employee fit and early turnover are especially critical. The inability to engage new hires meaningfully highlights deeper issues in hiring and onboarding practices.”

Legacy job-seeking tools have mostly 34 Jan/Feb/Mar 2026 Exhibit City News

lost their effectiveness. Resumes and cover letters are becoming more generic and thank-you notes—except for the rare handwritten ones—hardly make a difference anymore. As more candidates turn to AI for their application materials, authenticity declines, making it harder for employers to understand who candidates truly are.

“I am seeing so many resumes that are the generic Indeed resume—’I filled out a questionnaire on Indeed, and it generated this resume’—and it looks like 100 percent of the other resumes we receive,” says Gardner. “Or, hey, ‘ChatGPT, spit out a cover letter that uses these keywords.’ I don’t know when I last looked at a cover letter. The exception is creatives because they usually include a link to their portfolios.”

Culture “During my first year at Access, I was on a conference call with members of the leadership team,” he says, “when suddenly, a kid’s head popped up behind me.

And the next thing I knew, my kid was on my shoulders for the entire call—and when the leadership group didn’t blink, I knew I was in the right place, with the right culture.” But HR does not own the culture, perhaps the most important reframe of all. No one person or department can own the culture. Culture is a collective responsibility, requiring active participation from managers and employees alike. HR can shape the conditions for a healthy culture, but it cannot manufacture or sustain one.

HR and Management In many organizations, managers are promoted because they excel at their jobs.

However, that doesn’t mean they should automatically become managers. “Just because you’re the top salesperson, account manager, designer, detailer, or exhibit builder doesn’t mean you should lead a department or team,” Gardner says.

Companies don’t always realize they don’t know how to manage people and end up delegating that responsibility to others, like HR. A manger is responsible to delivering good news—such as a salary increase, a promotion, or a bonus—as well as the bad. Gardner says, “You have to be able to say, ‘You’re not good at this, and we’re letting you go.’ HR isn’t responsible for managing people; managers are. But we’re here to help and teach managers how to handle those tough conversations. We’re a resource, and it’s essential that everyone understands the difference between what managers do and what HR does.”

The Benefits Problem Nobody Talks About Enough Perhaps the most urgent daily issue in HR today is health insurance and employee benefits. Premium increases for employees often obscure what companies are actually spending on and covering.

Changes in coverage, such as removing drugs from insurance formularies without timely notice to employees, erode trust and cause employees to seek answers and alternatives on their own.

One effective practice that promotes clarity is providing employees with direct contact information for the insurance carrier, allowing them to independently resolve billing and coverage questions. This not only empowers employees but also decreases HR’s transactional workload, enabling the team to focus on higher-value tasks.

COVID-19 and Culture The pandemic dramatically changed management practices, employee behaviors, and company culture—leaving a lasting mark on HR and leadership roles. It forced HR and leadership to take on responsibilities beyond their normal duties to keep companies running and safe. Although this overextension was necessary, it delayed the return of managerial accountability.

COVID-19 significantly blurred boundaries.

Because the crisis required quick, centralized responses, HR stepped in to handle tasks that managers usually handled. The unintended result: some employees began expecting HR to manage people directly.

Reversing that expectation remains one of HR’s quiet but ongoing challenges.

responsibility is a continuous process.

COVID-19-era HR stepped in to handle issues employees might have managed independently. Cutting back on that approach—without appearing indifferent—requires consistency, clear communication, and patience.

Communication itself emerged as a defining leadership skill during the pandemic. When managers proactively reached out to maintain connection and transparency, those conversations often evolved into something more valuable: real engagement forums that strengthened culture under pressure.

That lesson shouldn’t be lost now that the crisis has passed. On the other hand, mental health and work ethic challenges that surfaced during the pandemic have not been fully resolved.

They remain part of the cultural and managerial landscape that HR and leadership must continue to address.

Personal Responsibility in a PostCOVID-19 Culture Balancing genuine employee support with expectations of personal

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ExhibitCityNews.com Jan/Feb/Mar 2026 35

DAY IN THE LIFE

Ran Zookin, CEM, is the founder and managing member of ESM Pros.

With his leadership and operational expertise, the company’s success had an impact on the events industry.

While staffing is its core organizational service, ESM Pros positions itself as an all-encompassing, solutions-oriented staffing and staff management partner across all phases of event delivery.

Measuring Each Day His definition of a successful day is whether he was able to put a smile on a client’s or team member’s face. Zookin’s “why” is to bring people joy. His name, spelled with an “a” but pronounced in English as “Ron,” means joyful. With nearly 20 years in the industry, the smiles and high fives he has received from countless event attendees are what make all the sleepless nights, both in pre-planning and during an event, worth it.

When not on-site, he starts his day with a cup of coffee, reviews his calendar, and quickly assesses which emails and messages have come in overnight that need to be prioritized. On show days, his second cup is enjoyed only after everything has been completed, and only after ensuring staff have arrived and deployed, event activations have kicked off, and other priorities have been addressed.

“I find it important to self-reflect when things go well and, more importantly, when my intended outcomes are not achieved,” says Zookin. “I determine why objectives were not met and what I need to do better to ensure continued growth to meet those objectives in the future.”

Aiming to Bring Joy THE RAN ZOOKIN PHILOSOPHY

BY DEBBIE HALL

36 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

Steps to the Goal As a leader, balancing the big-picture strategy with day-to-day execution takes discipline and benefits clients by ensuring seamless event delivery. “Every day, I take a moment to step back and look at the big picture. I consider my ‘why’ and my end goal. I review the steps I need to take to get our team there and our projects on point. Only then do I dive deeper into the day-to-day. The best way to balance

between the big picture and day-to-day is to rely on my team. Each team member has their own key responsibilities. They know I am here to provide overall guidance and support, but I trust them to do what needs to be done to ensure we have happy event attendees, happy external associates and happy clients.”

His main concepts for building and managing high-performing event teams include trust, servant leadership, and a shared understanding of the common goal.

Zookin is on-site at conventions and tradeshows, wearing multiple hats all the time. His roles include on-site staffing manager, associate supervisor, logistics lead, brand ambassador, account manager, owner, and agency lead. These roles may involve working with his clients to devise and execute a plan to load thousands of attendees into a keynote room in a safe, yet fun, manner. It may translate into helping with registration and assisting attendees with receiving their event credentials so they may proceed to the activities that await. Or, it may translate into ‘simply’ ensuring all staffing plans are executed as expected and/or quickly pivoting when last-minute needs arise.

“Ultimately, however, I have a simple job: to craft and ensure a positive attendee experience.” @EXHIBITCITYNEWS

A Trusted Leader Building long-term partnerships is based on trust, proper communication, setting realistic expectations, working through challenges and being open and honest about it all. As for consistently delivering exceptional customer experiences, he explains that, “setting proper expectations and having the tough and uncomfortable conversations to ensure realignment, if needed, is key. I’ve been on both sides of difficult conversations with clients and team members. It’s the mutual respect, built on proper communication and trust, that allows us to address concerns and work on solutions that benefit all of us for the long term.”

Sometimes even the best contingency planning underestimates a real-time situation. When such occurrences do occur, Zookin works with those affected to find a resolution that yields the best possible outcome. The key is to assess how the encounter affects the end goal quickly. He asks, “Does a potential resolution provide a better experience for our event attendees or does it potentially detract from it?” He learns from the incident, takes notes, and takes appropriate action to ensure everyone can better prepare for such incidents in the future.

Focusing on the Future As for his future, Zookin addresses concerns about AI and robotics. “While AI and robotics are powerful tools that may make certain processes more efficient, the reason people attend conventions is that we are social creatures. If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that we, as humans, need to connect. Maybe the future will entail a robot assisting in registration, or an AI-powered robot capable of communicating in any language.

However, it is the human factor and real energy which will yield a healthy mindset and balanced event.”

ESM Pros fills both traditional on-site associate and specialized brand ambassador roles, as well as pre-planning and logistics-level positions for the events industry. Zookin, as the founder and managing member, brings his leadership goals and qualities to both his company and the tradeshow industry. For more information, visit esmpros.com.

ExhibitCityNews.com Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 37

COLUMN The Global View

The Generational Grip: Why We’re Scared to Hand Over the Keys Breaking the Cycle of Ego and “Seasoning” on the Show Floor

I

’ll start with a confession: I outside the box” shouldn’t just have an ego. To my regular be a design prompt; it should readers that should not be apply to the org chart. We a surprise. In the tradeare so busy looking for show world, you althe “unicorn” succesmost have to have one sor—someone with to survive the load-in, more than 20 years but that same ego of experience who is makes me wonder—if somehow still 30 to

By Paco Collazo I’m already checking 35 years old—that we my rear view mirror at 41, fail to see the talent standing how terrified is the 65-year-old right in front of us. veteran about letting go of the By the time I hit 50, I’ll reins? We talk about “diverprobably be clutching my sifying and defying,” but the badge just as tight, looking hardest thing to defy is our own at 40-year-olds like they’re belief that the next generation interns. It is a human flaw, is just a bunch of kids who but in an industry that lives on can’t find a C-wrench without innovation, it is a fatal one. If an app. we don’t trust them to manage When I was in my 30s, I the floor and our businesses knew I was ready. I had the now, we aren’t “protecting” grit, the vision, and enough the legacy; we are just suffocaffeine in my system to powcating the flame. We need to er a small city. Yet, I looked stop asking if they are ready at the 22-year-old graduates and start giving them the with the exact same squintyspace to break things because eyed suspicion my bosses had that is usually how the best for me. We tell ourselves they stuff gets built. lack that “little something” Let’s agree to widen our that mythical “seasoning” that horizons and value what these only time (and maybe a few new minds bring to the table. grey hairs) can provide. It is a Otherwise, we’re just building loop of distrust that keeps our expensive, beautiful booths industry smelling like 1994. for an industry that’s going to The truth is, we are all end up as empty as a hall on scared of a future we don’t move-out day. control. To a veteran who For me personally, to obhas spent more than 30 years serve, work, and collaborate building exhibits, “thinking with the under 30 part of my 38 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

team and all the youngins on the tradeshow floor is a privilege and gives me a boost in confidence. I can’t wait to learn more from them, their ways, and their views of life.

Our future is well taken care

of, and it gives me reassurance that we will be in great and better hands.

Paco Collazo is a designer and producer of international tradeshow exhibits and the founder of Happy Projects.

COLUMN 311: Event Support

tion. The compensation and infrastructure surrounding that role has not kept pace.

Young professionals see these postings.

They take these jobs. Then they spend the first years of their careers feeling like they are failing at something nobody fully explained to them. It’s not because they aren’t capable, it’s because the expectations were designed by people who either forgot what it was like to be new or aren’t even in touch with the hiring manager in the first place.

Defining the Career Roadmap

by Liz Lathan, CMP

T

he events industry has a people problem. It’s not that professionals burnout and leave. It’s that we never built a real career infrastructure for them in the first place.

Young professionals don’t join the events industry reluctantly. They come in excited—genuinely excited—drawn by the energy, the creativity, and the tangible satisfaction of building something that didn’t exist yesterday and will only exist in memory tomorrow. The problem isn’t enthusiasm.

The problem is what happens next.

tradeshows, incentive travel—and while they serve them reasonably well, there is no overarching professional designation for event practitioners. For an accountant, engineer, or nurse, this would be unheard of. For the events industry there is nothing that says: this is what the role is, this is what mastery looks like, and, furthermore, this is how you move through a career in this field.

Into that vacuum steps the job description. And the job description, increasingly, is complete fiction.

The Missing Roadmap There is no map. There is no standard credential that functions the way a license or certification does: regulated, transferable, and universally understood. A realtor knows what it takes to become a broker. A cosmetologist knows the hours required, the exams to pass, and the path forward. An event professional? They get a jungle gym: swings, monkey bars, merry-go-rounds, and a soccer field. It’s all on the same playground, but no instructions are posted.

There are certifications: CMP, CTSM, CIS, CSEP, CTSM. Yet, they serve their verticals specifically—meeting planning,

What is the Job? The industry has normalized asking candidates with three to five years of experience to perform at a senior strategic level while simultaneously executing at full operational capacity. Additionally, they are doing it without a mentor, without a defined growth path, and frequently without the organizational support that would make any of that sustainable. The role of “event professional” has expanded to absorb strategy, design, logistics, vendor management, budget ownership, stakeholder communication, digital marketing, audience acquisition, and creative direc-

40 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

Burnout is a Threat This is the context in which the mental health conversation has to be understood.

There is a micro-community called Event Minds Matter inside of the Club Ichi community, and when they talk about burnout and toxic workplaces, they are not describing people who loved the work and then hit a wall at 35. They are describing a structural failure: an industry that hands people an impossible brief with no support, no mentorship, no clear direction, and then diagnoses the resulting distress as a personal problem rather than a systemic one.

It isn’t only junior professionals carrying the weight. Tenured practitioners, the ones with 15 to 20 years of hard-won expertise, are facing a different version of the same squeeze. They cost more. The pace of the industry has accelerated. Organizations are asking experienced people to do more with fewer resources, or are cutting them entirely in favor of cheaper, less experienced hires who will, in turn, receive no mentorship from the senior practitioners who are no longer there.

Both groups are struggling. For different reasons, in different ways, with different stakes. They are largely struggling in parallel, without a shared language or a shared infrastructure for addressing any of it.

The Path Forward There is no single industry-wide fix on the horizon, but that doesn’t mean organizations are without options. Some of what needs to happen is straightforward.

Build a career path within your company and make it visible. Not every role needs to be a ladder. The jungle gym is fine,

the lateral move is fine, but professionals need to be able to see where movement is possible and what it takes to get there.

That means documented growth tracks, honest conversations about trajectory, and managers who treat career development as part of the job rather than an afterthought.

Pair that with real mentorship: structured, intentional, and resourced. The old adage, “find yourself a mentor” as a suggestion floating in an onboarding deck is not enough. Actual relationships, built on purpose, are a necessity.

Invest in professional development budgets and protect them when times get tight. The instinct to cut training first in a budget crunch is understandable and almost always counterproductive. The professionals who feel like their company is investing in their growth are the ones who stay. The ones who feel like an expense to be managed are the ones who start updating their LinkedIn.

The other piece is to encourage your employees to join communities outside the walls of the company and outside the official association structure.

Formal associations serve a purpose, but the peer learning that changes how people think about their work tends to happen in smaller, more informal spaces. Micro-communities, Slack channels, peer groups organized around shared experiences rather than membership dues and even vendor-led communities, are where comradery forms. These are the places where an event professional at a midsize tech company can talk to someone running programs at an agency, a freelancer who just wrapped a major product launch, and a supplier who has seen a hundred versions of the same problem. That cross-pollination of peer to peer, outside of any single organization’s frame is where real professional development lives.

Encourage your people to find those communities. Give them time to participate. Stop treating outside engagement as a distraction and start treating it as infrastructure.

The foundational problem of no regulated standard, no universal career map, and no shared definition of what an event professional is and what they are owed isn’t going to be solved by any single company or community. But the gap between where the industry is and where it needs to be is not unbridgeable. It just requires organizations to stop treating their people like a cost center and start treating them like the product.

The work is good. The people are good.

The system they’re working inside of is not keeping up with either.

Liz Lathan is co-founder of Club Ichi, a membership community for B2B event and field marketing professionals and an ecosystem of freelancers, suppliers, and agencies that support them.

205 FLANDERS ROAD WESTBOROUGH, MA 01581 (508) 366-8595 INFO@CORPCOM-EVENTS.COM

WWW.CORPCOM-EVENTS.COM @EXHIBITCITYNEWS

ExhibitCityNews.com Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 41

HUMAN RESOURCES SPOTLIGHT from the Employco blog and summarized Kerstan Szczepanski

is demotivated feeling a stronPEANUT BUTTER RAISES: another ger performance is unrecognized. An WORTH THE SIMPLICITY? employer needs to ask, is the simplicity Peanut butter raises are pay increases standardized across employee groups rather than based on individual performance. More and more employers are turning to set percentage or flat dollar pay increases. Typically ranging in two to four percent, this system can simplify budgeting and neutralize inconsistent application of performance-based systems.

Employee reaction can run either way: one may appreciate a system that takes a biased or inconsistent manager out of the compensation equation, while

ADA AND EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was landmark legislation that guarantees equal opportunity and civil rights for individuals with disabilities. Title I of the act deals with preventing workplace discrimination against those individuals.

One of the major issues facing employers under Title I is balancing performance standards with ADA accommodation. Employers can

define jobs and evaluate employees based on job-related standards, and they can apply those standards to employees with disabilities. Vital to balancing standards with regard to those employees is something called “reasonable accommodation.” While employers must show that standards are job-related and necessary for business, they may need to provide reasonable accommodations to help the employee meet those standards. These accommodations could be adjustments to the

MEAL BREAKS Did you know the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not require employ42 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

and safe appearance of fairness worth the risk of possibly frustrated employees? Retention is a major consideration: stronger employees feeling unappreciated may seek work elsewhere after that first annual evaluation.

If an employer opts for peanut butter raises, so called because they spread pay increases evenly across the board, they should take into consideration the tradeoff in relieving administrative headaches with the potential negative effect on employee morale.

working environment or modifications to work methods.

It is important to note employees must request accommodations—and employers cannot force employees to accept changes in treatment.

The work environment is what employers must consider. Accommodation requests do not force rescinding disciplinary action or evaluations, but the employer must be ready to show justification for the standards with regard to the business.

When considering an

ers to provide meal or rest breaks for their employees? That’s right, FLSA is what legal experts would say is “silent on the subject.”

Not totally silent on the subject, as it turns out, because if an employer does offer meal or rest breaks it must follow the guidelines that treat breaks five to 20 minutes long as hours worked (while meal breaks of 30 minutes or longer are not covered).

So, are employers running amok giving employees non-legally mandated breaks? Not really, because FLSA’s “silence” means the federal government leaves it up to the state and local laws

accommodation, employers can request medical documentation to help in considering what accommodation is appropriate.

While people with disabilities can be held to the same standards as those without, employers must take care to apply such standards evenly and equally. Working together under the ADA, employers and employees with disabilities can effectively create an environment where the employee can perform to the standard the job requires.

to determine meal break requirements.

And there, the law most favorable to the employee prevails.

States such as California, West Virginia, or Washington can be comprehensive, with breakdowns of what defines a break, length of time, whether they count as hours worked, and even require various types of breaks in specific industries. Yet, other states like Ohio, Wyoming, or Florida do not require any kind of meal or rest breaks for employees. If you work in states with such (non) requirements, bear in mind local laws may still apply.

For more HR news, tips and tricks, or insights visit https://www.employco.com/blog/

AI IN THE WORKPLACE: NOT JUST PLUG-AND-PLAY In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has been taking the workplace by storm, with companies and corporations looking to improve efficiency and productivity, aiding, and, in many cases, replacing labor. If your company has made the decision to use AI in day-to-day functions, it is advisable to consider such use.

Form a committee to create and oversee AI policy. This looks like extra work right off, but it is important to have people in place to decide aspects of AI use like which tasks and even job categories may use AI. Training employees in AI use should be seen as necessary, and not simply prompt engineering.

Understanding AI, particularly in areas of security, privacy, legal, and ethical concerns, is vital for its successful use. Even the matter of what AI systems to use will be important.

Employers are also advised to be specific when AI use is allowed and when it is not. Require employees to review and verify all work done by AI, no matter how straightforward or simple it may seem. Stress no one should assume AI accuracy as a given. Also, create policies governing what can be entered into AI systems; trade secrets, employee personal information, any sensitive data that needs to be guarded can be at risk where AI is involved.

Not “plug-and-play” isn’t just for initially adopting AI. Audit AI use on a regular basis, and never forget it is an ever-changing technology, so policy will need recurring updates. This goes for the legal landscape as well.

Consult legal counsel when implementing AI policy and stay on top of still developing law.

YAY! NO MORE TAXES ON OVERTIME. WELL, SORT OF….

2025 saw an important payroll transition for employers and employees summed up in four words: no taxes on overtime. In the tradeshow industry, that’s a big deal, but it’s also a little more nuanced than those four words.

First of all, it is not all of an employee’s pay, with time-and-a-half—it is the “half” part. If you work 10 hours of overtime (OT) and get paid for 15 hours (10 plus half-of-10) the five hours of OT is not subject to tax. Further, the “no tax” is actually a deduction. Employers who do withholding will still withhold the tax, it’s incumbent on the taxpayer to total up that bonus time and claim it as a deduction, capped at $12,500 per individual.

The deduction is applied to Fair Labor Standards Act OT. Not overtime paid only due to state law, any company policy, generous employer gesture, or collective bargaining agreement; basically, if the OT is not required by FLSA, its tax cannot be claimed as a deduction. And if you earn more than $150,000 (adjusted gross income) a year, the deduction will shrink eventually disappearing at a high enough level.

Starting in 2026, IRS forms W-2, 1099-NEC, and other relevant forms will be updated so employers can separately report that figure.

SIX TIPS TO AVOID AI HR SCAMS

Scams are becoming harder to spot because AI can make them look polished and personalized. HR teams should not rely on gut instinct alone; they need verification processes, training, and secure workflows.

1. STAY UPDATED ON SCAM TACTICS Typos and clumsy wording are outdated. Phishing emails, deepfake videos and audio, fake applicants, and even fake messages that appear to be internal communications are all common now.

2. STRENGTHEN VERIFICATION IN HIRING Use secure identity checks, double check employment histories, and even during video interviews watch for lip sync issues and visual artifacts.

3. VERIFY COMMUNICATIONS FROM LEADERSHIP Yes, AI can impersonate leadership with email, text, or even live voice calls. Always confirm unusual requests through a different channel, especially urgent requests to bypass procedure.

@EXHIBITCITYNEWS

4. CREATE STRONG INTERNAL PROCESSES TO MAKE SCAMS HARDER TO EXECUTE Multistep approvals for payroll, benefits, and access changes, restricting data sharing to approved platforms, and exchanging documents with secure systems instead of email to avoid potential breaches.

5. TRAIN FREQUENTLY ON AI THREATS Annual cybersecurity refreshers don’t cut it anymore. Have regular, up-to-date training on the latest scams demonstrating phishing simulations, deepfake applicants, et al. quarterly at a minimum.

6. DON’T DEPEND ON TECHNOLOGY TO SAVE YOU Cybersecurity tools can help identify AI scams but only in combination with human judgment, behavioral analysis, and structured, consistent internal reviews can companies successfully defend against AI attacks.

ExhibitCityNews.com Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 43

CONVENTION CENTER SNAPSHOT by Kerstan Szczepanski

Music City Center Location: 201 Rep. John Lewis Way South, Nashville, Tennessee Date Opened: May 2013 Square Footage: It has 2.1 million square feet with 353,000 square feet of exhibit space, two ballrooms, and 60 meeting rooms. The largest ballroom is over 57,000 square feet.

Parking: At 701 Demonbreun St., the 1,800-space covered garage is the largest in Nashville.

Hotels: The Omni Nashville and the Renaissance Nashville are just two of the numerous nearby hotels.

PLUS!

Where to eat, sleep & play in Nashville

Airport Info: Located nine miles from the center of the city, Nashville International p. 64 Airport (BNA) serves the Nashville metropolitan area and Music City Center.

Transportation: Interstate 40 connects BNA with the convention center. There are taxi and rideshare accommodations at the terminal.

Website: www.nashvillemcc.com ExhibitCityNews.com Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 45

CITY UPDATES

Why Companies Are Still Betting on Las Vegas — and Why the Ante Just Got Higher

by Melissa Skipworth

L

as Vegas has never needed an introduction. But in boardrooms from Anaheim to Zurich, it’s earning a new one. The city once defined by its neon skyline and worldclass conventions is now being recognized for something it has quietly built for years: a genuine, diversified business economy that is drawing headquarters, investment capital, and top-tier talent from across the country and around the globe.

A few years ago, the question was whether Las Vegas could survive its dependency on tourism. Today, the better question is whether other cities can keep up.

Taxes: Still the Most Compelling First Sentence Nevada remains one of the most tax-friendly states in the nation for businesses of any size. There is no personal income tax, no corporate income tax, no franchise tax, no estate tax, and no inheritance tax. Sales tax sits at 8.375 percent in Clark County—a fraction of what companies contend with in California, which continues to hold near the bottom of the Tax Foundation’s State Business Tax Climate Index. That contrast is not theoretical: it is showing up in moving trucks. Businesses leaving California for Nevada aren’t just chasing lower costs. They’re chasing predictability, and Nevada delivers it consistently.

Growth and Access: The Numbers Have Only Gotten Bigger Southern Nevada’s economic development ecosystem has matured significantly. The Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance has been closing deals at a notable pace, designated as one of eight Regional Development Author46 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

ities by the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) for 2025–2026. Recent wins include TensorWave Inc., an AI-specific cloud computing company establishing its headquarters in a 20,000-square-foot Clark County facility with 60 highwage jobs. Neuro Inc., the parent company of NeuroGum, expanded its Southern Nevada operations into a 50,000-square-foot distribution facility. Carson Manufacturing relocated its entire headquarters from Texas to Las Vegas with a $10.2 million capital investment. And, in a signal that should resonate loudly with the venture capital world, Andreessen Horowitz—one of the world’s most influential venture capital firms, with $45 billion in assets under management—reincorporated its principal business from Delaware to Nevada. When smart money moves, the rest of the market pays attention.

Infrastructure: Getting Even Better Connected Harry Reid International Airport continues to be one of the most well-connected airports in the country, with nonstop service to virtually every major U.S. city and a growing number of international routes, including a new Southwest Airlines partnership with German carrier Condor. Meanwhile, the Brightline West high-speed rail project is becoming reality: PCM RailOne AG, a global German manufacturer, committed a $20 million investment into North Las Vegas specifically to produce railway ties for the project. When completed, Brightline will connect Las Vegas to the greater Los Angeles metro in under two and a half hours—a development that fundamentally changes the city’s relationship to the California market it already serves.

Business Assistance Programs: Incentives With Real Teeth Nevada’s GOED doesn’t just talk about being business-friendly—it backs that claim with board-approved incentives.

Available incentives include sales and use tax abatements, modified business tax abatements, and personal property tax abatements for qualified companies.

Whether you are seeking industrial space, commercial office, or land for development, Southern Nevada offers an abundance of options at competitive pricing relative to coastal markets. The Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance provides hands-on support through the entire relocation and expansion process.

Quality of Life: This Is a Major League City Now Recruiting top talent requires more than a good tax rate. It requires a city people actually want to live in. Las Vegas has crossed a threshold that many in the business world are still catching up to. The city now has an NFL franchise in the Raiders, an NHL champion in the Golden Knights, a WNBA champion in the Aces, and Formula One’s Las Vegas Grand Prix anchored on the Strip each November. Henderson and Summerlin consistently rank among the best suburban communities in the West for families, quality schools, and outdoor recreation—all within 20 minutes of downtown. With 292 sunny days a year and the Spring Mountains an hour away, the lifestyle argument writes itself.

The Innovation Inflection Point: A New Chapter Entirely Here is what wasn’t in the story a few years ago: Las Vegas is now a credible innovation hub. Data centers are expanding across the valley, driven in part by Nevada’s energy infrastructure and dry

climate. Fintech is taking root in Henderson, where Paysign Inc.—a financial services and payments platform company—recently added 245 jobs at an average wage of $33.31 per hour. Advanced manufacturers from defense-sector precision parts to recycling technology are choosing Clark County for their U.S. operations. Even University of Nevada Las Vegas’s (UNLV) Boyd School of Law is attracting faculty who are relocating specifically because they believe Nevada’s business activity will generate decades of legal and institutional work. The innovation ecosystem is feeding itself.

For the tradeshow and events industry, this matters in a way that is easy to miss: every company that plants its flag in Las Vegas becomes a local stakeholder in the convention economy. The momentum extends beyond corporate relocations—industry suppliers includ-

@EXHIBITCITYNEWS

Las Vegas has always been a city that plays the long game...” ing Main Light, George P. Johnson, Aluvision, beMatrix, Felix Lighting, and Two Eighteen are among those who have opened additional warehouse and operations facilities in Las Vegas since 2019, reflecting a broader industry shift toward maintaining a permanent, full-service presence in the nation’s busiest trade show market.

Decision-makers who live here attend CES, NAB, SEMA and MAGIC not as out-

of-town visitors but as neighbors. Relationships that used to require a flight now happen over lunch. The pipeline between corporate headquarters and the show floor is getting shorter—and that is good for everyone in this industry.

Las Vegas has always been a city that plays the long game better than it gets credit for. The bet on diversification is paying off. The question for businesses still on the fence isn’t whether Las Vegas is ready for them. It’s whether they’re ready for Las Vegas.

Melissa Skipworth is a licensed REALTOR with Berkshire Hathaway Nevada Properties Commercial Division, Lic. S.0191667, specializing in luxury and commercial real estate in Southern Nevada.

She serves as 2026 Membership Director for NAHREP Greater Las Vegas. For questions about buying, selling, or investment in today’s market, contact her at 702.481.4103.

ExhibitCityNews.com Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 47

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9/11/23 4:03 PM

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

Photo by Gary Prochorchik, Exposures Ltd.

Whirlpool

by InterGlobal Exhibits at KBIS 2026 Pg. 50

Apple Rock at ExhibitorLIVE 2026 Pg. 52

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

For advertising information and rates, please call our offices at (702) 272-0182 and ask for sales. @EXHIBITCITYNEWS

ExhibitCityNews.com Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 49

SHOP to SHOWFLOOR I&D and Event Labor

By the Numbers

Booth Size: 60’ x 120’ (Island) Booth Height: 12’ Total Area: 7,200 sq ft Entrance Height: 12’ Tradeshow: KBIS 2026 Exhibitor: Whirlpool

Whirlpool by InterGlobal Exhibits at KBIS 2026

By Exhibit City News Staff Photography by Gary Prochorchik, Exposures Ltd.

T

he Whirlpool exhibit at KBIS 2026 was designed to create a dynamic, technology-driven environment that immersed at-

50 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City Newsv

tendees in the brand’s innovation story while maintaining a clean and approachable layout.

The concept centered on integrating appliances direct-

ly into a custom LED-driven architectural environment, and transforming traditional product displays into an interactive experience. Digital walls with integrated lighting created a sense of movement and energy throughout the space, reinforcing Whirlpool’s focus on advanced technology and connectivity.

A key objective was to encourage hands-on engagement, allowing attendees to interact directly with the products and better understand their features. The

open layout guided visitors naturally through the space while maintaining strong brand visibility from multiple vantage points.

The result was an immersive and visually striking exhibit that balanced technology, functionality, and brand storytelling, setting it apart from traditional booth environments on the show floor.

Within the space, Whirlpool’s Smart Double Wall Oven with Intelligent Cooking Camera was recognized with a Best in Show award at KBIS 2026.

PROJECT CREDITS Designer: Mike Larson Builder: InterGlobal Exhibits Lead Design: Mike Larson, Whirlpool Project Manager: Kyle Baker Production Manager: James Jennings Client Team: WoW (World of Whirlpool Studios) / Whirlpool Corporation Flooring: The Inside Track Exhibit Construction: Harry Mari, Jason Hill, Dan Stratford Wallcovering: Wolf Gordon, Fenix, Pionite, Abet, Nevamar, Phillip Jeffries Exhibit I&D: SYLID Partner Collaborations and Finishes: Kerrie Kelly Studio, Fabuwood, Cosentino, Sherwin-Williams AV/Lighting: Top LED Lumination Finishes: Plaskolite

@EXHIBITCITYNEWS

ExhibitCityNews.com Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 51

SHOP to SHOWFLOOR I&D and Event Labor

By the Numbers

Footprint: 20’ x 40’, double deck 20’x 20 Height: 19’ (including hanging signs) Height of the Double Deck: 12.8’ Closet Space: 70 Square feet 32 LED Tiles

52 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City Newsv

PROJECT CREDITS

Apple Rock at ExhibitorLIVE 2026

by Kerstan Szczepanski Photography by Gary Prochorchik, Exposures Ltd.

A

t ExhibitorLIVE 2026, Apple Rock’s intent was not simply to exhibit what the company could do. Collective creative effort, refined by leadership and multiple departments, utilized visual impact, technology, hospitality, and hands-on engagement to show where the company was headed. A 20-by-40 foot floor showcased Apple Rock’s design, fabrication, and rental expertise with its large LED hanging sign, video wall, hologram feature, lighting @EXHIBITCITYNEWS

effects, mixed materials, printed flooring, and backlit details. A dedicated space for the company’s portable brand, Nomadic Display, employed a kiosk for visitors to browse offerings and get more info on the exhibit line and rental options.

The second deck structure, pulled from rental inventory, added height, usable space, and a quieter upper-level bar and lounge for deeper conversations. Interactive elements such as games and touchscreens helped attract

Designer: Apple Rock Lead Designer: Colby Ziglar, Apple Rock Project Manager: Bailey Shows, Apple Rock Account Manager: Tyana Taylor, Apple Rock Production Manager: Chris Freeman, Apple Rock Production/Engineering: Jim Martinsen, Apple Rock Client Team: Apple Rock Exhibit Construction: Apple Rock Graphics Production: Apple Rock Flooring: Brumark Exhibit I&D: Eagle Management Group, Apple Rock attendees and spark engagement, while the overall layout showed how Apple Rock blends custom builds, scalable rentals, and experiential strategy into a cohesive brand environment.

As Apple Rock President and CEO Eric Berg said, “Creating WOW exhibits year after year is a demonstration of what we preach everyday as a best practice for best results.”

ExhibitCityNews.com Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 53

EVENT SPOTLIGHT

A Remarkable Year for ExhibitorLIVE in the Tradeshow Industry

BY LISA ABRAMS AND DEBBIE HALL

ExhibitorLIVE 2026, held in Tampa, Florida, marked its greatest success across the tradeshow world. This event gave the biggest opportunity of the year for the entire industry to gather, exchange ideas, and feel a sense of community. Deals were made during the event, and attendees could share experiences and challenges, explore solutions, and discuss how the industry has evolved.

The Tampa Convention Center, with floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing a stunning waterfront backdrop with beautiful weather, set the stage for a high-level, international audience ready to learn and network. From the moment attendees arrived, the week was filled with memorable experiences that fostered networking and showcased industry excellence.

“We had a great time at ExhibitorLIVE,” said Dasher Lowe, the Executive Director of the Experiential Designers and Producers Association (EDPA). “EDPA was on the floor with many of our member companies.

We heard very positive feedback from folks, and there was a lot of good energy.

It’s always great to connect with our community. We also had our EDPA Foundation University Affiliations booth, showcasing portfolios from FIT and BSU students. The students noted there was more traffic to their booth than ever before.”

Diving into Connections The festivities start on Sunday with an upscale event hosted by the EDPA. ENGAGE 2026 at the Florida Aquarium was one of many unforgettable experiences. This elegant celebration featured an exclusive aquarium tour followed by a 54 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

cocktail reception, providing a sophisticated setting for attendees to connect. The blending of nature and networking created an unforgettable collaboration and creativity defines ExhibitorLIVE. “We had a record number of people turn out for our engagement. We had over 280 of our members attending, and it was a great evening of fun and reconnecting with everyone before the show launched on Monday,” stated Lowe.

On Monday evening, ExhibitorLIVE featured a special networking event for first-time attendees. The welcoming environment enabled newcomers to build meaningful relationships. The energy carried through to the trade show floor the next day. After the general opening reception on the show floor, the International Federation of Exhibition & Event Services (IFES) hosted an invitation-only cocktail for international attendees and exhibitors. Paco Collazo, International Director of IFES, brought international attendees together, erasing borders, creating additional networking opportunities, and uniting the trade show community in an informal setting.

“For newcomers attending ExhibitorLIVE or similar events for the first time, my advice is to come with an open heart and an open mind. Be ready to share your industry knowledge, but also to receive. It is a valuable investment, and when you approach it with intention, you will leave with new connections, fresh insights, and real growth,” explained Leena Tran, Marketing Manager for Innovative Environments. “I had only attended ExhibitorLIVE when it was in Nashville back in 2024. This year, it

was located in Tampa, which was a major plus because the weather was beautiful and everything was within walking distance of the convention center and hotel.”

That Tuesday evening, all of the chapters of the EDPA joined together in “Chapters Collide.” The event was a lively Cubano-themed celebration. With a seafood buffet, open bar, and festive dancing, the event incorporated culture and camaraderie. This celebration embodied the industry’s strong sense of community, offering a fun, relaxed environment for attendees to deepen connections beyond the tradeshow floor.

WIE’s Morning of Empowerment and Growth On Wednesday morning, Women In Experiential (WIE) hosted its annual ExhibitorLIVE Breakfast, Connections Over Coffee, tagged “Networking that actually works.”

“We were honored to host our 8th annual Women In Experiential breakfast at ExhibitorLIVE this year. This gathering is a true reflection of the strength of our community, and we’re grateful for our ongoing partnership with ExhibitorLIVE to support meaningful conversations and elevate women across the industry,” said President of Women In Experiential, Maddie Ogren.

The keynote speaker, Selina Mullenax, CMP, CPCE, alongside Adrienne Fitzgerald of CORT Events, guided the participants by presenting speed networking strategies that covered: » Vision Leadership » Innovation and Industry Evolution » Power Influence and Visibility » Personal Growth and Stretch Moments » Collaboration and Community » Future Facing and Strategic Planning There was a wild-card session in which participants were asked, “What’s a fear you learned to work with instead of trying to eliminate?” Her goal was to support and uplift women so they feel more confident, intentional, and empowered in building professional

relationships. Mullenax emphasized that networking can often feel intimidating or transactional and sought to reframe it as something more human. “I see a future where women are not just participating in the industry but rather shaping it. We’re already seeing this as more women step into leadership roles and influence decision-making. The future is less about competition and more about collective progress,” said Mullenax.

She advised that the main qualities women should value in a professional connection are authenticity and consistency. Strong professional connections include listening, overcoming challenges, celebrating wins, and showing up even when there’s no immediate gain. According to Mullenax, generosity is critical to people’s willingness to make introductions or to advocate.

“Be open. Take opportunities that come up, even if they’re not 100 percent what you currently envision for your future. You never know what you’ll learn or who you’ll meet along the way. This industry is built on people and how you show up, follow up, and support others matters just as much as the skills you develop along the way,” added Mullenax.

Image 1: Adrienne Fitzgerald of CORT Events and keynote speaker Selina Mullenax speak at the Women In Expertienal annual EXHIBITORLIVE Breakfast. Photo courtesy of WIE. Image 2: Hamilton team members. Photo courtesy of Hamilton.

Image 3: An attendee experiences the exhibit by BlueHive Exhibits. Photo courtesy of BlueHive Exhibits.

Image 4: EDPA Chapters meet at ExhibitorLIVE 2026. Photo courtesy of EDPA.

@EXHIBITCITYNEWS

BlueHive and Hamilton Take Top Awards at ExhibitorLIVE 2026 On the tradeshow floor, the booths embraced an imaginative and engaging approach with tradeshow professionals.

ExhibitorLIVE 2026 presented the 13th annual Best of Show Awards, Portable/ Modular Awards.

BlueHive Exhibits was awarded Best of Show Winner - Small Booth (200 square feet or smaller). The goal of BlueHive Exhibits was to create an experience that went beyond mere attention-grabbing.

“From concept and storytelling to digital, fabrication, and installation, we wanted attendees to experience the full scope of what BlueHive delivers from start to finish with true white-glove service,” said Dana Esposito, EVP Strategy of BlueHive Exhibits.

This experience from BlueHive Exhibits guided tradeshow and event managers through a journey to accomplish several goals at once.

“Equally important, we wanted to show that a small space can leave a strong impact and, of course, be memorable too.

We designed the exhibit as an immersive excursion,” added Esposito. “At the center of the experience was a simple, low-cost, low-tech interactive moment demonstrating that data collection can be performed in different ways.”

Hamilton was awarded Best of Show for Large Booths (larger than 200 square feet), featuring hand-painted 2.5D details and a custom-embroidered bandana activation.

“Winning Best of Show for Large Booth is a reflection of the level of detail and care our team put into every part of Hamilton Outpost,” said President of Hamilton Courtney Soice. “That same attention to detail is what defines how we approach our clients’ programs every day, from initial strategy and creative concept through fabrication and on-site execution. This recognition reflects the consistency and care our team brings to every experience we create.”

Hamilton won the Student’s Choice Award for the third year in a row. “To be recognized by students three years in a row is something we don’t take lightly,” said Vice President - Creative Josh Frisbie.

“That perspective matters. It tells us our work is not only standing out, but actually connecting with the next generation.”

Overall, ExhibitorLIVE 2026 masterfully combined education, celebration, and networking in a spectacular setting, highlighting emerging industry trends. The high-level programming, international presence, and thoughtfully designed social events underscored its role as a key platform for innovation, learning, and building lasting industry relationships.

ExhibitorLIVE 2027 will be held on February 14-18 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. It is sure to be an amazing event. Make sure to make your reservations early.

ExhibitCityNews.com Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 55

TRADESHOWS AND BEYOND

Market Share as a Workforce System in Tradeshow Labor

How labor market dynamics shape compensation, benefits, and staffing consistency in exhibit and live-event work

By Mark Hebert

I

n the tradeshow business, labor is usually judged by one basic question: can the work get done on time?

For contractors, venues, and show organizers, that question reaches beyond headcount. It includes compensation, benefits, training, and whether a reliable workforce is in place when the hall opens and the clock is already running.

For the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), market share is not just an internal organizing term. It helps explain how wages, benefits, and workforce consistency take shape in the field. When a larger share of a market is covered by a stable labor structure, standards tend to hold. When that share is smaller, labor becomes more fragmented, and so do the conditions around it.

In event and exhibit work, that distinction can affect everything from retention to readiness. IUPAT’s footprint in the industry includes tradeshow workers, sign and display labor, floor covering, finishing, glazing, and related crafts that help convert empty convention space into working event environments. The work is physical, time-sensitive, and highly coordinated. It also depends on experienced crews who know how to move 56 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

quickly without losing quality or safety.

“People in this business talk about labor shortages, but the bigger issue is labor consistency,” says JC Garcia, emeritus business representative, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades Local Union 1175 (IUPAT). “If you want jobs done right, on schedule, and with less confusion on the floor, you need a workforce that stays connected to the industry.”

That connection often comes down to compensation and benefits. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has consistently shown that union-represented workers, on average, earn more than nonunion workers and

Benefits matter.

Training matters.

Whether someone can see a future in the trade matters.”

are more likely to have access to employer-supported healthcare and retirement benefits.

In practical terms, that affects whether workers stay in the trade, build experience, and return for the next show cycle.

“Hourly pay matters, but that is not the whole decision for workers,” Garcia says.

“Benefits matter. Training matters. Whether someone can see a future in the trade matters. That is what helps keep skilled people in the trade.”

That point lands squarely in the human resources conversation now shaping much of the live-event business. Staffing is not only about recruitment. It is also about retention, continuity, and the systems that support workers over time. In tradeshow labor, where deadlines are tight and experienced crews are valuable, workforce continuity has direct business value.

That is one reason IUPAT’s role extends beyond dispatching labor. The union’s structure also supports training, leadership development, and ongoing workforce coordination. Organizers and representatives work to identify labor gaps, stay connected to workers and contractors, and help maintain a labor pool that can respond when demand rises.

“A lot of what we do is making sure the workforce is

there before the pressure hits,” Garcia says. “You cannot wait until move-in starts to figure out where your experience level is, where your leaders are, or whether people are ready.

That work starts well before the show floor gets busy.”

Previous ECN reporting has shown how that preparation plays out in practice. In Miami Beach, IUPAT Local 1175 has worked with contractors and venue leadership to help rebuild workforce depth after the pandemic, with training and coordination aimed at improving show-floor readiness and long-term labor stability.

The bigger issue is how labor market share influences the full workforce picture, including compensation, benefits access, and the consistency contractors and organizers depend on.

For IUPAT, market share is not just about leverage at the bargaining table. In tradeshow work, it is also a measure of workforce depth, labor continuity, and the ability to support consistent standards over time.

Founded in 1887, the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades represents workers across painting, glazing, floor covering, finishing, and related trades in the United States and Canada. For more info, visit www.iupat.org.

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ExhibitCityNews.com Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 57

COLUMN From the Floor Up

HR: A Silent but Strategic Partner

by Debbie Hall

I

n the tradeshow and convention industry, timelines are compressed, labor demands are variable, and flawless execution is critical. As a result, Human Resources (HR) is a strategic partner rather than just an administrative function within the general contractor model. Since general contractors manage everything from the installation and dismantling of exhibits to coordinating logistics for their exhibitors and supporting them, HR serves as a key support function across sourcing, onboarding, training, and workforce management in a highly variable workforce.

“HR is one of the most critical parts of our organization, especially in a tradeshow environment.

The work is fast, physical, and high-pressure,” says Haley Sandherr, event and account manager at Stetson Convention Services. “Problems are happening in real time, not in a setting where you can always step back, process things, or separate emotion from urgency. You’re dealing with deadlines, complex setups, and constant communication at the same time. Because of that, mindset and mental state end up mattering just as much as technical skill.”

By rapidly scaling workforces while maintaining compliance with all regulatory requirements (labor law, unions, and safety), general contractors can sustain efficient exhibit production under significant pressure. HR also ensures not only that the right person is in the right place, but, more importantly, that the 58 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

person providing the service is prepared to deliver a consistent and positive brand experience. Exhibit operations ensure that every interaction and detail affects the overall experience of both the exhibitor and the attendee. As a result, general contractors are recognizing HR as a function that significantly influences operational efficiency, risk management, and the event’s overall success.

“I believe HR contributes to business performance and employee well-being by helping connect the human side of the organization with the operational side,” says Keith Landberg, chief operating officer at ExpoCCI. “When employees feel supported, treated fairly, and clear on expectations, they tend to be more engaged, more productive, and more committed to the company’s success. HR helps drive that through hiring, development, communication, accountability, and employee support. In my view, strong people practices lead to stronger business outcomes.”

The very first email or Haley Sandherr interaction a potential staff member gets from a company, they’re already forming an opinion. According to Sandherr, emphasizing HR’s role in onboarding can help new hires feel valued and respected. That builds trust and engagement from the start. People are naturally making quick judgments about whether they feel valued, informed, and respected. People usually know quickly if there’s a match or not.

People can be taught the technical aspects of a job, but it can be difficult to fix a bad first experience or rebuild trust once it’s gone.

Landberg says that proper staffing has a significant impact on both productivity and company culture. When

teams are staffed appropriately, people feel supported and confident, which enhances morale and collaboration. It creates more stability within the organization and helps prevent burnout, frustration, and unnecessary breakdowns in communication. From a cultural standpoint, it also Keith shows employees that Landberg the company is paying attention, planning responsibly, and investing in their ability to succeed. That builds trust, and trust has a major influence on culture.

To attract high-quality candidates in a competitive market, HR must help the company communicate a clear, authentic employer value proposition.

Candidates want to feel understood and appreciated, knowing more than just the job itself, about the culture, leadership, growth opportunities, and meaningful work. HR can support this by strengthening employer branding, improving the candidate experience, streamlining the hiring process, and ensuring opportunities are presented professionally and compellingly. This approach makes candidates feel valued and more likely to develop loyalty.

Staffing and the firm’s success are closely connected. A firm’s employees demonstrate who make up the organization and how they interact, shape’s the organizational culture. Firms that hire employees who are a mix of types, creative, willing to take risks, and able to think outside of the box, will provide a benefit to the firm in all regards by having a successful staff. Companies with diverse teams foster better collaboration, communication, and adaptability for both the company and its customers.

This leads to improved efficiency in task completion, better collaborative issue resolution, and easier handling of stressful situations, thanks to team members’ ability to build strong relationships and work as a team.

Tuesday, July 28, 2026

Franklin Park, Illinois

The ExSys Awards recognize excellence in system-based exhibits, showcasing projects that exemplify creativity, innovation, and superior design. These awards celebrate the ingenuity and creativity of designers and marketers who push the boundaries of modular and system-based solutions.

For more information on the event please visit Exhibit City News. For more information on the ExSys Awards and future awards programs please visit The Experiential Design Authority’s and Exhibit City News websites.

TEDA

Event: Annual 2026 ExSys Awards Date: Tuesday, July 28, 2026 Theme: Speakeasy / 1920s Location: Moss Inc. Headquarters, 10501 Seymour Ave, Ste 200, Franklin Park, Illinois

ECN

CORPORATE PROFILE

At CONEXPO-CON/AGG, where heavy equipment dominates the landscape, visual engagement becomes a powerful differentiator.

Aluvision x OSE: Modularity Meets Scale

by Jillian Fafard, Director of Marketing, US, Aluvision

A

t CONEXPO-CON/AGG, scale isn’t just impressive, it’s anticipated.

What else can be expected of the construction industry’s largest tradeshow, held every three years in Las Vegas?

For Camso, a global leader in commercial off-road tires and track systems, their objective for this year’s show was clear: Increase brand awareness and attract a steady flow of engaged attendees by showcasing their heavy-duty solutions in a way that reflected the strength and durability of their products.

To bring this vision to life, they 62 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

partnered with One Stop Expo, marking the beginning of a new collaboration. The result was a bold, 30x50 double-deck exhibit that combined open accessibility with high-impact design—proving that even in a show defined by massive machinery, thoughtful structure and visual storytelling can command attention.

DESIGNED FOR FLOW, BUILT FOR PRESENCE One Stop Expo strategically designed an open-floor plan to maximize traffic flow.

Product zones were clearly defined along the perimeter, ensuring Camso’s solutions were visible and approachable from every angle.

At the center, a welcoming meeting and lounge area created space for deeper conversations, while above, a mezzanine level offered a more private setting for business discussions. An overhead hanging sign reinforced visibility across the expansive show floor, helping anchor the booth within the surrounding environment.

MODULAR MAGIC: VISUAL IMPACT THAT PERFORMS As a Las Vegas-based exhibit and event production partner, One Stop Expo is well versed in creating hybrid custom-rental exhibits that stand out on a crowded show floor.

Aluvision Omni-55 frames formed the backbone of the modular booth.

Aluvision’s Omni series can be clad in both solid and SEG infill, and provided the strength needed to support such long-span structures while maintaining a clean, polished aesthetic. Customfabricated frames and details were seamlessly integrated, resulting in a unique design without compromising consistency and precision.

Both sides of the booth were outfitted with Aluvision lightboxes to augment the larger-than-life visuals and key messaging of the brand specifically placed on the aisles to draw in attendees. A front-facing LED screen made of Aluvision Hi-LED P2.5 tiles framed by Aluvision Constru

LED line doubled as a privacy wall for the enclosed upstairs meeting room and a dynamic billboard for Camso.

Aluvision’s award-winning Hi-LED tiles in 2.5 mm pixel pitch were selected for their optimal balance between highresolution image quality and ideal viewing distance within the booth environment.

The main component of the 1,500 sq. ft. booth was the double deck: Aluvision’s versatile, modular Flexdeck.

A DOUBLE DECK TO ELEVATE ANY EXPERIENCE One Stop Expo chose Aluvision’s double deck for its ease of construction, adaptability, and customizability.

Engineered to streamline the design and build process, the award-winning Flexdeck is 100% compatible with all Aluvision systems and can be outfitted for any infill. Most unique, the underside ceiling of the Flexdeck easily integrates Aluvision frames and T-bright corner LED line for built-in lighting, and the upper railings use Aluvision’s Constru structural profile with built-in options for regular covers or programmable RGBW LED line edge-lighting.

Structurally sound and aesthetically pleasing, the Flexdeck offers 20 feet of free span per unit without requiring cross braces for stability.

One Stop Expo used these features to their client’s advantage, creating an intriguing yet private mezzanine for Camso to conduct meetings during the show. Aluvision Basic-55 glass frames and door finished the enclosure, offering a polished, professional environment.

Incorporating the Flexdeck not only expanded usable space but introduced a dynamic visual layer that elevated the overall presence of Camso at CONEXPOCON/AGG. QUICK CONNECTIONS, LASTING IMPRESSIONS The plug-and-play connection of Aluvision’s systems allowed for a streamlined installation and dismantle process, with solutions designed for @EXHIBITCITYNEWS

One Stop Expo expertly integrated Aluvision’s award-winning modular systems to the 30x50 booth

quick assembly and precise alignment.

This reduced on-site labor time and simplified logistics.

Additionally, the compatibility between modular components and custom-built elements enabled a seamless integration process, ensuring that even bespoke features could be executed efficiently without added complexity.

The result was not only a highperforming exhibit, but also measurable savings in time and labor—benefits that extended directly to Camso.

A STRONG FIRST COLLABORATION For a first-time partnership, the outcome exceeded expectations. Camso responded positively to the booth’s professional look, strong visual presence, and overall execution. The space successfully supported product showcasing,

facilitated meaningful client interactions, and attracted consistent foot traffic throughout the event.

More importantly, the project laid the groundwork for continued collaboration.

While this design was developed as a oneoff concept specifically for this event, similar design elements and concepts are planned to be adapted and applied for future shows.

At an event defined by scale and competition, One Stop Expo demonstrated how thoughtful design, combined with versatile modular systems, can deliver a booth that not only stands tall, but performs. These elements created a cohesive visual experience—one that not only attracted attention but reinforced the strength and reliability associated with the Camso brand.

Learn more about One Stop Expo: onestopexpo.com Learn more about Aluvision: aluvision.com

Aluvision Flexdeck: Versatile & efficient, 100% compatible with Aluvision systems

ExhibitCityNews.com Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 63

CONVENTION CENTER SPOTLIGHT

EAT If you’ve got the money, Oak Steakhouse (801 Clark Pl) is the place to go in Nashville. Less than a mile away from Music City Center, this vegetarian-friendly steakhouse is a modern, business dinner ideal spot. Start with shrimp or oysters, then move on to the bone-in ribeye, Japanese A5 wagyu, or the massive 48-ounce. prime tomahawk. For dessert, the chocolate cake is regarded as one of the best in the state of Tennessee.

If you’re watching your food budget, Music City has you covered with Assembly Food Hall (5055 Broadway Pl). Less than two blocks from the convention center, Assembly Food Hall has over 30 eateries and bars to choose from. There’s pho, shawarma, cheesesteak, bars, and even shaved ice and cotton candy if you just want dessert.

SLEEP

Nashville’s Music City Center

by Kerstan Szczepanski

N

ashville’s Music City Center (MCC) (201 Rep. John Lewis Way South) opened in May 2013 as a completely new facility to replace the aging Nashville Convention Center. The location chosen for the complex was Black Bottom, a section of downtown so named because of the muddy residue left on streets after flooding from the Cumberland River.

South of Broadway, the neighborhood became known as SoBro. More than 15,000 people attended the Grand Opening celebration.

In addition to live music and food, attendees could ride a zip line through the exhibit hall.

The 2.1 million-square-foot venue has 353,000 square feet of exhibit space, two ballrooms, 60 meeting rooms, and a 1,800-space covered garage (the largest in Nashville). It’s largest ballroom is over 57,000 square feet and the Nashville Songwriters Hall

64 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

of Fame is located inside the building. Gold LEED certified, the center sports a four acre green roof, 845 solar panels, and an underground 360,000 gallon stormwater runoff cistern. Four beehives on the roof produce over 100 pounds of honey each year.

Adjacent to the MCC is the Country Music Hall of Fame and Bridgestone Arena. Within, hundreds of pieces of artwork from Tennessee, Georgia, and Kentucky residents are on display. Music City Center continues to host CMA Fest, Con of Thrones, IMX, NACUA’s Annual Conference, and the Music City Sports Festival.

The Schermerhorn Symphony Center (home of the Nashville Symphony), Printer’s Alley (sometimes called the Bourbon Street of Nashville), The Riverfront Park, and various museums nearby, make Music City Center a cultural hub of the country music capital of the world.

Not looking for a long walk to the convention from your hotel? You’re not going to do better than Omni Nashville Hotel (250 Rep. John Lewis Way S).

Less than .2 miles away, you can go from their rooftop pool and hot tub to that seminar in minutes. The full service spa and a live music bar will help the wind down from convention energy.

Noelle (200 Fourth Ave. N) is a 1920s classical revival style structure that has been on the National Registry of Historic Places since 1984. Serving as a hotel, then office building, in 2017 it was converted back to an upscale stay with all the personal touches that define a boutique hotel.

PLAY When you’re in the country music capital of the world you shouldn’t pass up a chance to visit the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (222 Rep. John Lewis Way S). Essentially right by the convention center, the museum also ties into Hatch Show Print tours and provides access to Historic RCA Studio B experiences.

For live music, check out Lower Broadway (between 2nd Ave and 5th Ave), the four-block “Honky Tonk Highway” with live music, rooftop bars, and more.

WE CAPTURE WHAT OTHERS MISS ORDER YOUR EXHIBIT PHOTOS TODAY!

(781) 715-1216 INFO@EXPOSURESLTD.COM WWW.EXPOSURESLTD.COM @EXHIBITCITYNEWS

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ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Han Leenhouts is board member of IFES and CLC Vecta Netherlands, as well as a seasoned exhibition expert and trainer. Leading Sales & Pepper for 21 years, he coaches thousands of exhibitors on storytelling, mindset selling, and engagement strategies. A former DJ, Han infuses presentations with humor and authenticity, making complex insights actionable and memorable.

HI vs. AI: Beyond the Algorithm

BY HAN LEENHOUTS | ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON STORYLINK CREATIVE’S BLOG

Tradeshows have always promised opportunity. New business. New relationships. New momentum. Yet for many exhibitors, the post-show feeling is familiar: a big investment, plenty of activity, and only vague answers when someone asks what it actually delivered.

Now, with AI accelerating everything from booth concepts to messaging and follow-up summaries, the temptation is growing to automate more of the exhibition experience. But that is exactly where many teams get it wrong. Because at a tradeshow, conversion still happens in the oldest interface we have: one human being meeting another.

AI can help you design faster, write smarter, and organize better. But it cannot replace presence. It cannot read hesitation in a visitor’s posture. It cannot sense when someone wants to be approached, when 66 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

they need space, or when a quick question could unlock a meaningful commercial conversation. In the end, the algorithm can support the moment, but Human Intelligence wins it. That is the real message: Tradeshows remain a profoundly human arena. And that handshake still matters.

The Real ROI Problem Many companies say tradeshows are too expensive and the ROI is too hard to measure. But often the problem is not the show. It is the lack of clarity going in. If a team cannot define what success looks like before the doors open, disappointment is almost guaranteed afterward. A good exhibition strategy starts with a simple but often neglected question: What result would make this event worthwhile?

That means setting both quantitative and qualitative goals. How many qual-

ified conversations do you want? How many post-show meetings? Which target accounts matter most? What kind of visitor is worth your time, and what kind is not? Without that clarity, even a beautiful booth becomes guesswork.

Always keep in mind that exhibiting at a tradeshow does not guarantee leads. It gives you something more demanding and more valuable: opportunity. Exhibiting is a license to hunt. By signing up for booth space at a show, you are not buying outcomes.

You are buying the right to create them.

The Booth is Judged in Seconds Visitors do not carefully analyze every stand they pass. They scan. They decide fast. They behave, in effect, like they are swiping through options. That is why a first impression is not a detail. It is the beginning of the sale.

Before a word is spoken, people read posture, energy, facial expression, and openness. Is the team welcoming? Alert?

Interested? Or do they look like gatekeepers protecting the entrance? Are they more like a bouncer or a gym guy? The first is too closed, too guarded. The other is too eager, too intense. Neither invites the right conversation.

The goal is to be swipe-ready: open, present, approachable, and aligned with your brand. This is not performance in the superficial sense. It is professional awareness. Your body is part of your communication. At the booth edge, stance, eye contact, hand placement, and timing all shape whether someone walks on or slows down.

Human Intelligence is Front-Stage AI has made striking progress. It can generate stand visuals in seconds, draft marketing language, mimic voices, summarize meetings, and support lead handling. Used well, it is a powerful backstage assistant. But the danger begins when teams try to outsource the human part of commercial interaction.

A machine can produce a thank-you email. It cannot judge whether sending it immediately feels smart or absurd. It cannot sense whether the person is still at the booth, still processing the conversation, or still needs one more minute of real attention before being pushed into automation. That is the distinction that matters: AI can draft, but HI decides.

The same applies to booth behavior. AI cannot carry presence. It cannot replace warmth, intent, timing, humor, empathy, or disciplined listening. It cannot create trust in the subtle, fast-moving conditions of a live event. That is why the most relevant question is also the simplest one: How much AI is in that handshake?

Engage, Qualify, Follow Up Tradeshow performance becomes much clearer when reduced to three responsibilities: engage, qualify, follow up.

First, engage. Do not wait passively and hope the right visitors magically enter your stand. Attention is expensive, and @EXHIBITCITYNEWS

passivity burns money. Teams must approach visitors with confidence and tact.

Not aggressively, but proactively. That distinction matters. Too little initiative and opportunities disappear. Too much pressure and people retreat. The sweet spot is respectful momentum: a question, a remark, an invitation, an opening.

Second, qualify. Not every conversation deserves the same amount of time. Booth teams need a simple way to determine who this person is, why they are here, why they stopped, what challenge they have, and what next step makes sense.

This is where commercial discipline separates activity from progress.

Third, follow up. Without ownership, deadlines, and clear next actions, even strong booth conversations evaporate.

This is where many exhibitors lose the value they worked hard to create. A tradeshow lead without follow-up is not a lead. It is an anecdote.

Every Visitor has a Shopping List Visitors rarely arrive empty-headed. They come with questions, priorities, pain points, and comparisons already in mind. In other words, they arrive with a shopping list. Your job is not simply to present what you want to say. Your job is to discover what they came to find and make yourself relevant to it. One of the strongest booth questions is therefore not a pitch, but an invitation: What are you hoping to find today?

That question does several things at once. It lowers resistance. It shows respect. It gives context. And it allows your team to connect one relevant value hook to one real visitor need. This is a better route than pushing information too early.

Because at the stand, relevance beats volume every time. After all, people do not buy in the order many companies sell.

They start with the heart: the emotional impression of the brand, the feeling of trust, the sense that this might be worthwhile.

Then comes the belly: the human experience of the interaction. How did the team behave? Did they feel comfortable?

Respected? Understood? Did the energy fit the promise?

Only then does the head fully engage: the logic, the offer, the business case, the practical next step.

This matters because many exhibitors focus almost entirely on the head. Features, claims, technical details, rational proof. Those matter, but too early they often land flat. If the feeling is wrong and the behavior is off, logic struggles to rescue the conversation.

HI is a Business Tool Exhibit-marketing success is deeply dependent on the people you put in your booth. A strong stand with the wrong crew under-performs. A modest stand with a sharp, enthusiastic team often exceeds expectations. That is why booth staffing should never be treated as a scheduling exercise alone. Enthusiasm matters. Intent matters. Training matters. Presence matters.

The best booth staffers are people who want to be there. They are better at reading the room, asking the next question, and carrying the brand with credibility.

Bottom line: Good stands are not enough, but good crews win the day.

AI Belongs Backstage.

HI Closes the Deal.

The tradeshow industry does not need less AI. It needs better judgment about where AI belongs. Use it to draft concepts. Use it to sharpen messaging. Use it to summarize notes, structure data, and support follow-up workflows. With consent and care, use it where it saves time and improves consistency. But do not hand over the human moment.

Because the decisive moments at a tradeshow are still live, fast, emotional, imperfect, and deeply interpersonal. They happen in posture, tone, timing, curiosity, confidence, and trust. They happen when someone feels seen rather than processed.

Mastery is what turns floor traffic into pipeline. Not the booth alone. Not the script alone. Not the software alone. At the stand, Human Intelligence is center stage. And that handshake is still doing more work than the algorithm.

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CORPORATE PROFILE

What Is Oracle “NetSuite Next” and Who Is “Claude”

by Rick Kostopoulos, CEO and President, ConventionSuite by NewGen Business Solutions

I

f there is one key lesson from our ConventionSuite clients, it is this.

They have reached something close to the holy grail of business systems. They no longer struggle with duplicate data.

Everything exists in one place. Everyone works from the same information.

But technology never stands still.

Even when a system is working well, businesses still need to improve, adapt, and prepare for the future. This is where NetSuite Next and artificial intelligence (AI) tools like Claude come in.

What is NetSuite Next NetSuite Next is the latest AI enhanced evolution of the Oracle NetSuite platform. It brings AI directly into your everyday operations, making it a natural extension of how your business already works.

In simple terms, it helps companies run their entire business in one system. This includes CRM, financial management and accounting, sales, inventory management, eCommerce, event management, and analytics and reporting.

The biggest benefit is what is called a single source of truth. This means everyone in the company sees the same accurate and up to date information. There are no conflicting spreadsheets. There is no guessing. There is just one shared system.

Where ConventionSuite Fits In ConventionSuite is built specifically for the event industry. It connects with Net68 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

Suite to help venues, exhibit companies, and event service providers manage their operations in one place.

A simple way to think about it is this.

NetSuite is the core business system.

ConventionSuite is the layer built on top of it for the event industry. Together they create one connected system where data flows across all departments.

What is Claude Claude is an AI assistant that can connect directly to NetSuite.

Instead of clicking through menus or building reports manually, users can simply ask questions in everyday language.

Claude then uses secure connections to:

» Read business data in NetSuite » Analyze information » Help create or update records » Automate routine tasks This works through a secure connection framework that allows AI and business systems to communicate safely.

What Claude Can Do Here are some simple examples of how it is used.

Financial questions » What was our profit last month? » How are we performing this quarter?

Finding information » Find invoice number 12345. » Show all customers in Arizona.

Managing records » Create a new sales order. » Update inventory levels for this item.

Automating work » Sending emails » Triggering approvals » Flagging important changes in data Advanced analysis » Instead of writing database queries, you can simply ask: » Show all events with high labor costs this year Why ERP and AI Together Matter AI is powerful, but it needs structure to be useful. Business systems like ERP provide that structure. For example, if a booth uses a certain carpet color, the

system can suggest matching chairs from inventory. That only works if the data is organized correctly.

Behind the scenes, everything is connected:

» Inventory affects billing » Billing affects accounting » Accounting affects reporting This is why automation has to respect how business systems actually work.

The Bigger Challenge AI can explore many possibilities at once. That can be helpful, but it also creates complexity.

Different materials can change costs

» Labor choices can impact budgets » Event types can affect resource needs AI can help identify patterns, but only if the underlying business data is clean and well structured. Without that, you do not make better decisions. You just get more noise.

Looking Ahead The real opportunity is combining ERP systems, industry-specific tools, and AI assistants. Together they create a more connected and intelligent way to run operations. The goal is not just automation. The goal is better planning, clearer visibility, and fewer surprises.

Final Thought This is not about replacing systems or people. It is about connecting everything so businesses can see one clear version of the truth and make better decisions from it.

That is what “Next” is really about.

Rick Kostopoulos is an ERP expert with over 28 years in the industry. He is the founder, President, and CEO of NewGen Business Solutions, and the creator of ConventionSuite, the only NetSuite-powered ERP built for the events, venue, and tradeshows industry. Email sales@newgennow.com for more information. conventionsuite.com

TECHNOLOGY

A new production-related requirement in the 2026 National Electrical Code® Multicable power distribution and emerging issues with system compatibility

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BY MITCH HEFTER AND STEVE TERRY

BACKGROUND FOR MANY YEARS, entertainment events and productions around the world have relied on multicable power distribution systems featuring a 6-circuit, 19-pin Socapex-type connector.

As the popularity of these systems grew, they began to be used in a wide variety of portable power distribution applications.

In addition to typical lighting applications, new uses emerged in other systems such as video and audio. This growth resulted in systems using the 19-pin connector at different voltages and often employing incompatible pinout configurations.

208 V in North America) and pinout configurations could be inter-mated, this created a significant potential safety hazard.

Adding to the problem was the huge worldwide rental inventory of 19-pin Socapex-type cables. For practical and economic reasons, these cables and the connector type were unlikely to change to a different connector for each voltage. To make matters worse, these cable systems are highly portable, which means that incompatible components from different manufacturers or rental shops can often be found on the same production or event.

CODE COMPLIANCE CHALLENGES Beyond the safety implications, the mixing of systems operating at different voltages or with incompatible configurations violated a requirement outlined in the National Electrical Code (NEC). Specifically, this section of the NEC was ignored by the 19-pin multicable systems: 406.12(F) Noninterchangeable types Receptacles connected to circuits that have different voltages, frequencies, or types of current (ac or dc) on the same premises shall be of such design that the attachment plugs used on these circuits are not interchangeable.

Image description: A 6-Circuit, 19-pin Socapex-type Breakout Assembly is wrapped carefully.

Each circuit is labeled for easy identification. Photo courtesy of Lex Products.

The primary concern arises from the use of the same 19pin Socapex-type multipole connector across all these systems. Because connectors with different voltages (120 V and 70 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

Because systems covered by NEC Article 520 (Theaters and Similar Locations) can modify the general NEC requirements [see Section 90.3], a new section 520.68(D) was added to the 2023 edition covering Special-Purpose Multicircuit Cable Systems. This was further modified in the 2026 edition:

520.68(D) Special-purpose multicircuit cable systems Special-purpose multicircuit cable systems shall comply with the following requirements:

» (1) Branch circuits shall be rated at not more than 20 amperes and not more than 150 volts to ground.

» (2) Trunk cable types shall be extra-hard usage (hard service) or hard usage (junior hard service).

» (3) The ampacity of trunk cables shall be determined in accordance with Table 520.44(C)(2)(1).

» (4) Trunk cables, breakout assemblies, and multi-circuit enclosures shall be listed or approved.

» (5) Section 406.12(F) shall not apply to multicircuit, multipole plugs or receptacles that are part of a special-purpose multi-circuit cable system.

» (6) When deployed, all multicircuit, multipole connectors shall be clearly

marked to uniquely identify the pinout configuration type of the connector and the voltage of the branch circuits serviced by the connector. » (7) Only qualified persons shall deploy and operate special purpose multicircuit cable systems.

Informational Note: See ANSI/ESTA E1.80-2024, Pinout Configuration Types for Special-Purpose Multicircuit Cable Systems, for information on pinout configuration types.

ESTA CREATES A NEW ANSI STANDARD THAT WILL NOW BE NEEDED IN EVERY PRODUCTION ELECTRICIAN’S WORKBOX To aid compliance with 520.68(D)(6) and avoid marking complexities, the ESTA Electrical Power Working Group created a new standard in record time: ANSI/ESTA E1.80-2024, Pinout Configuration Types for Special-Purpose Multicircuit Cable Systems. E1.80 is available for free download at https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php

and was created to provide a well-understood catalog of the details of various pinout configurations in current use around the world. The standard created a unique and short Pinout Configuration Type for each configuration. This encourages simple marking of 19-pin connectors with a commonly understood label.

Excerpts of Tables 1 & 2 from ANSI/ESTA E1.80-2024

Table Key: L = Ungrounded Circuit Conductor; commonly known as “Hot” or “Phase”.

N = Grounded Circuit Conductor; commonly known as “Neutral”.

NC = no connection G = Grounding Conductor; commonly known as “Ground” in North America and “Earth” in Europe.

120V Type U North American pinout configuration originated by USITT RP-1.

208V Type C North American pinout configuration also found in BS7909 Annex H as Type C. 240V Type C North American pinout configuration - a voltage derivative of 208V TYPE C. 208V Type D North American pinout configuration also found in BS7909 Annex H as Type D. 208V Type E North American pinout configuration also found in BS7909 Annex H as Type E. 230V Type A European pinout configuration found in BS7909 Annex H as Type A and DIN15765 Table 3 No 7.

@EXHIBITCITYNEWS

ExhibitCityNews.com Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 71

TECHNOLOGY

A definition of this term and related terms were also added to Article 100: Article 100 - Definitions Special-purpose multicircuit cable system A portable branch-circuit distribution system consisting of one or more trunk cables and optional breakout assemblies or multicircuit outlet enclosures. (520) (CMP-15) Trunk cable A portable extension cable containing six or more branch circuits, a male multipole plug, and a female multipole receptacle. (520) (CMP-15)

Pinout configuration The assignment of electrical functions to connector pins in a multicircuit connector. (CMP-15) SOLVING THE INTERCHANGEABILITY PROBLEM Two of the seven requirements that were included in the new section are directly related to the non-interchangeability requirement of 406.12(F): 520.68(D)(5). Section 406.12(F) shall not apply to multicircuit, multipole plugs or receptacles that are part of a special-purpose multicircuit cable system.

520.68(D)(7). Only qualified persons shall deploy and operate special-purpose multicircuit cable systems.

These two requirements created a permission for use of multipole connectors operating at different voltages in the same facility if that facility is a theater or similar location covered by Article 520. But on their own, these requirements did not address the problem of identification of the voltage and pinout configuration of a given multipole connector that is part of a special-purpose multicircuit cable system. That problem was solved through new marking requirement (6) and a new informational note: 520.68(D)(6) When deployed, all multicircuit, multipole connectors shall be clearly marked to uniquely identify the pinout configuration type of the connector and the voltage of the branch circuits serviced by the connector.

Informational Note: See ANSI/ESTA E1.80-2024, Pinout Configuration Types for Special-Purpose Multicircuit Cable Systems, for information on pinout configuration types.

72 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

Image descriptions: Two examples of labeling for a trunk cable. On the left, the cable reads 120V TYPE U ANSI E1.80. On the right, the cable reads 208V TYPE C ANSI E1.80.

THE NEW NEC WORD “DEPLOYED” AND ITS IMPORTANCE Components of a special-purpose multicircuit cable system are migratory in the entertainment industry. Trunk cables may be used in different voltages and applications on different productions or events. Therefore, the marking requirements of 520.68(D)(6) cannot be accomplished at time of manufacture and connectors must be marked for a specific production or event. This was new territory in the NEC, where the word “install” is more typical, and required the additional definition of the word “Deploy”: Article 100 - Definitions Deploy (Deployed) The use of portable equipment for the duration required by the event or production for which it is used. (CMP-15) Bonus: This “new” term is also useful in avoiding misinterpretation/misapplication by the Authority Having Jurisdiction (usually your local electrical inspector) of Article 590 – Temporary Installations to entertainment industry shows and events.

CONCLUSION The creation of the ANSI/ESTA E1.80 standard and its inclusion by reference in the National Electrical Code provides a tangible example of the usefulness and power of the ESTA Technical Standards Program (TSP). This article describes the complex and multi-faceted solution to an entertainment industry problem; the combined efforts of the ESTA TSP and industry members of NEC Panel 15 made it happen in a very short timeframe. For the TSP to succeed and be stable, support through membership and financial contributions is critical.

Special thanks to Hans Lau for his exceptional leadership of the E1.80 Task Group in developing this standard in just a year and for identifying the term “deploy,” allowing us to update the NEC and our practices.

Photo courtesy of Lex Products.

Breakout assembly An adapter used to connect a multipole connector containing two or more branch circuits to multiple individual branch-circuit connectors. (520) (CMP-15)

Photo courtesy of Lex Products.

TEMPORARY INSTALLATIONS VS ENTERTAINMENT LIGHTING & EQUIPMENT

National Electrical Code® Article 590 is titled “Temporary Installations.” Some believe this applies to equipment and practices for portable gear covered by Article 520 – Theaters, Audience Areas of Motion Picture and Television Studios, Performance Areas, and Similar Locations and Article 530 – Motion Picture and Television Studios and Remote Locations.

While several requirements in the 520 and 530 are similar to requirements in 590, the difference is that the equipment we use is portable and listed for use under 520 and 530.

Comparing the scopes of these articles (extracted from the 2026 edition of the NEC – emphasis is by the authors): 520.1 This article covers all buildings or that part of a building or structure, indoor or outdoor, designed or used for presentation, dramatic, musical, motion picture projection, or similar purposes and to specific audience seating areas within motion picture or television studios.

530.1 The requirements of this article shall apply to motion picture and television studios in facilities and locations staffed by qualified persons, except as provided in 520.1. Such occupancies shall include those using either electronic or film cameras for image capture.

590.1 The provisions of this article apply to temporary electric power and lighting installations.

One key point in this discussion is that 590 applies to installations. Portable equipment under articles 520 and 530 is not installed, it is deployed. We now have the definition

of “deploy” in the 2026 NEC. We deploy our gear, not install.

The common misinterpretation of Article 590 is applying 590.5’s time constraints to deployments under 520 or 530.

590.5(A) “… permitted during the period of construction, remodeling, maintenance, repair, or demolition of buildings, structures, equipment, or similar activities.”

We do not fall under “similar activities.”

590.5(B) “… permitted for a period not to exceed 90 days for holiday decorative lighting and similar purposes.”

Our equipment is not holiday decorative lighting (holiday decorative lighting is typically covered by UL standard 588 - Standard for Seasonal Holiday Decorative Products).

Historical note: the article on Temporary Installations was covered in Article 305 until 2002, where it was moved to Article 527. This relocation added confusion since it was in the middle of the “entertainment” articles. It was moved to Article 590 in the next cycle, 2005, where it remains through the 2026 edition.

With the information above and the new Code term “deploy,” any remaining confusion resulting in misapplication of Article 590 should be something of the past.

Image descriptions: Illustrations of lights. Top Right: Two yellow cage lights. Above: A string of multi-color holiday lights. Images courtesy of Mitch Hefter.

Mitch Hefter is the Principal at Mitch Hefter Consulting, which he established after over 45 years working for lighting control manufacturers. He is a member of the ESTA Technical Standards Council and is Co-Chair of the Electrical Power Working Group. He has represented the Illuminating Engineering Society on NEC Panel 15 since 1997 and USITT on Panel 13 since 2021. Mitch is also Chair of the IES Lighting Control Systems Committee.

Mitch is an ETCP SME and serves on several Underwriters Laboratories Technical Panels. @EXHIBITCITYNEWS

Steve Terry is the Director of Standards & Industry Relations at ETC. He is a member of the ESTA Technical Standards Council and the Electrical Power Working Group. He has represented USITT on NEC Panel 15 since 1994 and Panel 13 since 2021.

Steve is an ETCP SMEs and serves on several Underwriters Laboratories Technical Panels.

This article was originally published in Protocol Magazine, Spring 2026.

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CORPORATE PROFILE

KTSV: A Legacy of Innovation Driving Mobile Marketing

Kentucky Trailer Specialty Vehicles (KTSV) builds innovative, durable custom mobile environments for marketing, experiential, and mission critical service applications.

by Mark Hebert

W

ith more than a century of manufacturing experience and the resources of Marmon Holdings, KTSV brings rare depth, financial stability, and long term program support to every custom vehicle it builds.

Throughout its more than 100 years in business, Kentucky Trailer has continued to adapt with the times, from its origins as the Kentucky Wagon Company in the late 1800s to its divisions today serving the transportation and mobile service needs of a wide range of customers and industries.

In 2003, Kentucky Trailer acquired Michigan-based Trailer Technologies Holdings LLC, expanding its custom specialty trailer capabilities through the new Kentucky Trailer Technologies division.

The division served markets including medical, education, government, food service, telecommunications, disaster response, financial services, broadcast, hospitality, and marketing, and stood out from the competition for product innovation and competitive project timelines.

74 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

The company evolved again when it joined the Marmon Holdings family, a Berkshire Hathaway company. With Marmon’s resources, connections, and focus on innovation, the newly rebranded Kentucky Trailer Specialty Vehicles (KTSV) expanded its ability to supply highly specialized custom trailers, trucks, and other vehicles for applications tied to a customer’s mission, product, or service.

KTSV has built on its legacy of innovation, along with Marmon’s resources and ideas, to shape the next generation of mobile solutions. KTSV has made significant investments to innovate systems including onboard power, climate control, audio-visual systems, and interactive presentation and display capabilities to increase uptime, engagement and comfort while reducing operating costs. KTSV’s skilled workforce of electrical, mechanical, plumbing, paint, and interior finish and assembly technicians work closely with the engineering team to improve durability and longevity, while reducing over-the-road weight to

accommodate today’s increasing cargo needs. Through repeatable engineering and continuous innovation, KTSV has established itself as the industry leader in specialty vehicle performance and design.

In mobile marketing and experiential programs, KTSV’s expandable-room technology and flexible interior design enable brands to create high impact, immersive experiences while maintaining portability and operational efficiency— allowing a single asset to serve multiple campaigns, audiences, and markets.

Those mobile marketing solutions can be customized to appeal to targeted audiences and settings. Interior components can be configured for fixed displays, interactive immersive exhibits, or a combination of both, allowing one unit to serve a wider variety of events. For brands that want to take products and presentations directly to customers, that flexibility can extend the value of a mobile asset across multiple markets and formats.

At the heart of KTSV’s success are the skilled men and women whose expertise, craftsmanship, and pride in their work define every vehicle they build. From engineering and fabrication to electrical, paint, and final assembly, their people bring unmatched attention to detail and a deep understanding of what it takes to deliver reliable, high performance custom specialty vehicles. Their commitment to quality and continuous improvement is the true strength behind their operation—and the reason KTSV is recognized as the standard in custom specialty vehicle manufacturing.

KTSV vehicles are engineered for long service life, repeatable performance, and ease of maintenance—helping customers protect their investment and extend the value of their mobile programs over time.

As demand for flexible, high impact mobile solutions continues to grow, KTSV remains focused on helping customers bring their mission, brand, or service directly to the people they serve. Learn more at ktsv.com or contact their team at (800) 521 9701 to start the conversation.

π YOU'RE INVITED

TO SHOP EVENT SUPPLIES

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ORDER BY 6 PM FOR SAME DAY SHIPPING CORRUGATED TRASH CANS

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ExhibitCityNews.com Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 75

RESTAURANTS

Backstage Boss

Alessandro Barbisotti on Purpose, Partnership, and the Power of Showing Up

by Mark Hebert

A

t 17, Alessandro Barbisotti found himself on a plane to Moscow, headed to work as a waiter in a VIP restaurant inside a tradeshow pavilion. It was a favor to his former boss, but it marked the beginning of a global career in hospitality.

Now the founder and president of Backstage Catering, Barbisotti runs a company that delivers full-service catering and exhibition support in more than 20 countries.

From Milan and London, he leads teams across Europe, Asia, and North America, helping exhibitors focus on clients while his crews handle equipment, staffing, and fresh meals cooked on-site.

“I don’t just want to send food,” Barbisotti says. “I want to solve problems.”

For Barbisotti, that means creating hospitality that feels familiar no matter where a client is exhibiting. His goal is to make customers feel at home anywhere in the world, pairing highly professional service with flavors and menus that reflect the client’s own culture.

76 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

Barbisotti started Backstage Catering in 1994 after years of working internationally, from Germany and the United Kingdom to Australia and the United States. By the time he was 24, he had worked on six continents and realized he wanted a business that would keep him globally connected while remaining rooted in his home country.

“I wanted to keep traveling,” he says. “But I also wanted to build something that let me bring value wherever I went.”

The company specializes in exhibition hospitality, supporting everything from 70-square-meter booths to sprawling 5,000-square-meter pavilions. Services include kitchen staff, service personnel, hosts and hostesses, logistics, beverages, equipment, and fresh ingredients.

Barbisotti’s teams cook on-site each day to ensure quality and flexibility, especially when attendance spikes without warning.

More than logistics, Barbisotti sees his work as building long-term partnerships with clients. “The people who understand what we offer keep coming back,”

he says. “We make it easier for them to succeed, not just feed their guests.”

His approach is rooted in the idea that tradeshow hospitality should not be stressful. By providing centralized catering support and global connections, Backstage Catering helps clients avoid coordinating separate local food, beverage, staffing, equipment, and service providers in each market. Clients work with one point of contact who understands local regulations, cultural expectations, menus, and exhibition timelines.

“Every hour we save them is time they can spend on strategy or with their families,” Barbisotti says. “That matters.”

That belief in purpose runs through his leadership style.

Barbisotti says the most important thing he looks for in a new hire is not their résumé but their mindset. “I tell everyone: if you’re here just to collect a paycheck, this may not be the right place,” he says. “But if you want to grow, there is space for you.”

His team spans continents, but he stays closely involved.

Barbisotti describes Backstage Catering as a large

family, where each employee is part of the project and takes responsibility for its success. He says team members are encouraged to think like entrepreneurs, sharing goals, finding solutions, and taking ownership of the client experience.

Backstage Catering is also known for its commitment to sustainability. The company offers biodegradable materials, customizable organic menus, and even furniture made from recyclable cardboard. Barbisotti says that while some clients initially hesitate, many grow to appreciate the value of more ethical and environmentally responsible options. “It’s about doing things the right way, not just the easy way,” he says.

Despite a travel schedule that takes him to more than 140 cities a year, Barbisotti still lights up when talking about the places he’s worked, from Australia’s Great Ocean Road to the human connection he finds in Asia.

“In some parts of the world, the approach to people and business is more genuine,” he says. “It reminds you why you started in the first place.”

After three decades, what still excites him most is solving problems and making each client’s life easier.

“I’m not interested in just showing up,” he says. “I want to leave things better than I found them.”

Founded in 1994, Backstage Catering provides full-service catering and exhibition hospitality support for tradeshows and events around the world. For more info, visit en.backstagecatering.com.

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FIVE IN FIFTEEN NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

5 places to go within a 15-minute walk of Ernest N. Morial Convention Center

National WWII Museum

Welcome to W The Big Easy

BY KERSTAN SZCZEPANSKI

78 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

hat do you do when there’s no breakout meeting or the panels are done for the day? Where do you go when you need a little time away from the hubbub of convention chaos? Exhibit City News’ 5-in-15 offers five places to go to eat, relax, or simply stay within a 15 minute walk from

the convention center. In New Orleans that means the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (NOENMCC), the convention center of The Big Easy.

Let’s do a two-for-one to start our New Orleans 5-in15, Cochon Butcher and Cochon Restaurant (930 Tchoupitoulas St.). Chefs Donald Link and Stryjewski

New Orleans Marriott Warehouse Arts District

Cochon Butcher / Cochon

side-by-side food venues offer a casual counter service deli, wine bar, and butcher shop at Butcher, and a formal restaurant with traditional Cajun Southern cuisine, within walking distance of NOENMCC. Try the Pork BLT or Lemon Chicken Sandwich at the former, or some fried alligator or rabbit and dumplings at the latter.

Right across the street from the convention center is Mulate’s (201 Julia St.). Known as the Original Cajun Restaurant, the venue celebrates Cajun culture through cuisine and live zydeco music. Chargrilled oysters, chicken and sausage jambalaya, gumbo du jour, and crawfish étouffée are waiting to be topped off with some key lime pie.

Also across the street from the convention center is the New Orleans Marriott Downtown/Convention Center (859 Convention Center Blvd.), close enough to hit with a swing of your Mardi Gras beads. Historic and modern, this ideal convention @EXHIBITCITYNEWS

headquarters is a renovated cotton mill, ready with deluxe bedding, fitness center, pool, Creole restaurant (and bar), and nearly 25,000 square feet of event space if you want to schedule something really close to your room.

Just a five-minute walk from the center lies The Mercantile Hotel (727 South Peters St.), an all-suite stay in the Warehouse District. Free breakfast and WiFi, concierge service, and a business center with internet access await you with highly rated boutique service.

While we can’t recommend Bourbon Street for entertainment (it’s 20–30 minutes away) and we’ve already mentioned Mulate’s for music, we can vouch for some great museum experiences less than 15 minutes from the center.

There’s the famous National World War II Museum (945 Magazine St.), and The Ogden Museum of Southern Art (925 Camp St.) for both a national and Southern cultural experience.

Mulate’s

ExhibitCityNews.com Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 79

RESEARCH AND DATA

cities, and a picture of cost escalation that is, at this point, impossible to dismiss.

The Numbers Don’t Lie. Neither Do Exhibitors.

by Jessica Sibila, The Exhibitor Advocate

E

very year, The Exhibitor Advocate publishes the Annual Survey of Exhibition Rates. Every year, someone in the industry pushes back on the data: the sample size isn’t big enough, the methodology isn’t perfect, the findings don’t apply to their shows. And every year, exhibitors tell us the same thing: “this is exactly what we’re experiencing.”

That gap between what exhibitors feel and what the industry acknowledges is ex-

80 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

actly why this research exists.

Not to point fingers. Not to assign blame. But to create a shared, audited, independent set of facts that everyone at the table can build on.

The 2025 Annual Survey of Exhibition Rates, produced in partnership with Tradeshow Logic and independently audited by EVOLIO Marketing, is the most comprehensive look at exhibitor costs we’ve ever published. Four years of data across 23 major U.S.

What the Data Is Actually Saying The headline numbers get attention, and they should: » Electrical outlet rates surged 18.4 percent in a single year.

This is one of the largest singlecategory increases in the survey’s four-year history. » Material handling base rates rose 9.5 percent to $2.28 per pound, more than three times the national inflation rate of 2.7 percent. » Booth flooring accelerated sharply: carpet up 12.7 percent, rebond padding up 21.0 percent, and visqueen covering up 22.1 percent. » Exhibiting in New York now costs approximately 75 percent more than in Atlanta, the widest geographic spread the survey has recorded. » One bright spot: hanging sign and lift rates dropped 15.3 percent on average, the largest single-category decline in the survey’s history.

But the headline numbers aren’t the whole story. What matters more is the compound effect. Material handling base rates have climbed 21.3 percent since 2022.

Electrical overtime is up 41.2 percent over the same period.

Booth flooring components have risen as much as 33.3 percent. These aren’t one-time anomalies. They’re a pattern.

For someone managing a portfolio of 10, 20, or 30 shows a year, these aren’t line items.

They’re ongoing budget strain.

The Behavioral Shift That Should Get Everyone’s Attention What’s most striking in this year’s data isn’t just what

things cost. It’s what exhibitors are doing about it.

According to The Exhibitor Advocate’s companion research, The Evolving Landscape of Event Marketing, 80 percent of exhibitors now cite cost management as their top challenge. Not lead generation, not staffing, not logistics. Cost.

And 55 percent say increased costs outweigh the value of the investment at some events.

That’s not a dissatisfied fringe. That’s the mainstream exhibitor community making hard decisions. And they are making decisions: » 64 percent are scaling back their overall presence at events » 55 percent are limiting onsite staff attendance » 52 percent are re-evaluating event and exhibit budgets » 43 percent say holding offsite activities is now preferred over exhibiting at some events » 66 percent consider scheduled inperson meetings more effective than tradeshows for some objectives, up from 44 percent just one year prior Here’s what that last stat should signal to the entire industry: exhibitors aren’t giving up on face-to-face. They’re giving up on formats where they can’t justify the cost or prove the value. That distinction matters.

A Note on the Data Itself We know that no dataset is perfect. The 2025 survey is based on publicly available exhibitor manuals and rate forms, across shows of different sizes and sectors. It’s an audited snapshot, not a census. Every show is different.

Every city has nuances. We say so clearly in the report.

But here’s what we also know: the exhibitors filling out

their show service orders aren’t working with perfect information either. They’re working with whatever is in the exhibitor manual. Which sometimes can be difficult to navigate and understand. This survey puts that information in context for the first time, at scale, over four consecutive years. That context, city to city, year to year, category by category, is what makes it useful.

We’re not suggesting these numbers apply uniformly to every show in every market. We are suggesting that show organizers, general contractors, and suppliers who haven’t looked at where their pricing lands relative to these benchmarks, may be missing important conversations with exhibitors.

@EXHIBITCITYNEWS

What This Means for the Industry The exhibition industry is genuinely good at what it does.

Live events create connections that no other channel replicates.

What is questionable is whether the financial model is sustainable for the people funding it, the exhibitors. When more than half say costs outweigh value at some events, and nearly two-thirds are scaling back their presence, that’s not a marketing problem. It’s a structural one.

The path forward isn’t complicated, even if it isn’t easy. It starts with honest conversation and shared data. Show organizers who use this research to nego-

tiate more aggressively on their exhibitors’ behalf with venues, with GCs, with service providers, etc. are the ones who will hold onto their exhibitor base. Those conversations and negotiations will become increasingly important to long-term exhibitor retention.

Suppliers and contractors who can demonstrate transparency and fair pricing relative to market benchmarks will be the ones exhibitors choose to do business with long-term. Trust, once lost, is expensive to rebuild.

And exhibitors: this data is yours. Use it. Compare your invoices to the national averages for your city. Walk into your next budget conversation

with your leadership armed with independent, audited numbers. Know what the market actually looks like before you sign anything.

How to Get the Report The 2025 Annual Survey of Exhibition Rates is available now at www.exhibitoradvocacy.com for $250. Education Subscribers receive complimentary access as part of their $299/year subscription.

The exhibitors and organizers making decisions without this data are negotiating in the dark. Don’t be one of them.

Jessica Sibila is the Executive Director of The Exhibitor Advocate, the only nonprofit association wholly dedicated to tradeshow exhibitor success.

ExhibitCityNews.com Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 81

HISTORY

Failure or Success?

THE NEW ORLEANS STORY

BY BOB MCGLINCY

How does one measure the success of an event?

New Orleans held two world’s fairs, 100 years apart. Each lost money. In the first one, the fair director resigned prior to the close of the show and was later indicted for embezzling over a million dollars. The second fair declared bankruptcy during the run of the show, having the distinction of being the only fair in history to do so. Both New Orleans’ Fairs were dismissed as failures but financials alone do not tell the entire story.

The World’s Industrial Cotton Centennial Exposition New Orleans, 1884 New Orleans’ business leaders wanted to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first cotton shipment from the U.S. with a celebration.

The National Cotton Planners Association proposed the idea in 1882, and it would be the third southern city to host a world’s fair. Like their predecessors, New Orleans hoped to show northern investors that the south was ripe for investment. They believed that by bringing cotton farmers and manufacturers together, the local economy would benefit.

The Exposition opened December 16, 1884. Four miles from the downtown area, and stretching from the mighty Mississippi to Saint Charles Avenue, the fair covered 247 acres of plantation land. Rain 82 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

delayed construction, requiring additional crews and overtime work. The fair opened two weeks late. President Chester Arthur, in residence at the White House, launched the event via telegraph, signaling a Corlis steam engine to power the machines at the fair.

The main building, with 1,656,000 square feet of interior exhibit space, covered 33 acres of land. It was larger than many current convention centers, and three times the size of the Louisiana Superdome. Electricity was a focus of this fair and the main hall was lit with 10 times the amount of light in all of New Orleans. In addition to electric lights, there were locomotives, steam engines, and the original Liberty Bell.

The Music Hall housed a giant organ and could seat 11,000 people. The observation hall offered electric elevators, and experimental electric street cars shuttled visitors around the fairgrounds. The smaller Horticultural Hall was modeled after London’s Crystal Palace, and remained on the grounds until it was destroyed by a hurricane in 1950. Other main buildings included: a Government and States Building, the Women’s Department, and the Mexican Mining Pavilion. Fair organizers projected attendance at five million people, but only 1.16 million paid to visit. The fair lost $470,000.

One of the more interesting characters from this fair was “the Major,” a former Confederate officer who allegedly absconded with $1.7 million of Louisiana’s money. Edward A Burke, the owner and editor of the New Orleans Times Democrat, was the state treasurer, and fair director. Burke expanded the fair from the planned national event into an international one. He successfully politicked Congress and solicited a loan of $1 million dollars. He recruited Central American countries to exhibit.

Burke resigned as director in May of 1885, and the fair closed prematurely on June 1.

Burke lost his reelection bid for state treasurer in 1888 and available funds in the treasury were later found to be missing. Burke was out of the country in London at the time of his indictment. He denied any wrongdoing and never returned to New Orleans, living the remainder of his life in Honduras.

After the fair, cotton exports to Mexico and Central America increased signifi-

cantly, and the city’s port gained renewed prominence.

The fairgrounds transformed into the Olmstead-designed Audubon Park, and Victorian homes and people began populating St Charles Avenue.

Despite these benefits, the next world’s fair in the state would not occur for another one hundred years.

The Louisiana World Exposition.

New Orleans, 1984 Before the Fair.

Between 1970 and 1985, the U.S. economy endured four separate recessions. Price for a gallon of gas rose from a national average of $0.33 in 1970 to $0.57 in 1975 and increased to $1.19 per gallon by the summer of 1980 (equivalent to about $4.77 today). The oil crisis of the mid-seventies resulted in long lines at gas pumps and devastated New Orleans’ oil and gas-based economy. Politicians and business leaders sought new ways to improve the local economy and agreed to focus on tourism.

Mardi Gras attracted crowds, but that was only for one to two months out of the year. The Jazz Festival was beginning to attract two hundred thousand fans, but that was only for one week in April. Conventions brought some people and business to the city, but numbers paled in relation to Chicago and Las Vegas. The Rivergate Convention Center opened in 1968 with 130,000 square feet of exhibit space and the Superdome opened in 1975 adding a potential 165,000 square feet of exhibit space; however, both venues combined were smaller than Atlanta’s GWCC which opened in 1976.

The city leaders noticed what other cities had done to entice money-spending visitors. They had watched Seattle, San Antonio, and Spokane attract a combined 20 million people with world’s fairs. They knew Spokane had made a profit of $47 million from the 1974 fair. They decided to host a similar event. They would showcase New Orleans as an international city and enter@EXHIBITCITYNEWS

tain millions from around the world. The theme would be: “The World of Rivers: Fresh Water as a Source of Life.”

New Orleans knew how to throw a party. There would be bands, balloons, floats, fireworks, parades, booze and people. There would be flags, fountains, fun, excitement, music, and memories.

There would be food: oysters, gumbo, crawfish, jambalaya, mango freezes, Frito pies, Belgian waffles, and of course, a variety of fresh seafood.

There would be a German beer garden and specialty alcohol-infused, fair-inspired drinks like “the hand grenade” and “tropical isle.” A riverside building would house displays from 90 nations. There would be plenty to see and to do: the Space Shuttle, an Aquarium, a working oil rig, a water ride, a monorail, a Ferris wheel, a gondola, an aquacade, a kids’ amphitheater, a giant pumping heart. There was a “Great Hall” with 580,000 square feet of exhibit space and “The Wonderwall.”

It sounded great. Unfortunately, the timing was bad.

Two years earlier, Knoxville (only 600 miles away) hosted a fair that drew eleven million people. Disney opened EPCOT, a sort of permanent world’s fair, in October 1982.

Los Angeles hosted the Summer Olympics the same year as the ‘84 fair. Money was tight and discretionary spending was limited. The fair Committee anticipated attendance of 12 million people. Only 7.3 million walked through the turnstiles—and that number included season ticket holders who returned multiple times.

After the Fair.

“Failed Fair Gives New Orleans a Panful Hangover” proclaimed a New York Times headline 12 days after the fair ended. The bottom line: the 1984 New Orleans World’s Fair lost $121 million.

The fair did lose money, but that did not tell the whole story. The fair created an estimated eight to 10 thousand new jobs. 10 new hotels, and at least 6,000 hotel rooms were added to the downtown area. $7.1 million was spent on sidewalk and road improvements in the French Quarter (this amount does not include infrastructure repairs around the fairgrounds). Visitors to the fair spent money. If every visitor spent $20.00 (and out of towners spent considerably more) the total would be greater than the loss of $120 million. The fair transformed the warehouse district from a dilapidated industrial district to a thriving commercial and residential area. The first French Quarter Festival (a direct result of the fair planning) opened one month before the fair and today generates about $300 million in economic impact.

The fair transformed the New Orleans riverfront experience in 1984 and continues to do so today.

It was an investment in the future that reaped amazing results including condos and businesses in the warehouse district, a cruise ship terminal, and the Fulton Street pedestrian mall. However, the two biggest impacts were the Riverwalk New Orleans (Riverwalk) and the New Orleans

Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (NOENMCC).

The original Riverwalk opened in 1986 with 130 retail spaces, generating an estimated $60 million in annual sales. It transformed the riverfront into a tourist attraction, and stimulated investments in the area. In 2014, the (new) outlet collection at Riverwalk supported over 1,000 local jobs and contributed $1.5 billion in retail sales.

Two months after the close of the fair, the “Great Hall” opened as the New Orleans Convention Center. The first show was Heli-Expo 1985, and it would be followed by another 27 events that year. In 1992, the building was named after Ernest “Dutch” Morial, the mayor of New Orleans from 1978—1986, and an early and vocal proponent for the center. The convention business is a dynamic economic engine in New Orleans. It supports 24,000 jobs annually, and contributes over $138 million in tax revenue.

Did the world’s fair make a difference? Consider the total effect of the convention center during the past 40 years, from 1984 to 2024: » Nearly 2,000 major events » 12.8 million attendees » Direct spending of $532.6 million » Over $90 billion in total economic impact History is the ultimate judge of whether a person, or an event, ultimately succeeds or fails. The 1984 world’s fair was intended to revitalize the New Orleans economy by creating a convention center that would continue to bring business to the city.

ExhibitCityNews.com Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 83

ADVOCACY

Working Overtime in Washington, D.C., for our Future Workforce

by Tommy Goodwin

W

hen you think about the future of the tradeshow industry, do you think about Washington, D.C.? Probably not, but maybe next time you should.

In recent years, the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA) has been working overtime in our nation’s capital to advocate for public policies that will help the industry attract and train our next-generation workforce.

Last year, that advocacy resulted in two big workforce development wins in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Section 529 education savings program expansion For 30 years, families have used 529 plans to help their children save for higher education. Sometimes, there would be money left over in the 529 account after college. At other times, college was not the right option for the beneficiary. Until last year, that money was stuck and could not be withdrawn without a big tax penalty.

That money can now be used for processional licenses and industry certifications. This has transformed 529 plans from college savings plans into career savings plans that can help workers secure in-demand good-paying jobs in the tradeshow industry.

84 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

Workforce Pell Grants This year, the federal government will spend $35 billion on Pell Grants to help lower income students afford college. On July 1, the U.S. Department of Education began accepting applications from students for high-quality short-term career-focused training programs.

These new Workforce Pell Grants will help us close the skills gap on show floors nationwide and help ensure that our future workforce will have the job training and credentials that they need for successful careers in the tradeshow industry.

While these two developments will help, ECA is not stopping there. As part of Legislative Action Day in May, more than 200 industry leaders and advocates called on Congress take further action to grow the pool of Americans with the skills necessary to have great careers in our industry.

Pell Grant funding In April, President Donald Trump called on Congress to increase funding for the Pell Grant program by $10.5 billion next year. This funding would help cover a funding shortfall while ensuring ample funding for the new Workforce Pell Grants in 2027 and beyond.

Jumpstart Savings Act While there are great careers to be had in the skilled professions, there can be many costly barriers to entry: tools, equipment, certifications, licensure, apprenticeship expenses, and more. This can keep many hard-working Americans from pursuing this important career path.

Introduced by Rep. Riley Moore from West Virginia, the Jumpstart Savings Act would let individuals and families save money in tax-free accounts for careers in the trades, skilled labor, and apprenticeship-based professions. ECA believes that this legislation will help reduce barriers and further expand opportunities for workers to become part of the tradeshow industry.

Every day, the tradeshow industry creates one-of-a-kind experiences from coast to coast. Our ability to continue this work in the future depends on our collective ability to attract, train, and retain our nation’s next-generation skilled workforce. ECA will continue to do its part on Capitol Hill to make sure that policymakers join us in this important effort.

Tommy Goodwin is President & Chief Executive Officer for the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance, the unified public policy voice of the U.S. business and professional events industry.

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COLUMN The Tradeshow Times

“The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration”

I

Gulfstream, Honda, Kohler, Matco, Oakley, Parker, Phillips 66, Piper Aircraft, Pratt & Whitney, Ray Ban, Shell, Sirius XM Radio, Smithsonian, Southwest Airlines, T-Mobile, Teledyne, Textron, Toyota, plus displays from the Air Force, Coast Guard Marines, Navy, NASA, National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), NORAD, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), multiple states and dozens of universities and other associations.

How does this show compare with more traditional tradeshows in the same industry? The Paris Air Show is the B2B show for the aerospace industry. In 2025, the show attracted 2,400 exhibitors and 305,000 people from 48 countries. Indoor exhibit space totaled 1.35 million square feet (that number does not include the outdoor static displays), and approximately $21 billion in sales orders were written onsite. NBAA last year in Las Vegas had 760 exhibitors, 17,000 attendees, and 237,500 square feet of indoor exhibit space.

am an unabashed tradeshow enthusiast. I admit it: I’m a fan.

I enjoy shows. They’re fun and full of energy. They keep people employed. They create business sales. They promote ideas and provide networking.

They bring visitors and dollars to a region. What’s not to like?

But sometimes I am confused by what is considered a tradeshow, and what isn’t. Some official organizations count only B2B (business-to-business) events, but not most business-to-consumer shows (auto shows, boat shows, etc.). I suggest public shows should count as tradeshows if they have a designated exhibit area and showcase companies promoting products or services. Here is one example of a non-traditional event that I consider to be a tradeshow: EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026 July 20-26, 2026 Proclaimed as the “world’s greatest aviation celebration,” this annual event “features a wide variety of aircraft from new models to historic warbirds with daily airshows and static displays.” Located at the Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin (OSH), this event is part festival, part air show, part museum, part tradeshow, and all spectacle with nighttime planes launching fireworks off wings.

Last year the Experimental Aircraft Association show attracted a crowd of 704,000 people from 94 countries, 2,543 show planes, 962 exhibiting companies. The total number of aircraft takeoffs and landings (16,246) at OSH exceeded the average weekly total at either Chicago’s O’Hare or Atlanta’s 86 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

By Bob McGlincy

Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. Now that’s a busy week for air traffic control!

The event created a regional economic impact of $257,000,000.

Similarities to a Tradeshow It has exhibits. It has a general contractor (GES). It has attendees. The show has a four-day move-in, and a four-day move-out. The show has classes, workshops, demonstrations, and displays – only at this show most of the displays are in pavilions, airplane hangars or under tents, as opposed to inside a convention center. All types of companies exhibit including fabricators, engine makers, tech companies, finance and insurance companies, aircraft and helicopter companies. Recognizable brands include: » American Airlines, AT&T, Bombardier, Bose, Cessna, FedEx, Ford, Garmin, Goodyear, GoPro,

Origin of the Show.

I like origin stories, whether it’s Star Wars, Star Trek, Homer’s Achilles, Stan Lee’s Peter Parker, or Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Maybe that’s why I wrote a book about the first modern tradeshow.

Anyway, the hero of this story is Paul Poberezny—an aviator, aircraft designer, and entrepreneur. He served in the United States Air Force during World War II and Korea, retiring with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He popularized aircraft homebuilding with the founding of EAA. Their first fly-in was part of the Milwaukee Air Pageant in 1953, and EAA hosted 150 visitors and 22 planes. Since then, the show has grown in size and numbers as it promoted education, recreational aviation, safety, and fun.

Whatever the size or type, tradeshows work. They work very well.

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COLUMN As the Saw Turns

Just Very Thankful

I

just returned from Purina and AirBP. The a two-week run to team we built in St. a client show in Louis did an amazing Cleveland and then job supporting our ExhibitorLIVE in client’s tradeshow Tampa Bay, where and event marketing

By Jim Obermeyer I also attended the goals.

EDPA ENGAGE and the EDPA Thank you to Kim and Randy Chapters Collide events. I for trusting me to open a new spent the weekend catching my tradeshow marketing firm and breath and resting. I thought a bringing all of their work to us, lot about this industry and the helping us jump-start a new people I have worked with over business in 2001. I can’t give the many years. enough thanks to our team Looking back on a 45-year of people at Reveal Exhibits career, I just kept finding who committed to making our more reasons to be thankful company a success in a very for the opportunities I have competitive market. To this day had to work with the people I still think about these people that shaped my career and and am thankful for their dedibecame good friends: cation to our work.

Thank you to Karl and Thank you to Gene for conMyron, the tradeshow team at vincing me to come to an EDPA McDonnell Douglas CorpoACCESS Conference in 2006 so ration that brought me on to that I could connect with other their team in 1981. You taught business owners in our indusa guy who had never heard of try and build strong relationtradeshows what this industry ships with supplier companies. is all about. You sent me to I haven’t missed an ACCESS my first show in Fort Worth, Conference since then and each Texas, and then to Germany, year it brings new connections Sweden and all over the U.S. and renews existing relationin my first year. ships. It’s simply a ‘can’t miss’ Thank you to Dan for hiring event in this industry. me as a marketing director Thank you to Mike for for Hamilton Displays in telling me about the Randy 1993, where I jumped from Smith Memorial Golf Classic the client side to the supplier and telling me, “Once you side of this industry. I learned go, then you’ll know.” So, I so much about what makes went and haven’t stopped this industry work, and why I going since that first trip in loved it so much.

2014. The opportunity to give And thank you to Dan and back to an industry that has Mick for having confidence in supported my career since the me to open and run a division beginning is something I just of the company in St. Louis in can’t miss. And seeing the 1997, where we built strong passion in the team that runs relationships with clients like this event is truly inspiring.

Anheuser-Busch, Ralston Thank you to Dan once again 88 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

for convincing me to come to Chicago to open a sales and design office for Hamilton following the sale of my business in 2015. We had a strong team of sales, design and project management talent until the pandemic hit and all things shut down. I have no doubt that these talented people will continue to succeed wherever their careers take them.

Thank you to Rob for compelling me to join the Bray Leino Events team in the US in 2020. The opportunity to help this UK-based company build partnerships in the US and build a strong team here to support clients exhibiting here sounded like fun. The chance to visit their offices and meet the teams in Bristol and Devon in the UK was inspiring.

Thank you to the Executive Committee and the Foundation Board of the EDPA

for allowing me to be a part of these esteemed industry teams. It has been an honor to work with these groups to help our industry grow and become more well known. I have no doubt these teams will carry this industry forward.

Finally, a huge thank you to everyone I’ve met and built strong relationships within this industry. I have always said it is the passion in the people who work in this industry that has made this such an amazing career path.

Seeing everyone at industry events is the highlight of each year. I could not have done this without every one of you.

See you on the show floor… at least one more time.

Jim Obermeyer has been in the exhibits and events industry for over 45 years, both as a corporate tradeshow manager and exhibit house owner. He can be

@EXHIBITCITYNEWS

ExhibitCityNews.com Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 89

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

People on the Move Kubik announced the retirement of its founder and chief executive officer, Sam Kohn (right), marking the conclusion of a distinguished career that has spanned several decades and helped shape the experiential design industry. Since founding Kubik in 1983, Kohn has led the company with a clear vision: to create meaningful, immersive brand experiences that connect people and ideas. Under his leadership, Kubik expanded into international markets, embraced emerging technologies, and established a reputation for excellence across exhibitions, events, environments, museums, and digital experiences.

PRINTING United Alliance announced key leadership updates within the organization. Chris Lyons will step into the role of group president. He will oversee sales across Alliance media brands and events. Denise M. Gustavson has been appointed vice president of editorial and content strategy. Josh Carruth will take on oversight of PRINTING United Expo operations as EVP Expositions.

21st Century Expo Group announced that Iman McFarland (right) has been named chief executive officer. A second-generation leader, McFarland steps into the role with more than two decades of hands-on experience within the organization, almost 16 years as COO. In addition to her work at 21st CEG, McFarland has founded and led her own ventures, including ILM Solutions and TMG Events.

Choose Chicago announced the promotion of Dustin Arnheim to chief sales officer. Arnheim has served as senior vice president of sales and client services since July 2022.

The Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau announced the appointment of Griff Griffitts as president and chief executive officer of Visit 90 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

by Kerstan Szczpanski

Panama City Beach.

The Greater Columbus Convention Center (GCCC) and Legends Global announced the appointment of Dean Dennis, CVE, as general manager of the GCCC. Dennis succeeds John Page, who has stepped into a new position of regional vice president of venue operations for Legends Global.

Oak View Group announced the appointment of Karen Totaro, CVE, as the new general manager of the Palm Springs Convention Center.

Most recently, Totaro served as general manager of Huntington Place in Detroit.

Women in Exhibitions Network announced a new slate of directors who will serve through August 31, 2027. The leadership team includes: President Toni Piela, head of strategy and M&A, RX North America, Vice President Elizabeth George, senior conference lead, HIMSS Global Health Conference and Exhibition, Informa Connect, Secretary Melissa Ooi, vice president of manufacturing, Nineteen Group, Membership Director Dana Freker Doody, owner and principal strategist, Inktide Solutions, Immediate Past President Danica Tormohlen, vp content, Informa Markets, Ex-Officio Directors and Chapter Founders Martha Donato, partner, Mad Event Management, and Stephanie Selesnick, president, International Trade Information, Inc. The Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PCVB) announced several promotions.

Jamie Huckleberry was promoted from director, destination services to vice president, destination services. Chris Spencer was promoted from senior director of marketing to vice president, partnerships and marketing. Darryl

Irizarry was promoted from director of partnerships and strategic alliances to senior director, partner engagement.

Brian Lafferty was promoted from partnership specialist to partnership manager. Alyssa Kaminski was promoted from website manager to senior manager, digital platforms. Jaime Martorana was promoted from communications manager to senior manager, communications. John Ryan was promoted from social media and content manager to senior manager, digital content.

Craig Hoffend (left) has joined Design and Production Incorporated as general manager.

Hoffend had just announced his departure from Gielissen Interiors | Exhibitions | Events as chief executive officer earlier in the quarter.

760 Display appointed Matt Avery as senior CAD engineer. 2020 Exhibits announced Samantha Babine has been promoted to vice president of sales.

Advanced Systems Group, LLC announced the appointment of Andrea (Andy) Cummis as vice president of systems design and engineering. Align Exhibits announced the addition of Cara Bertino as account manager. Brian Harris has joined Apogee as account executive. ASAE announced that Patricia Blake, FASAE, CAE, will serve as strategic advisor to the Association Governance Institute.

ASTOUND Group announced Katie Zanardi (left) as their new vice president, client development and partnerships.

Brittany Castle was promoted to senior vice president, client partnerships. Karim Wazani has joined the company as head of sports.

Katy Zamesnik, previously deputy director of the Austin Convention Center, has been named interim director following the retirement of Director Trisha Tatro. Better Stands appoint-

ed Roger Lehner as its new project manager. Bill Donovan has joined Condit as senior account executive.

Choose Chicago announced several staff advancements: Joanie Faletto has been promoted to senior manager of social media, Brenna Gannon has been promoted to senior marketing and communications specialist, Chicago Sports Commission, and Stephen Crano has been promoted to senior manager of corporate communications.

Sam Pastorella has joined ColorCraft as Creative Director. Abby Abdala Graham has joined the Deondo Company as sales consultant. Jacquelin Stern has joined Derse as account director.

Brett Hyams has joined Eagle Management as vp strategic growth. Eagle Management Group announced a leadership transition within its Orlando operations. Russell Markusic, city manager, and Patty Markusic, CSR, will be retiring after 30 years of service to Eagle and the Orlando tradeshow community. Chris Perry will assume the role of city manager, and George Duncan will step into the assistant city manager position.

Emerge XP announced that Anna Ellison has joined the firm as a recruitment specialist. Emerald Carpets announced the appointment of Patrick Putzer as president and Ryan Reagan to chief operating officer. Tom Boykin, who has spent decades shaping the company’s trajectory, will move into the role of chief executive officer.

Excel London has unveiled four strategic roles within its Operations Leadership Team: Kirstie Pedrick has joined the conference and events team, Kerrie Kemp is now director of event and venue experience, Lee Lacey moved into the role of director of facilities and estate, Tom Edwards is director of venue services, and Chris Scott OBE joined @EXHIBITCITYNEWS

the team in the newly created role of director of safety, security, and resilience.

Thomas Koch has joined Exhibit Source as senior account executive. Jennifer Cooper joined EXstudios as executive producer. Good Time Creative announced Mariana Chavez Jimenez (left) has joined the company as designer & account lead. Graphic Image Flooring announced the addition of Brittany Bertrand as its new vice president of marketing.

Hamilton has hired Isabelle Morin as experience designer.

Becky Smith has joined Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront as associate director of events. Hyatt Regency Lake Washington at Seattle’s Southport, welcomed Rachel Smith as director of operations. Tom Jazwiecki has joined JL Exhibit Services as Florida general manager.

Legends Global announced the appointment of Pawel Brzezinski as executive vice president, Premium Hospitality Experience. The Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC) announced the promotion of Sonia Trejo, CVP, CMP, CEM from senior event manager to the newly created position of director of events and special projects.

Momentum Management has announced several new hires with Sabrina Osceola (left) as account manager, Sarah Reach - account coordinator, Karen Harrison - account support / show specialist, Charli Woodard - expense specialist, Jennifer Mixon - accounts payable, and Rudy Martinez as Southern California city manager.

MSM Inc. has appointed Kelley Bridenbaugh to lead its marketing strategy and brand growth initiatives. On Location has promoted Jake Bailey to

Chicago regional manager and Ron Bailey stepped into the newly created role of east coast operations.

Procedes LLC has announced Robert Mickiewicz has joined the company in strategic partnership development.

He also freelances in development at Paul, Jr. Designs. Gina Madonna has joined ProExhibits as their new director of account management and Hayley Wheeler joined as a new senior account executive.

Matt Bracci has joined Queen Exhibits as general manager. The Raleigh Convention Center (RCC) announced the promotion of Lori Shumpert (left) to director of events.

Sho-Link Incorporated announced Steve Watson’s retirement and the appointment of David Bradley as the new Washington, D.C., area city manager, as well as the retirement of David Benson and appointment of Jose Herrera as the new San Diego city manager.

SourceOne Events announced the retirement of Director of Sales and Service Mike Foster. Sparks announced the appointment of Sebastian Dreyfus as managing director, EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa). stevensE3 announced the appointment of Daniel McCaskill as senior account executive – business development.

Storylink Creative announced the addition of five new team members. Melissa Ernst joins as human resources manager, Roger LaBrant steps into the role of CAD detailer and production build engineer.

Marcos Hernandez joins as builder and set-up technician, Joshua Reyes joins as builder, and Abby Kivell joins as project management coordinator.

William Fogler (left), founder and principal of WM Events, has been named a finalist for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2026 Southeast Award by Ernst & Young LLP (EY US).

ExhibitCityNews.com Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 91

IN MEMORIAM by Mark Hebert

Michael “Mick” V. Parrott

By Highmark TechSystems

March 2, 1940 - March 29, 2026

Zol Bernard Harvey Jr.

Aug. 26, 1954 – Feb. 6, 2026

Z

ol Bernard Harvey Jr. died February 6, 2026. He was 71. He lived in Las Vegas.

Harvey was born in Texas City, Texas, to Marion Oneta Quarantra and Zol B. Harvey Sr. He was raised in Dickinson, Texas, and moved to Corpus Christi in 1985.

He met Christine at WaterStreet Oyster Bar and proposed the night they met.

They married June 28, 1986, at Ropes Park. Harvey raised Chris’s three children from a previous marriage, Marcus Garcia, Rene Garcia, and Rachel Garcia, as his own. In 1987, they welcomed Zol B. Harvey III, known as Trey. The family moved to Las Vegas in 1991.

Harvey began his career in the environmental industry and started a vacuum trucking company while living in Dickinson. He later worked for US Ecology and Environmental Technologies of Nevada. In 1998, he and Chris founded Network I&D, LLC, followed by The Design Factory, LLC, in 1999.

He is survived by his wife, Christine; his children Marcus Garcia (Colleen), Rene Roach (Michael), and Trey Harvey (Mallory); and his grandchildren Jaden Dudek (Candace), Chloe Garcia, Oliver Garcia, Bodhi Roach, and Kai Roach. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Rachel Garcia.

He is also survived by his sister, Anita Thrasher (Peter), as well as nieces Shaunna and Danielle, nephew Dax, and their children.

“Zol was a great guy, loved by everyone,” said John Funk, president of Skyline Displays of Orange County.

Christine “Chris” Harvey said, “He was loved by so many and my entire heart.”

92 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

M

ichael Verne Parrott, 86, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, died Sunday, March 29, 2026. Born March 2, 1940, in Marshall, MN, he was the eldest son of Robert Belgrove and Paula Verne Parrott, also of Fort Wayne. A 1958 graduate of Southside High School, Parrott earned his BA from Carleton College and MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He was an officer in the US Air Force and was awarded the American Spirit of Honor Medal in 1964, completing his service at the 122nd Tactical Fighter Wing of the Indiana National Guard.

“Mick” Parrott began his business career in the 1960s with Inland Steel in Chicago and later moved to Fort Wayne with ESSEX International. He served as President of Dunbar Furniture in Berne, IN, in 1974, and returned to Fort Wayne in 1980 to acquire Customcraft, Inc. and establish ICON International which consisted of 3 companies - Icon Exhibits, Plasticworks and Displaysource. Mick infused ICON with his passion for architecture, design, quality, and efficiency, growing it into a market leader in the events industry and pioneering the development of the United States’ first

modular aluminum exhibit systems for trade shows, museums, and science centers.

The demand for these specialized products prompted Mick to launch Highmark TechSystems in 1996 to serve a wider range of indoor and outdoor events. Additionally, he merged ICON with Delphi Productions to create Group Delphi, where he served as Chairman until 2020. During this period, Mick also served on the Board of Directors of Grange Insurance Companies in Columbus, OH, and served as Board Chairman from 2007 to 2013. Mick was honored as Indiana Entrepreneur of the Year in 1997 and received the exhibit industry’s highest accolade, the Hazel Hays Award, in 2016.

An active member of the Fort Wayne community, Parrott served on numerous boards, was Chairman of the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, President of Quest Club, and the Business Forum.

Mick was one of the founders of Canterbury School, where he served on its Board of Trustees, chaired its Foundation

relationships across the business Michael R. Joncek lasting and was remembered by those close to

October 7, 1968 – March 1, 2026

M

ichael Robert Joncek of Las Vegas, Nevada, passed away on March 1, 2026, at age 57.

Born in Chicago on October 7, 1968, Michael later made Las Vegas his home for more than two decades. He started and built a career in tradeshow freight and logistics that spanned more than 35 years.

Michael was known to friends and colleagues as a steady presence with a sense of humor and a loyal nature. He developed

him as an all-around good guy.

Michael’s family also had ties to the industry. His brother, Bob, has worked in freight with GES, and Cindy Joncek leads the Las Vegas office for CEP, formerly Chicago Exhibit Productions.

“Mike was a close friend for more than two decades and one of the good guys in this business,” Don Svehla said.

“He spent more than 30 years in tradeshow freight and was known by many across the industry.”

and Capital Campaign, and held various committee leadership roles. A strong believer in the value of rigorous traditional education, Mick was a vocal advocate for K-12 educational excellence.

Mick was predeceased by his parents, Robert and Paula Parrott, and his brothers Christopher and Stephen Parrott.

Mick’s wife of 55 years, Kathryn Parrott, passed away in 2018. They are survived by their three daughters--Jennifer Robinson, Deborah Parrott, and Lesleigh Mitchell—and seven grandchildren. In addition, because their siblings predeceased them, Mick and Kathy maintained close ties with an extended family that includes eight nieces and nephews and their families.

Mick’s family remembers him as a loving and generous father, grandfather, and uncle who was an avid skier, an ardent sailor, and a tireless worker. He loved opera, writing, reading, storytelling, traveling, and hosting gatherings at his Lake Michigan home. He cherished his family, friends, and country, living his life by the Golden Rule. Parrott will be remembered as a visionary entrepreneur, a passionate and principled business leader and community supporter, the patriarch of a large and accomplished family, and a lifelong Christian soldier.

Joseph L. Rubey Jr.

July 31, 1959 – May 15, 2026 ColorCraft Honors the Memory of Fabrication Technician

Carlos Vives

Joseph Patrick Esposito, Jr. Jun 19, 1974 – Apr. 15, 2026

@EXHIBITCITYNEWS

Gary Francis Wannemacher

August 14, 1950 – May 9, 2026

G

ary Francis Wannemacher of Downers Grove, Illinois, died on May 9, 2026, at age 75.

Wannemacher spent nearly 38 years with Nth Degree. He was one of the foundational figures in the company’s growth and operations. Before Nth Degree became a major force in the exhibit and live events industry, he was part of the original Installation & Dismantle, Inc. team.

Over his career, Wannemacher became widely respected throughout the tradeshow and labor community. He was known for leadership, professionalism, and the ability to navigate demanding markets and show floors. He became most closely associated with Chicago and McCormick Place. However, his work also helped strengthen Nth Degree’s presence in Boston, Miami, Las Vegas, Detroit, and Indianapolis.

As Midwest Regional Manager, Wannemacher developed a reputation for steady leadership and deep operational knowledge. He also understood union relationships, facility regulations, and large-scale show management. Colleagues described him as calm under pressure, reliable, selfless, and deeply respected.

Nth Degree said Wannemacher was “a true industry legend.” The company said he helped build its foundation, culture, and service standards over nearly four decades. Even after retirement, Nth Degree said, his influence continued through the “whatever-it-takes” approach and commitment to relationships that defined his career.

Those relationships showed in the response from colleagues across the industry. Robert Dobinski called Wannemacher a “great guy” who “made Chicago easy” and was “a calming soul.” Jeff Masters remembered him as a “great brand

ambassador for I&D and Nth Degree.”

Masters also said few people were more respected or helpful. Michael Tuohey said he always looked forward to Chicago shows because he knew Wannemacher would be there.

Other comments echoed the same themes. Rusty Merritt called him a good man who “always did all he could” to help. Bill Force remembered him as a great golfer, friend, and “one of the best to work with.” Tony Andrews described him as “hard working, reliable and a good man all in one.”

Wannemacher was honored by Exhibit City News (ECN) with the Lifetime Achievement ACE Award in 2019. The award recognized his decades of leadership and contributions to the tradeshow industry. Coworkers and clients described him as a mentor, ambassador, problem-solver, and leader who always put his team first.

He was preceded in death by his siblings, Jim Wannemacher, Gene Wannemacher, and Linda Pickerman.

Wannemacher is survived by his wife, Kerry DiBenedetto; his son, Gary Wannemacher and his wife, Leanne; his sisters, Edith Wannemacher, Anne Carter (Larry), and Ellen Schroeder (Dave); and his siblings-in-law, Saundra Wannemacher, Judy Wannemacher, Katrina Wannemacher, and Jason Pickerman.

ExhibitCityNews.com Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 93

TRADESHOW ROUND-UP Q3 2026

By Kerstan Szczepanski

West

Anime Expo LOS ANGELES, CA JULY 2–5, 2026

The Los Angeles Convention Center will host the largest North American anime convention, Anime Expo. Held by the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA) Anime Expo runs four days in July. There will be anime, manga, figures and models, cosplay goods, Japanese fashion, accessories, games, music, and other fan merchandise; industry booths will preview upcoming releases and convention exclusives. There will also be auxiliary venues and ticketed events, with some special-event entry handled separately from the main badge. It is a huge convention, the 2025 Anime Expo had more than 410,000 attendees, including 900 artists, from over 65 countries. Website: www.anime-expo.org 94 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

For an up-to-the-minute calendar of upcoming tradeshows, visit EXHIBITCITYNEWS.COM/TSC

Q3 2026 TRADESHOW ROUND-UP

By Kerstan Szczepanski

Northeast

ASTRO Annual Meeting BOSTON, MA SEPTEMBER 26–30, 2026

South

WEFTEC

NEW ORLEANS, LA SEPTEMBER 26–30, 2026 New Orleans’ Ernest N. Morial Convention Center will host the Water Environment Federation (WEF) 99th annual technical exhibition & conference, WEFTEC, in September. The conference opens on the 26th with the exhibit hall opening on

the 28th. North America’s largest annual water quality event expects over 20,000 water professionals from more than 100 countries and 50 industries. There will be water and wastewater technologies and services, including treatment equipment, digital water tools, automation, AI, drones, cybersecurity, virtual reality, nutrient and energy recovery, contaminant treatment, and related infrastructure solutions exhibited. Website:www.weftec.org

The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) will hold the 68th ASTRO Annual Meeting at Boston's Thomas M. Menino Convention & Exhibition Center, at the end of September. The meeting runs September 26–30 with the exhibit hall open September 27–29. Last year’s ASTRO had nearly 10,000 registered participants, with over 500 virtual.

This year’s meeting will also be hybrid, offering livestream onDemand. The 2026 theme is "Data to Dialogue: Communicating Radiotherapy's Value to Advance Care” exhibiting and discussing the latest in radiation oncology technologies and services, including treatment systems, software, imaging, patient positioning and immobilization, eConsent/patient education, and other cancer-treatment and radiation-therapy solutions. Website: www.astro.org

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

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

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

Promotional Products • Giveaways • Table Drapes & Signage • Branded Apparel • Gifts & Awards ExhibitCityNews.com Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 95

TRADESHOW ROUND-UP Q3 2026

By Kerstan Szczepanski

Southeast

ICAST

ORLANDO, FL | JULY 14–17, 2026 Mid-July will see the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) presenting ICAST, the world’s largest sportfishing tradeshow at Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center (OCCC). The location will include the OCCC North Building water area and Big Toho Marina. While the show floor opens Wednesday July 15, starting with the State of the Industry Breakfast and “Best of Category” voting, the 14th will be Super Tuesday with the ICAST Cup

Midwest

NSC Safety Congress & Expo INDIANAPOLIS, IN SEPTEMBER 11–17, 2026.

The National Safety Council (NSC) will hold the 2026 NSC Safety Congress & Expo at the Indiana Convention Center. Professional Development Seminars will run September 11-13, 16 and 17 while the expo floor 96 Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 Exhibit City News

Bass Fishing Tournament, On The Water Product Demo Day, a federal excise tax seminar for manufacturers, and the New Product Showcase Preview Reception.

ICAST 2024 officially reported 14,000 attendees, 635 exhibitors, 950 brands, representation from over 75 countries, and more than 1,000 retailers and media at On The Water Demo Day. Expect to see fishing gear, rods, reels, lures, tackle, clothing, marine accessories, kayaks, SUPs, and related sportfishing products.

The New Product Showcase is a major feature with dozens of award categories.

Website: www.icastfishing.org

will be open from the 14th to the 16th. 1,000 exhibiting companies will show 12,300 safety, health, and environmental professionals across categories such as PPE, emergency response, ergonomics, training, environmental health, industrial hygiene, fleet and driver safety, fall protection, and related workplace safety technologies. There are also side programs such as the Green Cross Celebration, Campbell Institute sessions, NPS Winners Announcement/Keynote, and Training Impact Awards. Website: www.

2026congress.nsc.org For an up-to-the-minute calendar of upcoming tradeshows, visit EXHIBITCITYNEWS.COM/TSC

Q3 2026 TRADESHOW ROUND-UP

By Kerstan Szczepanski

Midwest

LOUPE Americas ROSEMONT, IL SEPTEMBER 15–17, 2026

LOUPE Americas, formerly Labelexpo Americas, will be held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont September 15–17. The event will show Labels & Outer Packaging Embellishment (LOUPE) from some 73 countries. This includes label and package printing machinery and materials, digital and conventional presses, flexible packaging, folding carton converting, prepress and platemaking, inks, coatings, substrates, finishing, and other package-printing supply-chain solutions. North America’s largest dedicated label and package printing event, 2024 Labelexpo hosted over 12,000 visitors and some 450 exhibitors. Website: www.loupe-americas.com

@EXHIBITCITYNEWS

ExhibitCityNews.com Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 97

The Exhibit City News Tradeshow Calendar Now Lives Online!

Based on reader feedback and industry trends, we’ve made the strategic decision to move the most comprehensive tradeshow calendar in the industry from our print edition to the web. This change will allow us to better serve our readers by: » Remaining nimble in the current climate when show dates change » Freeing up space in our print edition to give you the content you want: corporate profiles, trends and news you can use

Find our up-to-the-minute calendar online at

ExhibitCityNews.com/TSC

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Find the company you are looking for or register to get on the directory for FREE: ExhibitCityNews.com/service-directory/ or call Taunya 507-272-5801

2026 EDITORIAL CALENDAR* *Content is subject to change QUARTER 1 (JANUARY-MARCH)

QUARTER 2 (APRIL - JUNE)

Print & Digital

Print & Digital

Digital only

Digital only

• ExhibitorLIVE Preview • Cutting and Saving Costs • How To Pick Tradeshows • Speak with Experts on Cost Savings • Flooring • Furniture • Day in the Life • Wow Booth Features • Tradeshow Calendar & Service Guide • Associations & Advocacy Features • Boss Awards • Social Media and New Age Marketing • Measuring Marketing Success • Exhibitor Best Practices • Tradeshow Marketing/Traffic

• Design and Innovation • Boss Awards • AI in Tradeshows • Retaining Talent • Labor and Hiring Concerns • Lighting • A/V • Day in the Life • Wow Booth Features • Tradeshow Calendar & Service Guide • Associations & Advocacy Features • Sustainability • Building an Industry Workforce • New Faces in the Industry • Recruiting for the Industry • Budgeting Tips for Exhibitors • Advocacy Updates

Focus Region: Canada

Focus Region: Central

QUARTER 3 (JULY - SEPTEMBER)

QUARTER 4 (OCTOBER - DECEMBER)

Print & Digital

Print & Digital

Digital only

Digital only

Focus Region: Southeast

Focus City: Northeast

• Importance of a Brand • Experiential Marketing • Innovative Design • Wi-fi • Print/graphics • Permanent Installs and Museums • Retail Spaces • Day in the Life • Wow Booth Features • Tradeshow Calendar & Service Guide • Associations & Advocacy Features • Healthcare • Security/Safety • Randy Coverage • Insurance/Legal/Contracts/Regulations • Fall Show Updates • Show Services

• Transportation Trends • Warehousing/Material Handling • Shipping and Logistics • ExSys Awards • Event Management Software • Tradeshows and Events • Day in the Life • Wow Booth Features • Tradeshow Calendar & Service Guide • Associations & Advocacy Features

• Industry Predictions • Show Management • Randy Coverage • Post-Show Analysis • Industry and Tradeshow Predictions 2027

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

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

Advertiser Index 4Productions

85

ExSys Awards

60, 61

ACCESS

102

Highmark Techsystems

4, 89

Airways Freight

65

Aluvision

2

beMatrix

Back Cover

Brumark

39

Captivate Exhibits

35

CorpCom

41

4Productions.com accesstca.com

airwaysfreight.com Aluvision.com beMatrix.us Brumark.com

captivateexhibits.com Corpcom-Events.com

CorpEvents - New England Corp-eventsne.com

7, 97

Deckel & Moneypenny

47

Design to Print

23

Don and Mike Show Reunion

23

EDPA

69

Emerald Carpets

29

Employco USA

5

Exhibitor Advocate, The

57

Expo Convention Contractors

81

Exposures Photography

65

deckelmoneypenny.com DesigntoPrint.com

DonandMikeReunion.com edpa.com

emeraldcarpets.com Employco.com

ExhibitorAdvocacy.com expocci.com

Exposuresltd.com

exhibitcitynews.com and experientialdesignauthority.com HighmarkTech.com

Hill & Partners

57

Horizon Print Solutions

95

Imperial Events Security Services

33

IPME

59

Kolormatik

75

Labor Inc.

25

Lighthouse Exhibits

23

McNabb Exhibit Flooring

9

Moss Inc.

89

NewGen / ConventionSuite

103

Orbus

11

Service Directory

99

Superior Logistics

87

TEAMWORK

48

ULINE

75

Willwork

3

HillPartners.com

printefficiency.com iessevents.com GoIPME.com

kolormatik.com LaborInc.ca

lighthouseexhibits.com

McNabbExhibitFlooring.com www.mossinc.com NewGenNow.com Orbus.com

exhibitcitynews.com/service-directory ShipSuperior.com

teamwork-inc.com Uline.com

willwork.com

FOR ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES: Contact sales: (702) 272-0182, sales@exhibitcitynews.com @EXHIBITCITYNEWS

ExhibitCityNews.com Jul/Aug/Sept 2026 101

Photography by Padgett and Company ©2026

Akebia Therapeutics launched a new drug developed from Nobel Prize-winning science, targeting complications of kidney disease. Working with their agency, Access designers created an exhibit that featured tactile, organic elements. Instead of digital-screen overload, the result was a nature-inspired environment with curved, tree-like columns that symbolized both molecular science and natural growth. The trees had multi-colored leaves inspired by molecular imagery, connecting science and art that engaged attendees.

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