Higher Numbers Projected for MAGIC and Other Major August Shows
Las Vegas, NV – Major trade shows scheduled for the dog days of August promise to be anything but slow moving this year thanks to projections of solid attendance and exhibit sales. Key events with heavy retail-sector influences, including MAGIC, Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2010, ASD Las Vegas 2010 and the New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF) were bullish about their prospects in the weeks leading up to their respective runs.

Have You Registered for Trade Show Executive’s 3^rd Annual Gold 100 Awards & Summit?
There’s ten weeks to go until TSE’s annual grand celebration of the 100 trade shows that set the gold standard for the exposition industry is held September 22-24 at the Ritz-Carlton in Laguna Niguel, California. Top notch speakers, celebrity entertainment, elaborate meals and special surprises are in the final stretch as we ready our best event to date for networking, learning new ideas and honoring the best of the best.  Attendance will be capped at 200, so register now!  Here's how......

New Cygnus Reorganization Ties Shows, Content Together
Fort Atkinson, WI -- Cygnus Business Media is restructuring its media and trade show operations into four industry groups to better accommodate engagement between consumers and advertisers. CEO John French announced July 14 that the first of the company’s new “affinity” groups, Cygnus Aviation, had just gotten off the ground and that the other three groups – Agriculture, Public Safety & Security and Business & Construction – will be launched over the next 18 months. 

Penton Awards Entire Show Portfolio to GES
Las Vegas, NV – Global Experience Specialists, Inc. (GES) will serve as the official service contractor for the entire 16-show portfolio of Penton Media under a three-year agreement that takes effect next year. GES said Penton renewed existing contracts with GES for a dozen trade shows and also selected GES for four additional events.

Exhibition Industry Gets Chance to Urge Role in Export Initiative
Washington, DC – The exhibition industry has a golden opportunity this month to urge the Federal government to make regulatory changes that will help trade shows make an even greater contribution to U.S. exports. The Department of Commerce is taking comments from stakeholders on the National Export Initiative (NEI) through July 26. The comments, which are being solicited from companies, industry associations and other interested parties, will be used to put together a comprehensive plan to meet the NEI’s goal of doubling U.S. exports within five years. “The administration's export initiative is a huge opportunity for exhibition organizers to focus their events internationally,” said Gary Shapiro, president & CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association. “Every organizer should submit a letter describing their event, the number of small U.S. companies participating and how they don't have to go overseas to sell if overseas buyers come here.”

TSE Adds Three Seasoned Trade Show Professionals to the Team: Dana Myers, Danica Tormohlen and Quentin Chan
Oceanside, CA – Trade Show Executive (TSE) announced the addition of three experienced members of the exhibition-industry media to its editorial and sales staff. Dana Myers, formerly of Tradeshow Week, was named to the newly created position of managing editor of TSE, and former EXPO  editor and publisher Danica Tormohlen joined the editorial staff as a contributing editor responsible for a series of new specialized supplements on registration, medical shows and other subjects. Quentin Chan will represent TSE in Asia as head of business development and advertising and sponsorship sales in that region.

IAEE Urges U.S. Government to Recognize Role of Trade Shows in Driving Exports
Washington, DC – Exhibition industry leaders made a successful pitch to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to give trade shows a prominent place in the Obama administration’s strategy of increasing U.S. exports. Among the agreements:  IAEE members will be given assistance in locating potential sources of international attendees and  IAEE will provide input to the U.S. Trade Representative on the individual trade shows most likely to attract overseas buyers.  “The national objective expressed by President Obama to double U.S. exports by 2015 is one that is shared by our industry,” said IAEE Chairman Chris Meyer who is also VP of Convention Sales for the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. “The events we produce are the most logical places to look for buyers of U.S. goods and services.”

UBM Acquires Stake in South American Shows
London, England – United Business Media (UBM) is enjoying another growth spurt in South America through its acquisition of a 75% equity stake in Sienna Interlink, a Brazilian show organizer, which produces events serving the concrete and restaurant  industries. It also acquired a 60% stake in Navalshore, the leading trade show for the maritime industry in Brazil.

San Francisco CVB Ousts Union over Hotel Boycott Campaign
San Francisco, CA – The board of directors of the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau voted June 16 to revoke the membership of a union representing hotel workers that had been contacting meeting planners and warning them they could face labor trouble in The City.

CIC, PCMA to Co-Locate Events with Reed’s AIBTM
Baltimore, MD – Reed Travel Exhibitions’ launch of Americas Incentives, Business Travel & Meetings (AIBTM) received a boost this week when the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and Convention Industry Council (CIC) announced they would co-locate their events at the inaugural AIBTM in June 2011.

Big Changes at Project
New York, NY – Creating a big buzz in fashion circles, Project Global Trade Show is undergoing a change in leadership, schedule and format. The semiannual and bicoastal event produced by Advanstar Communications draws professionals from the sportswear industry. It typically is held in July in New York and co-located with MAGIC Marketplace in August in Las Vegas. Advanstar will not produce the New York Project this July but expects to relaunch it next year with a new format and perhaps new dates.

Memorials for Two Freeman Employees 
Anaheim, CA – Two Freeman employees were killed in a tragic accident over the past weekend. Bence Kadar, sales director, and Thomas Alan Johnson, director of transportation, both with the company's Anaheim office, suffered fatal injuries while off-roading. The industry is mourning their loss with online comments expressing respect and condolences.

Union Claims New Reform Laws Are Unconstitutional
Chicago, IL – Five days after passage of legislation intended to reform business at McCormick Place, the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters filed suit to halt implementation of the new law. Alleging it violates the Federal and Illinois state constitutions, the complaint claims the act bypassed the rights of workers to use collective bargaining to resolve contractual issues.

Growth is Loechner’s Top Priority at Nielsen Expositions
New York, NY – David Loechner took over the helm of Nielsen’s newly reorganized exhibition division June 1 and indicated he would stay a conservative course as the global economy gets back on its feet. Loechner was named president of Nielsen Expositions after serving as senior vice president of the division’s Retail Group and in a “co-president” role with Senior Vice President, Building & Design Group Joe Randall since January 20.

Financier John Veronis Steps Down
New York, NY – John Veronis stepped down from his leadership role at Veronis Suhler Stevenson (VSS), the private equity firm that made the landmark acquisition of Advanstar Communications and continues to be a major investor in media and exhibition companies. Veronis, who had been chairman and co-chief executive, will continue his limited-partnership commitments to various VSS funds, but will not be involved in the management of the firm.

McCormick Place Reforms Become Law After Veto Overriden
Chicago, IL – The Illinois state legislature handily overrode Gov. Pat Quinn’s veto of the sweeping reforms of McCormick Place. The May 27 veto override makes the original reform bill law. A so-called trailer bill included some of the changes the governor had sought; however, they were primarily technical in nature and left critical changes in union work rules and overtime intact.

Minority Supplier Council Moves Convention from Phoenix to Miami Beach
Phoenix, AZ – The uproar over Arizona’s new law on illegal immigrants caused the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) to shift this year’s annual convention from Phoenix to Miami Beach.

Governor Vetoes McCormick Place Reforms; Seeks Changes
Chicago, IL – Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn announced May 26 that he had issued an amendatory veto of the sweeping reform legislation for McCormick Place and was sending the measure back to the Illinois General Assembly for changes. Quinn urged the legislature to move quickly to revamp the legislation before the Memorial Day holiday.

Darrell Denny Joins Nielsen
San Juan Capistrano, CA – Darrell Denny joined Nielsen Expositions as senior vice president of business development. He will report to Nielsen Expositions President David Loechner and will be based in Southern California.

David Loechner Rises to Become President of Nielsen Expositions
New York, NY – David Loechner has been promoted to president of Nielsen Expositions effective June 1, announced Brian West, CFO of Nielsen. Loechner and Joe Randall were put in charge of Nielsen Expositions on January 20 when Greg Farrar, current president, announced he would leave the company after 23 years to pursue new opportunities.

Research on How Show Organizations are Changing to be Presented at SISO
Oceanside, CA – The disruptive pressures of the recession and the technology boom have altered the staffing levels, organization chart and corporate culture of many independent trade show organizer companies. The results of an in-depth study of these sweeping changes, conducted by the research branch of Trade Show Executive (TSE), will be presented August 11 at the Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO) 2010 Executive Conference in Boston.

IAEE Rallies Industry to Press for Signing of McCormick Place Bill
Dallas, TX – Trade show organizers and service contractors were urged to contact Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and urge him to sign the McCormick Place reform bill as quickly a possible. The International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) issued a “call to action” alert May 17 asking show organizers to contact Quinn and remind him of the urgency to implement the reforms right away.

Jacqueline Russo Named IAEE’s Latest ‘Legend’
Dallas, TX – Jacqueline Russo, vice president of the Swiss logistics giant Kuehne + Nagel Inc., became a legend in her prime when she was named the 2010 “Legend of the Industry” by the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE). The honor includes a headliner appearance at the IAEE Robert L. Krakoff Future Leaders Institute August 6-8 in San Antonio, which will provide up-and-coming executives of the trade show industry face-to-face time with the established leader.

Access Intelligence Acquires RETECH Renewable Energy Conference
Rockville, MD – Access Intelligence, LLC (AI) expanded its energy conference portfolio by fully acquiring RETECH from The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), the industry association that had co-produced the event with The TradeFair Group, a division of AI.

McCormick Place Reforms Await Illinois Governor’s Signature
Chicago, IL – The long-sought overhaul of work rules at Chicago’s McCormick Place had yet to be signed May 12, and the exact date they would take effect on the show floor remains a mystery. The measure passed late last week by the Illinois General Assembly is working its way through the bureaucracy toward the desk of Gov. Pat Quinn. Quinn is expected to sign the package and turn it over to James Reilly, the designated special trustee of the Metropolitan Pier & Exposition Authority (MPEA).

Illinois Passes McCormick Place Overhaul; No Labor Exclusives. Still Needs Governor Approval.
Chicago, IL – The Illinois General Assembly passed a package of reforms for Chicago’s McCormick Place aimed at reducing the cost and the “hassle factor” for trade show organizers and exhibitors. The legislation, which must be signed by Gov. Pat Quinn, takes aim at the sometimes maddening union work rules at McCormick Place. It does not include any provisions for labor or service exclusives. To view a webcast outlining the changes, go to http://www.choosechicago.com
/videos/chicagogetsitdone.htm

Audit Provision Leaves Questions Unanswered
Chicago, IL – A controversial provision in the McCormick Place reform legislation requires an audit to be conducted twice a year on the bills that show organizers and contractors send to their exhibitors. The purpose is to insure that cost reductions are passed on to exhibitors. However, the language of the bill failed to provide details on what types of records will be subject to scrutiny by the Metropolitan Pier & Exposition Authority. Here is the wording in the legislation, verbatim.

Gaylord Opryland Clean-up Underway
Nashville, TN – Clean-up of the flooded Gaylord Opryland was well underway May 7, and company leaders were confident the Nashville hotel and convention center would be back in business by the end of the year.

TSE Dashboard Reveals Modest Overall Decline for All Metrics
Oceanside, CA – Key metrics for trade shows held in March declined again, but only by (5)% or less, according to the latest edition of Trade Show Executive’s Dashboard of Monthly Trade Show Metrics. The total net square footage for the events fell (5.1)% below the March 2009 level. At the same time, exhibitors were off a modest (1.8)% and attendance fell only (1.5)%.

Juan Ochoa Resigns as CEO of Chicago’s MPEA
Chicago, IL – Juan Ochoa announced his resignation May 5 as CEO of Chicago’s Metropolitan Pier & Exposition Authority (MPEA), the agency that oversees the city’s massive McCormick Place. Ochoa’s departure was effective immediately, although he planned to remain on the job until an interim CEO was appointed. The announcement was not unexpected.

Gaylord Opryland Closed by Nashville Flooding
Nashville, TN – The Gaylord Opryland was closed indefinitely May 3 due to flooding caused when the Cumberland River breached its levees and overflowed its banks. Gaylord said in a statement that it was “likely” the hotel would be closed for several months. Company representatives were contacting organizers of meetings scheduled at the resort for the next 90 days out, and said efforts would be made to relocate their events to other Gaylord properties if necessary.

Gulf Coast Convention Business Continues Amid Oil Spill Crisis
New Orleans, LA – The citywide medical conference Digestive Disease Week hummed along in New Orleans where tourism officials predicted that an oil slick spreading across the Gulf of Mexico would not interrupt activities in the Crescent City. Convention centers elsewhere on the Gulf Coast were also open for business May 4. The Mississippi Coast Coliseum & Convention Center in Biloxi, MS was set to welcome Southern Gaming Summit/Bingoworld on May 5. Space at the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center in Mobile, AL was being used as a command post for the area by the U.S. Coast Guard, British Petroleum and various agencies.

Trade Show Executive Partners with Sam Lippman in Large Show Roundtable
Oceanside, CA – Trade Show Executive (TSE) has been selected as the exclusive media partner of the Large Show Roundtable, which for nine years has gathered the leaders of the largest shows in the nation. The invitation-only forum is held three times per year and has drawn the organizers of shows ranging from 125,000 net square feet of exhibit space to 2.2 million. The agreement begins with the July 15 event at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

Trade Show Executive to Expand Data Offerings and Launch a New Event
Oceanside, CA – Trade Show Executive (TSE) will launch a new event, directory and report that will expand the data available to show organizers and fill the void left by the closure of Tradeshow Week, which was announced April 16.
        Beginning next year, TSE will release a new directory of the 500 largest and most important trade shows in the nation. It will also launch an event honoring the fastest-growing shows and the achievements of the organizers who defied the rough economy and made their events flourish. TSE is also in discussions with the Exhibition Services & Contractors Association (ESCA) to create a comprehensive annual report of labor rates, rules and union jurisdictions in 50 of the top trade show cities. “These launches and new initiatives will expand the knowledge base that currently exists in the trade show industry,” said Darlene Gudea, president of Trade Show Executive Media Group and publisher & editor of TSE.

Private Equity Firms More Cautious But Still Interested in Media Businesses
New York, NY – Investments in trade show companies by private equity (PE) firms plummeted last year as the economy swooned, but a spark of interest remains that can be fanned with the appropriate due-diligence preparation. Richard Mead, a managing director of The Jordan, Edmiston Group, Inc. (JEGI), said the key for B-to-B media executives is providing clear financials and convincing evidence of solid growth potential.

International CES Tops Gold 100 Ranking of Largest Trade Shows of 2009
Oceanside, CA – The International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) regained bragging rights as the largest show in the U.S. in 2009, according to Trade Show Executive’s Gold 100 annual ranking released today. CES spanned 1,709,000 net square feet (nsf) of exhibit space in 2009,  down (7.7)% from the 1,853,000 nsf CES sold in 2008, but comfortably ahead of the biennial International Construction & Utility Equipment Exposition (ICUEE), with 1,089,807 nsf. Shows connected to the home building and improvement industries saw a decline in representation on the Gold 100.

Trade Show Executive Selects BPA to Audit Website Traffic
Oceanside, CA – Trade Show Executive (TSE) is teaming up with BPA Worldwide to measure the number of visitors to the TSE website. The move will make TSE the first publication covering the exhibition industry to contract with BPA to keep verified tabs on the hits and clicks received on its site. “This will prove to be an invaluable tool for vendors seeking verification, not hype, on web traffic to determine ROI for their marketing dollars,” said Darlene Gudea, president of Trade Show Executive Media Group, and publisher and editor of TSE.

CEIR:  A Rough 2009 Ends With Signs of a Rebound
Dallas, TX – The trade show industry took its lumps in 2009 in the form of a (12.5)% overall decline, according to figures for the year released by the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR). All 11 industry sectors covered in the CEIR Index experienced declines as did the four key metrics: net square footage, number of exhibitors, professional attendance and revenues. The (12.5)% overall decline was four times the (3.1)% dip reported in 2008. Doug Ducate, CEIR president & CEO, said the gloomy news was not unexpected given the length and depth of the recession during 2009. CEIR and other industry leaders have predicted that a genuine rebound for trade shows would likely not occur before the Second Quarter of 2010.

Reed’s Chet Burchett to Headline TSE’s Upcoming Gold 100 Event
Oceanside, CA – As the East coast digs out of the snow, the trade show industry is also beginning to see a thaw in the icy business climate. What the recovery will look like and how to capitalize on new opportunities is the theme of Trade Show Executive’s third annual Gold 100 Awards & Summit. The by-invitation only event will be held September 22-24 at the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel on the scenic Southern California coast. The three-day event will offer even more of the debate, dialogue and high-level networking that is a hallmark of the event. TSE columnist Bob Dallmeyer will bring his monthly Power Lunch column to the stage as he conducts a live interview of Chet Burchett, president of Reed Exhibitions Americas.

Trade Show Executive Strikes News-Sharing Partnership with Mash Media, Publisher of Exhibition World
Oceanside, CA – Trade Show Executive (TSE) is adding some European flavor to its coverage of the global exhibition industry by announcing a strategic partnership with U.K.-based Mash Media, publisher of Exhibition World. The partnership was finalized at the October UFI Congress in Zagreb and will ensure that readers of both sector-leading publications get the best coverage of the latest developments on both sides of the pond.